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to unfold the terrors of hell, of everlasting damnation, of the lake of inextinguishable fire, of the abodes of thofe whofe fmoke afcendeth for ever and ever: this is pharifaical punctiliousness, intolerable rigour, illiberal fuperftition, the frenzy of bigotry, the bitternefs of mifanthropy. The fons of candour and charity turn away with contempt. Nay, they profefs to be roufed with honeft indignation against perfons who thus mifrepresent the counfels of a God, who would have all men to be faved: and ftand forth in defence of his attributes injured and degraded by merciless preachers, who affume to themselves the character of His ambassadors, while they bar the gates of Heaven against the workmanship of His hands.

If those who thus abuse the name of Chriftian charity who thus ftrip fin of its heinousness, and the Scriptures of their fanctions; belong not to the clafs of deceivers, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, bitter for fweet and fweet for bitter: to whom shall the description of the prophet be applied? If the prefumptuous ignorance, the fecret love of fin, the busy and feducing fophiftry, the obtrufive and peftilent example, difplayed by these men, escape the penal denunciation: where fhall the woe find its objects?

V. There

1

V. There yet remains to be specified an exemplification of the guilt menaced with vengeance by the prophet: a perverfion of principle which, while the lower ranks are happily too little refined to be infected with it, taints with a greater or a lefs degree of its deceitful influence the bulk of the middle and higher claffes of the community.

Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth Speaketh (f).

What is the principle of conduct to which in the tranfactions of polithed life the appeal is ufually made? Attend a court of justice. Is an arbitrator recommended? It is because he is a man of honour. Is a plaintiff or a defendant noticed with complacency? It is because his proceedings have been honourable. Go to the senate. By what criterion are applause and cenfure apportioned there? By the rule of honour. Vifit the circle of private fociety. The character of an individual is the theme of difcuffion. Animated eyes and eager voices speak his praise. Why? Because he is a man of perfect honour. Another perfon is named. Difapprobation contracts every brow, and sharpens every tongue. For what reason?" In fuch a tranfaction the "behaviour of that man was disponourable : (ƒ) Luke, vi. 45:

"yes

yes, in another bis honour was impeached." Of the preceding picture I mean not indifcriminately to affirm that there are not exceptions to the likeness. But let any person, who has affigned even a flight measure of attention to the fubject, pronounce whether, in each of the cafes described, the reprefentation be not accurately conformable to the general features of the original. Has the pulpit escaped the contagion? Comparatively it has preserved itself pure. Would to Heaven that in fome of its most applauded compofitions the public eye had not difcerned traces and mixtures, which preclude me from afcribing to it unfullied purity! The lips of the priest should keep knowledge; and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hofts (g). Never may the paftor feed his flock with an intermixture of poisonous herbage! Never may he lead them to drink of ftreams, which flow from an unhallowed fountain!

Whence is this jargon? Has it founded its dominion on the application by St. Paul of the term honourable to marriage (b); on the teftimony of approbation borne by the fame apoftle to things of good report (i); and on those pas

(g) Malachi, ii. 7.
(i) Philip. iv. 8.

(b) Heb. xiii. 4.

fages

fages of the Scriptures in which holiness is defcribed as entitled to refpect and praife? Very different are the foundations of its fway. It reigns, because multitudes love the praise of men more than the praife of God. It reigns, because they receive honour one of another; and seek not that honour which cometh from God only (k).

What is this idol, which men worship in the place of the living God? What is this principle, which they enthrone in degradation of his fovereign word? Honour implies the favourable eftimation entertained of an individual by others of his own line and place in fociety. The votary of honour may delude himself with the idea that, whatever be the ordinary expreffions of his lips, his heart is dedicated to religion. But his heart is fixed on his idol, human applause. In the place of the love and the fear of God he substitutes the love of praise and the fear of fhame. In the place of confcience he fubftitutes pride. For the dread of guilt he fubftitutes the apprehenfion of difgrace.

My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, faith the Lord. That which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the fight of God (1). Woe unto you

(4) John, v. 44. xii. 43. (1) Ifaiah, lv. 8. Luke, xvi. 15.

who

Ye

who thus put darkness for light, and proportionally thrust aside into darkness the light of the world, the oracles of the Moft High. Ye are they, like the Pharifees of old, who justify yourfelves before men. Ye are they, who teach for doctrines the commandments of men. are they, who make the commandments of God of none effect by your traditions (m). Ye are they who uphold the duellift. Ye are they who wreft the sword out of the hands of the law and commit to every man the vindication of his real or imaginary wrongs. Ye are they who prefer the discharge of a gaming debt to the payment of the juft demand of the famished tradefman. Ye are they who establish a principle of morality, baseless because not founded upon religion; fcanty in its comprehenfion, because tolerant of many crimes and indifferent to numerous virtues; and however highly esteemed among men, abominable in the fight of God, because exalted in neglect or in contempt of his word, regardless of his fervice and his glory.

My brethren! The profeffed object of this discourse is now fulfilled. You have diftinctly furveyed a fufficient variety of examples felected to display the fin,

(m) Luke, xvi. 15.

which in the passage

Matth. xv. 6. 9.

of

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