II.

SERM, ment will follow the Committing of it. Whereas, on the Contrary, he that believes there is an infinitely good and powerful Being, who looks down from Heaven and beholds and takes Notice of all his Words and Actions, and even the most fecret Thoughts of his Heart; who records them all in his Book, and will call him to an Account for them, and either graciously reward, or feverely punish them, in a Life which fhall begin after this short Life is ended, and continue to all Eternity: Such a Man will be wonderfully careful how he behaves himself, he will fet a strict Watch over the firft Motions of his Soul, he will avoid every Thing which he thinks will displease God; he will endeavour to approach or come unto God, by imitating his Perfections, by leading a holy, juft, and devout Life, and by doing whatsoever is well pleafing in his Sight. Whereas

without Faith, or Belief of these fundamental Doctrines, it is impoffible to please God: For he that cometh to God, must believe that he is, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him.

THE former Part of this Verfe contains a different Subject from the latter, namely, the Being of a God, and what Manner of Conceptions we have, or ought

to

to have of him. But, as I have already SERM. anticipated this, by difcourfing on that II. Head, and by fhewing the Nature and Neceffity of Faith in God; I fhall now apply myself wholly to the Confideration of that other Propofition contained in my Text, He that cometh to God, muft believe, that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him. From which Words I Thall endeavour to fhew,

I. WHAT is meant by Seeking God.
II WHAT is implied in thofe Words of
God's being the Rewarder of them that
diligently feek him. And,

III. THAT all this is neceffarily to be
believed by all fuch as would come un-
to God. He that cometh unto God, muft
believe that he is, and that he is a Re-
warder of them that diligently feek him.

I. WHAT is meant by Seeking God. These twoPhrases, of Seeking God and Coming to God, are of the fame Import and Signification, and in Scripture Language denote to us the folemn Acknowledgement of God with our Mouths, by worfhipping him with Prayer and Thanksgiving; and the Owning him in our Lives, by living in Obedience to his Laws: So

that

SERM. that, by Seeking God, is meant, the main II. and principal Duties of a Chriftian Life. God is pleafed to exprefs himself after the Manner of Men, who ufe to delight in the Company, and take all Opportunities of converfing with fuch, they like and bear good Will unto; thus, when Men truly love God, they will take all Opportunities of frequenting the public Worfhip of God, and fay with the Pfalmift, that a Day spent in his Courts is better than a Thousand elsewhere. They will be very careful of living up to thofe Laws he has enjoined them, and fearful of offending him; this is that Seeking of God mentioned in the Text; and God is and will be a Rewarder of such who thus diligently feek him: Which brings me to enquire,

II. WHAT is implied in thefe Words of God's being a Rewarder, which denote to us these three Things.

I. THAT God will reward them in this Life. God has fo ordered the Affairs of this World, that the Exercise of Virtue and Religion is the most proper and natural Means to make Men happy in this Life. This may be gathered from the Words of the Text, the Propofition is laid down in the prefent Tenfe, God is a Rewarder; he not only rewards good: Men

II.

Men in another Life, but in fome Measure SR RM. rewards them in this, and in keeping his Commandments there is great Reward; Virtue, for the most Part, is a fufficient Recompence to itself, and makes Men hapру here as well as hereafter. Thus it is for the most Part, yet fometimes it fo falls out, that God fees fit, for many wife Ends, to fend Affliction upon good and virtuous Men; and then the Reward of their Goodness and Virtue is deferred till the Life to come, when he will make them full and ample Amends for all those light and momentary Afflictions they have endured in this Life. And then,

2. Secondly, In this Senfe God is a Rewarder of fuch as diligently feek him, i. e. He will certainly reward them one Time or another. But,

3. Thirdly, Ir God is the Judge of all the Earth, who will certainly reward all fuch as obey his Laws, then from the same Reason we may infer, that he will feverely punish such as difobey them; for the fame original Juftice, which engages him to reward the Obedient, will also oblige him to punish the obftinate Offender; and the fame rational Principles, which lead us to the Belief of the one, will alfo equally ferve to convince us of the other; as I fhall endeavour

SERM. deavour to make Proof of more at large by II. and by.

1. GOD has fo ordered the Affairs of this World, that there is a Reward naturally attends good and virtuous Actions, and in that Sense he is the Rewarder of fuch as diligently feek him; it is plain, and has been made out beyond all Contradiction, that all the particular Laws of the Gospel are fuch as tend to promote the Welfare of Mankind in general in this Life, and the Happiness of every particular Perfon; and the Reason, why fo many Men lead fuch miferable and comfortless Lives, is, for Want of the Practice of those Rules and Precepts recommended to us by our Holy Religion, and not out of any Defect in these Rules. For, were Men fo temperate, fober, chafte, merciful, just, as the Chriftian Religion requires them to be; did they but obferve those excellent Precepts and Divine Rules of holy Living, to do by others as they would have others do by them, to abstain from all Appearance of Evil, to forgive Injuries, to love their Enemies, to bless them that curse them, to do Good to them that defpitefully use them and perfecute them, to do Good to all Men to the utmost of their Power, to make it the Bu