to the inattention, or pride, or stubbornness, of our own hearts.

This affords a glorious difplay of the wisdom and goodness of our great Lawgiver and Judge. But alas! we thwart his merciful intentions. Overlooking what is near, we roam abroad in queft of other things, that lie at the remoteft diftance from us, and have the feebleft influence upon our temper and practice. Such is our folly and perverseness, that, despising the most important truths, because they are common and obvious, we run away in the vain purfuit of abftruse and intricate fpeculations, which have no other effect than to puzzle the head, or to warm the imagination, while they leave the heart dark, and cold, and infenfible.

To correct this falfe tafte, by recalling mens attention to the moft fimple and practical truths, ought, in my apprehenfion, to be the principal aim of a gospel-minister. When thefe have got full poffeffion of mens hearts, and appear in the fruits of a holy life, then, if we find leifure, we may feek after new discoveries: but furely neceffity fhould

should have the first disposal of our study and labour. Life is fhort, and fouls are precious; and therefore things of eternal confequence ought in all reason to be preferred. They who choose to gratify the curious, by telling them new and strange things, may indeed raise the reputation of their own invention; but they do it upon the ruins of a far more excellent thing, -I mean, that charity " which vaunteth not

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itfelf, is not puffed up, and feeketh not

"her own;" and as they have no higher aim than to ferve themselves, it is but just they fhould be left to reward themselves as they can.

We are commanded in Scripture, to be "ready to every good work;" that is, to be in fuch an habitual posture for fervice, that with facility we may enter upon action fo foon as an opportunity prefents itfelf. But we shall never acquire this promptnefs and facility, till the mind be furnished with fome fruitful principles of action ; and the more fimple and obvious thefe principles are, the more readily will they occur to us, and the greater authority and

influence

influence will attend them.

Of this kind

is the propofition I have been endeavouring to illuftrate. The truth of it is obvious to the meanest capacity; and yet fuch is its fruitfulness and energy, that fome of the fublimeft duties of the Chriftian life are virtually included in it, and may with ease and certainty be deduced from it.

To felect fome of thefe practical leffons was the fecond thing propofed; to which I now proceed.

ift, If all the bleffings we poffefs be the gifts of God, the effects of his free and unmerited bounty, then furely we ought to be bumble. This is the particular improvement which the Apostle directs us to make of this doctrine in the clofe of my text ; "Who maketh thee to differ from another? "and what haft thou that thou didst not "receive? Now if thou didst receive it, why

doft thou glory, as if thou hadst not recei "ved it ?"

fo

This reafoning is fo plain and fimple, that a child may understand it; and yet perfectly juft, that it will abide the feverest

trial;

trial; nay, the more accurately it is examined, the stronger will it 'appear. Did we keep this fingle principle in our eye, that it is God who maketh us to differ, that alone might be fufficient to give a check to our pride, and to inspire us with humility. Did we view all our prefent advantages as gifts freely bestowed, to which we had no previous title or claim; then every additional bleffing would only remind us of our indigence before we received it; and the greater and more numerous the benefits conferred upon us were, the greater debtors fhould we judge ourselves, the more deeply should we feel our dependence upon God, and the lefs difpofed fhould we be to glory in our felves.

2dly, From the fame principle, and with equal eafe and certainty, we may deduce our obligation to thankfulness and praife. Humility and gratitude, these kindred graces, which conftitute the proper temper of a Christian, are infeparable companions. They give mutual aid and fupport to each other, and both take their rife from the perfuafion of this truth. For how can we think

of

of our kind and unwearied benefactor, who condefcends to make us the objects of his care, who daily loads us with benefits, though he is altogether independent of us, and can neither be enriched by our fervices, nor impoverished by the want of them; -how can we think of him, I say, without the most fervent love, and humble gratitude?

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3dly, To humility and gratitude, I add refignation to the will of God. This was the inference which holy Job drew from the doctrine I have been illustrating: “Shall "we receive good at the hand of the Lord, "and fhall we not receive evil alfo? The

"Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, "bleffed be the name of the Lord." Surely if no wrong be done us, we have no right to complain. We ought rather to adore that goodness which at firft bestowed the gift, gave us the comfortable enjoyment of it, and continued it with us fo long; and to fay with the faints of old, when our di stress is greatest, "I will blefs the Lord at "all times; his praife fhall continually be "in my mouth."-" Wherefore doth a liVOL. III. « ving

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