hold him; infinite wisdom to guide him; eternal love to blefs him. His inheritance accident and vi

is beyond the reach of ciffitude. When Chrift, who is his life, fhall appear; then fhall he alfo appear with Chrift in glory,

II. Wisdom fets its affections upon thofe things which are in their own nature the moft excellent. Has religion this mark of wifdom? Let it for the prefent be fuppofed that both the advantages which are enfured to the fervants of God, and thofe which the world holds out to its followers, are valuable. Which of the two are in their own nature the more defirable? Let it be affumed, that you have the power of attaining riches and honours, and fenfual pleasures, to the largest extent of your wishes. Are these attainments, or religion, best entitled by inherent excellence to the poffeffion of your heart? God has formed you with a reasonable soul. Is it wife to prefer to the holy exercise of your underftanding those indulgences and employments, which terminate in the body? God has created you capable of loving and obeying him. Is it wife to prefer your own inclinations, or the examples of others,

to

to his favour, to his fervice? You cannot love two opposite mafters. You cannot ferve God and mammon. The friendship of the world is enmity with God. Whofoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God (a). To devote your heart to God and also to the world is impoffible. Which Mafter is the more worthy? Which service is the more honourable? They that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh : they that are after the fpirit mind the things of the fpirit. The works of the flesh are manifeft: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lafcivioufnefs, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, ftrife, feditions, berefies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, malice, blafphemy, filthy communication (b). Is it needful to lengthen the catalogue? The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, long-fuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, righteousness, truth, bowels of mercies, kindnefs, humbleness of mind. Whatfoever things are true, whatfoever things are honeft, whatsoever things are juft, whatsoever things are pure, whatfoever things are lovely, whatfoever things are ofd report; Religion bids you think on

(a) Lake, xvi. 13. James, iv. 4. Gal. v. 19-21. Col. iii. 8.

(b) Rom. viii. 5.

these

thefe things (c): Is not this to approve things which are excellent (d)? Is not this to manifest wisdom?

III. Wisdom chooses for its portion thofe acquifitions, which in the poffeffion are accompanied with the highest delight. Sometimes it is under the neceffity of making choice between objects which afford delight at present, and those which promise delight at a future time. Under thefe circumstances, if the diftant good be far fuperior to that which is at hand; wisdom contentedly refigns her profpects of the benefit which is near for the fake of the greater benefit which is remote. But if any method should be discoverable, by which both the present and the future advantage may be fecured; wisdom difplays her difcernment by adopting that line of conduct. How then stands the cafe with respect to religion? Consider the point first with regard to present fatisfaction. Does the religious man, or the wicked man, receive truer enjoyment from the common blessings of this world? The religious man affirms that he himself receives the truer enjoy ent

(c) Gal. v. 22, 23. Eph. v. 9. Col. iii. 12. Philipp. iv. 8. (d) Philipp. i. 10.

from

from them.

This affertion the wicked man

denies; and ftrenuoufly contends that the balance of pleasure is decidedly on his fide. Which of the two is the proper judge? Certainly not the wicked man. For he knows nothing of thofe attendant circumftances, which in the mind of the religious double the relish of the moft ordinary gratification. He has had no experience of that heartfelt gratitude and love to the allbounteous donor, which enhance the value of the smallest gift. He has no sense of that tranquillity of confcience, that joy of the foul, that peace of God which paffeth all understanding; by whofe cheering influence the heart of the righteous is prepared to reap from circumftances, whence others could scarcely extract an atom of pleasure, a continual feast of delight. At any rate the wicked man, whatever he may know of the pleasures of the world, knows nothing of the delights of religion. How can he then be qualified to compare the one class of gratifications with the other? How can he decide a queftion, of which he understands but a part? Now the religious man not only enjoys the comforts peculiar to righteousness; but he shares in common with the wicked every earthly good,

good. He poffeffes both: he can compare them together he can with certainty pronounce on their prefent relative value. Perhaps you reply, that there are various worldly pleasures from which the man of religion thinks it right to abftain, and others of which he takes not fuch ample draughts as his rival that confequently the finner muft, in these respects, have the greater enjoyment at present: and that the religious man is evidently difqualified from judging of the worth of pleasures which he has never tried. Take then a judge whom you will confefs to be competent and impartial. Refer the question to a man, who, after having long run the career of fin and plunged without restraint into worldly purfuits and sensual indulgences, has providentially been led to devote himself to religion, and has perfevered during a period of years in his Chriftian courfe. Here is a man who can speak from experience. Here is a man who has put to the proof the prefent fatisfactions both of a righteous and of an unrighteous life. What is his determination? Ask him whether he now enjoys happiness greater or lefs than that, which he poffeffed heretofore. He will tell you that the two cafes admit not of comparison. 8

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