him with these difpofitions he finds them quite fufficient, and receives them thankfully; he enjoys the refreshment and pleasure they afford, he readily parts with them, and chearfully pursues his journey. Were our lives uniformly regulated by the fame principle, our journey through this world would prove more fatisfactory and pleafant to ourselves, and the fruits of them would be more acceptable to God: we should view the objects and events that occurred, with the fingle, or pure, eye, which beft enlightens the whole man*. By not over-rating either the poffeffions or pleafures of life, fuch as come in our way are best enjoyed; and fuch as fall not to our fhare we fuffer to pafs by without difappointment or chagrin.

This procedure is not recommended merely as a matter of discretion and good policy, but upon higher and better principles; upon the principles of religion and virtue, as beft anfwering the defigns of almighty God, and as the best means of affifting and advancing our trueft, and moft durable, happiness.

A grateful heart will be fenfible of a glowing piety and thankfulness to God in the reasonable

* Matt. vi. 22.

reasonable enjoyment of his bleffings: and,
knowing that no return will be acceptable to
the giver of every good thing, but the mak-
ing a right use of his bounty and goodness
in promoting the comfort and happiness of
his creatures, he will proceed and perfevere
with alacrity and chearfulness in the streight
and even road of duty; he will place his
confidence in God, and will rejoice that
Jehovah reigneth. Confcious of his own
defire and endeavour to do the thing that
is right, he will commit his peace with him
who fearcheth the heart and tryeth the reins.
He will fubmit to the diffolution of this
his earthly tabernacle with the calm joy
and chearful refignation of one who humbly
looketh for his manfion in heaven, and
the blissful fcenes that fhall accompany
his abode there. And though he looketh
for the unconscious intermediate rest of the
grave,
he looketh alfo for the time when the
prifon-doors of the tomb fhall be broken
open, and he fhall arife to ftand before a
merciful and impartial judge, and shall receive
of him that recompenfe which fhall be best
adapted to his capacity of enjoyment, in a

future

t

future ftate of never-ending and continually. increafing happiness.

In fine; fince our years cannot be many, and the thread of life is every moment liable to be broken long before nature's course be run out, let us, my brethren, ftand as centinels and watchmen over ourfelves, that we may not be surprised and taken hence in a ftate of mind or conduct unprepared to meet our judge: let us be furnished, if not with innocency, with that repentance and reformation of life which the almighty will approve, when we fhall feverally be called to pay our debt to nature, be it on the morrow, or. on fome protracted day.

SERMON

SERMON XXI.

OBEDIENCE TO THE GOSPEL THE BEST
PROOF OF OUR BELIEF IN GOD.

JOHN Xii. 44.

JESUS SAID, HE THAT BELIEVETH ON ME, BELIEVETH NOT ON ME, BUT ON HIM THAT sent me.

It was the great object of the miffion and ministry of Jesus Christ to publish the mind and will of God to man: and, accordingly, he was ever faithful to his truft, never seeking to do his own will, but the will of him that fent him. It was his meat and drink to execute the good-pleasure of God in enlightening mankind by the doctrines of his gofpel, informing them by his instruction, and improving them by his counsel and example.

Jefus, by this conformity of his labors and his life to the commands of his heavenly

father,

father, approved himself to God. The purity and excellence of his own `character caft the moft brilliant and becoming luftre on his precepts; and these, united together, are sufficiently adapted to allure fuch part of mankind as profefs themselves the disciples of Christ to tread in his steps, and to walk even as he walked. However thefe means may have failed of their fuccefs with many in the different generations of mankind, they certainly are well-adapted to produce that effect which the friends of religion and virtue would naturally expect from them. The blame of difobedience must be referred to the unwilling ear and to the hardened heart, not to any incapacity in the rational creatures of God to learn and do his will.

It is effential to the attribute of justice afcribed to the deity that he requireth no more of us than we are able to perform; and if we confult and commune with ourselves, we are fo far naturally difpofed to adhere to the truth, that our own hearts will tell us, that we have the power to cease to do evil, and to learn to do well. Without this power, the word of exhortation would be loft upon us;

the