not to all thy other fins against him, by undervaluing his atonement and despairing of mercy. And may it please God, by his own power, to reach thy heart, to fnatch thee as a brand from the burning, and make thee an everlasting mo.. nument of his grace and love.

2. In the fecond place we may often find an appearance of religion or virtue in a character, fupremely governed by reputation or a defire of. respect and honour from the world. I fay fu-, premely governed, because no doubt there may be a mixture of other principles whilst this is the leading, the directing, and the governing view. I am fenfible there are fome who have no other view of any kind by a religious profeffion than to deceive others, and under the fair disguise of piety and feeming devotion, to carry on with more fecurity and fuccefs their unrighteous defigns. That fome fuch are to be found in the world, fad experience is a melancholy proof. The greatnefs of their guilt it is not eafy to conceive, and ftill more difficult to exprefs. As it muft always proceed upon a known deliberate contempt of God, there is ufually fuch a hardness of heart and fearedness of confcience attending it, that there is little probability of making any impreffion upon them; or rather, to speak more properly, they have all the symptoms of being given up of God and left to themselves. But there is fomething

fomething extremely harsh and unnatural in sufpecting any of wilful deliberate hypocrify, till it is plainly and openly detected. The truth is, I am perfuaded, that as it is a dreadful, fo it is a rare character. The far greatest part of those who are under the power of hypocrify, deceive themselves as much as, or rather more than thẹ world. These last fall more properly in my way to be confidered, as having undergone a seeming or apparent without any real change.

In order to illuftrate the character and state of those who are fupremely governed by reputation or a defire of honour and respect, it will be proper to obferve, that as the law of God is a tranfcript of his own perfect inherent excellence, true religion must be in itself amiable and lovely. Nay it must appear fo even in the eyes of those who are engaged in a stated oppofition to its intereft. You will fay, how is this poffible? Is it not a manifeft contradiction? I anfwer, That though the fpirit and principles from which true religion muft flow, be directly contrary to the bent of an unrenewed heart, yet their effects are both amiable and beneficial. Bad men cannot endure inward mortification and felf-denial, being humbled as finners in the fight of God, juftified freely by his grace, fanctified by his Spirit, and having nothing whereof to glory. Against these vital principles of piety the natural mind fets itself

with

with violence, and the unrewed heart rifes with indignation. But the effect of true religion or a diligent compliance with the duties of the moral law, as it is amiable in itself, fo it is alfo of good report among men. We are told in fcripture, "that the righteous is more excellent than "his neighbour." And the apostle Paul exhorts us to our duty in the following terms: "Finally "brethren, whatsoever things are true, what"foever things are honeft, whatsoever things are "lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; "if there be any virtue, and if there be any "praife, think on these things *."

Does not this at once discover how many may attain to a confiderable degree of regularity in the practice of their duty, while their governing principle is no better than a defire of the esteem of others. That character acquires a value in their eyes, which is in general repute, and will fet them in the most favourable light. This hath often a secret and infenfible influence, to which they themselves do not attend. What favours the deceit is, that many of the very fame duties are commanded in the law of God, and reputable in the fight of man. They gladly embrace them therefore as the fervice of God: it pleases

Phil, iv. 8,

them

them to think, they shall by this means be acceptable to him. They fondly flatter themselves, that this is the chief ground of their choice, and are not fenfible that they are but offering incense to their own vanity. Self-partiality often hides the truth from our view, and conceals the chief fprings and motives of action. Since diforder was introduced into the human frame by fin, there is no creature whofe character is fo mixed, variable, inconsistent, and self-contradictory Other creatures are regular and uniform, fteadily fulfil their functions; their nature and difpofition may be known without ambiguity, and they always reach their end. But man is, as it were, torn to pieces by the conflicting principles of light and darkness; and from the different and contrary fymptoms which often appear, it is hard to tell in what clafs he should be ranged.

as man.

From this will evidently appear, the neceffity of an inward and effential change. That which is done to gain the applause of men, will never be reckoned an acceptable part of the fervice of God. On the contrary, he holds it in the higheft deteftation. See the exhortation of our Saviour "Take heed that you do not your alms. "before men, to be feen of them, otherwife "have no reward of your Father which is in

:

ye

hea

"heaven *. I cannot help obferving here, that men of this character may be divided into two claffes, who commonly ftate themselves in oppofition to, and have the greateft hatred or contempt for, each other, and yet are acted by one common principle..

There are fome who feem chiefly to confine their views to a fair and honourable carriage in their correfpondence and commerce between man and man. These are commonly perfons of higher rank, and all who defire to emulate them, and wifh to be claffed with them. In fuch, honour holds the place of religion: or, at least, is a fuperior and more powerful principle. They would not willingly ftain their reputation with any thing that is bafe or mean, according to the ftandard they have formed to themselves, of decency of character and dignity of carriage. This' ftandard of decency, however, is very changeable. It is either more narrow or more extenfive,' according to the fentiments of those with whom they most frequently converfe. And there is often fome mixture of religion, which ferves under, and co-operates with, the commanding motive.

There are vaft multitudes of this character in the prefent age, who cannot be defcribed in jufter or more fignificative terms than those of