fenting between it and happiness, he has declared himfelf its friend in a manner the most decifive. What we see takes place of this connexion in the prefent life is the beginning of a moral government; and it should lead us to expect a future life, where what is now begun will be completed-where every prefent irregularity will be fet right-virtue receive its full reward, and vice its full punishment.

Laftly. What reasons have we for feeking virtue above all things? You have heard how happy it will make us. Let us then pray for it earnestly; and defpife every thing that can come in competition with it. If we have this, we can want nothing that is defirable. If we want this, we can have nothing that will do us any fubftantial fervice.-Go then all ye careless and irreligious men. Take to yourselves your money, your honours, and polluted pleasures. I would defire VIRTUE only. There is nothing elfe worth an eager wish. Here would I

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center all my cares and labours. May God grant me this, and deny me what elfe he pleases. This is his choicest bleffing; his beft and richest gift. This is that tree of life whofe leaf never withers, and whofe fruit will revive us in every hour of dejection, cure all our maladies, and prolong our existence to endless ages; for, as St. Paul fpeaks, if we have our fruit unto holiness, our end will be EVER

LASTING LIFE.

SERM ON VIII.

OF THE GOODNESS OF GOD.

PSALMS XXxiv. 8.

O taste and fee that the Lord is good. Blejfed is the man that trufteth in him.

THE

HE titles GREATEST and BEST, have in all ages been applied to the Deity. We are led to this by the unavoidable fentiments and perceptions of our minds. The firft and uncreated being must be the GREATEST; and the GREATEST muft likewife be the BEST; for true greatness includes in it goodness. Almighty power, universal dominion,

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dominion, and infinite knowledge, confidered by themselves, can excite no other emotions than awe and terror. They have in them none of that dignity which engages veneration, except they are accompanied with benevolence. This is the crown of all the attributes of the Deity. It is this finishes his character; and nothing can be of more importance to us than a thorough conviction of it, and just sentiments concerning it. If we either do not believe it, or entertain unworthy apprehenfions of it as partial or capricious; fome of the principal comforts of our existence must be loft; and our religious fervices muft become an abject and illiberal drudgery and fuperfti tion. I cannot, therefore, be better employed than in endeavouring to explain and prove to you God's goodness; and this I propofe to make my business in the prefent difcourfe; after which, I fhall, in a future discourse, infist particularly on the practical improvement of it.