wordly objects, and according to the direction of St. Paul, *give ourselves wholly to it. It will also preserve our zeal from dangerous excefs. Religious zeal hath often been productive of mifery to mankind: but tho' men, in other respects confeffedly good, have been the authors of fuch mifery; yet, in this respect, they cannot be supposed to have had that continual regard to God which they ought: fince, had his nature and declarations been confulted with due fimplicity of mind, one would imagine, they could not have thought fuch proceedings agreeable to a being of infinite goodness, and who requires us to be merciful as he is merciful. The truth is, perhaps, they, like other men, were rather too much influenced by the spirit of the times in which they lived, and had not learned, what it is the diftinguishing glory of the prefent age generally to understand, that indifference and

E 3

Timothy, ch. iv. v. 15.

of

and toleration are by no means neceffarily united. Tho' we have not now the power proceeding to fuch extremities, nor should have their excufe if we had, yet a zeal not exerted under a continual fenfe of the Divine inspection, may hurry us into actions very injurious at leaft to the cause of religion, if not to the property and perfons of our brethren: but when we have always in view the end of our converfation, party, prejudice, or hatred, will be likely to have little fway over us, and we shall proceed on in our course, tho' as burning yet as mild and Steady lights.

SECONDLY, a conftant regard to God will be neceffary to produce in us proper perfeverance; without this, the warmest zeal, regulated by the greatest prudence, will never attain its end: and there are fo many things unfriendly to it in the world, that the means of fupporting it well deserve

our

our regard. Not to mention the natural variableness or indolence, or the false shame

of our own minds, the incapacity and inattention of fome, the pleasure and profit of others, the pride and obftinacy of a third fort are opponents which it must continually encounter. When we have made the fincereft and perhaps most painful endeavours to imprefs upon the minds of our people the momentous concern of the great truths of religion, we shall frequently find no fmall number ftill ignorant and thoughtlefs, living without any rule of action at all. With others, immersed in worldly cares and fenfual pleasures, lefs influence is to be expected; it may be, however careful we are not to give any. unneceffary offence, fome will be displeased with us, and count us their enemies, merely because we speak the truth.. The pride and obftinacy of many is fuch, that, tho' they be not offended, and tho' convinced of their

error, they would rather continue in it, than allow themselves to be directed by the knowledge of another. And perhaps in this above all other refpects, most men have a fort of delicacy, which conceals the benefit they receive: nay, it is in fome measure an unavoidable circumftance attendant on our profeffion, not to perceive, as in others, the good effects of our labour increase under our hands. The moral recovery of men is, for the most part, very imperceptible; and we must wait for the comfort of perceiving it, till it is gradually exhibited in the course of their behaviour.

Now, throwing afide all meaner confiderations, if feeing the fuccefs of our endeavours be our motive of conduct, how foon fhall we defift from doing any thing more than what we may be punished for omitting? If goodness of heart and pity for our brethren engage us, how will they endure

fuch

fuch continual disappointments, which will be the more fevere, the more fenfible we are of fuch amiable feelings? We must have fomething in view fuperior to either of these to animate and fupport us; or our generous feelings will daily decline, till at length they fink into indifference; and our exertions grow gradually more and more faint. But regard to God and our blessed Redeemer, moving beyond the sphere of worldly obstacles, will, in proportion to our ability, have the fame effect upon us which it had upon the firft preachers of chistianity. It will teach us to bear with flowness of apprehenfion in our weaker brethren, as God bears with our imperfections; and in this refpect especially, as in others, to condefcend to men of low eftate. § As workers together with him, we shall not defift to befeech men not to receive the grace of

Romans, ch. xii. v. 16. § 2 Cor. ch. vi. v. 1.

God