fhutting ourselves up in the folitude of a cell, and paffing our days in barren and unprofitable fpeculation. Such notions of a holy life have no foundation in the word of God. Mofes and the prophets, Jefus and the apostles themselves, acted a part in public life, and enjoin their difciples not to withdraw from the world, but to go about doing good; not to wrap up their talent in a napkin, but to im prove it by their industry; not to put their light under a bufhel, but to make it fhine before men. The retreat, therefore, which fcripture recommends, is temporary and not total; is not the retreat of a monk to his cell, or a hermit to his cave; but of men living in the world, going out of it for a time, to return with greater improvement. To retire at times into the clofet for thefe purposes, is of general obligation upon all Chriftians. To induce you, therefore, to the practice of this duty, I fhall now fhow you the advantages which thereby you may expect to reap.

The advantages attending religious retirement are thefe it takes off the impreffion which the neighbourhood of evil example has a tendency to make upon the mind; it is favourable for fixing pious purposes in the mind, and strengthening our habits of virtue; it brings us to the knowledge of ourselves it opens a fource of new and better entertainment than we meet with in the world.

In the first place, Religious retirement takes off the impreffion which the neighbourhood of evil example has a tendency to make upon the mind. The world, my friends, is not in general a fchool of virtue, it is often the fcene of vanity and vice. Cor

rupted manners, vicious deeds, evil communications, furround us on every fide. From our first entrance into life, we become fpectators of the vicious, and witneffes to the commiffion of fin. This prefence of the wicked leffens our natural horror at a crime, it renders the idea of vice familiar to the mind, and infenfibly lulls afleep that guarded circumfpection which ought always to be awake. Befides this contagion of evil example, the unhappy proneness of men to imitate the manners of those with whom they live, adds ftrength to the temptations of the world. Our favourable opinion of the person extends to the action he commits, and by our fatal fondness of imitation, we do what we fee done. Our way then in the world lies through fnares and precipices; we fee and we hear at the peril of our fouls. The contagion in which we live, transfufes itself into our own minds. How often is the purity of the closet loft amid the pollution of the world! The good refolutions of the morning give way to bustle and bufinefs, or to the career of pleasure, and the day that began with innocence and devotion, ends in vanity and vice. Temptations in every form affault your innocence, and the adversary of your foul is forever on the watch. One falfe ftep may fend you to the bottom of the precipice. One word fpoken in paffion, hath given rife to quarrels that have lasted through life. A fingle glance of envy, of revenge, or of impure defire, hath raised a conflagration which could only be quenched by blood. To avoid the pollution with which the world is infected, to keep off the intrusion of vain and finful thoughts, enter into thy chamber, and fhut thy doors around thee. There

the wicked ceafe from troubling, there the man who is wearied of the world is at reft. There the glare of external objects difappears, and the chains that bound you to the world are broken. There you shut out the ftrife of tongues, the impertinences of the idle, the lies of the vain, the scandal of the malicious, the flanders of the defamer, and all that world of iniquity which proceeds from the tongue. In this afylum thy fafety dwells. To thy holy retreat, an impure guest dares not approach. Enjoying the bleffed calm and ferenity of thy own mind, thou heareft the tempest raging around thee and spending its strength; the objects of fenfe being removed, the appetites which they excited, depart along with them. The scene being shifted, and the actors gone, the paflions which they raised die away.

In the fecond place, This devout retirement is favourable for fixing pious purposes in the mind, and ftrengthening our habits of virtue. We are fo formed by the Author of our nature, that the material objects with which we are furrounded raife ideas in us, and make impreffions upon us merely by their own nature, and without any affiftance from ourselves. There are motions in the body which are involuntary and fpontaneous, and there are impreffions in the mind which are as much out of our power. At the presence of certain objects, we feel certain paffions whether we will or not; we cannot command the emotions which arife in the mind; on many occafions we are merely paffive to the influence of external things. When imminent danger threatens, or the fhriek of jeopardy is heard, the heart throbs, the blood takes the alarm, and the fpirits are agitated

without our direction or confent. As the nature of the plant is affected by the foil where it grows; as the nature of the animal is affected by the pafture where he ranges; fo the character of the man who never thinks, who never retires into himfelf, arifes from the mode of life in which he is engaged. His mind is in fubjection to the objects which furround him. He paffes from object to object as the scene changes before him, and he is delivered over from paffion to paffion according to the events which vary his life. Thus in fociety we are in a great measure governed by accidents, and the mind is paffive to the impreffions which it receives. But in folitude we are in a world of our own. We can call up what ideas, and converfe with what objects we please. We can fay to one defire, "Go," and to another," Come." Dazzled no longer with the falfe glitter of the world, we open our eyes to the beauties of that better country which is a heavenly one; stunned no more with the noise of folly, we can liften in filence to the ftill fmall voice. Efcaped from the broad way, we fet out on the narrow path. That is the place, and then is the time to feal the useful truth, and to fix the pious purpose. Then you can beft recollect your native ftrength, and ftir up the grace of God which is in you. Then at leifure you can reflect by what temptations you were formerly foiled, that you may guard against them in the time to come; foreseeing the evil day, you will look out for the best fupport when it comes; and putting on the whole armour of God, you will be able to refift the fiery darts of the evil one, and to go forth conquering and to conquer.

By thefe means

the good thoughts which were scattered up and down your life will be collected together, and fettle in a fixed purpose of new obedience. The various rays thus converging into one, will kindle into a fervent flame.

In the third place, By means of religious retirement, thou wilt be brought to the knowledge of thyself. This is a part of our fuperiority to the other creatures, that we are not confined to prefent objects, that we can extend our view beyond the province of sense, and turn our attention wherever we please, throughout the whole system of nature. The mind can arrest itself in its motion, and become the object of its own contemplation. The nobleft of fciences is to know ourselves. But however useful and important this ftudy is, there is none with which we are fo little acquainted. Delighting to wander abroad, and familiar every where, you are strangers at home, ftrangers to your own character, ftrangers to your own heart, strangers to all that is most important for a rational creature to know. You give your thoughts to wander through the whole world; on the wings of imagination you fly from pole to pole; but you never defcend into yourself. For what reason art thou fo averfe to know thyfelf? Because thou art afraid of lofing thine own good opinion; because thou wantest to impose upon thyfelf, and then to impofe upon the world. For this caufe, thou dareft not appeal to thine own mind, thou dareft not meet thy heart alone. Thou avoideft the light, left thine evil deeds fhould be made manifeft. Thou flieft from the God within, as Adam when he had fallen fled from the Lord, because thou art afraid. What N N