the love and the respect of a great nation. It is a fignal bleffing to a kingdom, when a Person whofe character would have reflected honour upon any condition of fortune, is placed by Providence in that elevated rank, which allows her virtues to shine with extenfive luftre, and to diffuse their aufpicious influence over a whole land. That this influence of your MA JESTY'S virtues may long continue to be felt; that while they alleviate the cares, and increase the comfort of our gracious Sovereign; while they improve the minds, and contribute to the felicity of your illuftrious offspring; they may, at the same time, successfully exert their power power in forming the public manners on a pattern fo worthy of imitation, fhall be my fincere wish and earneft prayer. I have the honour to be, with profound refpect, MADAM, Your MAJESTY's moft humble, And most devoted fervant, HUGH BLAIR. SERMON I. On the TRUE HONOUR of MAN. PROVERBS, iv. 8. Exalt her, and he shall promote thee; fhè XXHE love of honour is one of the SERM. Tftrongest paffions in the human heart. It fhows itself in our earliest years; and is coeval with the first exertions of reafon. It accompanies us through all the ftages of fubsequent life; and in private stations discovers itself no less than in the higher ranks of fociety. In their ideas of what conftitutes honour, men VOL. III. greatly B I. SERM. greatly vary, and often grofsly err I. But of somewhat which they conceive to form pre-eminence and distinction, all are defirous. All wifh, by some means or other, to acquire respect from those among whom they live; and to contempt and difgrace, none are infenfible. Among the advantages which attend religion and virtue, the honour which they confer on man is frequently mentioned in fcripture as one of the most confiderable. Wisdom is the principal thing, says Solomon in the paffage where the text lies, therefore get wifdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding. Exalt her, and fhe fhall promote thee; fhe fhall bring thee to honour, when thou doft embrace her. She fhall give to thine, head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory fhall fhe deliver to thee. It is evident that throughout all the facred writings, and particularly in this book of Proverbs, by wif dom is to be understood a principle of religion producing virtuous conduct. The fear of the Lord is said to be the beginning of wisdom: And by this fear of the Lord men I. men are faid to depart from evil; to walk SERM. in the way of good men, and to keep the path of the righteous*. Man is then regulated by the wisdom which is from above, when he is formed by piety to the duties of virtue and morality; and of the wisdom which produces this effect, it is afferted in the text, that it bringeth us to honour. On this recommendation of religion it is the more neceffary to fix our attention, because it is often refused to it by men of the world. Their notions of honour are apt to run in a very different channel. Wherever religion is mentioned, they connect with it ideas of melancholy and dejection, or of mean and feeble spirits. They perhaps admit that it may be useful to the multitude, as a principle of restraint from diforders and crimes; and that to perfons of a peculiar turn of mind, it may afford confolation under the diftreffes of life. But from the active fcenes of the world, and from thofe vigorous exertions which difplay to advantage the human abilities, they |