out of the reach of it? You are by no means called only to acts of devotion, or only to the more fublime of moral duties. Prudent and moderate concern for our worldly interest is a duy. Every propriety and decency of life is a duty. Even cramental accomplishments have their value. But from thefe conceffions men conclude, that they may fafely pay their main attention to what deferves but the finalleft part; and imagine they are abundantly good chriftians, almoft without any one peculiarly chriftian action or fentiment. At beft, a few pious formalities, practised now and then, conftitute their whole religion and the reft of their life, and all their heart, is given up to what hath no tincture of religion in it: whereas inward reverence of God, as he is manifefted to us in the gospel of Jefus Christ, ought to be our ruling principle; and extend its influence throughout each article, of our bufinefs, our conversation, our private thoughts. : Perhaps you will object again, that fo very ferious a turn of mind as this, will caft a gloom over every thing: and one must have some pleafare furely. But learn to be pleafed with what you ought; and you will have inexpreffibly more pleasure than you poffibly can elfe. In other things you take pains, no fmall pains, to accquire a tafte; cften, for what is of no value; fometimes, for what is bad: and perhaps, after all, can fucceed no further, than to put on the affectation of liking what you really do not, or get by habit a wretched craving for gratifications, which you cannot but defpife and condemn. Employ yourselves better. Efteem what is cftimable, and it will exalt instead of debafing you love what is am.iable, and it will reward your affection. Love him above all, who hath first loved you*; and his fervice will be delightful': become fuch as he requires, and you will find fatisfaction in every thing. It is a strange miftake, to imagine the burthens of religion infupportable; while we take much heavier upon ourfelves from fancy and fashion. Were the gofpel to injoin the fatigues, the expences, the dangers. which on reflexion we shall perceive caprice and cuftom do, that one argument against it would be accounted decifive. : The most ferious perfon in the world may juftly be alfo the cheerfulleft. Even penitents, in the midst of their forrow, at the very beginning of their amendment, enjoy a blessed Cc 2 1 John iv. 19. hope hope of forgivenefs and acceptance, infinitely preferable to the highest pleasures of fin. But perfons of confirmed goodness have a peace within their breafts, which paffeth all under ftanding of those who have not experienced it, and all defcription of those who have. They feel no tormenting remorfe, no difquieting dread of God or man. They are never agitated by malice or envy feldom, and but gently, moved by anger. Pity indeed they often experience; but gratifying it comforts both others and themfelves. Their behaviour is friendly, and therefore agreeable: their difcourfe lively, if nature hath quali fied them for it; bat at leaft inoffenfive and conciliating. Their hearts are open, in a proper degree, to all the innocent amufements of life, and they long for none of the prohibited ones. Virtuous difcretion preferves their health and spirits as much as worldly uncertainties permit, makes their circumftances eafy, their families and dependants orderly and happy. Their judicious beneficence is very useful, their blameless example yet more. Thus they become bleffings within the compass of their fphere and furely reap no little joy from the esteem of others, but unspeakably more from the teftimony of their own confciences. The best of them indeed are fenfible of many failings: but all confiftent with that fincerity, which God, they know, will recompenfe. They fee through the whole courfe of life, that they are in the only right way; and whatever may happen to them, all will end well. Difappointments, unkindness, ingratitude, loffes of friends or of fortune, neceffity, pain, fickness, and death, work together for their goodt, and unite to form an infallible plan for encreafing their fins felicity. Never will fociety grow gloomy, but inexpreffibly the cheerfuller, for being com pofed of fuch perfons as thele: and fuch ought the religious naturally to be. Therefore you, who are truly religious, appear in charac ter, and do credit to your caufe. Defpife with good humeur and pity the impotent ridicule of the inconfiderate: let the world fee that you are happy, and that your belief in God is the ground of it. Wear no dejected looks, put on no forbidding appearances; be affable, be courteous, be joyful. Avoid improper amufements; guard against fondness for thefe in which occafionally you may do well to join: but expres a decent Phil. iv. 7. t Rom. viii. 28. a decent and modeft, a mild and compaffionate, not an angry or cenforious, disapprobation of the common exceffes in them; fhew that you can relish life perfectly well without them, by engaging with alacrity in the proper bufinefs of your station, improving yourselves, and doing good to others. Never unfeafonably magnify in talk, but affiduously demonftrate in fact, the comfort you have in obferving the precepts and expecting the rewards of the gofp.1. Manifeft, whenever opportunities prefent themselves, yet without any oftentation, the benevolent ferenity which chriftian faith inspires, your enjoyment both of converfation and folitude in their feafons, your compofure under doubts and uncertainties, your fortitude under croffes and afflictions, and your fettled persuasion, that you shall ever be enabled to poffefs your foul in gladness of heart*, and rejoice in the Lord alway†. Such behaviour will furely convince even the vicious and the prejudiced, if they have any reflection, that to feek their own advantage with fuccefs, they must feek the things which are Jefus Chrift's. And if they ever intend it, the prefent time is always the beft: but this prefent time is peculiarly fo. Decency prohibits now the ufual diverfions: apply your vacant hours to a better purpose. The offices of the week throughout exp efs in the most affecting manner, what your gracious Redeemer hath done and fuffered for you: think deliberately in it, what you ought to do for him, indeed for yourfelves. Think what you have been, and are, and what the faith you profefs requires you to be: confider what fatal confequences will follow, perhaps very foon, if you neglect to amend, and how you fhall accomplish this neceffary work. Read with reverence the rules and declarations of God's word; read with attention other awakening, yet prudent books, reflecting as you go along: and engage fome pious, but judicious friend, to excite, fupport, direct, and, if there be occafion, reftrain you. Form difcreetly by their helps needful refolutions and beg carneftly of God's elfe they will all prove ineffectual. piety of the week, however ftrict, is cannot be really chriftian, if it doth. firength to fulfii them: But remember, that the not to end with it; and You are called to recollection Luke xxi. 19. Acts ii, 46. † Phil. iv. 4.. collection now, that you may practife vigilance all the reft of your days. Temporary, periodical goodness, that is like the morning cloud, and as the early dew goeth away*, it will be of no avail to any one; but they, who, by patient continu ance in well-doing, feek for glory and honour and immortality, are fecure of obtaining eternal lifet. • Hcf. vi. 4. Rom. ii. 7. SER. SERMON LIX. THE JOY AND EXULTATION OF ST. PAUL IN PUBLISHING THE DOCTRINES AND PRECEPTS OF CHRISTIANITY. GAL. vi. 14. But God forbid that I should glory, fave in the cross of our Lord Jefus Chrift; by whom the world is crxcified unto me, and I unto the world. WE must have fome foundation, real or imagined, for thinking well of ourfelves and our condition; or we must be wretched. And innumerable are the methods which men take to procure the esteem of their own minds. Too many glory in their fhame*: are proud of notions and difcourfes, which mifreprefent facred truths, degrade human nature, and tend to diffolve human fociety; of gratifying their paffions, their appetites, their fancies, whatever mischiefs it produces; of doing what vifibly hurts, and muft finally ruin their characters, their fortunes, their healths, their fouls. Others value themselves on more plaufible, yet infufficient, pretentions on the luftre of an ancient family, which per haps they difgrace; on the inheritance or acquifition of wealth, which they employ to little or no good purpose; on agreeablenefs of person, which makes them vain and imprudent the short time it continues, and miferable when it decays; on liveliness of wit, which either provokes enemies, or invites dangerous friends; on depth of knowledge, often falfely fo called, and pernicious, often wholly foreign to their true bufiness; on elegance of tafte in fmaller matters, while they are contemptibly injudicious in the greateft; on pomp and fhew, which give a pleafure as flecting as it is childish; on making a figure in the Phil. iii. 19. |