and conduct which qualify us for heaven, best promote our true interests on earth; that reverential, yet chearful reliance upon the wisdom, goodness, and power of the Father of the universe, that unbounded benevolence and unwearied beneficence, that purity of foul, and that enjoyment of intellectual pleafure, which springs from exalted affections and an enlarged view of things; as they prevent a thousand sources of mifery, fo do they also constitute in themfelves the moft delightful of human fatisfactions, they expand the heart and give an inexpreffible relish to every inferior gratification.

BUT it was never intended that men fhould retain their corrupt inclinations, and encourage thofe views of happiness, whether founded in pleasure or advancement, on which worldly men act, whilft they endeavor to conform outwardly to the commands

mands of the gospel, acting under continual reftraint, and suffering perpetual disappointment: but that they fhould correct their evil propenfities by judicious felf-government, and embrace thofe views of happinefs, which the word of God proposes, in conformity with the real condition of things, and the whole conftitution of human nature; thus actually believing and even feeling that their interest and their happiness are to be found in thofe paths alone to which their duty leads; and that the Creator knows, and has ordered what is most for the good of his creatures.

TRUTH has nothing to fear from the feverest investigation; and therefore the advocates for the gospel do not even wish to conceal that there may be fome seeming exceptions to this comfortable reprefentation of the effects of chriftianity; not to dwell on the cafe of the firft profeffors of it,

who

who were called to extraordinary trials, but who had also, let it be remembered, extraordinary comforts and fupport: in the prefent times men may fuffer fome inconveniencies of different forts from their ftrict adherence to the ftraight path of duty and uniform profeffion of chriftian principles; for inftance, the loss of some methods of advancing themselves in the world, which perfons less confcientious embrace, and alfo in an irreligious age they may bear the fcorn and perhaps the ridicule of those who fee not, or will not profefs that they fee, the grounds upon which they have formed. their scheme of conduct: as to the former of these instances, let men only wait and obferve the ufual refult of fuch practices, (I mean) with respect to real enjoyment, which, and not merely what may be accounted the means of it, a wife man makes his object of purfuit: and as to the latter inftance, time will foon do juftice to the character of an uniform

uniform christian, provided it be not diftorted or rendered abfurd by enthusiasm or fuperftition, and those very persons, whose depraved habits will not permit them to imitate him, will at least esteem and reverence, and fometimes even applaud him: and the regard of good men, and the unalloyed approbation of his own conscience, and the confidence of his master's favor, will more than make him amends for enduring, if that should be his lot, the fcorn of the foolish and the profligate: but further exceptions to the eafe, the comforts, and the happiness, which are alledged to flow from christian principles, and those of greater weight, may be. thought to arise from the difficulties which many perfons have to ftruggle with in bringing their temper and difpofition to evangelical habits. of duty; and from the great depreffions of fpirits, which fome, even good men, frequently experience, from a fenfe of their failings

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failings and infirmities, with the difficulties. of obedience, contraft the feelings and circumstances which attend difobedience.

AND are there no difficulties which fpring from vicious indulgencies.

Can

we conceive any thing more grievous and afflicting than the torment of inordinate paffions, the strength and violence of which is continually increafing, whilst the powers of gratification are continually leffening? The unpleasantness of restraint, decreases with every act of felf-denial; the defire of forbidden gratification, increases with every act of indulgence. If vicicus and worldly men have not the labor of restraining their appetites and inclinations, they must be fubject to the most wretched of all tyranny, that which springs from indulging them. As to perfons of the other defcription, they have abundant reason for felf-fatisfaction and comfort; but fome of thofe infirmities,

to