them are again difplaced by others; till the mind becomes irritable, from finding nothing but confufion, where it had hoped that it rested in certainty; and instead of imputing its difappointment to the real caufe, fondly concludes, that what it has failed itfelf to difcover, either has no exiftence, or is unattainable by human fagacity. Then enfues a torpidity eventually fatal to its powers, which, as is well known, are ftrengthened and improved by a proper exertion of them, but impaired by inaction, and corrupted by abufe, till the ability of forming juft determinations is entirely loft: nor is such a state of mind less destructive, in its confequences, of the best emotions of the heart, than it is of the powers of the understanding. Men come by degrees to think it of little importance whether their notions are right or wrong, and give up indolently whatever the petulance of bold objectors may prompt them to require. In ftead stead of thinking it their duty to contend for the faith which was once delivered to the faints, they begin to doubt whether any faith was ever fo delivered, or, at least, think it fo uncertain what that faith was, that they fee its most effential doctrines attacked and treated with fcorn, without uneafinefs. INSTABILITY of principle, of whatever kind, is followed by a correfpondent instability of conduct; men may act right by chance from the impulfe of the moment, or the remains of a difpofition intended by nature to be good, but, when fituations occur to put them to the teft, it will appear that, without a juft eftimate of the condition of human life, and a well founded conviction of its great and ultimate purpose, the performance either of focial or religious duties is very precarious. IN this, as in other inftances, nothing is more conducive to a right frame of mind than an awful fenfe of God's conftant prefence and infpection. A notion true in itfelf, when rightly understood, and fairly interpreted, (that men are not responsible for their fpeculative opinions, nor for the fluctuations to which they are fubject from time to time, becaufe opinions depend on evidence, in the reception of which the mind is neceffarily paffive,) ferves often, by the mifapplication of it, to lull the confcience in a falfe fecurity. In that day when the fecrets of all hearts fhall be open, and every evafion and fubterfuge unavailing, it may, alas! be no juftification of a mifpent life to allege, however truly fo, at fuch and fuch a period I acted, for fo I believed. Practice and belief reciprocally influence each other; and as erroneous belief has often a tendency to produce immoral conduct, fo it often originates in it, and is therefore therefore reprehenfible in itself. In no instance do men betray greater weaknefs than in accommodating their faith to their habits and propenfities. Is it foothing to believe that remiffion of fins, and even indulgencies for the commiffion of them, may be obtained from men divinely authorised to dispense them; that fome perfons, reprobated from their birth, are children of perdition, while others are fanctified by an over-ruling grace, and predeftined to everlafting happiness; that certain outward acts of mortification, that enthusiastic fervors, or unintelligible pretenfions to an extatic love of their Redeemer, will be accepted as equivalent to a life of piety and virtue? The most frivolous argument, the first detached paffage that can be interpreted in conformity with the favorite tenet, is confidered as conclufive evidence. Should change of circumstances at any time render fome other creed more convenient, little ingenuity T 2 genuity will be neceffary to detect the errors of their prefent perfuafion, or to find reasons, at least equally cogent with those on which it was founded, in fupport of the new one. And as fuch repeated changes. of system imply a confeffion of the futility of all but the last, it is not probable that this when affailed in its turn, whether by argument or by the paffions, will be more pertinaciously maintained; especially if it be confidered that, as by difcarding each particular fet of doctrines fome one fcruple has been quieted; fo by discarding them all, the very ground of fcruples will be removed; and, in fact, no tranfition is eafier than, from having fucceflively believed every thing, to believing nothing. NOR are indolence and indifference lefs adverse than vice to fettled and consistent plans of thinking or acting. When opinions are acquiefced in, not from a conviction of |