to forego their opulence; nor on the great,
to lay aside their state. We only call on
them, not to convert gaiety into licentiouf-
nefs; not to employ opulence in mere ex-
travagance; nor to abuse greatness for the
oppreffion of their inferiors: While they
enjoy the world, not to forget that they are
the subjects of God, and are soon to pass
into another state. Let the motive by
which the Apostle enforces the exhortation
in the text, present itself to their thought;
Ufe this world as not abufing it; for the fa-
Shion of the world passeth away.
Its pomp
and its pleasures, its riches, magnificence,
and glory, are no more than a tranfient
fhow. Every thing that we here enjoy,
changes, decays, and comes to an end. All
floats on the furface of a river, which, with
swift current, is running towards a bound-
lefs ocean. Beyond this prefent scene of
things, above these fublunary regions, we
are to look for what is permanent and
ftable. The world paffes away; but God,
and heaven, and virtue, continue unchange-
ably the fame. We are foon to enter into

eternal

SERM.
XVI.

XVI.

SERM. eternal habitations: and into thefe, our works fhall follow us. The confequences fhall for ever remain of the part which we have acted as good, or bad men; as faithful fubjects of God, or as fervants of a vain world.

SERMON

XVII.

On EXTREMES in RELIGIOUS and MORAL

CONDUCT.

PROVERBS, iv. 27.

Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left.

I

SERM.

Will behave myself wifely, faid the Psalmist
David, in a perfect way * Wisdom is XVII.

no less neceffary in religious, and moral, than in civil conduct. Unless there be a proper degree of light in the understanding, it will not be enough, that there are good difpofitions in the heart. Without regular guidance, they will often err from the right scope. They will be always wa

Pfalm ci. 2.

XVII.

SERM.vering and unsteady; nay, on some occafions, they may betray us into evil. This is too much verified by that propenfity to run into extremes, which fo often appears in the behaviour of men. How many have originally fet out with good principles and intentions, who, through want of difcretion in the application of their principles, have in the end injured themselves, and brought difcredit on religion? There is a certain temperate mean, in the observance of which piety and virtue confift. On each fide there lies a dangerous extreme. Bewildering paths open; by deviating into which, men are apt to forfeit all the praise of their good intentions; and to finifh with reproach, what they had begun with honour. This is the ground of the wife man's exhortation in the text. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eye-lids look Araight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil. In difcourfing from these words, I purpose to point out fome of the

extremes

XVII.

extremes into which men are apt to run in SERM. religion and morals; and to fuggeft directions for guarding against them.

WITH regard to religious principle in general, it may perhaps be expected, that I fhould warn you of the danger of being, on one hand, too rigid in adhering to it, and, on the other hand, too easy in relaxing it. But the diftinction between these supposed extremes, I conceive to have no foundation. No man can be too ftrict, in his adherence to a principle of duty. Here, there is no extremé. All relaxation of principle, is criminal. What confcience dictates, is to be ever obeyed. Its commands are universally facred. Even though it should be misled, yet, as long as we conceive it to utter the voice of God, in disobeying it we fin. The error, therefore, to be here avoided is, not too fcrupulous or tender regard to conscience, but too little care to have confcience properly enlightened, with respect to what is matter of duty and of fin.- -Receive

VOL. III.

A a

not,