SERM. focieties muft, immediately, be diffolv'd." I. It mortifies the epicure and the adulterer to be told of the rules of temperance and chastity, which are abfolutely neceffary to the health of our bodies, the rectitude: and vigour of our minds, and the grand. fecurity of what is most dear and facred to us; and the cruel and revengeful to hear of gentleness, beneficence, and the foft impreffions of humanity, tho' they form the most excellent and amiable character we can poffibly conceive of. Could we find a being, originally, form'd with fuch apprehensions of things, we should look upon it with deteftation, and univerfally abhor the author of fuch a vile production. But yet our paffions and prejudices fo ftrangely deceive us, that we think more favourably of the pursuits of vice, which create many fuch MONSTERS; who would be glad to prove that the distinctions of good and evil were fantastic and arbitrary, and virtue and vice mere empty names; and, thereby, deftroy the order and beauty of the whole moral creation of God,

In like manner, the future judgment of mankind is, in itself, far from being

an

I.

an object of terror. For that we are SERM. moral accountable creatures is owing to our fuperior capacities, which are the distinguishing honour and dignity of our nature; and nothing can be a more comfortable reflection to a well-difpos'd mind, than that its integrity will be tried and rewarded by a being of unerring wisdom, inflexible justice, and unlimited goodness. But, to a guilty finner, this is fo tremendous a scene, that the mere profpect of it fills him with agony and confufion. He does not confider it as honourable to human nature, because it threatens his vices; can't think of abiding by the fentence of unchangeable rectitude, and infinite benevolence itself, and the fum of his wishes is to die like a brute. The future judgment is not reveal'd with a view to alarm and confound the mind, but to restrain those irregular practices, which are the fureft ground of melancholy fufpicions, and inward horror.

Let men, therefore, but abandon their vices, their impiety and injuftice, revenge and cruelty, fenfuality and intemperance, and endeavour to resemble God

in

I.

SERM. in purity, righteousness, and beneficence, and then they may always think of him with pleasure, as the compaffionate father, the righteous and merciful governor of mankind, who delights in the happiness of his children and fubjects: Nay, they may even expect, with joy, the time when they fhall appear before his impartial tribunal, when justice will be temper❜d with clemency, and all reasonable allowances made both for particular circumstances, and for the general weakness and frailty of human nature; and when the judge of all the earth, who muft of neceffity do right, fhall render Rom. ii. indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every foul of man that doth evil, but glory, honour, and peace to every man that worketh good. ---God grant that we may all have confidence, and not be aSham'd before him at his coming.

8, 9, 10.

SER

SERMON II.

The characters of the righteous and good man compared; or benevolence the nobleft improvement of focial virtue.

ROM. V. 7.

For Scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet, peradventure, for a good man fome would even

dare to die.

N the verfe preceding the text SERM. the apoftle mentions that great II. inftance of the love of God,

in fending his Son into the world to die for us, which is the peculiar difcovery of the gofpel, and deferves our highest admiration and grati

tude;

SERM. tude; for when we were yet without II. ftrength, in due time Chrift died for the ungodly. The goodness of God, in this wonderful conftitution, is celebrated, in the new Testament, with the most lofty encomiums. There is an uncommon ftrefs and emphafis laid upon it; God fo lov'd John iii. the world, &c. and herein is love, that he 1 John iv.gave his son to be the propitiation for our

16.

10.

fins. It vaftly furpaffes the most noble and heroic inftances of human benevolence and friendship. For, amongst men, there is scarce one to be met with, that will die for a perfon who is strictly just and righteous; and 'tis very rare and extraordinary to find any that will lay down their lives even for a charitable beneficent man, peradventure for a good man fome would even dare to die; but God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet finners, Chrift died for us. This is the immediate connection of the words, which I fhall confider, in what follows, as an independent propofition : And grounding my difcourfe entirely on the obfervation St. Paul has made, that mankind have a much greater efteem of kind

and