Serm. XLII. The Wifdom of Religion. 293 tion, and their Eternal Abode in another World. But Religion gives us a clear ProfpeEt of a Life after Death, and overlooksTime, and makes Eternity always prefent to us, and minds us of making timely Provifion and Preparation for it. It takes into Confideration our whole Duration, and inspires us with Wifdom, to look to the End of Things, and to what will be hereafter, as well as to what is prefent. It is likewife a great Propertyof Wifdom to fecure the main Chance, and to run no hazard in that. And this Religion dire&s us to take care of, becaufe the Negle&of it will prove fatal. Another Mark of Wifdom is, to lay hold of Opportunities, thofe Efpecially, which, when they areonce paft, will never return again. There are fome Sea - fons wherein great things may bedone, which if they be let flip, are never to be retrieved, AWife Man will lay holdof thofe, and improve them; and Religi- on inculcates this Principle of Wifdom uponus, that this Life is the Opportuni- ty ofdoing great things for our felves, and of making our felves for ever ; this very Day and Hour may, for ought we know, be the Taft and only Opportunity of Repentance, and making our Peace with God : Therefore to day, whiß it is called to day, let us fet about this neceffary Work, fell any ofes be hardned through the deceitfulnefs of Sin ; to morrow it may be too late to begin it, and the Juftice of God may cut us off whilft we are wilfully delaying it; and the Opportunities of Caving our Immortal Souls, may vanifh, and be for ever hid from our Eyes. The next Property of Wifdom, is to forefee Dangers, and to take timely Care to prevent them. The Prudent Man (faith Solomon) forefeeth the Evil, and hideth himfelf; that is, fhelters and fecureshimfelf againft it ; but the frmple paf on, and are puni(lied ; that is, the Evil overtakes them, and their Folly is punifh'd in their fatal Ruin. Now the greateft Danger is from the greateft Power ; even from hint who is able to fave and to defiroy ; Iwill tell you (fays the Wifdom of God) whomye 'hall fear ; fear him, who after he bath killed, cande f roy both Body and Soul in Hell. Again, another main Point of Wifdom, is to do as little as we can to be re- pented of, nutting rather to the Wifdom of Prevention, than to that of Reme- dy. Religion firft teacheth Men Innocency, and not tooffend ; but in cafe we do, (as in many things we offend all) it then dire&s us to Repentance, as the on- ly Remedy. But this certainly is Folly, to fin in hopes of Repentance, that is, firft to make work for Repentance, and then run the hazard of it ; for we may certainly fin, but it is not certain that we (hall repent. And if it were, yet it is great Folly to lay in before-hand, and to make work for trouble ; Ne to fiultos homuncio es, qui mali, venianc precari, quamnon peccare, was a Wife Sayingof old Cato; Thou art (fays he) afilly Man indeed, who chufefl rather to ask Forgivenefs, than not to Offend. Ifa Manhad the belt Remedy in the World, he would not make himfelf lick to try theVirtue of it ; and it is a known Comparifon, and a very fit one, that Repentance is Tabula pofl Naufragium, a Plank after Shipwreck. But I am greatly afraid that thoufands of Souls, who have nulled to it, havepe- tifhed before they could get to Land, with this Plank in their Arms. The laft Chara&er of Wifdom I (hall mention is, In all things to confult the Peaceand Satisfa&ion ofour own Minds, without which nothing elfe can make us happy ; and this Obedience to the Laws ofGod does naturally procure. Great Peace have they (faysDavid) that love thyLaw, and nothing ¡hall offend them. The workof Righteoufnefs, fays theProphet, (hall be Peace, and the effell of Righteouf- nefs, quietnefs, andaffurancefor ever. The fear of God, and the keeping of his Commandments, is the belt Prefervative againft the troubles of a guilty Confci- ence, and the terrifying apprehenfions of a future Judgment. And this is the great Wifdom of Religion, that whofoever liveth according to the Rules and Precepts of it, prevents the chief Caufes of difcontent, and lays the furelt Foun- dation of a perpetual Satisfa&ion of Mind, a Jewel of ineftimable Price, which none knows but he that has it ; and he that hath ir, knows the value of it too well to part with it for thepleafures ofSin, which are but for a feafan, and which always
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