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Very different is the character of him who is ftrong in the Lord. When he is affured he is in the right path, he fees no obftacles in the way. Nothing is difficult to a determined mind. Through the divine aid, refolution is omnipotent. To the unwearied efforts of perfevering courage, art and nature have yielded and there is a ladder by which the heavens may be scaled. Through Chrift ftrengthening him, the man of God can do all things. No appearance of difficulty, no form of danger, no face of death, terrifies him from doing his duty. He gives up his poffeffions, his country, his parents, his friends, his wife and children, his own life alfo, rather than defert the post of honor affigned to him by Providence. "None of these things move me," faith an Apostle, “neither account I my life dear unto myself, so that may finish my courfe with joy. What mean you "to weep, and to break my heart? for I am willing "not to be bound only, but to die at Jerufalem, for "the name of the Lord Jesus."

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This was not the vain boast of men who were brave when the day of battle was diftant, and who in the midst of tranquillity, talked of defpifing danger. It was the fpeech of one who acted what he fpoke. To the confirmation of it, we can adduce a cloud of witneffes, an hoft of martyrs, multitudes of all nations, and ages, and conditions, for whom the flames of the tormentor were kindled to no pur. pofe; against whom the fword of perfecution was drawn in vain; who held faft their integrity, though they knew death to be the confequence, and followed their Redeemer in a path that was marked with blood. Among thefe martyrs, doubtlefs there were

many who naturally were as feeble, and flexible, and timorous, as any of you are: but when they were inspired with this hidden strength, and were fupported by the everlasting arms, the timorous waxed valiant, and the feeble became strong in the Lord.

Catera defunt.

SERMON

EXOD. xxiii. 2.

XXVIII.

Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil.

IMITATION is one of the great characteristics of the human fpecies. As the paffion for fociety is strong in the breafts of all rational creatures, the gratification of it is fought after as one of the highest enjoyments of life. The fame paffion that impels us to fociety, impels us to take part with our companions in their interefts and inclinations. Infenfibly and without thought we fall into their customs and their manners; we adopt their fentiments, their paffions, and even their foibles, and follow the fame course as if we were actuated by the fame spirit. This principle appears in children even in the infant ftate. From their earliest years they love to mimic whatever ftrikes the organs of fense; and foon as the young idea begins to fhoot, and the embryo of the manly character to appear, they form themselves infenfibly upon the model of their parents, and the perfons with whom they converfe. To this, and not to any fancied phyfical cause, is owing that strong and striking resemblance, which we frequently find between the parents and the offspring; a refemblance as remarkable in the temper and character, as in the features of the face.

This principle is not confined to individuals, it

extends to nations. There is a national character, a national fpirit, and even a national mode of thinking, down the current of which we are infenfibly carried. When any novelty, any improvement in art or in fcience, makes its appearance in a nation, it flies from man to man, and from place to place by a kind of contagion, till it has overspread the whole country. So powerful is fympathy, and the love of imitation among men and thus are our minds framed by the hand of our Maker, to accord with thofe of others; like the ftrings of mufical inftruments in unifon, when one is ftruck, the reit correfpond to the impreffion, vibrate in the fame key, and found the same note. As this principle is implanted in us by the Author of our nature, it must no doubt be intended for great and important purposes. It ferves to ftrengthen the bonds of fociety, to promote friendship and love, and is the aptest and most fuccefsful means, not only to teach wisdom and goodness, but also to inspire them.

But as all principles have their unfavourable and vitious extreme, to which they may be carried, fo likewise hath this. Here, therefore, hath the Almighty interpofed, and fet bounds to it which it ought not to pafs, and on the fartheft verge of innocence hath engraven this infcription, "Hitherto "fhalt thou come, and no farther; here fhall the "progress of thy imitation be stayed;" or, as it is expreffed in the words of our text, "Thou shalt "not imitate men in their wickednefs; thou shalt "not follow a multitude to do evil."

In further treating on this subject, I shall, in the first place, endeavour to fhow you by what means

we are to keep ourselves from following a multitude to do evil; and, in the fecond place, adduce some arguments that urge the neceffity of this duty.

The first thing propofed, was to show you by what means we are to guard ourselves from the multitude that do evil.

And, in the first place, In order to this, let us be early and firmly established in the principles of our holy faith. When we look about us into life, and behold how many perfons enter into the world, without having their minds inftructed, or their hearts established in the great principles of virtue and religion, we cannot be surprised that they go aftray on occafion of the firft temptation, and follow the multitude to do evil. Perhaps they have acquired fome general knowledge of Christianity, but their knowledge of it is merely speculative, has played round the head, but has not reached the heart. Accordingly, as mere fpeculation is utterly unfit to combat the strength of paffion, and the violence of temptation, they foon fall off and fink into all the corruptions of the world around them. This course of life is well defcribed in the beautiful parable of the fower and the feed.-"Behold a fower went "forth to sow; and as he fowed, fome feeds fell "upon the ftony places, where they had not much "earth, and forthwith they fprung up, because they "had no deepnefs of earth; and when the fun was up they were scorched, and because they had no "root, they withered away." That is, they had received the knowledge of the Chriftian religion, but they had not attained to that true faith, which is not barely an affent of the understanding to specu

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