Page GENESIS. xlii. 21, 22. And they faid one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we faw the anguish of his foul when he befought us; and we would not hear: Therefore is this diftrefs come upon us. And Reuben anfwered them, faying, Speak I not unto you, faying, Do not fin against the child; and ye would not SERMON I. ACTS. X. 4. Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. THE HE High and Lofty One who inhabiteth eternity dwelleth alfo with him that is of humble and contrite heart. In the midft of his glory, the Almighty is not inattentive to the meaneft of his fubjects. Neither obfcurity of ftation, nor imperfection of knowledge, finks those below his regard, who worship and obey him. Every prayer which they fend up from their fecret retirements, is liftened to by him; and every work of charity which they perform, how unknown foever to the world, attracts his notice. The Text prefents a fingle inftance of this comfortable truth. In the city of Cæfarea, there dwelt a Roman centarion, a military Officer of inferior rank, a Gentile, neither by birth or religion entitled to the privileges of the Jewish nation. But he was a devout and a benevolent man; who, according to his measure of religious knowledge, ftudied to perform his duty, prayed to God always, and gave much alms to the people. Such a character paffed not unobferved by God. So highly was it honoured, that to this good centurion an Angel was fent from heaven, in order to direct him to the means of full inftruction in the truth. The Angel accofts him with this falutation, CorneliVOL. I. B 715 us, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God. It is to the conjunction of prayers and alms that I purpose now to direct your thoughts, as describing the refpectable and amiable character of a man, as forming the honour and the bleffedness of a true .Chriftian; piety joined with charity, faith with good works, devotion with morality. These are things which God hath connected, and which it is impious in man to separate. It is only when they remain united, that they can come up as a grateful memorial before God. I fhall first endeavour to fhew you, that alms without prayers, or prayers without alms, morality without devotion, or devotion without morality, are extremely defective; and then shall point out the happy effects of their mutual union. LET us begin with confidering the cafe of alms without prayers: that is of good works without piety or a proper fenfe of God and religion. Examples of this are not uncommon in the world. With many, Virtue is, or at leaft is pretended to be, a refpectable and an honoured name, while piety founds meanly in their ears. They are men of the world, and they claim to be men of honour. They reft upon their humanity, their probity, and their truth. They arrogate to themselves all the manly and active virtues. But devout affections, and religious duties, they treat with contempt, as founded on fhadowy fpeculations, and fit to employ the attention only of weak and fuperftitious minds. Now, in oppofition to fuch perfons, I contend, That this neglect of piety argues depravity of heart; and that it infers an irregular discharge of the duties of morality. FIRST, it argues internal depravity; for it dif covers a cold and a hard heart. If there be any impreffion preffion which man is formed by nature to receive, it is a fense of religion. As foon as his mind opens to obfervation and reflection, he discerns innumerable marks of his dependent state. He finds himself placed, by fome fuperior power, in a vaft world, where the wisdom and goodness of the Creator are confpicuous on every fide. The magnificence, the beauty and order of nature, excite him to admire and adore. When he looks up to that omnipotent hand which operates throughout the univerfe, he is impreffed with reverence. When he receives bleffings which he cannot avoid afcribing to divine goodnefs, he is prompted to gratitude. The expreffions of those affections under the various forms of religious worship, are no other than native effufions of the human heart. Ignorance may millead, and fuperftition may corrupt them; but their origin is derived from fentiments that are effential to man. Caft your eyes over the whole earth. Explore the moft remote quarters of the east or the west. You may discover tribes of men, without policy, or laws, or cities, or any of the arts of life: But no where will you find them without fome form of religion. In every region you behold the proftrate worshipper, the temple, the altar, and the offering. Wherever men have existed, thep have been fenfible that fome acknowledgement was due, on their part, to the Sovereign of the world. If in their rudest and most ignorant state, this obligation has been felt, what additional force muft it acquire by the improvements of human knowledge, but efpecially by the great difcoveries of the Chriftian revelation? Whatever, either from reverence or from gratitude, can excite men to the worship of God, is by this revelation placed in fuch a light, as one fhould think were fufficient to |