trembles at the approach of the great conqueror of human nature; the chriftian can behold him without difmay, and addrefs him in the inspired language of the records of his faith, O death where is thy fting! O grave where is thy victory! He knows that he must die, and (without affecting to be above the common apprehenfions of his nature,) he exults at the approach of death, from a perfuafion that it will be to him a paffage to a joyful refurrection, and a glorious immortality. The time and manner of his death, as all his other concerns, he humbly fubmits to the difpofal of his gracious Father. Who would not wifh to be

in fuch a state?

Who would not wish to

be a christian indeed?

IF fuch be the real fiate of human nature, and fuch the condition of human life; if fuch a remedy for the diforders of human nature and the evils of human life, be pro

vided in the religion of Jefus Chrift; does not a question forcibly recur upon our minds, whether we be ufing this remedy as we ought? The general effects of chriftianity in foftening men's minds, and enlarging their views ever fince its first promulgation, cannot be denied; but fully to anfwer the ends propofed by it, a thorough and hearty, and fteady profeffion of it, is abfolutely neceffary.

THE times in which we live, and the awful difpenfations of providence now carrying on in the world, give peculiar force to the injunction in my text, and in a very affecting manner call us to ferioufnefs and confideration. Amidst many valuable cautions of political prudence,, which the dreadful events that have lately taken place in a neighbouring nation, muft inculcate on the prefent and all future generations of mankind; one inftruction of much higher importance

S 4

portance it is earnestly to be hoped they will not fail moft ftrongly to imprefs on

their minds; and that is, that the boasted attainments of philofophy and extended knowledge, joined with the highest refinement of manners, when not directed by religious principle, leads to greater debasement of the human character, than a state of ignorance and barbarifm: and that when the revelation of Chrift has been received amongst any people, and at length rejected as falfe, every principle of natural religion will be rooted up with it. The people of this country have too much grace, as well as too much good sense, to be in danger of wilfully denying the Lord that bought them: but it behoves us all to confider, very seriously, what is the real ftate of religion amongst us, I mean, of religion as it is esteemed by God, who knoweth the fecrets of our hearts-whether if it be not rejected, it be regarded as it ought; in

fuch

fuch a manner as to afford hopes of the continuance of the favor of providence towards this nation, which we have fo fignally (above all the nations upon earth) experienced through a long period of time.

Ar leaft, each member of the Church of England, is particularly called upon at this feafon to confider well the way in which he is proceeding through life; confideration can do no harm-judge for yourselves: inquire carefully where your true happiness lies, and having difcovered it, examine whether you are indeed in the way that leads to it. Look within yourselves, and confider your nature and what it requires; look without you, and confider the world and how it paffes on: then look into the gofpel of Jefus Chrift, and confider what it promifes, and how exactly suited it is to your nature and your condition. Do not view the chriftian religion with an eye of fuf

picion,

picion, as if it was an enemy to pleasure: it debars not men from any real permanent fatisfaction; it would only teach them to draw their pleasures from fountains which will never fail, and which will never fend forth bitter waters; pleasures adapted to the whole of their nature, and to its various parts in juft fubordination: by means of which, they may have the greatest possible enjoyment, attended with the feweft evils in the prefent life; and in the next, from the perfection of their nature, and the merits of their Redeemer, unmixed, eternal, increafing blifs.

SERMON