THE BEAUTY O F HOLINESS. PROV. III. 17. Her Ways are Ways of Pleasantness, and all her Paths are Peace. Hofoever would effectually plead the Cause of Piety and Religion, must not only recommend the Principles of it to the Understanding, as most true and certain but the Practice of it to the Will and Affections, as defirable and delightful. For we find it verified by daily Experience, that it is much easier to conquer the Arguments of Atheism, than the Prejudices of Profanenefs; and when we have master'd the Judgment, to yield to O 3 the 197 the Reasonableness of the Christian Do&rine, and the infinite Advantages of its Rewards, yet ftill we muft encounter with a ftrong Referve of Prejudices and Mistakes, ghaftly Spectres, and hideous Apparitions, that fright the Will from imbracing a Religion that is reprefented fo difmal and unpleasant. Pleasure is fo fweet, and potent a Charm, that neither Reason, nor Rewards, can prevail against the Infinuations of it. And therefore nothing would tend more to the Advancement of true Godliness, than if we could clearly demonstrate, that it hath not only the Advantage above Sin and Vice in refpect of future and eternal Joys, but in refpect of prefent Pleasure and Satisfaction; and thereby convert Temptation into Motive, the Snare of the Devil into a Cord of Love, and turn the most deftructive Engine of Hell against its own Gates. For whilft Mens Minds are poffefs'd with a falfe Opinion, that the Ways of Virtue are all ftrewed with Thorns and Galthrops, that Piety is a fowre ill-natured, tetrical Thing, a fullen Matron that entertains her Followers only upon Sighs and Tears, fad Reflexions, and doleful Regrets That to obtain the Joys of the next Life, we muft bid an everlasting Adieu to the Contents of this, and never morę more expect a chearful Hour, a clear Day, or a bright Thought to shine upon us; it will be utterly in vain to bring them Tidings of the heavenly Canaan, that Land which flows with Milk and Honey; for the Dread of these Anakims, and fenced Cities, will make them murmur against their Guide, and refolve rather to die in Egypt. I thought therefore, that the best Service I could do for Religion, would be to pluck off this deformed Visor, and to represent true Piety and Holiness in its genuine Beauty and Sweetness; and to convince the voluptuous World, that they are wofully mistaken in their Estimate and Pursuit of Pleasure ; that they seek the Living among the Dead, that they neglect the Fountain of living Waters, and feek for Refreshment at thofe Cisterns that hold no other but the tainted Waters of Marah and Meribah, Bitterness and Strife. To this End, I have chofen these Words of the wife Man, Her Ways are Ways of Pleafantnefs, and all her Paths are Peace. That Relative Particle, Her Ways, leads us back to the 13th Verfe, Happy is the Man that findeth Wisdom, and the Man that getteth Understanding: From whence he proceeds to demonstrate the Happiness of this Man in the following Verfes, by the Ex 0 4 cellency cellency of Wisdom, Verfes 14, 15. She is more precious than Rubies; and all the Things thou canst defire, are not to be compared to her: Then by the Rewards of it in three of the choiceft Bleffings humane Nature doth most covet, Long Life, Riches, and Honour: Length of Days is in her Right Hand, and in her Left Hand Riches and Honour. And lastly, By the Pleasantness of it in the Words of my Text, Her Ways are Ways of Pleasantness: So that if Life, if Riches, if Honour, if Pleasure, if the Confluence of all Good can make a Man happy, he might well pronounce, Happy is the Man that findeth Wisdom. Well, but what is this Wifdom that is thus profitable, thus pleasant? Is it a fubtle Management of our own Concerns, or a politick Negotiating the mighty Affairs of States and Kingdoms? Alas! the Cares, Perplexities, and Difquiets that attend thefe Things, do evidently prove, that they are not Ways of Pleasantnefs ; but fometimes unfafe, always intricate and intangled. In a Word therefore, that Wisdom whofe Ways are Pleafantness and Peace, is nothing elfe but true Religion, folid Piety and Holiness; The Fear of the Lord, that is Wisdom; and to depart from Evil, that is Understanding, Job 28. 28. And therefore we find, that throughout this whole Book of the Proverbs, wherein Solomon doth fo often chaftife the Fool, he means no other Perfon but the wicked Man. Wisdom and Folly are fynonymous Terms with Holiness and Impiety; and do very well exprefs them both in their Causes, and their Confequents: For as Folly is the Cause of Sin, and the Confequents of Sinning do very evidently prove them Fools who commit it; fo Wisdom is the Origine of Piety, and the Confequents of Piety do clearly prove them wife who follow it. So then you fee that these Ways of Wisdom, which are recommended to us as pleasant, are the Fear of God, Holiness, and true Piety. I know that this will feem a grievous Paradox to as many as have not seen the Beauty, nor tafted the Sweetness of an holy Life; but have degraded themselves to a brutish State, and have nothing left to relish Pleasures but their Senses: And yet even to fuch, (if their Sensuality hath not quite extinguifh'd their Reason, and they have but Understanding enough to name them Men) I doubt not to prove, that the Pleasures of an holy Life are far more confiderable than the Pleasures of Sin, and that the Rigours and Severities of |