one another to death, now live together in amity and peace.

Would to God I could carry on my panegyric, and add, that we are more religious and devout than our ancestors were, that our zeal for the honour of God, and the interefts of religion, fhines with a brighter luftre, and burns with a purer flame. But alas! my brethren, I muft here change my ftrain. Your own eyes, your own hearts will tell you the difmal truth. Is it not a deplorable fact, that inftead of being fervent in fpirit, to serve the Lord, an indifference about religion almost universally prevails. The very face of seriousness is banished from fociety, and were it not for this day, on which we assemble together to worship the God of our fathers, the very form of godliness would be exterminated from the earth.

To induce you to the practice of devotion, it is proposed, in the first place, To illuftrate the importance and the advantage of ferving the Lord; and, in the second place, To explain and to enforce, with a few arguments

guments, the duty of ferving the Lord with fervency of spirit.

In the first place, let us confider the importance and the advantage of serving the Lord.

We are urged to the practice of some virtues, by our strong sense of their inviolable obligation; we are allured to the love of others, by the high approbation of their native beauty which arifes in every well difpofed mind; we are engaged to the performance of others, by our experience of their utility and influence upon the public good. Piety is equally enforced in all these respects. Its obligation is indifpenfable; its beauty is fupreme, and its utility is univerfal. It is not fo much a fingle virtue, as a conftellation of virtues. Here reverence, gratitude, faith, hope, love, concentre their rays, and fhine with united glory. Whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are pure, are honeft, or of good report; if there be any merit, any praise in human action, piety comprehends

comprehends the whole. There is not a difpofition of the mind which is more noble in itself, or is attended with greater pleafure, than piety. It is accompanied with fuch inward fatisfaction, that the duty is fufficiently rewarded by the performance; and it hath fuch true grandeur in it, that when duly performed, it exalts us to a state but little lower than the angels. The moft illiterate man, under the impreffions of true devotion, and in the immediate acts of divine worship, contracts a greatnefs of mind that raifes him above his equals. Thereby, fays an admired ancient, we build a nobler temple to the Deity than creation can present.

Piety is adapted to the notions of happinefs and chief good which all men entertain, although thefe notions were as various in themselves as the theories of philofophers have been about their object. If we are actuated by the mild and gentle affections, lovers of nature, willing to retire from the buftle of the world, and to fteal through the vale of life with as little

noise, and as much peace as poffible, religion fanctifies our choice, and doubles all the joys of life with the peace of heaven. Are we lovers of fociety, delighting to enlarge the sphere of our acquaintance in the world, and to cultivate univerfal friendship with all ranks and degrees of men? Here too, religion befriends us, as it unites all men under one common intereft, that of being probationers for eternity. Are we ambitious of fame and honour among men? This is indeed the univerfal paffion. Nothing more diftinguishes the nature of man, than this restless defire of rifing above his fellows, of becoming famous, and acquiring a name. But it does not lie in the way of every one to rise in the world by being advanced to honour and diftinction, and commanding the applause of attending multitudes: Fame unbars the gates of her temple but to a chofen few; the candidate will infallibly meet with many a disappointment, and many a downfal, in climbing the steep afcent; but the paths of religion, that lead to glory, honour and immortality, are e

ver open and safe; by piety we already enjoy a reputation among the juft, and the approbation of our own hearts, and have the certain expectations of that immortal honour which cometh from God only, who writes our name in the book of life. Hither let the man of the world turn, that he may find durable riches, more to be defired than gold and all earthly poffeffions. Here the man of pleasure may find a perpetual fund of enjoyment, in drinking of that stream which proceeds from the river of life; a ftream whose fountain never fails, which has no fediment at bottom, and which runs for ever unmingled with the waters of bitterness.

Piety is the foundation of virtue and morality. True devotion strengthens our obligations to a holy life, and fuperadds a new motive to every focial and civil duty. Upon an impartial obfervation of mankind, it will be found, that those men who are the most confcientious in the public and private exercises of divine worship, will be most diligent in performing the