fight and power; borne up under all the calamities of life; and, which is the great point, exalted with the nobleft hopes of what fhall follow after death!

Our time on earth is fo fhort; and our pleasures at best fo languid and rare, and mixed with fo many anxieties, pains and forrows; that furely it is a melancholy view, to think of ending here; and after a very few days are gone over our heads, becoming for ever, as if we had never been. Yet this is much more than irreligicus perfons can poffibly promise themselves. Could there be no God, they would have no certainty, but that their beings might continue, and might be miferable. For what is there that may not be, on the fuppofition of an ungoverned world? But fince there is a God; flighting and disobeying him must be crimes, and must be punished. We may have little attention to this perhaps, in the tumult of youthful fancies and worldly purfuits. But when the clofe of the scene approaches, and age or fick nefs roufes up reflection from its fleep, then will the finner, in all likelihood, fee, with terror unfpeakable, thofe awful realities, of which, if he is never convinced in this world, he will only be the more wretched in the

But the darkest hour to fuch, may, with reafon, be the joyfulleft to him, who having faithfully acknowledged God in all his ways, perceives that now his work is over, and his reward at hand. Undoubtedly it is beft to ufe no ftronger expreffions on this fubject, than the lefs experienced may feel to be juft elfe, words want force to defcribe the difference between these two conditions. It is true, not all pious fouls are confcious of it, just at the time of their departure. Frequently their fetting fun is obfcured by infenfibility: fometimes over-caft by doubts and fears. But they shall inftantly behold it rifing again, to fhine with unclouded and encreafing luftre to all eternity. For light is fown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of his bolinefs".

Such then is the good influence of the fear of God and his genuine fear can have no bad one. Reverence of a wife and holy being will never mislead men into any thing wicked or weak. Falfe religion, indeed, may do both: and fo may falfe notions of virtue or friendship, or any other valuable quality. VOL. II. Pp

* Pf. xcvii. II, 12.

But

But this was never thought an argument in any cafe befides, againft being governed by the true; and yet lefs ought it in the prefent. God must be worshipped by us in fpirit ́and in truth, let others worthip him as wrongly as they will: and his laws must be obeyed, let ever fo many mistake errors of their own for fuch. The danger of fuperftition is a very powerful reason, why religious belief and practice should, be watched over, and directed right: bat cannot poffibly be a reafon, why diffolute profanenefs fhould be encouraged or fuffered. Let rational piety be thoroughly established, and fuperftition falls of courfe. But if the former be rooted out, the latter will certainly grow up in its place. There is a natural bent in human minds to believe and refpect an invifible power: and if it be turned afide from pointing, in a proper manner, towards its proper object, it will foon acquire fome other form; probably an abfurd and pernicious one. Infidelity promifes great freedom and enjoyment of life: but in fact it proves, in proportion as it prevails, a ftate of madnefs and confufion, of perpetual danger from others, of difcomfort and desperate refolutions within mens own breafts: and therefore, after fome trial of it, they will eagerly run away from it into the oppofite

extreme.

True religion then being of fach importance, there are fome things, which may justly be expected of mankind in its fa

vour.

1. That they, who have not yet carefully fearched into the grounds of it, should not take upon them to treat it with scorn, or even difregard. What fo deeply concerns all men, and what the wifeft and moft confiderate of men have lived and died in the firm belief of, ought not furely to be thrown afide, on bearing only a few fuperficial objections, and ludicrous turns of words to its difadvantage. There muft need more than this to confute it; and therefore whoever, with little reading and little thought, finds much melination to difbelieve, fhould learn to fufpect himself, inflead of his creed, and be modeft in proportion to his unacquaintedness with the subject.

2. It may be expected allo, that they, who profefs to examine, fhould do it fairly. Moft men will be backward to confefs, that they wish against religion: because it is confeffing,

that

• John iv. 24.

that they have reason to fear, if the universe be well governed. But each ought to think well, whether this be not fecretly his cafe, and remove the prepoffeffion of his bad life, before he pretends to be an upright judge. After that, if he finds difficulties, let him remember, that they are to be found in every thing, and yet fomething must be true. If he meets not with the fort, or the degree of evidence, which he looked for: let him recollect, that a fair mind will be fatisfied with any that turns the scale. If he doubts of fome points; let him still hold faft thofe, which remain undoubted; and preferve that respect to religion in general, which will prove his beft guide in every particular. Nay, were it poffible for him to doubt of the whole; yet, fince doubt is not certainty, his practice however fhould be on the fafer fide. And if he fees, as one should think he muft, that scepticism and infidelity will deftroy the chief comfort of the good, endanger the virtue of all, and weaken the bonds of civil fociety; never let the poor vanity of propagating his notions tempt him to be the author or promoter, of fo dreadful a mischief to human kind. But

:

3. The laft, and most important thing of all to be expected is, that they who are fo happy as to believe, fhould fecure and complete their happiness by what alone can do it, a suitable behaviour. Too often the contrary courfe is taken and many who had once fome regard for religion, but unhappily accompanied with vicious indulgencies, force themselves to throw it off, that they may fin undisturbed. But let no one imagine, that denying God will make the leaft amends for disobeying him; or that stifling our convictions can ever give any true peace; which is only to be had by enforcing them home on our hearts, and conforming our lives to them. This we have all need to do with the utmost care, amidst so many, so powe ful, fo fudden temptations to the contrary, as the world and the devil, and our own corrupt nature, throw in our way. And as the reverence of our heavenly Father is the most effectual preservative, we ought to keep up that in its full ftrength, by frequently repeating fervent prayer to him, and affecting medtations upon him. How intirely the exercifes of devotion are laid afide by fome; and with what indifference, and even contempt, a mere outward fhew of them, now and then, is just retained by others, who yet call themfelves chriftians; too many you, I fear, know too well and it furnishes matter of me

of

:

lancholy reflection, not only to every pious, but every pru dent mind. For good men must feel, that the regard, due to God, is a moft inward, conftant and awful one: and wife men muft furely perceive, that neither can the common welfare be preferved without morals; nor morals, without religion; nor religion, without worship; private worship, to ftrengthen our own fenfe of duty; and public worship, to fpread it amongst others.

On all accounts, therefore, it is our most important concern to cultivate and exprefs the affections of piety; which are indeed the nobleft movements of our fouls towards the worthieft object, towards the attainment of the most bleffed end and to awaken ourselves from the remiffness, into which we are apt to fall, on his head beyond others, by reminding our hearts often, that God is prefent, and a future ftate foon will be so; and how foon to any of us, none can tell. May we all resolve, from this moment, to ftrive earnestly for a happy share in it, through faith in the merits of our dear Redeemer, and a right ufe of the fuggeftions of the divine Spirit: to both whom, with the Father Almighty, be honour and praife, now and for ever! Amen.

SER.

And when he had called the people unto him, with his difciples alfo be faid unto them, whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

EVERY word, which proceeded out of the mouth of our

bleffed Lord, muft unquestionably deferve a very serious attention. But fome things being peculiarly needful to be known, or liable to be forgotten; to thefe, on proper occafions, he demanded the especial regard of his hearers and as they were bound to pay it, so are we. Thus in the foregoing chapter, finding it requifite to confute the Jewish traditions in favour of that ceremonial purity in their perfons and food, which led them to overlook the moral purity of the heart, we are told, that when he had called all the people unto him, be faid, hearken unto me every one of you, and understand. There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile bim, but the things which come out of him, wicked thoughts and their confequences, thofe are they that defile the man: if any man bath ears to hear, let him bear*. With the fame kind of folemnity he delivered the words of the text which indeed had still greater need of it, as the former contradicted only received opinions and customs; but these, the strongest of our natural paffions and appetites. When he had called, &c.

Taking up the crofs relates, in the primary and ftrict fenfe, only to fuffering patiently for the truth: a duty, God be thanked, lefs common amongst us at prefent, and which therefore

Mark vii. 14, 15, 16.

Vid Suicer in Erauges, p. 1005.