occafioned by any feeming interference of different parts of it with each other. Modern Philofophers, as they are called, alas! how unworthy of the name! have moft unnaturally feparated the cause of philanthropy from that of piety and holinefs, and affect to treat of benevolence, as if its dictates might fometimes be at variance with those of the gofpel. But let those trying circumstances arife, which bring opinions to the test, and it will invariably be found, that the love of God, as he is revealed to us by Jefus Chrift, (with its neceffary confequences the regulation of our minds, and the due fubjection of our appetites and paffions to reafon and benevolence, as enjoined by the laws of chriftian morality,) is the only true and consistent principle of the love of man. May a firm conviction of this important truth excite us to aim at uniform excellence of character,

to

to become more and more perfect in every good word and work.

IMAGINE then, my brethren, this busy fcene at an end, and yourfelves able to view the whole of life through which you have paffed, at once, in all its circumftances, connexions, and confequences; fee yourfelves uniformly paffing on through all its Stages in the discharge of your duty, according to your nature and fituation, loving and beloved; behold good men dropping the tear of grateful remembrance on your graves; and anticipate the exultation of heart, with which you fhall hear the Almighty Fudge of the Universe pronounce, much as ye have done good unto one of the leaft of thefe my brethren, ye have done it

unto me."

"In as

SERMON II.*

66

GAL. Ch. i. V. 10.

FOR DO I NOW PERSUADE MEN OR GOD! OR DO I SEEK TO PLEASE MEN? FOR IF

I YET PLEASED MEN, I SHOULD NOT BE THE SERVANT OF CHRIST."

Of all the characters which the holy

F

fcriptures afford for our example and instruction, there is none (our bleffed Lord's excepted) which contains a more valuable affemblage of amiable virtues, than that of St. Paul, and, what forms the foundation of them all, the motive of his conduct fhines with peculiar luftre: indeed, the general

tenor

*Preached at the Episcopal Visitation at Southmolton.

tenor of his whole life, as far as we are acquainted with it, appears to have been guided by the fame high principle. Even when he perfecuted the religion of Chrift, he tells us *that he did it out of a zeal towards God, § verily thinking with himself that he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Christ. And although the public manner, in which our bleffed Lord gave his gracious inftructions, and performed his many wonderful works, leaves us no room to fuppofe, that a man of St. Paul's active and inquifitive mind could have wanted the fulleft acquaintance with them; yet, when we confider the many and deep-rooted prejudices, both national and arifing from the particularly ftrict mode of his education, which concurred in producing this determination of mind, we shall be unwilling to dwell on this part of his character; and readily pafs on to the proof which he gave of the fincerity

of

* A&ts, ch. xxii, v. 3.

Acts, ch. xxvi. v. 9.

of his principles, when it pleased God, who was willing to fhew him mercy, because, differently from his affociates, * he did it ignorantly in unbelief, to call him, in a more extraordinary manner, to become a minifter of the gospel. A fimilar event is recorded in the new teftament to have happened to other perfons; and the difference of their behaviour it from that of our Apostle, upon plainly fhews the different motives which influenced their conduct. When the band § of men and officers from the chief Priests and Pharifees came forth to feize our blessed Lord in the garden, hardened as they were, they were unable to withstand a momentary difplay of his divinity; but went backward and fell to the ground;-yet as foon as they rofe again, far from abandoning their wicked purpofe, they bound him and led him away. St Paul was not thus difobedient unto the

heavenly

* 1 Tim. ch. i. v. 13. § St. John, ch. xviii.

St. John, ch. xviii.