arguments of its most inveterate enemies; and especially that obedience to the divine commands is required from us, not only as a private duty, but also as a public example, which may both put to silence the ignorance of foolish men,' and afford to artless and inexperienced minds the benefits of imitation, unmixed with its usual and great disadvantages. For,

III. The vices of believers not only furnish a pretence to the infidelity of some and the irreligion of others, but spread also a very dangerous snare in the plainer paths of moral virtue.

The force of example on the minds and manners of mankind is universally seen and acknowleged. Interest, inclination, and duty, the laws of man, the laws of nature, and the laws of God, are in vain united to resist its progress: every principle of action is perverted at the caprice of custom, and every power of exertion is enfeebled and subdued by the magic influence of prevailing fashion. Happy would it be for the world, if the voice of the charmer, which so few can refuse to hear, were heard to pour its enchanting strains in the defence of virtue: and as it is no inconsiderable encouragement to goodness, that every instance of right behavior has a tendency to produce this desirable event; so is it an aggravation of every crime, that it contributes to enlarge the dominion of sin, and to perpetuate the miseries of man.

It is certainly useful to consider the consequences of vice in every light that may at all deter us from the commission of it. Now, as an example, it is attended with peculiar circumstances, to which an ingenuous mind can hardly be insensible. The future punishments of vice may be averted by the use of those means which religion has graciously supplied; its temporal inconveniences to ourselves may be lessened by prudence, or borne with resignation: so far the evil is of our own creation, and the remedy in our own power. Its temporal consequences also to others, as an injury, may be prevented by attention, or relieved by liberality; but its effects, as an example, are equally fatal and unavoidable; they yield to no precautions, and admit of no reparation. No satisfaction can be made for the loss of innocence: no human art can heal the wounded spirit, or restore its purity to the polluted mind. Penitence, indeed,

FAW.

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would at least alleviate the crimes which it bewailed; but penitence is not readily excited: it is much more easy to allure than to deter, to seduce than to reform. Many, too, who have suffered by our vices, may be no longer in a situation to receive improvement from our virtues; and the evils inflicted on one man cannot be in any degree compensated, nor perhaps equalled, by the benefits we may occasion to others. Diseases are more active than remedies; and the contagion of one vicious example may soon produce effects, which the united influence of many characters of distinguished excellence will neither balance nor repair.

As therefore the consequences of our conduct on the belief and manners of those around us are thus important in themselves; as they cannot be prevented by any prudence, nor averted by the sincerest repentance; they surely form a motive to goodness, which no thinking man can overlook, and no generous man will disregard. It is a motive, of which every one, who is not insensible to the dearest interests of human society, must see the reality, and feel the force; and if even he would consider the wonderful variety of inducements, by which the divine goodness allures men to virtue and happiness, how inflexibly perverse must be that heart, which is unaffected by

them all!

A life of virtue is represented, as the conduct prescribed by our reason, as becoming the dignity of our nature, and exalting it into some resemblance with the divine perfections: it is commanded by our Creator as the great test of our obedience; it is required by our Redeemer as the best token of our gratitude; it is recommended from its effects on our own lives, on our prosperity and comfort here, and on our everlasting happiness hereafter; it is recommended from its effects on the lives of other men, on their conduct and enjoyments; and, lastly, it is recommended from its effects on the Supreme Being himself, who deigns to represent his own happiness as increased by our obedience, and his unapproachable glory as receiving additional lustre from the brightness of human virtues.

SUMMARY OF DISCOURSE X.

1 THESSALONIANS, CHAP. V.-VERSE 22.

THE advice in the text may be thought unnecessary by some, and oppressive by others. If we obey the injunctions of the gospel, say they, and duly discharge our moral and religious duties, what need is there of farther care? Appearances cannot change the nature of our actions, nor deceive the unerring judgment of him, who has pronounced those acts of goodness to be most pleasing, which are most carefully concealed. Others perhaps think it a cruel aggravation of a burden, which was before heavier than they were well able to bear. If we obey God, and satisfy our own consciences, why must we be judged of man's judgment? this topic enlarged on.

These objections however will disappear, if we duly consider the true nature and end of the duty recommended to our observance, which requires us not to contradict our own conscience in compliance with the sentiments of others. Virtue is too sacred an obligation to be sacrificed to appearances; nor will the guilt of the smallest vice be atoned for by any advantages which it may have been really designed to produce. Those actions, which evidently partake of the nature of virtue or vice, cannot be at all affected by the command of the text: but there are actions of a more questionable shape, which some men esteem perfectly indifferent, whilst others, more serious or timid, carefully separate them, exalting these into the rank of duties, and sinking those into the catalogue of sins. To such the apostle directs our attention, charging us to reverence the

but they certainly give us awful ideas of the moral Governor of the world, and have a peculiar tendency to form and encourage that serious and temperate disposition of mind, which will best · secure us from great or frequent excesses: this topic enlarged on. But though the inefficacy of religious observances cannot be justly concluded from any particular failures, yet it must be remembered, that these circumstances enable men to deceive themselves and persuade others; that the cause of religion has suffered more from the loose charge of hypocrisy in its friends, than from all the arts and arguments of its inveterate foes; and especially that obedience to the divine commands is required from us, not only as a private duty, but as a public example, &c.: for,

III. The vices of believers not only furnish a pretence to the infidelity of some and the irreligion of others, but spread also a very dangerous snare in the plainer paths of moral

virtue.

The force of example on the minds and manners of men is universally acknowleged: this dilated on. As it is no incon siderable encouragement to goodness, that every instance of right behavior has a tendency to produce the increase of virtue; so it is an aggravation of every crime, that it contributes to enlarge the dominion of sin, and perpetuate the miseries of

man.

It is useful to consider the consequences of vice in every light that may at all deter us from the commission of it. Now, as an example, it is attended with peculiar circumstances, tó which an ingenuous mind can hardly be insensible: these are equally fatal and unavoidable; they yield to no precautions, and admit of no reparation; for no satisfaction can be made for the loss of innocence: this subject dilated on. Such con

sequences then form a motive to goodness, which no thinking man can overlook, and no generous man will disregard. Concluding observations.

DISCOURSE IX.

THE VICES OF CHRISTIANS DETRIMENTAL TO THE GENERAL INTERESTS OF RELIGION.

1 PETER, CHAP. II.-VERSE 15.

For so is the will of God, that with well-doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Of all the arguments, which have been directed against the truth and excellence of Christianity, none have been urged with greater frequency, or displayed with greater triumph, than that which is founded on the misconduct of its professors. It is an argument indeed, which, whether apparently confirmed by particular facts, or supported only by falsehood and misrepresentation, can do no credit to the understanding or the heart of its author. No rule of conduct has ever prevented all the crimes which it forbad; and some have had the peculiar misfortune to be made the pretext for the very evils, which they were originally designed to remedy. To argue therefore against religion from the abuses of it, proceeds from a defect in judgment: to argue against it designedly on wrong principles, or from pretended or distorted facts, proceeds from a defect of another nature, and is not a weakness, but a crime.

Yet feeble as it certainly is, this sort of reasoning has been confidently used in every age by the rival sects of Christians against each other, and by infidels against them all.

But the weakness of this reasoning, however visible in itself, and however disgraceful to the cause in which it is employed, is far from affording any excuse to those, who give occasion to