whom shall be fear? The Lord is the SERM. Strength of his Life, of whom then shall XIII. be be afraid? In all Dangers and Distresses he has a fure Friend to depend upon; and tho' Storms and Tempefts beat on every Side, yet within all is calm and ferene. A good Man, faith Solomon, fhall be fatisfied from himself, and tho' the whole World fhould confpire against him, yet as long as his own Heart is not against him, he has inward Joy enough to make him a continual Feast. The pleasant Reflection that arises from a well-fpent Life will fupport the Mind under all Calumny and Reproach, and defend us from the Peftilence that walketh in Darkness, and from the Arrow that flieth in the Noon-day: For as it is most certain that no Affluence of Fortune can keep a Man from being miserable when an enrag'd Confcience flies in his Face, fo it is alfo as certain that no temporal Adversities can deprive a Man of those inward, fecret, and invifible Supplies of Comfort which are the Refult of a Confcience void of Offence. And this noble Frame and Temper of Mind, as it clears and delights us in the various Paths of Life, fo it goes with us alfo to our Jour ney's End, and accompanies us in the very Agonies of Death; it ftands by us at a Time Nn 2 when

SERM. when we have moft need of it, when Riches XIII. and Honour, and all worldly Comforts have

left us, and nothing but Pain and Sickness come in their Room and take Poffeffion; then the Confcience ftands forth, and opens a delightful Profpect of Happiness to the departing Soul, juft fluttering upon the Borders of Eternity.

'Twas this that supported the firft Chriftians under all their Tribulations. Our Rejoicing, fays St. Paul, is this, the Tefti mony of our Confciences, that in Simplicity and godly Sincerity we have had our Converfation in the World: "Twas this that comforted them under the moft grievous Perfecutions, and gave them Confidence towards God, because their Hearts condemn'd them not; 'Twas this that made them rejoice when they fuffer'd for the Name of Chrift, when they had Trials of cruel Mockings and Scourgings, yea, moreover of Bonds and Imprisonment, when they were ftoned, and fawn afunder, when they were tempted, and flain with the Sword, and were tortur'd, not accepting Deliverance, that they might obtain a better Refurrection. But when This fails us; when our Hearts reproach us, and our Confciences ferve only for wretched Remembrancers of

paft

paft Crimes, as they will always be to one SERM, whose Conscience is not void of Offence, at XIII, leaft in fome good measure, both towards God and towards Men, then we fhall be forced to fink under the heavy Burden of Sorrow that will neceffarily fall upon us; for when that Confcience, that fhould help us to bear the Calamities and Misfortunes of this Life with stedfast Courage, and a well-grounded Refolution, is itself troubled and disquieted, where is the Man that can fupport himself under it? When our only Friend, or, at least, that which alone is capable of being fo, is become our Enemy, and that, which ought to be our greatest Joy, is itself become our greatest Torment, who can endure it? Bodily Sickness, and outward Afflictions a manly Spirit will fupport us under; but when the Mind is caft down, and the Soul itself is opprefs'd, it is not in the Power of a Man to raise and lift it up. The Spirit of a Man will fuftain his Infirmity, but a wounded Spirit who can bear? Great must be the Torment of that Man who is for ever flying from himself, and whofe Crimes are always ftaring him in the Face, like the Hand-writing upon the Wall: And yet fuch is, and must be, the Condition of him whofe Thoughts are fad Anticipations of future Mifery,

XIII.

SERM. Mifery, and frightful Prefages of what will come hereafter; for his Life is now become a Burden too heavy for him to bear; and, which is the greatest Misfortune, it is not in the Power of Riches, Honour, or any thing in the World to do him any Service, to filence the Clamours of Conscience, or relieve a diftracted Mind: And when he comes to depart this Life, and launch out into another World, to fill up the Measure of his Sufferings, Who can tell what Grief he muft endure? what Pain? what Sorrow? what Reluctance? And yet he is equally frighted at the Thoughts of Life; he is afraid to live, and afraid to die; a whole Eternity of Sorrow lies before him, behind him is the ghaftly Visage of Despair, and fad Remorfe on either Side. In fhort, he dies in Distraction, and goes headlong into another World to receive the Remainder of that Punishment which he felt in this. Ha ving fhewn what it is to have a Confcience void of Offence towards God and towards Men, and the Happiness that refults from it, and the Mifery that attends the Want of it, I come now,

Thirdly, To lay down fome Rules and Directions in order to our obtaining fuch a Conscience.

Confcience. And here these two Things SERM.

are most natural to be obferv'd.

1ft, To XIIL

endeavour all we can to understand our Duty right; and, 2dly, To practife it.

First, then, We fhould endeavour to underftand our Duty right; for he that does not endeavour to inform himself aright in the Nature and Extent of his Duty, must anfwer for all the Confequences of a mifguided Judgment. A Man, indeed, is obliged not to act contrary to his Confcience, because that would be to act against the Light and Conviction of his own Mind, which being the Rule of his Actions, and the only Guide he has to walk by, it would be very finful not to do it: But then it will by no means follow from hence, that he is not oblig'd to get what Knowledge he can of his Duty, and to take care that his Conscience be rightly inform'd; for as a Man is guilty of Sin, if he acts contrary to his Conscience, fo is he equally guilty by acting according to it, if he refuses to make ufe of the Means of Information: Not that a Man is guilty of Sin by acting according to his erroneous Confcience, merely as erroneous, for he has no other Rule to act by; but because he has brought himself under a Necef