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XIII.

dishonour and shame, by the loss of friends, SERMON and the forfeiture of general esteem. He who walketh uprightly, has been alwayst found to walk surely while in the dark and crooked paths of fraud, dishonesty, or ignoble pleasure, a thousand forms of trouble and disaster arise to meet us. In the mean time, to a bad man, conscience will be always an uneasy companion. In the midst of his amusements, it will frequently break! in upon him with reproach. At night, when he would go to rest, holding up to him the deeds of the former day, putting him in mind of what he has lost and what he has incurred, it will make him often ashamed, often afraid. Cowardice and baseness of mind are never-failing concomitants of a guilty conscience. He who is haunted by it, dares never stand forth to the world, and appear in his own character. He is reduced to be constantly studying. concealment, and living in disguise.

He

must put on the smiling and open look, when dark designs are brooding in his mind. Conscious of his own bad pur-: poses, he looks with distrust on all who are around him, and shrinks from the scrutiny

SERMON of every piercing eye. He sees, or fancies XIII. that he sees, suspicion in many a countenance; and reads upbraidings in looks where no upbraiding was meant.

he is in great fear, where no fear is.

Often

Very different from this, is the state of the man whose conscience is void of offence. He is manly and intrepid in every situation. He has never seduced the innocent by guilty arts. He has deluded no one with false promises. He has ensnared no man to trust him by a deceitful account of his affairs; nor taken any advantages of the distresses of others to enrich himself. Without uneasiness he can look every man boldly in the face; and say with the good Prophet Samuel; Behold, here I am; witness against me. Whose ox have I taken? or, whose ass have I taken? or, whom bave I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Of whose hand have I received any bribe? Declare, and I will restore it to you*. He who can thus take God and the world to witness for his integrity, may despise popular accusation or reproach. Those censures and rumours which are constantly

1 Samuel, xii. 3.

XIII.

disquieting the man of guilty conscience, SERMON pass by him unheeded. His witness is in heaven; and his record is on high. Innocence and uprightness form a tenfold shield, against which the darts of the world are aimed in vain. Of neither God as his Judge, nor of men as his companions, is such a man afraid. With no unquiet nor terrifying slumbers will his couch be haunted. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for the Lord maketh me dwell in safety.

LET those considerations which have been now briefly suggested, contribute to render the character in the Text, of a conscience void of offence towards God and man, amiable and estimable in our eyes. If in its fullest extent we cannot attain to it, let us at least endeavour to approach to it, and herein with the great Apostle exercise ourselves. We may rest assured, that the more we partake of this character, the happier and more honourable shall our life be on earth, and the nearer shall it bring us to Heaven. Conscious of our innumerable frailties, let it be our daily prayer to God, that

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SERMON that by his powerful spirit he would rectify XIII. what is corrupted in our nature; would

guard us by his grace against the temptations that surround us; keep us from the path of the destroyer, and lead us in his way everlasting.

SERMON XIV.

On the Ascension of Christ.

[Preached in the evening after the celebration of the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.]

LUKE, XXIV. 50, 51.

And he led them out as far as to Bethany; and he lift up his hands and blessed them : And it came to pass while he blessed them, he was parted from them and carried up

into Heaven.

T

XIV.

HE sacred Scriptures not only set before SERMON us a complete rule of life, but give weight and authority to the precepts they deliver, by the information they communicate of certain great and important facts, in which all the human race have a deep concern. VOL. V. U

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