BUT further, exertion of thought is no fmall labour; and however easy a life devoted to study and meditation may appear to the unexperienced at a distance, it has been confeffed by all who have followed it to any extent, that, though flight inducements may engage men to begin, ftrong and powerful motives are necessary to encourage them to perfevere in it. From hence it happens, that among the many who enter with fincerity and order upon a ftudious courfe of life, fo few, in comparison, appear to make a confiderable proficiency. Obftacles arife which were not thought of; where they expected to run, they find themfelves fcarce able to move-their ardour declines-indolence gains ground-and whilst fome barely preferve the appearance, others turn afide to any objects that will attract their attention, and keep it without any labour of their own. What then is fufficient to counteract fuch difficulties? A defire of fame fame and preferment has, it must be confeffed, produced wonderful effects; and, when confined within due bounds and in perfect fubjection to higher motives, it is not apprehended to be forbidden by our religion as inconfiftent with them: nay, as no one is at all times equally influenced by the beft motives, and as worldly objects affect us more strongly, in our prefent condition, than those which are absent and fpiritual, it may, perhaps, when thus duly restrained, be willingly admitted, as what will add occasionally a spur to the most industrious, and diffipate the languor of the most indolent. The piety which is founded on good sense rejects no affistance; her endeavour is to turn what is most unconnected in its nature with the purpose she has in view to the attainment of it; and whilft fhe does this, fhe only makes the noblest use of thofe affections which worldly men abuse: yet, whatever fruits have in some instances arifen D SERMON II.* GAL. Ch. i. V. 10. 66 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 Of all the characters which the holy fcriptures afford for our example and inftruction, 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 Epifcopal Vifitation 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 * A&s, ch. xxii. v. 3. § Acts, ch. xxvi. v. 9. of of his principles, when it pleafed 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 minister of the gofpel. A fimilar event is recorded in the new teftament to have happened to other persons; and the difference of their behaviour upon it from that of our Apostle, 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 bleed 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 purpose, 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. |