avarice, and ambition, are plainly the engines of Satan; by which he turns the world upfide down, representing things under falfe colours and appearances ; and fo cheating mankind into a life of fancy and imagination, more than of judgment and truth. For when the mind, the fountain, is vitiated, the whole ftream of thinking must needs be corrupt.

What other reason can be given, why the fame perfon, at different times, and under different circumftances, (for inftance, when the defire languifheth, and his diffolution draweth nigh) fees the follies and vanities of the prefent life in quite another light than what he had ever viewed them in before? repents himself that he was deceived by them, and cautions others against their infinuations? Is it that the things themselves have changed their nature? Is it not rather

rather that he was then led by Appetite,

but now by Reason ?

Men fubject to the paffions do not care for opening their eyes to fuch truths as condemn and threaten their profitable or pleasurable pursuits; and thence are apt to frame to themselves a Religion fuitable to their own taste and morals : Robbing God of certain of his attributes, invalidating the precepts, and difarming the terrors of the gospel. Thus the infidel and diffolute pretend to have argument on their fide, whilft they cry out, faying, "Tufh, the Lord doth not fee, neither doth the God of Jacob regard"- "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die."

Would we then fhew ourselves menwould we approve ourselves reasonable and free Beings? Above all things it behoves us to lay afide every weight, every criminal

K 4

criminal adherence and infatuating paffion; that by fo doing we may fee clearly, judge properly, and act wifely.

Having thus far confidered the nature and value of that Truth we are exhorted to buy, as alfo the neceffary conditions of the purchase; come we now, in the last place, briefly to explain and enforce the caution annexed-given too under a like figurative allufion -"Sell it not."

3. For indeed to fell the Truth, what is it but, in other words, to barter our Reason and our Religion, those permanent graces of the foul, for the emoluments of a tranfitory life? Which, though, it must be owned, the too common rewards of an iniquitous world to so base a conduct, do yet make but an unhappy amends for the certain difpleasure of the God of Truth, the contempt of

every good man, and the torments of a guilty conscience.

It were endless to go about to unravel the whole mystery of falfhood, by which, in the common mart of human life, the dictates of Reason are eluded, the Will of God fuppreffed, and his Commandments broken. Let it fuffice to remark in general, that whofoever indulges himfelf in criminal pleasures, or unjust acquifitions, does virtually deny Christ and his gofpel. And if any one prefumes to facrifice the tenets of that most holy faith, which was once delivered to the Saints, either to the vanity of his own unftable heart, or to any gainful compliance with an infidel and licentious age, the fame may be fairly faid to be a Seller of the Truth; and must affuredly answer for fo wretched a commerce, before his tribunal, who hath fufficiently forewarned his followers in that most

folemn

folemn question- "What fhall a man be profited, if he gain the whole world, and lofe his own foul ?”

It is beyond all doubt that the present life is only a probationary state in order to a better: And the means of obtaining his favour, which the divine Providence hath put into our hands, are many and ineftimable. God hath not only fent his Son into the world with the most amazing signs and wonders to give testimony to the truth, and by a moft exemplary life of virtue and holiness to teach us the way to Heaven, which by his precious death He hath opened to every fincere believer; but hath alfo given us his written word, to be a light unto our paths during our pilgrimage through this vale of darkness. This is open to every enquirer; here, in the language of the Prophet, may we buy the truth without money and without price. So that