So inconfiftent is the whole body of fin with the glories of the celeftial body that fhall be revealed hereafter, that, in proportion as we fix the reprefentation of thefe glories upon our minds, and in the more numerous particulars we do it, the ftronger the neceffity as well as perfuafion to deny ourselves all ungodliness and worldly lufts,to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world, as the only way to entitle us to that bleffedness spoken of in the Revelation- of those who do his commandments, and have a right to the tree of life, and shall enter into the gates of the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels-to the general affembly and church of the first born, that are written in heaven, and to GOD the judge of all, and to the fpirits of juft men made perfect,- -who have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

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May God give us grace to live under the perpetual influence of this expectation,-that, by the habitual impreffion of these glories upon our imaginations, and the frequent fending forth our thoughts, and employing them on the other world, we may difentangle them from this,and by fo having our con-versation in heaven whilft we are here, we may be thought fit inhabitants for it hereafter that when God, at the last day, fhall come with thousands and ten thousands of his faints, to judge the world, we may enter with them into happiness, and with angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, we may praise and magnify his glorious name, and en◄ joy his presence for ever, Amen.

SERMON XXX.

Defcription of the World.

2 PETER II. II.

Seeing then that all these things shall be diffolved-what manner of perfons ought ye to be in all holy converfation, and god. linefs? looking for, and hastening unto, the coming of God•

THE fubject upon which St. Peter is difcourfing in this chapter, is the certainty of Chrift's coming to judge the world and the words of the text are the moral application he draws from the reprefentation he gives of it, in which, in answer to the cavils of the fcoffers in the latter days, concerning the delay of his coming, he tells them, that Gop is not flack concerning his promises, as fome men count flacknefs, but is long-fuffering to us-ward; that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens fhall pass away with a great noife, and the elements fbali melt with fervent heat; the earth alfo and the works that are therein shall be burnt up.-Seeing then, says he, all these things fhall be diffolved, what manner of perfons ought ye to be in all holy converfation and godlinefs?-The inference is una

voidable, at least in theory, however it fails in practice. How widely these two differ, I intend to make the subject of this discourse; and though it is a melancholy comparison to confider, "what manner of perfons we really are, " with what man"ner of perfons we ought to be;" yet, as the knowledge of the one is at least one step towards the improvement in the other the parallel will not be thought to want its use.

Give me leave, therefore, in the first place, to recal to your obfervations what kind of world it is we live in, and what manner of perfons we really

are.

Secondly, And in oppofition to this, I fhall make use of the Apostle's argument; and, from a brief representation of the Christian religion, and the obligations it lays upon us, fhow, what manner of perfons we ought to be in all holy conversation and godlinefs, looking for, and haftening unto, the coming of the day of GOD.

Whoever takes a view of the world, will, I fear, be able to discern but very faint marks of this character, either upon the looks or actions of its inhabitants. Of all the ends and purfaits we are looking for, and haftening unto, this would be the least fufpected for, without running into that old declamatory cant upon the wickednefs of the age, we may fay, within the bounds of truth, that there is as little influence from this principle which the apoftle lays stress on, and as little sense of religion,-as fmall a share of virtue (at least as little of the appearance of it) as can be supposed to exist at all, in a

country where it is countenanced by the ftate. The degeneracy of the times has been the common complaint of many ages:how much we exceed our forefathers in this, is known alone to that GOD who trieth the heart. But this we may be allowed to urge in their favour,they ftudied at least to preferve the appearance of virtue. Public vice was branded with public infamy, and obliged to hide its head in privacy and retirement. The fervice of GoD was regularly attended, and religion not exposed to the reproaches of the fcorner.

How the cafe ftands with us at prefent, in each of these particulars, it is grievous to report,-and perhaps unacceptable to religion herself; yet, as this is a feafon wherein it is fit we should be told of our faults, let us for a moment impartially confider the articles of this charge.

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And, firft, concerning the great article of religion, and the influence it has at prefent upon the lives and behaviour of the prefent times: cerning which I have faid, that, if we are to trust appearances, there is as little as can well be fuppofed to exist at all in a Chriftian country.

Here I fhall spare exclamations, and avoiding all common-place railing upon the fubje&t, confine myfelf to facts,- fuch as every one who looks into the world, and makes any obfervations at all, will vouch for me.

Now, whatever are the degrees of real religion amongst us,- -whatever they are, the appearances are strong against the charitable fide of the question.

If religion is any where to be found, one would

think it would be amongst those of the higher ranks in life, whose education and opportunities of know ing its great importance, fhould have brought them over to its intereft, and rendered them as firm in the defence of it, as eminent in its example.-But if you examine the fact, you will almoft find it a teft of a politer education, and a mark of more fhining parts, to know nothing, and indeed care no thing at all about it:or, if the subject happens to engage the attention of a few of the more sprightly wits, that it ferves no other purpose, but that of being made merry at, and of being referved, as a ftanding jeft, to enliven difcourfe, when converfation fickens upon their hands.

This is too fore an evil, not to be obferved a. mongst persons of all ages, in what is called higher life; and fo early does the contempt of this great concern begin to fhow itself-that it is no uncommon thing to hear perfons difputing againft religion, and raifing cavils against the Bible, at an age when fome of them would be hard fet to read a chapter in it. And I may add, of thofe whofe ftock in kno ledge is fomewhat larger; that, for the most part, it has scarce any other foundation to rest on, but the finking credit of traditional and fecond-hand objections against revelation, which had they leifure to read, they would find answered and confuted a thousand times over. -But this by the way.

If we take a view of the public worship of Almighty GoD, and observe in what manner it is reverenced by perfons in this rank of life, whofe duty it is to fet an example to the poor and ignorant, we