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 THE 
 
 SCOTCH PREACHER 
 
 O R, 
 
 A Colle^lion of Sermons, 
 
 VOL. IV. 
 
Digitized by the Interndf Archive 
 in 2018 with funding from 
 Princeton Theological Seminary. Library ■- y 
 
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 https://archive.org/details/scotchpreacheror04unse 
 
SCOTCH PREACHER: 
 
 O R, 
 
 A Colledllon of S e r m o n Sj> 
 
 By fome of the moft eminent Clergymen 
 of the Church of Scotland* 
 
 VOL IV. 
 
 EDINBURGH; 
 Printed for J. DICKSON*. 
 
 AND SOLD BY 
 
 C. Elliot 6" T. Kay, Strand^ London* 
 
 M,DCC,LXXSIX* 
 

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 C ONTENTS. 
 
 S E R M O N I. 
 
 The Refurre^lion of Jefus. By Thomas 
 Hardy^, P. D,. of Edinburgh. 
 
 Matth. xxviii. 6. He is not here for he is ; 
 rijeriy as he [aid: Come y fee .the place, 
 ’where the Lord lay^ - Page x 
 
 • V - * C 
 
 ‘ S E R" M O N II. * ^ 
 
 On the Duty of attending the Public Inftitu- 
 tions of Religion. By William Moodie| 
 of Edinburgh. 
 
 Heb. X. 2?. , Not forfaking the affenibling 
 of ourjelves together^ as the manner of 
 fame isy but exhorting one another : and fo 
 much the more,, as ye fee. the day approach* 
 
 ing, • - p. l6 
 
 SERMON III. ‘ 
 
 On Jacob’s Villon at Bethel. By John John« 
 fton, of Crofsmichael. ^ 
 
 ’ *.» 
 
 Gen.'xxviii. iC. i’j. jdnd Jacob-awaked out 
 of his Jleepy and he faid^ Surely the Lord 
 is in this place ; and 1 knew it. not, 4nd _ 
 he. was afraldt and. fodd^ dreadful is, 
 
 this 
 
i? CONTENTS. 
 
 this place ! This is none other but the houfe 
 df God, and this is the gate of heaven-j p. 3^ 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 The fame fubjefl continued, - p. 5a 
 
 SERMON • V. 
 
 The Believer’s Joy in Chrift Jefus. By Henry 
 Hunter, D. D. > 
 
 A£ls, viii. 3p.~ — ■ He went on his way rejoi¬ 
 cings - - ' P- 
 
 SERMON VI. 
 
 On Alms. By Samuel Charters, of Wilton. 
 
 Luke, xi. 41. But rather give alms of fuch | 
 things as you haves nnd behold all things 
 are clean unto youy - - p. 88 
 
 SERMON VII. 
 
 The fame fubjeil continued, - p. 114. 
 
 SERMON VIU. 
 
 The Reputation of the Righteous. By James 
 Finlayfon, V. D. M. Profeflbr of Logic in 
 the Univerfity of Edinburgh. 
 
 Pfal. cxii. 6. The righteous Jhall be in 
 everlafling remembrance* • p. 140 
 
 S E R- 
 
,c O N T E N T S. 
 
 Y 
 
 SERMON IX. 
 
 The Advantages of Searching the Scriptures. 
 By George Hill, D. D. ProfelTor of Greek 
 in the Univerfity of St Andrew’s. , , 
 
 John, V. 39. Search the ScriptureSf p. 156 
 
 SERMON X. 
 
 The fame fubjeft continued, - p* ^79 
 
 S E R M O N XL 
 
 The End of Preaching, and the Way to at¬ 
 tain it. By John Scotland, of Linlithgow. 
 
 Ecclef. xii. 9. ^nd moreover^ becaiife the 
 preacher "was 'wife, he Jiill taught the 
 people knowledge, - - p. 198 
 
 SERMON XII. 
 
 The Gofpel adapted to the State and Circum- 
 ftances of Man. By John Kemp, of Edin¬ 
 burgh. 
 
 1 Cor. i. 24.' - Chrijl——-the Wifdom of 
 . Cod, _ . - P \227 
 
 SERMON XIII. 
 
 The fame fubje^f continued, - p. 253 
 
 Charafler 
 
.C O N T -E* N T S. 
 
 Charaaer of the Rt Hon. Thomas late 
 Earl of Kinnoull, - p. 287 
 
 S E R M O N XIV. 
 
 A View of National Felicity, the Caufe of 
 
 . Gratitude to . God., By John Adamfonj 
 t). D. of St Andrew’s. 
 
 Ffal. xlviiu II, 12, 13, 14. Let Mount 
 Zion rejoice; let the Daughters of Judah 
 
 - he glad, becaufe of thy judgements. • Walk 
 about Zion, and go round about her; tell 
 the towers thereof : Mark ye well her 
 bulwarks ; confider her palaces, that ye 
 may tell it to the generation following : 
 
 For this God is our God for ever and 
 ever ; he will be our guide even unto 
 death, - - P* 307 
 
 S “E R M O N XV. 
 
 The Study of the Scriptui'es I'ecommended. 
 By Andrew Hunter, D. D. & S. S. Th. P. 
 
 Afts, xvii. 11. Thefc were more noble than 
 thofe in Thcjfalonica, in that they recei¬ 
 ved the word_ with all readinefs of mind, 
 and fenrched the Scriptures daily, whe¬ 
 ther thofe things v) ere fo, - P* 33 ^ 
 
■s E R ISI O N r. 
 
 The Refurredion of Jcfus. 
 
 ByTHOMAsHARDY, D. D. oneof theMlnlficrs 
 of Edinburgh. 
 
 Preached in the High-Church of Edinburgh after 
 the celebration of the Lord’s Supper, March 
 1785. 
 
 Matth. xxviii. 6 . 
 
 He is riot here: for he is rifetiy as he faul; ComC) 
 fee the place 'where the Lord lay. 
 
 F ‘ RIENDS and difciples of the Lord jefus, 
 ye have this day attended your beloved 
 Mafter in the feenes of fufFering; yc 
 have feen his body bi'oken and his blood Ihed. 
 When, ftanding at the foot of the crofs, ye look¬ 
 ed up to the Man of forrows, what were the 
 emotions of your fouls? Ye beheld his'eoup- 
 tenance beaming with affedion to his fHends, 
 and with compaifion to his enemies. Ye heard 
 his generous interceflion amid ft the extremity 
 of pain and reproach, and his expreffibn of fi¬ 
 nal fatisfaefion in the moment of retreat. He 
 VoL. IV. A faid. 
 
2 
 
 7he UefurrelFllon of Jcfus. 
 
 Ser. T. 
 
 r.i‘ul,Itis finiflied ; and he bowed his facrodhead, 
 and yielded up his fpiiir. At the inftant of 
 tills great cataftrophe the elements of the world 
 were lhaken ; the awful gloom which over- 
 fpread the heavens, the cra(h of the rending: 
 rocks, the difmal portents as of expiring na¬ 
 ture, alarmed the attending multitude : they 
 I'mote their breahs, and returned in filent hor¬ 
 ror and dlfmay. 
 
 Let us now attend to the fubfequent events, 
 and follow to his grave the body of him who 
 was numbered with tranigrelTors in his death. 
 By permiffion of Pontius Pilate, it was commit¬ 
 ted to the care of Jofeph of Arimathea •, but 
 before it was taken down from the crofs, one of 
 the foldiers with a fpear pierced his fide, and 
 blood and water ifiued from the wound : This 
 was done to put his death beyond all doubt, 
 whatever intereft either friends or foes might 
 take in that event. The body, wrapped in a 
 fi rowd, and embalmed with fpices and per¬ 
 fumes according to the cuftom of the coun¬ 
 try, was conveyed to an adjacent garden, and 
 laid in a new fepulchre hewn out of the folid 
 rock, which having been fo recently formed, 
 was not yet provided with a gate *, this defeat 
 was fupplied by a ponderous (lone, of fuch di- 
 menfions as wholly to clofe up the entrance 
 when rolled to it by the ftrength of men. 
 
 Thus the hifiory of Jefus of Nazareth Teem¬ 
 ed to be finally concluded. This was a Tad 
 termination of fuch hopes as had been enter¬ 
 tained of him. He faved others j could he 
 
 not 
 
T})e Refurrecllon nf Jefus. 
 
 3 
 
 not fave himfelf ? He who could check the 
 winds and the feas, and they were huHied at 
 his rebuke; he who could difinifs the difeafes 
 of mortality with his word ; who could reflore 
 the dead to life; who could difarm the multi¬ 
 tude which once attempted to .cut him off, and 
 quietly pafs through the midid of them; and 
 who, but the evening before, in the garden of 
 Gethfemane, by only faying, I am heivkomyc 
 feek, had arrefted the armed band which was 
 advancing to feize him, and made them fall 
 proftrate at his feet: Is he now ftript of all his 
 power ? Have his enemies at laid prevailed, 
 fince thus his body is configned in lilence to 
 the grave ? 
 
 Let not this mournful event alarm you, as 
 if the counfel ul God had been thus defeated; 
 it was only thus fulfilled. Ought not Chrijl to 
 have fuffered thefe things ? Conlider what is 
 written by the prophets from the times of old; 
 and mark how, by his I’ervants, the Spirit of 
 God had difclofed the arrangements of Provi¬ 
 dence, the fate of our leader, and the behavi¬ 
 our of men, as they were known unto God 
 from the beginning, (a) He is a man of far¬ 
 rows^ and acquainted with grief ; he is defpifed 
 and rejected of men. (b) He was opprejfed and 
 affiiplai^ yet he opened not his mouth, (c) He 
 was taken from prifon and from judgement : and 
 who fhall declare his generation ? (d) He is 
 
 la) Ifaiah liii.3. (b) Verf. 7. (c)Veif.8. (d) Verf. 7. 
 
 A 2 brought 
 
4 
 
 The Refiirre&ion of Jefus. Ser. t. 
 
 brought as a lamb to the f aughter. (a) He was 
 wounded \ he was brmfed. 
 
 (b) They weighed for my price thirty pieces of 
 filver, A goodly price that I was valued at of 
 them, (c) They pierced my hands and my feet. 
 
 (d) In my thirfl they gave me vinegar to drink. 
 
 (e) They part my garments among them^ and 
 cajl lots upon my vejlure. (f) My Cod^ my God^ 
 why haf thou forfaken me ? (g) I am a reproach 
 of men, and defpifcd of the people. All that fee 
 me, laugh me to fcorn : they fboot out the ///>, and 
 foake the head, faying. He trufed oji the Lord, 
 that he would deliver him : let him deliver him, 
 feeing he delighteth in him. (h) He was cut off 
 from the land of the living, (i) They fjall look 
 
 on him whom they have pierced, (k) For he was 
 numbered with tranfgrejfors. 
 
 Such are the exprels declarations of ancient 
 prediction recorded in the books of the pro¬ 
 phets for the edification of the world; and 
 thus far in the minuteft circumftanccs of the 
 great event, all that God had fpoken hath been 
 with wonderful exaCtnefs accomplifhed. But 
 the prophets had likewife announced the Mef- 
 iiah’s reign, as a feene of joy and triumph ; 
 A life of glory and immortality was declared 
 to be decreed for him, and the aflurance of 
 
 (a) Ifaiah liii. J. (h) Zeeh. xl. tx. i;. (c) Pfal. xiii. 
 
 36 . (d) PTal. Ixix. XI. (e) Pfa!. xxii. i8. (f) Pfal. xxii. 
 
 '• (g) 7’ 8- (^) (i) Zeeh. lii. lo. 
 
 (k) Ifa. liii. it. 
 
 victory 
 
The RefurreRion of Jcfus, ^ 
 
 vi£lory was fuperadcled to the tidings of death. 
 I he truth of Cod was pledged to men to re¬ 
 concile thefe oppofite defcriptions; and to un¬ 
 veil in its (eafon the myflery of Heaven. 
 
 The prophets had declared the decree in 
 fuch terms as tkefe. (a) Thou wi/f not leave 
 my foul in the grave, nor give thine holy One to 
 Jec corruption, (b) When thou fialt have made 
 his foul an offering for fin, he'jhall prolong his 
 days, the pleafure of the Lord frofpering in his 
 hand. Hefijallfcc of the travail of his foul, and 
 Jhall be fitisfied. (c) Therefore xvill 1 divide 
 him a portion with the great, and he fialldivide 
 the fpcil with the firong : becaife he poured out 
 his foul unto death, and bare the fin of many, 
 and (even in thefe circumftances) ynade inters 
 ccjjion for the tranfgrefi'ors. (d) Come, fays the 
 prophet Hofea, Let us return unto the Lord; 
 for he hath torn, and he xvill heal us ; he hath 
 fmitten, and he will bind us up : After two days 
 be will revive us, in the third day he will raife 
 tis up, and we fijall live in his fight. 
 
 Our Loid, before his fufferings, had repeat¬ 
 edly inflruaed his difciples in the application 
 of the prophecies refpee^ing the whole fcene 
 through which he was deftined to pafs. The 
 Son of man mufifuffer many things, and mufi be 
 put to death, but on the third day he fhall arife^ 
 Yet they underhood not this faying, though 
 
 (a) Pfal. xvi. lo. 
 Hof. vi. I. i. 
 
 (b) Ifa. liii. 10. II. (c) Verf. ij. 
 
 
 fufficiently. 
 
6 
 
 The Tie fur region of Jefus. Ser. i. 
 
 fufficiently plain ; for as yet t*hey knew not the 
 feriptures, that he muft rife fi om the dead. 
 More obfcurcly he had intimated the fame 
 thing to the Jewifir nation at large, when after 
 the performance of many beneficent miracles 
 they /fill demanded a fign from heaven : ex¬ 
 pecting, as it appears, that the Meffiah fhould 
 exhibit before them that glory of the Lord, or 
 eeleftial light, which, in ancient times,, had 
 accompanied the manifeftations of the Angel of 
 the covenant j the fame great melTenger who 
 was to come to his own in the later days. For 
 they overlooked all the aflurances which the 
 prophets had given, that at his coming in the 
 character of Meffiah, he fhould have no form 
 or comelinefsy no exterior difplay either of his 
 divine glory, or of regal magnificence, for 
 wliich he fjould be deftred of men. On occafion 
 of this demand of the fign from heaven, Jefus 
 itood forth in the midft of the court of the 
 temple, and laying his hand upon his breaft, 
 or by fome fuch fignificant aCtion pointing to 
 his own body, Te ivill deftroy this templey 
 faid he, and in three days I 'will raife it up. 
 This fliall be the great and decifive fign. There 
 fiall no fign be given to this evil generation, but 
 thefgn of the prophet Jonas : for as Jonas 'was 
 three days and three nights in the inhale's bel¬ 
 ly, fo fjall the Son of man be in the heart of 
 the earth. He that hath ears to hear let him. 
 hear. 
 
 The various iatimations which Jefus gave of 
 
 bis 
 
7 
 
 The Rcfiirrcnion oj Jefus. 
 
 his refurrc^tion, awakened no hopes in the 
 minds of liis difciples ; the prejudices in favour 
 of a temporal reign clouded their fpiritual un* 
 derhandings ; yet in the people his warnings 
 feem to have excited fome undefined appre- 
 henlions of what miglu follow : His words 
 were more particularly brought into recollec¬ 
 tion by the majefty which he difplayed in the 
 fccne of death, and by the circumftances of 
 gloom and terror which were exhibited in that 
 tremendous hour. 
 
 An uncertain rumour began to circulate 
 through the city, as if he fhould rife fr om 
 the dead on the third day. This circumftance, 
 joined to the confternation which was vifible 
 in the countenances and gefturcs of the people 
 as they returned from the mountain, gave fc- 
 rious alarm to the rulers: they met early in 
 the evening in clofe cabal; all was not right in 
 their own bofums j there was a tenor of God 
 in their aflembly. 'Iheir guilty minds forbod- 
 ed dangers from every quarter: They dreaded 
 a revolution in the p.iflions of the multitude j 
 and the probable tranfition, from that univerfal 
 dejection which pervaded Jerufalem, to tumult 
 and vengeance. Ihey even dreaded, that the 
 difciples of Jefus, availing themfelves of the 
 rumour of an expected refurrection, might 
 carry off the corpfe, pretending that he was ri- 
 fen; and thus the whole force of the popular 
 rage might recoil againft the rulers, as the 
 murderers of the Melliah, and deffroyers of the 
 hope of Ifrael. Their firfl; concern now, 
 
 A 4 therefore. 
 
8 The "Refurregion oj Jefus, Ser. i. 
 
 therefore, was to make fure of the body, the 
 only pledge of their fafety : that by publicly 
 producing it a dead corpfe on the third day, 
 they might vindicate what they had done, and 
 extinguifli the laft rays of hope which any of 
 the nation might have formed from Jefus of 
 Nazareth. For this end the moft effe£lual pre¬ 
 cautions were taken which the cafe could pof- 
 fibly admit. By application to the governor 
 of the province, a company of Roman foldiers- 
 was procured, who at fun-fet, in the evening 
 «f the crucifixion-day, were ported as a guard 
 at the fepulchre ; and the vart ftone which do- 
 fed its entrance was fecured by the feal of the 
 High Pricft; fo deeply in earneft were the 
 rulers in this matter. The officer and the 
 guard were inftrtided, that they ffiould be an- 
 fvverable to produce the feal unbroken, and 
 the body fafe in the fepulchre on the third 
 day. 
 
 But there were higher parties concerned in 
 this cafe, of whofe interference the rulers were 
 not aware; and againft whom their guards 
 and their feal could yield no protedion. In 
 fo far as refpeded the difciples of Jefus in¬ 
 deed, the caution of the rulers w’as even ex- 
 ceflive ; from this quarter no danger could 
 reafonably be apprehended, whatever the fears 
 of guilty men might fuggeft. The fituation 
 of the eleven rendered them utterly unfit for 
 enterprize : they were plain and fimple men; 
 all their hopes had expired with their Marter; 
 they lay under every circumftance of difeou- 
 
 ragement 
 
The RefurreUion of Jefitsi 9; 
 
 •t 
 
 ragement and perplexity; they had trufted' 
 that it had been he who fhould have redeemed' 
 Ifrael: But his unrefifting Tubmiffion, and his 
 placid furrender of life, had filled them \vith= 
 utter amazement and dejection. Their cafe 
 was mortifying and alarming in the higheft de¬ 
 gree : they now felt themfelves without a lead¬ 
 er, without a friendi cxpofed amidft a nation 
 of enemies, as the poor remains of a broken 
 and ruined party. They durft not even be 
 feen, or ftir in the city, where every man’s 
 hand feemed to be lifted againft them: left the 
 ftorm which had overwhelmed their Mafter, 
 lliould burft alfo upon their heads. They had 
 forfaken him and fled at his trial j they had not 
 even dared to mix.with the crowd at the cruci¬ 
 fixion, but flood afar off: “ The ftiepherd 
 “ was fmitten, and the ftieep were flattered.” 
 The attempts of fuch men could not be for¬ 
 midable, nor. require all this military apparatus 
 of watching and defence. But the providence 
 of God over-rules the counflls of men, that 
 he may bring forth truth unto vi<Slory. The 
 precautions of the rulers were, on this occa- 
 fion, iubfervient to the caufe which they meant- 
 to overthrow ; they were carefully providing 
 evidence for their own confufion *, not know* 
 ing what they did, they were flationing at the 
 grave of Jefus a band of neutral men, who, 
 being neither Chriftians nor Jews, and confli- 
 ous of no intereft in the event, farther than, 
 to do their duty as Roman foldiers on guard, 
 were intended of Heaven to bear unexception- 
 
 A 5, abic- 
 
lo The RefurreBion of Jefus. Ser. 
 
 able teftimony to the faft, and to become, in 
 the fii ft inftance, the witneffes of the glory of 
 the refurrccfion. 
 
 Such were the refpeffive fituations of the rii* 
 krs and the difciples, and iuch the hate of 
 things in Jerufalem, while the Captain of our 
 ialvation lay in the filence of the tomb. In 
 that feafon the Roman foldiers were not the 
 only guards of the fepulchre : The heavenly 
 ’ hofts were moved, the legions of God were 
 arrayed, to protect the facred depoht»^ The 
 preparations were now fully formed in both' 
 worlds, and all things flood in readinefs for 
 the moment in which the arm of the Lord 
 Ihould be revealed. 
 
 Twice had the fun gone down upon tho 
 earth, and all, as yet, was quiet at the fcpul- 
 chre: Death held his fceptre over the Son of 
 God : Still,, and illent, the hours palTed on ; 
 the guards ftood by their poh, the rays of the 
 midnight moon gleamed on their helmets, and 
 on their fpears : The enemies of Chi ld exult¬ 
 ed in their lucceis the hearts of his friends 
 were funk in defpondency and in forrovv ; the 
 fpirits of glory waited in anxious fufpenfe to 
 behold the event, and wondered at the dcpch 
 of the ways of God.. At length the morning 
 Itar ariiing in theeaft, announced the approach 
 of light; the third day began to dawn upon 
 the world, when, on a fudden, the earth trem¬ 
 bled to its centre, and the powers of heaven 
 were lhaken ; an angel of God delcended, 
 the guards flaruuk back fronj the terror of his 
 
 prefence, 
 
The Refurre 6 lton of fefus* i r 
 
 prcfence, and fell proftrate on the ground: 
 “ His countenance was like lightning, and his 
 raiment was white as fnow:” He rolled away 
 the hone from the door of the fepulchre, and 
 fat upon it. But who is this that cometh forth 
 from the tomb, with dyed garments from the 
 bed of death ? He that is glorious in his 
 appearance, walking in the greatnefs of his 
 ftrength ? It is thy prince, O Zion *, Chriftian, 
 it is your Lord : He hath trodden the wine- 
 prefs alone •, he hath ftained his raiment with 
 blood *, but now, as the fird-born from the 
 womb of nature, he meets the morning of 
 his refurreflion. He arifes a conqueror from 
 the grave ^ he returns with blclTings from the 
 world of f^iirits; he brings falvation. to the 
 fons of men. Never did the returning fun 
 ulher in a day fo glorious: it was the jubilee 
 of the univerfe. The morning ftars fung to¬ 
 gether, and all the Tons of God flaouted atoud 
 for joy: The Father of Mercies looked down 
 from his throne in the heavens j with compla¬ 
 cency he beheld his world reftored : he faw his 
 work that it was good. Then did the defert- 
 rejoice ; the face of nature was gladdened be¬ 
 fore him, when the bleffings of the Eternal 
 defcended as the dew of heaven, for the re- 
 freflring of the nations.. 
 
 This great fcene was appointed in the wif-.- 
 dom of God, and conduffed by his power, for 
 the honour and reward of our crucified Ma- 
 
 A- 6 fleiv. 
 
12 7 he Refurreclion cf Jefus. Ser. i. 
 
 iler, and for the everlafting confolaiion of his 
 people, 
 
 God hath thus wiped ofF the reproach of the 
 crofs. 
 
 When the great Mediator not only fubmit- 
 ted to endure the common evils of humanity, 
 but was fubjedfed to the ignominy of a public 
 crucifixion, he commended his Spirit into the 
 Father’s hand; and the claim lay with infinite 
 jufiice, to maintain the dignity of the innocent 
 fufferer; to vindicate his honours which might 
 feem to have been tarnillied in the fcene of 
 blood; and to raife him to that kingdom 
 which he had merited, and for which he was 
 made perfedl, in having learned our trials and 
 our obedience through fufferings. 
 
 In like manner, when his religion was to be 
 tendered to the world, clogged as it might 
 feem by that ftumbling-block, which neither 
 Jew nor Gentile knew how to reconcile with, 
 the notions of perfonal grandeur, and the ma- 
 jefiy of charadfer ; it was fit that fuch extreme 
 humiliation fiiould be balanced by a fucceeding 
 fcene of unrivalled glory : that the dodtrine of 
 the crofs might be juftified as the wifdom of 
 God, fufkained by the power of the refurrec- 
 tion. Thus were his apoflles enabled to glory 
 in the crofs of Ghrift : and to preach the ti¬ 
 dings of confolation through him who died, 
 yea, rather who is rifen again; and thus were 
 his friends every where taught to regard the 
 tra^ifadkions on Mount Calvary with admira¬ 
 tion 
 
The RefiirreBion of Jefm, 13 
 
 tion and comfort, inftead of confufion and dif- 
 may. 
 
 The whole body of that religions inftitutc 
 which Jel'us hath delivered, was thus in the 
 events of the rerurredlion-morning authentica¬ 
 ted by the Teal of Heaven, and confirmed to 
 men by the mofi; decifive proof, when the Au¬ 
 thor of our faith was reftored fi'om death, and 
 the bars of the gi'ave were broken by the power 
 of God. 
 
 The refurreftion of Jefus reflects peculiar 
 light upon the do^rine of a future rtate, and 
 affords the moft emphatical proof which man 
 could defire, that the foul knows no diflblu- 
 tion, and is invulnerable totheftroke of death. 
 
 We are travellers through the wildernefs 
 of life ; the king of terrors lurks in ambufli 
 near the path, he fends his arrows among the 
 fons of men, and who can refift his power ? 
 Before, behind, on the right-hand, and on the 
 left, we fee our fellow-travellers, one by one, 
 ftruck and falling to the earth. The compa¬ 
 nions of our early days, the friends whom we 
 love as our own fouls, drop by our fides, and 
 leave us loHtary in the land ; with the certain 
 knowledge, that we in our turn mufl: yield tO' 
 the order of nature. We fee that the body re¬ 
 turns to its duft, but the reft is hid from our 
 view. The hopes of nature are flrong j they 
 are confirmed by the conclufions of reafon; 
 yet it is the earnefi: wifli of the foul, to obtain 
 feme more palpable proof, where its all, its be¬ 
 ing* 
 
14 
 
 The UefurreBion of Jefus, Ser. r. 
 
 ing, Is the objedl of inquiry. Your friends 
 depart, and return not with tidings any more- 
 At times, perhaps, it is with anxious and hefi- 
 tating exps^lation that you look towards the 
 land of night: if one fhould arife from the 
 dead, wouldil thou believe ? Come then and 
 obferve the place where the Lord lay : See, 
 the linen cloaths in which his body was wrapt, 
 together with the herbs and fpices, are left in^ 
 their place in the tomb : the napkin which 
 bound his head, has there been laid afide with 
 all its folds unruffled. But He is not here, he 
 is rifen: the guards faw him come forth from 
 the tomb, they fled to the city in utter confter- 
 nation, and declared to the chief prieffs the 
 things which were done ; the defcent of the 
 angel, and the refurreftion of Jefus. Herein 
 is our confidence and our joy ; the day of his‘ 
 power dawned, and the darknefs of the humaa 
 vinderftanding was dlfpellcd before the glories- 
 of the morning. 
 
 Now we know that our fouls are indepen¬ 
 dent of death ; and in the fame fcene we may^ 
 difcover the pledge of God, that they fhall be; 
 again embodied. The defolation which ffn 
 introduced into the kingdom of God is de- 
 ftined to meet entire redrefs from him who fi- 
 nifhed tranfgreflion. The. revocation of the 
 doom of death, the re-union of the fpiritual 
 fubftance with its material organ in the glories 
 of perfedlion and immortality, is that final re- 
 ftitution of all things, which the majeffy of 
 God feems to require, and of which he hath 
 
 given 
 
The Refurredion cf Jefiis. 
 
 given afTurance to men, in that he hath raifed 
 Jel'us from the dead. To our Lord and Ma- 
 Ifer are now committed the keys of the grave ; 
 he called up many of the bodies of the faints 
 which flept, and lent them into the city, where 
 they appeared to their fiiends, as trophies of 
 the victory of him who was dead, and is alive 
 for evermore. Lven lb them alfo which fleep 
 in Jel'us lhali God bring home to him. Wo 
 err nor, for we know both the I'criptures and 
 the power of God. Our Redeemer liveth, and 
 fhall Rand at the latter day upon the earth : 
 And though this earthly houfc, this taberna¬ 
 cle of flelh, njuft be dilTolved, we have a build¬ 
 ing of God, a houfe not made with hands, 
 eternal in the heavens. That which is now 
 corruptible Until put on incorruption, and our 
 bodies being faihioned after the refembhnee of 
 his glorious body, lhall be clothed with im¬ 
 mortality. 
 
 Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the vie* 
 tory through Jefus Chrifl our Lord.. 
 
 S E R. 
 
 y 
 
SERMON If; 
 
 On the Duty of attending the Public Infti- 
 tutions of Religion. 
 
 By William Moodie, Minifter of St An* 
 drew’s Church, Edinburgh. 
 
 Preached on the firft Sunday after his admiffion to- 
 his prefent Charge. 
 
 H E B. X. 25. 
 
 forfaking the affembling of ourfelves toge¬ 
 ther^ as the manner of feme isy but exhorting 
 one another: and fo much the 7 nore, as ye feee 
 the day approaching^ 
 
 |N the pi’eceding verfes, Paul had ftated the 
 doctrine of our Saviour’s mediation. From, 
 the view which he had given of that gracious 
 appointment, he had encouraged the Hebrews 
 to approach their Maker in the exercifes of re¬ 
 ligion. Thefe wei'e the means which God had 
 provided for promoting their improvement in 
 knowledge and in virtue. By uniting in the 
 public offices of devotion, they might contri¬ 
 bute to inflame each others piety, and to ani¬ 
 mate each other in the paths of obedience. 
 
 The argument by which the Apoftle enfor¬ 
 ces his exhortation, is peculiarly adapted to 
 the age in which be wrote ; “ in fo much the 
 
 5* more,” 
 
17 
 
 ' The Duty of citcnLling^ (jc. 
 
 ** more,” faith he, “ as ye fee the day approach- 
 “ ing.” The day to which he alludes, is that 
 day of vengeance of which our Saviour had 
 fpoken, when the miferies which were to be- 
 fal the nation of the Jews, were to atted the 
 truth of his religion, and the power of his 
 kingdom. 
 
 This day of vengeance is now pad ; but the 
 duty which the confideration of it is employ¬ 
 ed to recommend, is a duty of eternal and im¬ 
 mutable obligation. If it be admitted that 
 there is a God, the Creator, thePreferver, and 
 the Governor of the world, it will follow, that 
 to a beingfoexalted fome homage is due; and 
 if the inditutions of religion have a native ten¬ 
 dency to cheridt and ditfufe the fentiment of 
 piety, it will follow, that to alTemble ourfelves 
 for the purpofe of devotion, is a duty which 
 we cannot innocently negle£V. 
 
 The circumdances in which I addrefs you at 
 prefent, will fugged to you the reafon why I 
 have chofen this paflage as the fubjetd of my 
 difcourfe. Called to difcharge among you an 
 important office ; to lead the devotions which, 
 in this place, you are to offer up to Heaven, 
 and to recal to your attention, and recommend 
 to your pradlice the duties “ which the Lord 
 
 your God hath required of you;” I feel my 
 own inability to perform the tafk in the man¬ 
 ner that might fuit its high importance : 1 fore¬ 
 fee, that with all the diligence which I can 
 exert, I mud often dand in need of your in¬ 
 dulgence and favour ; and I wifh, at the com¬ 
 mencement 
 
i8 "the Duty of attending the Ser. z. 
 
 mencement of my labours among you, to fef 
 before you fuch views of the duty recommend¬ 
 ed in the text, as may difpofe you to perfevere 
 in “ aflembling youiTelves together,” from a 
 juft regard to the duty itfelf, notwithftanding 
 the defects which in my miniftrations you will 
 often have occafion to forgive. 
 
 Now the duty of “ aflembling yourfelves” 
 for the purpofe of devotion, may be recom¬ 
 mended from the three following conftJcra- 
 tions: I. From the regard which you owe to 
 God ; II. From the regard which you owe 
 to your brethren ; and, III. From the regard 
 which you owe to yourfelves. 
 
 T. Confider the regard which you owe tO 
 God. The exiftence of a God is a truth which,- 
 the light of nature difeovers, and which hath 
 been received in all ages of the world. With 
 the belief of this doffrine is connedted the 
 perception of various duties which we owe to- 
 our Maker. His perfections difplayed fo illu- 
 ftrioufly in all his works, and the relations in 
 which he Hands to us, as our Creator, our 
 Preferver, our Benefadlor, and our Judge, 
 call for the beft affedtions of the human 
 heart. 
 
 When we contemplate him as the former 
 of unnumbered worlds, and the fource from 
 which all exiftence is derived, admiration and 
 reverence fill our breafts. When we confider 
 him as the fupreme difpofer of events, who 
 wieldeth the feeptre of the univerfe, and doth 
 
 aU 
 
Ptihlic Injiifutions of Religion. 19 
 
 fill things according to his pleafure in hea¬ 
 ven and on earth, the fenfe of our conftant 
 dependence on his Providence, leads us “ to 
 caft our cares upon him.” When we re¬ 
 gard him as the moral ruler of the world, who 
 bath eflablidied his law in the heart of man, 
 who hath enforced it by faniflions of the moft 
 awful nature, and will not fufter the guilty to 
 efcape unpunilhed, the recollection ot the tref- 
 pafles by w’hich we have offended him begets 
 in us the fincereft compunction and regret; 
 and this compunCtion is greatly increafed by 
 contemplating him as the author of all our 
 blifs, as the fountain from w'hich our exiffence, 
 our comforts, and our hopes are derived. Gra¬ 
 titude mingles with every other affeCtion, and 
 the love of fo kind and gracious a Being, puri¬ 
 fies our truff, our admiration, and our fear. 
 
 Thefe affections are the foundation of religi¬ 
 ous worfliip ; and when they glow in the bread: 
 with their native ardour, they delight to ex- 
 prefs themfelves in the language of devotion. 
 They lead us irrefiftibly to the throne of God, 
 to pour out, in the prefence of him wdio made 
 us, the emotions which infinite perfection in- 
 fpires. 
 
 I truff, my friends, that you are no ffran- 
 gers to fuch feelings as thefe. Not to have 
 yielded occafionally to their influence, is an e- 
 vidence of forne fatal defeCt in the character. 
 It argues a ditbelief of what the wile in all- 
 ages have admitted, or a thoughtlefTnefs inex- 
 ^ citlable where the fubjeCt is fo interefting, or 
 
 an 
 
20 710 Duty of attending the Ser. 2. 
 
 an infenribility which a virtuous mind would 
 be afhamed to confefs. Yes, you have occa- 
 fionally fell fuch emotions as thefe ; you ac¬ 
 knowledge, that to be total ftrangers to their 
 influence, would imply a defe<fl; in your cha- 
 raftcrs. 
 
 But, is it not enough, you will fay, to in- . 
 dulge, and to exprefs them in private ? Is 
 not religion between God and the foul of 
 man? Will not our devotions afcend as grate¬ 
 ful from the retirement of the clofet as from 
 the aflembly of the people ? Doth not the Lord 
 fmile as gracioufly on “ the dwellings of Ja« 
 ** cob, as on the gates of Zion ?” 
 
 Religion is indeed between God and the. 
 foul of man. It is in retirement that the 
 heart pours itfelf forth with the moft plea- 
 fing freedom to the Hearer of prayer. It is 
 there that the worfhipper can adjuft his con- 
 feffions to his own particular offences; it is- 
 there that he can adapt his prayers to his own 
 particular neceffities, and accommodate his 
 thankfgivings to the bleffings which he him- 
 felf in particular hath received. If our hearts 
 have no relifh for thefe more private duties, our 
 public profeflions of piety will be of little a- 
 vail. But there are neceffities which are felt 
 in common by all; there are relations in which 
 all, in common, ftand to their Maker; there 
 are bleffings of which all in common are ad¬ 
 mitted to partake. Thefe it becomes us to 
 unite in acknowledging, that by mingling our 
 voices in one hymn of praife, we may kindle 
 
 in 
 
21 
 
 Public Inftituiions of Religion. 
 
 in one another thofe pious emotions, which 
 are due to the Creator, the Preferver, and the 
 Bedeemer of our i-ace. 
 
 Oftentation in profeffing our religious opi¬ 
 nions and feelings ought indeed to be care¬ 
 fully avoided. It is a quality in the higheft 
 degree difgufting and offenfive. It is fo often 
 alTumed as the veil of the hypocrite, that when¬ 
 ever it appears in the charadler of a Chriftian, 
 it excites a flrong, and for the moft part, a 
 juft fufpicion of his fincerity. 
 
 But there is a decent and manly avowal of 
 their religious principles, which will always di- 
 ftinguifti thofe whole minds are duly imprefted 
 with the fentiment of piety. This avowal you 
 make when you aflemble here for the purpofe 
 of devotion. You confefs God before men ; 
 you acknowledge the relation in which you 
 ftand to him ; you number yourfelves with his 
 children ; you declare to the world, that you 
 believe in his name, that you reverence his per- 
 fedlions, that you feek his favour as your fu- 
 preme felicity, and rely on his bounty as the 
 foundation of your hopes. And is there 
 aught in this profeflion of which you have 
 caule to be afhamed I Or do you think that 
 you difeharge your duty to God, while you 
 conceal your piety as a weaknefs, from the 
 eyes of your brethren I 
 
 It is indeed to be lamented, that a fober 
 convidtion of religious truth, exprelTed by a 
 becoming relpe(St for the offices of devotion, 
 fhould ever be derided as the mark of a w^eak 
 
 and 
 
"The Duty of attending the Ser. 2, 
 
 11 
 
 and vifionaiy mind. It is fiill more to be la¬ 
 mented, that any perfons who are alive to the 
 fentiment of religion, llaould be retrained by 
 the fear of fuch derifion, from avowing boldly 
 what they believe and feel; for they are the 
 thoughtlefs and the profane alone to whom a 
 rational piety is an object of ridicule, and we 
 betray weaknefs of mind, not by refpe^fing re¬ 
 ligion, but by being afraid to profefs it. 
 
 In ordinary life, we delpife the man who 
 hath not the courage to maintain his princi¬ 
 ples, and to difplay them in his practice. Yet 
 I'urely in no cafe whatever is fuch timidity 
 more inexcufable than in the cafe of religion. 
 Strange ! that while the profane make a boaft 
 of their impiety, and the wicked glory in their 
 fhame ! Strange ! that the pious fliould dif- 
 femble a belief which hath obtained the fanc- 
 tion of the wife in all ages of the world, and 
 emotions which it is the diftindtion of their 
 nature to feel ! 
 
 If you believe that God is, fhow your belief 
 by your conduff. We do not exhort you to 
 teftify your faith by an oftentatious difplay of 
 fantflity, by a flaming and intolerant zeal, or 
 by obtruding unfealbnably on the ears of your 
 brethren the facred truths of religion. But 
 we exhort you to teftify your faith by a regu¬ 
 lar and uniform refpe£l tor thofe venerable 
 inftitucions of the gofpel, in which it is no 
 oftentation to mingle, and which were or¬ 
 dained as a memorial of God to all kindreds 
 and nations of men. “ Give unto the Lord, 
 
23 
 
 Tilblic Inflitutlons of Religion. 
 
 ve people, give unto the Lord glory and 
 ** ftrength. Give unto the Lord, je iTilgh* 
 
 “ ty, the glory due to his name. Worlhip 
 “ the Lord in the beauties of holinefs.” 
 
 Piety, when firmly elhablilTied in the heart, 
 is a generous, ardent, difiufive principle. War- 
 jned by the contemplation of the greatnefs of 
 God, we feel that our own folitary homage is 
 too Hender a tribute to the Being whom we 
 adore: we wifh to kindle in every creature 
 around us, the fame devout affe<ftions with 
 which weourfelves are infpired : we invoke the 
 earth, and the heavens, and angels, and men, 
 to unite in fwelling the hymn of praifc. Praife 
 “ the Lord from the heavens, ye glorious hofts 
 “ of his. Praife him, fun and moon. Praife 
 him, ye ftars of light. Praife the Lord from 
 “ the earth, ye mountains, and all deeps. 
 Praife him, kings and judges. Praife him, 
 all ye people. Praife the Lord, O my foul. 
 “ I will go to the altar of God, to God my 
 exceeding joy; I will offer unto him the fa- 
 crifice of thankfgiving in the prefence of all 
 the people, in the courts of the Lord’s houfe, 
 “ in the midft of thee, O Jerufalem.” 
 
 II. This leads me, in ihc fecond place, to rc- 
 .commcnd the duty “ of affembling yourfelves 
 “ together,” from the confideration of the re¬ 
 gard which you owe to your brethren. 
 
 Even thofe who difpute the truth of reli¬ 
 gion, acknowledge its ulefulnefs to lociety* 
 
 They 
 
24 
 
 The Duty of attending the Ser. 2. 
 
 They regard it indeed, as the invention of le- 
 giflators, but as an invention wifely calculated 
 to guard the virtue, and to improve the hap- 
 pinefs of mankind. ’ 
 
 There are defe«fts in all human laws which 
 religion alone can remedy. The beft i-egula- 
 tions which the wifdom of ftatefmen can de- 
 vife, can ferve only as a reflraint on the out¬ 
 ward actions of men; their efficacy depends on 
 the attention of the magiftratc, whofe vigilance 
 tlie tranfgrelTor may elude; and the fandtions by 
 which they are enforced, are puniffiments of a 
 tranfient nature, which borrow their principal 
 influence from views peculiar to religion. - 
 But religion reaches the heart, and purifies 
 the outward conduct, by cleanfing the hidden 
 fource from which all our actions flow. It 
 reveals to us an omnifdent Judge, from whofe 
 eye no darknefs can conceal us, and difclofes 
 to us an eternal ftate, in which “ God will ren- 
 “ der unto every man according as his works 
 have been.” 
 
 Thefe are the awful confiderations which 
 bind the confciences, and guard the virtue of 
 mankind. Banifti thefe from their thoughts, 
 and the fanffions of human laws will lofc 
 much of their falutary influence .; the tranf- 
 greflor will difregard an authority whofe ven¬ 
 geance he may hope to efcape, and defpife the 
 threatenings of thofe “ who can only kill the 
 body, but who have nothing more that they 
 ** can do.” 
 
 Now 
 
Pablic Injiltutlons of Religion. 2^ 
 
 Now, though religion had no higher origin 
 than human policy, even in this view it is in- 
 titled to your refpea. The influence which 
 it is fitted to exert on the conduft of thofe 
 who believe it, fhould difpofe you to revere 
 and countenance the inftitutions by which its 
 influence is maintained and diflufed. r'his is 
 an argument which will have great force with 
 all who are inierefted for the welfare of fo- 
 ciety ; but at prefent we would addrefs it 
 chiefly to thofe w'ho are placed in ftations of 
 diftinaion, and by whofe example the multi¬ 
 tude are apt to be guided. 
 
 You, my friends, are blefl'ed with many op* 
 portunities of moral inftruaion, to which the 
 lower orders of men are total ftrangers. In 
 your early years, your minds are opened and 
 cultivated by a liberal education. The principles 
 of virtue are inftilled into them. A feufe of 
 charaaer, and the abfenee of many temptations 
 to which the poor are expofed, will, for the 
 moll part, be fufficient to preferve you from 
 thofe meaner vices, which are fo deftruaive 
 to the comfort of fociety. On this account 
 you imagine, and perhaps you imagine juftiy, 
 tiiat you are lefs dependent than others on 
 the inftitutions ol religion. 
 
 I ihall afterwards hawe occaflon to fliow 
 you, that even to you thefe inftitutions may 
 be of much avail. But fetting aflde this conft- 
 deration ; admitting that you need not the in¬ 
 ftitutions of religion, and that you cannot be 
 profited by them ; yet think of the condition 
 
 VoL, IV. B of 
 
■26 
 
 The Duty of attending tlie Ser. 2. 
 
 of thofe who are beneath you, your depend¬ 
 ents, your brethren, to whofe happinefs and 
 virtue fome regard is due. Think of the con¬ 
 dition of your humbler brethren.—Toiling to 
 procure a fcanty fubliftence, with hardly a fuf- 
 ficient interval of repol’e to recruit their fpi- 
 rits for the renewal of their labours ; they are 
 left, with minds uncultivated by education, to 
 encounter the tem.ptations of want and wretch- 
 ednefs, while no leifure is afforded them to 
 review their condu6t, or to think of the pur- 
 pofe for which they are placed on the eai’th. 
 From perfons thus circumftanced what could 
 we expert ? how barren and defolate would their 
 minds be ! how grovelling their views ! how pre¬ 
 carious their virtue ! v/ere it not for the regu¬ 
 lar return of thofe inftitutions of the gofpel, 
 by which they are raifed to the knowledge of 
 God and of their duty. To them is it not 
 “ of the mercies of Heaven,” that a day is con- 
 fecrated in which they are permitted to repofe 
 from the cares of life, in which they are in¬ 
 vited to approach the temple of the Lord, to 
 pour out their fouls before Him who made 
 them, and to indulge their truft in that gra¬ 
 cious Providence, which careth for the happi¬ 
 nefs of every creature that lives ? Is it not 
 “ of the mercies of Heaven” that a day is con- 
 fecrated, in which they are called upon by 
 men appointed to the tafk, “ to conlider the 
 “ things that belong to their peace in which 
 they are warned of the fnares and temptations 
 of life 5 in which they are inlbuded in the 
 
 duties 
 
Public Inflitutions of Religion. 27 
 
 duties which God hath required of them, and 
 folaced with the hopes which the gofpel opens 
 to fweeten their exiftence, and to animate their 
 virtue ? 
 
 And will you, whom God hath blefled with 
 fo many other means of inftruclion and com¬ 
 fort, will you teach your lefs fortunate bre¬ 
 thren to defpife the moft precious advantages 
 of their condition ? will you declare to them, 
 that there is no truth in the do6lrines which 
 religion reveals ; that there is no obligation to 
 the duties which it enjoins ; that there is no 
 reality in the confolations which it admini- 
 fters, confolations which are open alike to the 
 rich and to the poor, and which can gladden 
 the hearts of thofe who are ftrangers to eve¬ 
 ry other joy ? Such, however, is the language 
 cf your conduct, when you omit to aflcmble 
 yourfelves in the houfe of God. 
 
 There may, indeed, be a fecret refpeiTt for 
 religion in the hearts of fome, who mingle 
 not in its outward inftitutions. But the ig¬ 
 norant, whom your behaviour muft influence, 
 are incapable of making the diflin£tion ; they 
 regard your forfaking the fandluary as a pu¬ 
 blic declaration on your part, that you have 
 abandoned the religious clvaradter; and they 
 are led, by their imitation of you, to renounce 
 that faith in God which is the firmeft guar¬ 
 dian of their happinels and their virtue. 
 
 Let me exhort you, then, to rcfpcd th'C in¬ 
 ftitutions of the gofpel, were it only for the 
 fake of thofe to whom you cannot but ac- 
 
 B 2 knowledge 
 
28 
 
 The Duty of attending the Ser. 2. 
 
 knowledge that they are neceflary. Go be¬ 
 fore them in the path to heaven, and lead 
 them by the light of your example to the fear 
 and the love of that God on whom all alike 
 depend. It is no unreafonable fervice in which 
 we exhort you to mingle. If you were called, 
 as in the days of Pagan darknefs, to bow be¬ 
 fore the fhrines of imaginary deities, whofe 
 chara6Iers were flained by folly and vice, and 
 whofe praifes were to be celebrated by a thou- 
 fand idle ceremonies, in which reafon and vir¬ 
 tue might bluth to fhare; if this were the wor- 
 flaip in which we exhorted you to join, you 
 might contemplate with horror the impious 
 fcene, and. imagine that you were contributing 
 to the beft interefts of your brethren, while 
 you were labouring to break the bands of a 
 fuperlVition fo dilhonourable to God, and fo 
 debafing to man. 
 
 But it is a pure religion which is edabli/hcd 
 in our land It hath evidences of its truth 
 which, we trufl, will be fufficient to convince 
 the candid ; and it is the leaft that can be faid 
 of it, even by its enemies themfelves, that it 
 is a fyftem adapted to tiie beft principles of 
 the human mind, neither tainted by any mix¬ 
 ture of thofe grofs fuperftitions which for fo 
 many ages prevailed in the earth, nor dif- 
 graced by thofe barbarous and unhallowed 
 rites by which the blinded nations paid their 
 homage to their gods. It prefcribcs a refined 
 and rational woiihip, “ the worlhip of the 
 “ underftanding and the heart,” ofi'ered to one 
 
 God, 
 
Public Injlit lit ions of Religion.' 29 
 
 God, the creator of the world, through “ one 
 Mediator between God and man. It in* 
 culcates on its profefTors a pure morality, fit¬ 
 ted to lead them to all that is excellent in 
 condu^I, and opens to them hopes which are 
 congenial to their nature, and which every 
 virtuous mind will rejoice to cherifh. “ This- 
 “ is that true light which the nations defi- 
 “ red to behold, and which the prophets faw 
 from afar, and were glad.” R.ejoice that on 
 us who live in thefe latter days, the Sun of 
 righteoufnefs himfelf hath arifen *, and labour, 
 by maintaining a juft relpecft for the inftitutions 
 of the gofpel, to diftufe among your brethren 
 the influence of a fyftern, fo worthy of God 
 and fo confolatdry to man. 
 
 III. From thefe inftitutions much advantage 
 may redound to yourfelves^ Your piety and 
 your virtue may derive improvement from the 
 cxercifes in which you are here called to en¬ 
 gage. This is the laft view in which I propoied 
 to confider the duty recommended in the text.. 
 
 I have already endeavoured to fhew you, 
 that the ordinances of religion are indifpen- 
 fably neceflary to the piety and the virtue of 
 thofe who are placed in the lower ranks of 
 life. But even you who move in the higher 
 fpheres of fociety, and who, from the many 
 advantages which you enjoy, feem lefs depend¬ 
 ent than others on the miniftrations of the gof¬ 
 pel, even you may find, that it is not a vain 
 thing to mingle with “ the multitude that keep 
 
 B 3 “ holy 
 
3 ° 
 
 Tht Duty of attending the Ser. 2. 
 
 “ holy days.” Your religious principles will 
 be confirmed and ftrengthened by the habit 
 of avowing them in the prefence of men, and 
 your piety will glow with double ardour while 
 you catch a portion of that facred fire which 
 burns in the breafts of all your brethren. 
 
 All the afte£lions of the human heart, joy 
 and grief, and love and pity, delight to exprefs 
 themfelves, and are increafed by communica¬ 
 tion. The feelings of devotion alfo are focial 
 feelings. In the aflembly of the faints the 
 emotion pafies from breafl to breaft, and the 
 worlhipper of God feels his own affections 
 grow, while he beholds a kindred affeCtion in 
 the eyes of every perfon around him. 
 
 Nor will the admonitions which are he:« 
 addrefled to you be Icfs conducive to your 
 improvement. We pretend not, indeed, to 
 communicate to you any new information 
 concerning the fubjeCls of religion or mo¬ 
 rals. The fyftem which we explain and en¬ 
 force is the commandment of the Matter whom 
 we ferve, “ even that old commandment which 
 you have heard from the beginning.” 
 
 But our labours, we truft, will not on that 
 account be regarded as ufelefs.—It is not by 
 ignorance of their duty that men are moft apt 
 to be betrayed into vice. The moft frequent 
 caufe of tranfgrefiion is this, that we aCt with¬ 
 out deliberation ; that we feldom review our 
 conduct, or confider it in that ferious light 
 in which it appears to the eye of Heaven. 
 
 There are circumftances in the fituation of 
 
 thofe 
 
Public Injlitufions of Religion. 31 
 
 thofe who are placed in the higher ranks of 
 life, that are unfavourable to fober refledtiono- 
 They are iurrounded by lo many pleafures, 
 they are engaged in fo many frivolous carcsj. 
 one fcene of gaiety is fo ipeedily fucceeded by 
 another, that fcarcely an interval is left to be 
 employed in ferious thought, to meditate on 
 the duties of their ffations, or to inc^uire how 
 they violate or fulfil them. 
 
 If they fometimes abufe the advantages which 
 they enjoy j if they wafte their time and theii 
 talents amidft an uninterrupted fucceffion o£ 
 amufements \ if they omit the offices of kind- 
 nefs which they owe to their brethren around 
 them*, if they pervert the means of charity 
 into inftruments of unhallowed pleafure, and 
 a£f as tyrants and opprefTors towards thofe 
 whom it is their duty to proted and to che- 
 rifh ; it is not becaufe their hearts are in- 
 fenfible to every virtuous impreffion, or be¬ 
 caufe they have deliberately refolved to difre- 
 gard and violate every moral obligation. But 
 their minds are continually occupied by the 
 enjoyments which their fituations afford y fe* 
 rious thought is banilhed ; their duty and the. 
 confequences of their condu<ft, are feldom the 
 objeffs of their attention, and they remain un- 
 confcious of a thoufand vices which deform; 
 their own conduct, and embitter the lives of 
 their brethren. 
 
 Amidft fuch temptations as thefe, it will be 
 ufeful to retire for a little from the fcene of 
 diffipation, and to commune with your own 
 
 B 4 hearts. 
 
^he Duty of attending the Ser. 2. 
 
 hearts. In the temple of the Lord the amufe- 
 ments of life are fufpended for a feafon ; our 
 minds are awakened from the dream of folly } 
 our condufl is brought in review before us; 
 our duty is prefented in all its extent and ob- ' 
 ligations, and confcience, reftored to her tri¬ 
 bunal, approves or condemns impartially ac¬ 
 cording as our deeds have been. 
 
 Here the rich and the poor meet together ; 
 all external diflinclions are forgotten, and the 
 motives to mutual juftice and kindnefs occur 
 with peculiar force, while we alTemble our- 
 felves with the meaneft of our dependents in 
 the pt'efence of that God, “ who hath made 
 ‘‘ of one blood all kindreds and nations of 
 “ men.” 
 
 Here we are called to contemplate ourfelves 
 as moral and accountable beings ; as the fub- 
 jedls of a righteous Ruler, who hath preferibed 
 a law for our conduct, and who is the witnefs 
 of all that we do ; and every action, every 
 word, every thought of our hearts, acquires an 
 awful importance when confidered as a part 
 of that probation on which our everlafling 
 happinefs depends. 
 
 Thefe are the interehing fubje^ts to which 
 your attention is here dire(fted: fubje^ts which 
 amidft the gaiety of life are apt to vanillr from 
 your thoughts, but which, if you are defirous 
 to preferve your virtue, or to fecure the fa¬ 
 vour of your Maker, it will become you fre-* 
 quently to recall. 
 
 Though, therefore, we do not flatter you 
 
 with 
 
33 ’ 
 
 Public Injlltutions of Religion^ 
 
 with the hope of receiving any new informa¬ 
 tion to gratify an idle curiofity, yet we truft 
 that you will be fufhciently rewarded for a 
 temporary interruption of your pleafures, if, 
 by means of the inftitutions of religion, you 
 are awakened to ferious thought, if your cha- 
 radfers are thereby reveaied to you, if you are 
 admonifhed of the temptations that furround 
 you, and animated in thofe paths of holinefs 
 which lead to the habitation of God 
 
 And imagine not, my friends, (when we 
 thus admonilh you to interrupt youi amufe- 
 ments and pleal'ures), that we are influenced 
 by that gloomy fpirit w’hich condemns all hu¬ 
 man joy. The pleafures which your con¬ 
 ditions afford are the gifts of an indulgent 
 Providence •, which it becomes you to taffe 
 with chearfulnefs, and which none but the 
 ungenerous will envy you. We rejoice to be¬ 
 hold the comforts that are Icattered lb li¬ 
 berally around you. We alfo would minifter 
 to your joy, by opening to you thofe facred 
 confolations which religion is fitted to impart.. 
 If you are alive to good impreflions, the ex- 
 ercifes in which we exhort you to mingle will 
 prove a louice of the pureft de ight; and yoU' 
 will return with exquifite relilh to enjoyments 
 which you have interrupted for a feafon, wlien 
 your fouls have afeended to that God freun. 
 whom all your blefiings flow j when you have 
 hallow'ed your earthly comforts by gratitude to 
 the Giver of good, and confirmed yourielves 
 in thole virtuous habits which will adorn your 
 
 B 5 prelenE 
 
34 
 
 .The Duty of attending the Scr. 2. 
 
 prefent profperity, while they fccure your e- 
 ternal blifs. 
 
 Such is the foundatioa of the duty which 
 the apoftle recommends. It is a duty which 
 you owe to God j it is a duty which you ow£ 
 to your brethren ; it is a duty which you owe 
 to yourfelves ; and though there were no ex- 
 prefs commandment requiring you to “ af- 
 “ femble yourfelves together,” it is a duty of 
 moral obligation which you could not inno¬ 
 cently negledl. 
 
 But if the infiitutions of religion be of di¬ 
 vine appointment 5 if the Sabbath be a day con- 
 fecrated by God to commemorate the bleflings 
 of creation and redemption j if the fandluary 
 be the place in which the Almighty reveals 
 himfelf moft gracioufly to his children ; the 
 duty recommended to you aflumes a more 
 folemn appearance, as being enforced by that 
 high authority which all are bound to refpe^ik 
 Yes,—Lthe Almighty hath declared, that the 
 infiitutions of religion are his appointment. 
 Thefe are the lacred channels in which hl-s 
 bleffings flow. “ This is the day which he 
 “ hath made and the temple is the chofen 
 fcene in which he reveals himfelf mofl gra¬ 
 cioufly to men. 
 
 “ Rejoice, then, when it is faid unto you, 
 “ Go ye up unto the houfe of God. When 
 “ he faith, Seek ye my face •, let your hearts 
 “ reply, Thy face, OLord, will we feck. Come 
 “ to his houfe in company, with the voice 0/ 
 
 joy 
 
 it 
 
Public Injlitutions of Religion, 
 
 ** joy and gladnefs, with the tnultitude that 
 keep holy days. Strength is within his fanc- 
 ** tuary^ and there his glory Ihines. He loveth 
 ** the gates of Zion more than all the dwell- 
 ings of Jacob.” While here we aflernble 
 ourfelves in his name, “ He is in the midft of 
 “ us to blefs us.” From the place in which 
 angels worfhip, he bends his ear to our pray¬ 
 ers, and fmiles. in mercy on thofe who feek 
 him where he hath promifed to be found. 
 
 Surely the Lord is in this place ! It is good 
 “ for us to be here. This is' the houfe of 
 God. This is the gate of heaven.” 
 
 (4 
 
SERMON IIL. 
 
 / On Jacob’s Vifion at Bethel. 
 
 By John Johnstone, V. D. M. of Crofs* 
 
 michael. 
 
 Preached at the celebration of the Lord’s Supper., 
 Gen. xxviii. i6. 17. 
 
 j^nd Jacob aiuaked out of his Jleepy and he faidt 
 Surely the Lord is in this place j and I knew 
 it not. And he was afraidy and /aid. How 
 dreadful is this place ! This is none other but 
 the houfe of Gody and jhis is the gate of hea¬ 
 ven. 
 
 A T fundry times, and in divers manners, the 
 ^ ^ Almighty hath made himfelf known to his 
 people. When he hath placed them in uncom¬ 
 mon Situations, he hath ufed uncommon or 
 miraculous means, to give them impi-effions of 
 his prefence, intimations of his will, or aflii* 
 ranees of his care and regard. Striking ap¬ 
 pearances have been made to their fenfes, or 
 fecret operations have been felt on their fpi- 
 rits. “ On Sinai he deicended amidft thun- 
 “ ders and lightnings, and a thick cloud on 
 “ the Mount, and the voice of a trumpet.” 
 He appointed the Shekinah to be the glory of 
 the temple in which he was to be ferved and 
 
 adored. 
 
37 
 
 On Jacob's Vijion at Bethel, 
 
 adored. Sometimes again, “ in a dream, 
 in a vifion of the night, when deep fleep 
 ** falleth upon men, he hath chofen to open 
 the ears of men, and to feal their inftruc- 
 tion.” 
 
 A fignal interpofition of this fort is record¬ 
 ed in the context.. When Jacob had obtained 
 the blefling of his father, he was advifed to 
 flee to Padan aram, till the fury of his difap- 
 pointed brother fliould be turned away. “ And 
 “ Jacob went out from Beerflieba, and went 
 toward Haran. And he lighted upon a cer- 
 “ tain place, and tarried there all night, be- 
 “ caufe the fun was fet : and he took of the 
 ftones of that place, and put them for his 
 “ pillows, and lay down in that place to fleep. 
 “ And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder fet 
 upon the earth, and the top of it reached 
 to heaven : And behold, the angels of God 
 afcending and defcending on it.” This fo- 
 lemn preparation being made for fixing the 
 attention of the patriarch, and for enabling 
 him afterwards to recal diflimflly the intereft- 
 ing fcene, the Lord proceeded to remind him 
 • of the covenant into which he had entered 
 with Abraham and with Ifaac, and to renew 
 his gracious promife, that their pofterity fliould 
 increafe, that they fliould inherit the land, 
 and that in them and in their feed Ihould all 
 the families of the earth be bleffed. “ And 
 behold, (it is added), I am with thee, and 
 “ will keep thee in all places whither thou 
 “ goeft, and will bring thee again into this 
 
 land 
 
3 ^ 
 
 On Jacob*s Vijion at Bethel, Ser.3, 
 
 land : for I will not leave thee, until I have 
 ** done that which I have fpoken to thee of.” 
 Having received this confirmation of his faith, 
 and thefe powerful motives to patience and 
 obedience, Jacob felt, in all their force, thofe 
 fbrious and devout emotions which fo feafon- 
 able an interpofition might be expelled to in- 
 fpire. “ He awaked out of his fleep, and he 
 faid. Surely the Lord is in this place; and I 
 ** knew it not. And he was afraid, and faid, 
 “ How dreadful is this place ! this is none 
 “ other but the houfe of God, and this 
 “ the gate of heaven.” 
 
 This text may lead us, 
 
 I. To inquire into fome of the more ordi¬ 
 nary methods by which God manifefts his 
 prefence and his glory. 
 
 II. To confider the effefls which fuch ma- 
 nifeftations are fitted to produce on the hu¬ 
 man mind. 
 
 I. Then, we are to inquire into fome of 
 the more ordinary methods by which God 
 manifefts his prefence and his glory. 
 
 Of thefe the JirJi to be mentioned are his 
 works of Creation. 
 
 A univerfe exifts, of immeafurable extent, 
 replenifhed with numberlefs inhabitants, who 
 are poflefled of fuch powers as their fituations 
 require, and furnifhed with the means of fuch 
 enjoyments as they are capable of receiving,. 
 We ourfelves occupy no inconfiderable place 
 in the general fyftem j and cannot fail to ob- 
 
 ferve 
 
39 
 
 On Jacobis Fijton at Bethel 
 
 ferve the provifion made for our proteffion 
 and welfare. Ihe ferenity of the heavens, 
 and the verdure of the earth, the murmuring 
 of the dream, and the mufic of the grove, in¬ 
 vite us to difmifs our cares, and to relign our 
 hearts to tranquillity and peace. The viciffi- 
 tudes of day and night, and the regular revo¬ 
 lutions of the feafons, diverfify the life of man, 
 and give him ground of truft, that thofe means 
 will not fail by which his life is fuftained. 
 Even the dorms, which feem at fird to be mi- 
 niders of ruin ; the torrent, dcfcending from 
 the mountains with reddlefs impetuodty ; the 
 whirlwind, which no human force can redrain; 
 the thunder, which alarms us with its tremen¬ 
 dous voice; and the lightning, by which the 
 mod venerable monuments of ancient gran¬ 
 deur are dedroyed *, I'erve to corredf diforders 
 in the natural world, and to fix the attention 
 of unthinking mortals on important fubjedts, 
 which uninterrupted tranquillity might difpofe 
 them to forget. And again, when we raife 
 our views above this earth; when we furvey 
 the Ipacious firmament *, when we behold the 
 fun coming forth as a bridegroom from his 
 chamber, and rejoicing as a drong man to run 
 a race j when we trace the wanderings of the 
 moon through the filcnt iky, and attempt to 
 count the dars which fpai kle, around ; or when, 
 aided by icience, we puri'ue the difcoveries 
 which lenfe cannot make, and confider that 
 each orb is the centre of a fydem, and that 
 I'yftems unnumbered arc lituated in regions 
 into which our feeble powers cannot penetrate j 
 
 we 
 
40 
 
 Jacobs Vifion at Bethel. Ser. 3- 
 
 we dwell with delight on the pleafing fubjefl, 
 till we afe loft in contemplation. 
 
 Thefe beautiful and grand obje<fts have not 
 been concealed from any of the generations of 
 men. Juft fentiments however have not al¬ 
 ways accompanied the view of them Some 
 have been fo infenfible as to conhne their re¬ 
 gards to the vifible creation. But man is a 
 thinking being, and is capable of perceiving 
 the relations of caufe and efFedf. It cannot 
 therefore be fuppofed, that he will caft his 
 eyes abroad without inquiring, whence came 
 this ftupendous frame, whence that beauty 
 which I furvey with pleafure, and that liberal 
 provifion which is made for my fafety and 
 fupport ? In anfwer to fuch inquiries, fome- 
 have been fatisfied with hearing, that the ma¬ 
 terials of this world exifted from eternity, and 
 that at fome remote period, of which no re¬ 
 cord can be produced, the minute particles of 
 it, rambling about in the unbounded regions 
 of fpace, fortuitoufly met, and arranged them- 
 felves into thofe regular forms, which the fame 
 chance hath hitherto preferred. This how¬ 
 ever is the language of fools: for the marks 
 of contrivance and defign are fo palpable, as 
 almoft unavoidably to lead the mind to the 
 knowledge of a fupreme, intelligent, and all- 
 powerful caufe. It is thus that God difeovers 
 himfelf to thofe whom he hath not favoured 
 with a fupernatural revelation. “ He left not 
 “ himfelf without awitnefs in that he did them 
 “ good, and gave them rain from heaven and 
 
 “ fruitful 
 
On Jacobis Vifion at Betheh 4i 
 
 ** fruitful feafons, filling their hearts with food 
 “ and gladncfs. His invifible things from 
 ‘‘ the creation of the world are clearly feen, 
 being underftood by the things that are 
 made, even his eternal power and God- 
 head.” 
 
 But the mere philofopher feels not thofe 
 fentiments with which a good man furveys the 
 works of his Maker. While the former fpe- 
 culates on the perfections of God, the latter 
 “ feels after him, and finds him.” His eye 
 traces the divine glory in every objeCt prefent- 
 ed to it, and his heart opens to the impreflion 
 which it belongs to that glory to make. Par-* 
 taking of the comforts which on every hand 
 are provided, or perceiving the happinefs of 
 other beings around him, he cannot fail to 
 declare, thefe are the doings of the Lord, 
 thefe are the gifts of the Parent of all, thefe 
 are tokens that he is gracious and full of com- 
 paflion. If again, he is placed in feenes of tu¬ 
 mult and alarm ; if nature undergo fome vio¬ 
 lent convulfion ; if the peflilence or the tem- 
 peft prefent its terrors; if the elements re» 
 ceive a charge to inflicl thofe evils which fin 
 hath merited ; his thoughts rife to God, as 
 glorious in holinefs;” he reveres him, as 
 jufl: in all his ways,” and is conflrained to 
 exclaim, ** How dreadful is this place ! fure- 
 ly the Lord is in this place: furely the Lord 
 “ is in all, and through all, and over all.” 
 
 2. God. 
 
42 
 
 On Jacobs Vifion at Bethel. Ser. 3 . 
 
 2dlyy God manifefts himfelf in the operations 
 of his Providence. 
 
 Every trouble infli£led is meant to accom- 
 plifh fome purpofe of his wifdom, and every 
 comfort enjoyed flows from the inexhauftible 
 fountain of his goodnefs. But his hand is not 
 always feen in the protedlion it affords ; nor doth 
 gratitude to the giver always mingle itfelf with 
 that gladnefs which his gifts infpire. Bad men 
 think not of a particular providence, but a- 
 fcribe their fufferings to chance, or to an 
 uncontroulable deftiny, ' and their fuccefles 
 to the vigour of their own exertions, or to 
 the effect of general laws to which the Cre¬ 
 ator is luppofed to have furrendercd the go¬ 
 vernment of the world. Even good men are 
 lefs attentive than might be expe£led to the 
 afpedl of Providence. At particular feafons, 
 however, God renders them as felicitous to 
 improve, as to obtain his mercies, and convin- 
 ceth them, that if he had not been their refuge 
 and fecurity, they would in every cafe have 
 found the help of man to be vain. 
 
 Mercies are generally accompanied by fome 
 circuinftance which leads the thoughtful and 
 devout to fay, “ Surely the Lord is here: 
 “ this verily is the doing of the Lord.” Some 
 inveterate difeafe hath perhaps impaired our 
 ftrength, and given us reafon to apprehend a- 
 fpeedy diflolution. Poverty hath prefented its 
 terrors and temptations. The child who hath 
 been as the apple of our eye, and to whom we 
 have looked forward as our fupport in old 
 
43 
 
 On Jacob’s Vifion at Bethel. 
 
 age, and our comforter in forrow, hath been 
 reduced from duty, and led into practices 
 which threaten to involve him in fliame and 
 ruin. Recourfe hath beenhad, without fuccefs, 
 to thofe means which in fuch cafes it is pru¬ 
 dent to ufe. When, lo! fome fimple applica¬ 
 tion, which men of lk.ill perhaps had fcorned, 
 removes the difeafe which had baffled their 
 art: fome circumftance, feemingly accidental, 
 raifeth us to that independence which ths 
 perfevering efforts of induftry have failed to 
 beftow; fome change of fituation hath arrefted 
 the prodigal in his mad career, and difpofed 
 him “ to arife, and to go to his father.” 
 
 Sometimes again, God fheweth to his peo¬ 
 ple “ a token for good/ in the feafon which 
 he chufeth for the diipenfation of his mercy. 
 “ He is a prefent help in the very time of 
 “ need.” That timidity and irrefolution which 
 they have often betrayed, leave them in fcenes 
 of danger, and are fucceeded by a fpirit of en- 
 terprize and boldnefs. Sources of confola- 
 tion, formerly unknown or inacceffible, are 
 opened in thofe moments, in which accumula¬ 
 ted woes are about to plunge them in the hor¬ 
 rors of defpair. Perhaps, when fome fpiritual 
 trial hath been their portion; when they have 
 been in danger of yielding to fome powerful 
 temptation ; when they have been deploring 
 the coldnefs of their affections, and their un- 
 profitablenefs in their Maker’s lervice; or when 
 they have been mourning, that it “ is not with 
 
 « them 
 
44 On Jacobs Vifion at Bethel, Ser. 3. 
 
 “ them as in times paftthat the light of 
 God’s countenance is with held, and that their 
 adverfary is exalted over them ; they are di¬ 
 rected to fome paflage of fcripture which fuits 
 their cafe, or fome minifter of religion is “ en* 
 “ dowed with the tongue of the learned, to^ 
 
 fpeak a word in feafon to them that are 
 “ weary.” 
 
 In a ftate of warfare, ftruggles and perils 
 are to be expeCled. The righteous muft par¬ 
 take of the trouble to which man is born. 
 But if trouble hath imprefled them with a 
 fenfe of their Maker’s fovereignty, of his right 
 to difpofe of them, and of all that pertains to 
 them ; if trouble hath rendered them more 
 humble than they have formerly been ; if by 
 exercife it hath invigorated their faith and 
 their virtue; if it hath diminilhed their at¬ 
 tachment to this changeable world, and led 
 them to feek for a city which hath founda¬ 
 tions ; they may be conlidered as having rea- 
 fon even in it to obferve the prefence and the 
 glory of the Lord. 
 
 3<^/y, God manifefts himfelf in his Word. 
 
 The difcoveries which his works and his 
 ways have made of him are fo clear, that thofe 
 are juftly faid to be /bo/s, and to have no ex- 
 ciife, who fay “ in their hearts, there is no 
 “ God.” In addition, however, to thefe dif¬ 
 coveries, he hath favoured us with others of 
 a very important nature. From this pure 
 fource only is derived full information of thofe 
 
 tender 
 
On Jacob's Vifion at Bethel. 
 
 45 
 
 tender mercies, without which his other per¬ 
 fections would fhine with a luftre too ftrong 
 for guilty mortals to behold. The God of 
 nature is a being in whofe goodnefs the inno¬ 
 cent may truft, but poffefTed at the fame time 
 of juftice, which the workers of iniquity can 
 neither corrupt nor appeafe, and of holinefs, 
 before which they muft tremble to appear. 
 But the God whom the gofpel reveals is not 
 only reconcileable, but adtually reconciled to 
 men. “ In the face of Jefus, the exprefs i- 
 mage of his perfon, his glory is beheld.” 
 In that wonderful difpenfation of which he is 
 the author, we fee him fatisfying the demands 
 of offended juftice, and purchafing a right to 
 confer pardon and grace on the chief of fin- 
 ners. The dellroying angel is removed from 
 the gate of paradife ; and a free communica¬ 
 tion between heaven and earth is opened. “ A 
 “ new and living way is confecrated, by which 
 “-thofe who were afar off may be brought 
 nigh unto God.” A channel is prepared for 
 conveying good and perfeCf gifts to the chil¬ 
 dren of men. Truths “ which had been kept 
 fecret fince the world began,— truths which 
 “ many kings and prophets defired to know, 
 “ and were not permitted, are revealed unto 
 “ babes. The high and the lofty One who 
 “ inhabiteth eternity, condefcendeth to dwell 
 “ with thofe who are of a humble and con« 
 “ trite fpirit.” 
 
 Such only as are of this defcription feel the 
 full impreflion which his prefence and his glo- 
 
ji 6 On Jacobs Vifion at Bethel. Ser. 3. 
 
 ry, as revealed in his word, are fitted to make. 
 To fuperficial obfervers, and to wicked men, 
 it is a dead letter, and a book that is fealed. But 
 the fecret of the Lord is with them that 
 “ fear him, and to them he manifefts his co- 
 venant.” He prefenteth in a ftrong light, 
 the wonders of his law, and openeth their un- 
 derftandings to underftand them diftin£lly. He 
 leads them to recognize himfelf, not only as 
 highly exalted, but moreover as Banding in 
 a peculiar relation to themfelves, as having 
 “ made peace with them by the blood of the 
 “ crofs, and as having fent into their hearts 
 the fpu’it of adoption.” Having at times 
 perhaps been furprifed into thoughtlelTnefs 
 or defpondency, their eye is direified to fome 
 paflltige which recalls their attention, which 
 awakes them from their Humber, and leads 
 them to fay, Surely the Lord is here, and 
 “ I knew it not.” In a word, fomething oc¬ 
 curs daily in the courfe of their fearch, to 
 counteract the influence of temptation, and to 
 redouble their anxiety about their everlafting 
 concerns; fomething to confirm their waver¬ 
 ing faith, and to reconcile their minds to the 
 difpenfations of providence *, fomething to 
 quicken the growth of thofe fruits of righ- 
 teoufnefs which were ready to periih ; or 
 fomething to give them clearer views of the 
 permanent intereft which their Redeemer’s 
 merits have fecured for them in the favour of 
 God, and of the glorious triumph which is 
 
Oil Jacob's Vifion at Bethel. 
 
 47 
 
 to fucceed the ftruggles and the perils of their 
 warfare. 
 
 /[thlyy God manifefts himfelf to his people 
 in adts of Devotion. 
 
 The buftle of their ordinary affairs may dif- 
 fipate their attention, and prevent them from 
 hearing that voice, in which he fpeaketh from 
 heaven. But if they dedicate fome feafons to 
 meditation and retirement, if in fecrct they 
 call upon him who feeth in fecret, he will 
 manifeft himfelf in a way in which he doth 
 not to the world.” Prayer is an exercife 
 by which the moft intimate correfpondence 
 with him is maintained. Purified by faith, 
 the foul mounteth up on wings as eagles, pla- 
 ceth itfelf before the throne of the Ancient of 
 days, and obtaineth a view of the unveiled 
 fplendor of the holy of holies. Oft have thofe 
 who are now inheriting the promifes prefent- 
 ed their fervent fupplications at the foot-flool 
 of the rnercy-feat, and found reafon after¬ 
 wards to praife the Hearer of prayer. And 
 furely “ his hand is not Ihortened that it can- 
 “ not ftill fave, nor hath his ear become hea- 
 vy that it will not hear.” In every age, he 
 “ will be found of them that feek him,” to 
 give them lively impreffions of his flrength 
 and majefty, and grounds of thankfulnefs for 
 his peculiar and dhtinguifhing love to their 
 fouls. 
 
 Again, public ordinances are means of Im¬ 
 proving our acquaintance with God, and of 
 
 “ tranflatino 
 
48 
 
 On JcicoPs Vifion at Bethel. Ser. 3 . 
 
 ** tranflating us out of darknefs into marvel- 
 lous light.” The mind cannot poffibly di¬ 
 vert itfelf of local emotions. There is fome- 
 thing in the folemnity of a houfe dedicated to 
 the great obje<rtof faith and of worfliip; fome- 
 tbing in the fight of a congregation aflembled 
 to call upon him in whom their fathers truft- 
 ed, and were not put to fhame ; fomething in 
 the idea of meeting with a profefled intention 
 of leaving the world behind us, with its bufi- 
 nefs and its cares, and of looking forward to 
 that untried rtate upon which we are about 
 to enter, which ferves to fix our attention, and 
 to render even our feni'es inrtrumental in ele¬ 
 vating the thoughts of the mind, and in refi¬ 
 ning the affetrtions of the heart. Chriftians 
 murt not forfake the aflembling of themfelves 
 together. Chrirtians are taught, that the 
 “ power and glory of the Lord are to be Teen 
 in the fanirtuary. He loveth the gates of 
 “ Zion more than all the dw'ellings of Jacob.” 
 Thither adoring tribes have gone up to meet 
 him, and he hath not fent them empty away. 
 Thus faid David, “ Lord, I have loved the 
 “ habitation of thy houfe, and the place where 
 thine honour dwelleth. One thing have I 
 defired, and will leek after, that 1 may dwell 
 “ in the houfe of the Lord all the days of my 
 life, to behold the beauties of the Lord, and 
 to inquire in his temple.” 
 
 But more directly rtill, in that folemn ordi* 
 nance which we are this day to obferve, fpe- 
 cial manifertations are made to believers. By 
 
 fignificant 
 
On Jacob's Vijlon at Bethel. 
 
 49 
 
 fignificant emblems, you are to commemorate 
 an event in which all the perfeiTtions of the 
 Lord are moft fignally difplayed. “ Jefus 
 “ Chrift is here evidently let forth before 
 “ your eyes crucified among you.” In him 
 mercy and juftice, which feemed to be at va¬ 
 riance, are reconciled. In him “ is beheld 
 “ the glory, as of the only begotten of the Fa- 
 “ ther, full of grace and truth.” Here he 
 meets “ thofe who rejoice and work righ- 
 “ teoufnefs,—thofe who remember him in his 
 “ ways, — he meets them at his table, and 
 ‘‘ maketh himfelf known to them in the 
 “ breaking of bread.” “ Their fellowfiiip is 
 “ with the Father, and with Jefus Chrift his 
 “ Son :” and the feelings of their hearts dif- 
 pofe them to fay, “ The Lord is not far from 
 “ every one of us,—furely the Lord is in this 
 “ place. This is none other but the houfe of 
 God, and this is the gate of heaven.” 
 
 VoL. IV. C SER^ 
 
SERMON IV, 
 
 The fame Subjed continued. 
 
 Gen. xxviii. i6. 17, 
 
 jrind Jacob awaked out of his Jleep, and he faid. 
 Surely the Lord is in this place ; and I knew 
 it not. And he was afraid, and faid, How 
 dreadfidis this place! This is none other but 
 the houfe of God, and this is the gate of hea¬ 
 ven. 
 
 Part IL 
 
 now enter on the fecond head of dif- 
 ’ ’’ courfe, in which we are, To confider the 
 effeds which manifeftations of God are fitted 
 to produce on the human mind. 
 
 \ ft . Then, they ferve to imprefs it with Awe 
 and Veneration. 
 
 When “ Jacob awaked out of his fieep,” 
 his attention continued to dwell on thofe mag¬ 
 nificent and grand objeds which in his dream 
 had palTed before him ; “ and he was afraid, 
 “ and faid, how dreadful is this place !” The 
 fame fentiment is produced by every difplay 
 of the glory of God. When John faw it in 
 Patmos, “ he fell down on his face as dead.” 
 
 When 
 
Ser. 4 . 
 
 On Jacob's Vifion at Bclhcl. 
 
 5 ^ 
 
 When Simon Peter faw Jefus acling as the 
 fovereign of nature, by fufpending its laws, 
 “ he fell down at his knees, faying, depart 
 “ from me, for I am a linful man, O Lord.” 
 Paul, caught up into the third heaven, and 
 hearing unfpeakable things, which it is not 
 lawful for a man to utter, was fo ftrongly a 
 gitated, that whether he was in the body, or 
 out of the body, he could not tell. The fe- 
 raphim who minider before the throne, can¬ 
 not behold the glory of him that fitteth there¬ 
 on, by reafon of its brightnefs, and therefore 
 they cover their faces with their wings. 
 
 Such, indeed, are the eficdls which the view 
 of excellence, united with inajefly, naturally 
 infpires. When we confider that he who fa 
 glorious in hoUnefs, and fearful in praifes^ 
 and wonderful in working, is “ not far from 
 “ every one of uswe feel, in an eminent 
 degree, the impreflions of fobriety and ferh 
 oufnefs. The influence of this wmrld is dl- 
 minilhed, and for a I'eafon, we forget Its plea- 
 fures, its bufinefs, and its cares. Our words 
 are few and well chofen, and our whole foul 
 is wrapt up in adoration and wonder. 
 
 Connected with this frame of fpirit is that 
 humility with which a Chriftian ought ever 
 to be clothed. Having reflected on the ma- 
 jefly and greatnefs of hiti^ who fetteth his glo¬ 
 ry above the heavens, we naturally inquire, 
 what are we, or what were our fathers > The 
 impropriety of following out the comparifon 
 is perceived, and we are prevented from think- 
 
 C 1 ing 
 
52 
 
 On JacoU’s Vifion at Bethel. Ser, 4 . 
 
 ing of ourftlves more highly than we ought 
 to think. Thofe views which the gofpel pre* 
 fonts even of the mercy and loving kindnels 
 of the Lord, are peculiarly fitted to humble 
 the foul; means the mod: unlikely are ufed to 
 accomplifii the mod; important ends ; “ things 
 “ that are defpifed hath God chofen, yea and 
 - ‘‘ things that are not, to bring to nought the 
 “ things that are,— that no jlejh may glory in 
 his prefence.’^ Let us then confider every 
 difcovery, whether of the greatnefs or of the 
 grace ot God, as a rebuke to pride and haugh- 
 tinefs, as a mean of producing that poverty 
 of fpirit which charaflerires thofe of whom is 
 the kingdom of heaven. Let lowlv and un- 
 afl Liming thoughts of ourfclves be confidered 
 at the fame time, as means of improving our 
 acquaintance with God, and of obtaining thofe 
 fpecial manifeftaiions which he maketh to his 
 chofen. “ All thofe things, (faith the Lord) 
 
 “ hath mine hand made, and all thofe things 
 “ have been, but to this man will I look, even 
 to him that is pooi’, and of a contrite fpi- 
 “ rit, and that trembleth at my word.” 
 
 idlyt Manifcftations of God encourage his 
 people to put their Trufi: in his Name. 
 
 This efiecl was to be produced on the mind 
 of Jacob by the vilion at Bethel. Amid the 
 folitude and filence of a moffc defolate fcene, 
 his heart was about to furrender itfelf to grief 
 and melancholy, and his imagination would 
 
 naturally 
 
On Jacobs Vifion at Bethel. 
 
 53 
 
 naturally fuggeft, that he was an outcafl from 
 the comforts of fociety, and from the pro¬ 
 tection of Providence. But he who had been 
 the fhield of his fathers, and their exceeding 
 great reward, chofe this as a fit feafon to de¬ 
 clare, that he was to keep him in all places 
 whither he went, and fo bring him again into 
 that land which he then felt it lb painful to 
 leave. The effect of this declaration was luch 
 as it might be expected to produce on a mind 
 lufceptible of religious impreflions. “ When 
 “ Jacob awaked out of his lleep,” gratitude 
 and confidence mingled thernfelves with that 
 veneration which had elevated his foul in the 
 prefence of the Lord ; nor did he leave the 
 facred place till, by fuch ceremonies as were 
 ufual in that age of the world, he had erected 
 a memorial of this fignal interp'ofition. 
 
 In like manner, the ordinary difeoveries, 
 which God maketh of himfelf, are intended 
 to fupport his people under the troubles that 
 may fall to their lot. When all other objeas 
 are found to be unfatisfying and uncertain, 
 there is one to which the heart may with fafe- 
 ty cling, one to which, in every moment of 
 anxiety and diftrefs, it may return •, like the 
 dove, which found a flielter in the ark of 
 Noah, when weary with wandering over the 
 face of the deep. 
 
 Two things are apt to prevent, or to impair 
 our truft in God: ignorance of his real dia. 
 rafter, and a fufpicion of our unworthiuefs 
 to enjoy that proteftion which we may have 
 
 ^ 3 learned 
 
5'4 On Jacob's Vifon at BctheL Ser. 4. 
 
 learned to confider him as capable of afford¬ 
 ing. Both ar^ removed by the difcoveries 
 which he maketh to his fervants. The hu- 
 nian mind is naturally dark : and even after 
 we have begun to be illuminated by the fpirit 
 of truth, we know only in parr, and are fub- 
 je^t to that uneafinefs which attends a Bate of 
 uncertainty and doubt. But when the Moft 
 High condefcends to converfe with us fami¬ 
 liarly, as a man doth with his friend, we ob¬ 
 tain an evidence, which to us is as fatisfying 
 as the evidence of fenfe, that he pofi'effeth in 
 an equal degree thofe perfeftions which are 
 the objctSls of love, and thofe for which he is 
 to be had in reverence. But Bill it may be 
 faid, will God in very deed dwell with men 
 upon the earth,—with men who have abufed 
 his goodnefs, and dcferved his indignation ? 
 It is meet that we fhould feel our unworthi- 
 nefs; but that we may not forrow, even as 
 others that have no hope, the Lord demon'- 
 Crates, by his dwelling with men, that his 
 t'ondefeenfion Is equal to his greatncfs *, that 
 none of his children are overlooked by their 
 Father ; that even prodigals may be received 
 with open arms, and reftored to the privileges 
 which they had foolifhly forfeited. Let this 
 then be the language of every foul which 
 hath h^d fellowfliip with him ; the language 
 of every foul which his grace hath redeemed. 
 “ I will remember the years of the right hand 
 of the Moft High furely I will remember 
 
 ** thy wonders of old.—I will fay of him, He 
 
 “ is. 
 
fifl Jacob's Vijion ai Bcthel.\ 
 
 55 
 
 ** is my refuge and my fortrefs, my God, in 
 him will 1 truft.—Altho’ the fig-tree fhould 
 not blolTom, neither ihould fruit be in the 
 vine, the labour of the olive Ihould fail, 
 and the field (hould yield no meat, the flock 
 fhould be cut off from the fold, and there 
 fhould be no herd in the flail ; yet will I re- 
 “ joice in the Lord, and will joy in the God 
 “ of my ialvationf’ 
 
 "idlyt Manifeftations of God animate the O- 
 bedience of his Servants. 
 
 Jacob did not I'atisfy himfelf with fpeaking 
 refpedlfully of him whofe prefence he had en¬ 
 joyed i nor did he account the creeling*a pil¬ 
 lar at Bethel, an adequate leflimony of the 
 gratitude which had taken poffeflion of his 
 heart. That God, who had been with him 
 at this interefting feafon, and in whom he 
 trufted for fecurity in every future danger, he 
 viewed as intitled to his moft dutiful homage, 
 and therefore “ he vowed a vow, that the 
 “ Lord fliould be his God.’’ 
 
 It happens, even in ordinary life, that men 
 who in difTolute company place themfelves in 
 the chair of the fcorner, and glory in their 
 fhame, when introduced into the prefence of 
 Ibme venerable faint, are not only reftrained 
 from defending their crimes, but proceed even 
 CO join in the praifes of virtue. But if the 
 prefence of a mortal, how eminent foever, be 
 capable of producing any good effect upon 
 the character, may it not be expelled that the 
 
 C 4 prefence 
 
5<5 
 
 On Jacob's Vifion at Bethel. Ser. 4 . 
 
 prcfence of him who fearcheth the heart, and 
 at whofe tribunal we muft ftand, will make us 
 felicitous to depart from iniquity, and to im¬ 
 prove in that holinefs which will render us 
 temples, wherein he may delight to dwell. “ I. 
 “ have heard of thee, (faid Job), by the hearing 
 “ of the ear *, but now mine eye feeth thee : 
 “ wherefore I abhor myfelf, and repent in dull 
 “ and aflies.” The more that we know of the 
 divine perfection and glory, the more fhall we 
 be ftruck with the contraft which it forms 
 with our conduct. And wdien we are thus 
 led to a proper fenfe of fin, and of our need 
 of reformation, we fiiall be difpofed immedi¬ 
 ately to amend our ways. 
 
 It is impoffible to behold the beauty of the 
 Lord, without feeling its power over the af- 
 feCtions of the heart ; and when the heart hath 
 fixed itfelf on any objeCt, defires to pleafe and 
 to refemble that objeCt are produced. If with 
 a fteady eye, we contemplate tliofe perfections 
 which the Lord hath fliown to belong to him, 
 we fliall foon feel the contemplation to be at¬ 
 tended with an affimilating and transforming 
 power. The copy will be more perfeCt in¬ 
 deed, when the original is exhibited in a more 
 firiking point of view. When he who is cur 
 life fiiall appear, “we fhall be like him, for we 
 “ fliall fee him as he is.” At prefent we fee 
 through a glafs darkly ; but to thofe who fear 
 God, this darkneis is diminifiied daily ; for his 
 fecret is with them, and “ their path is as the 
 
 “ fhining 
 
On Jacob's Vijlon at Bethel. 
 
 57 
 
 ti 
 
 
 
 Alining light, which Aiineth more and more 
 unto the perfect day. With open face, be- 
 ‘‘ holding, as in a glafs, the glory of the Lord, 
 they are changed into the lame image, from 
 “ glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the 
 Lord.” 
 
 /\thly, ManifeAations of God give us a 
 foretaAe of the Glory to be afterwai'ds reveal¬ 
 ed. 
 
 What Jacob faw of the divine glory, led' 
 him to confiderthis world as a theatre too nar¬ 
 row for the full difplay of it; and ihereiore, 
 when of that fpot of earth which had been 
 fo fignally honoured he refpe(Slfully laid, 
 “ this is none other but the houfe of God,’^ 
 he looked forward to manfions in which it 
 was more worthy of fo exalted a being to 
 dwell, and added, “ this is the gate of hea- 
 
 “ ven.” 
 
 Indeed, it is impoffible to think juAly of 
 God, without fuppoling the exilfence of a fu¬ 
 ture ftate of retribution. It is a firft truth in 
 religion, that the Lord is juft in all his ways, 
 llis juftice determines him to rev/ard the fide¬ 
 lity of his fervants, and to pour forth indigna¬ 
 tion and wrath on the workers of iniquity. In 
 the prefent alpefl of Providence, however, 
 my.fteries are found, which, w'ithout I’ccuning 
 to the do^Irine of a future ftate, it is impoftible 
 to explain. Confcience too, whicli is a Iburce 
 of the moft exquilite enjoyment or mifery to 
 men, produces its eflbds in fo remarkable a 
 
 C 5 degree, 
 
58 
 
 On Jacobs Vifion at Betheh Ser*4.. 
 
 degree, becaufe its decifionshave a conftant re¬ 
 ference to a higher tribunal, at which they are 
 afterwards to be I'eviewed and affirmed. 
 
 Again, that delight which communion with 
 God affords is fo fweet to the fouls of his peo¬ 
 ple, that they earneftly wifh to have it prolong¬ 
 ed and increafed. Thofe difcoveries of his. 
 majefly and condefcenfion which he vouch- 
 fafes to them, they confider as the moft valu¬ 
 able privileges which mortals enjoy. ut even 
 in thefe their minds do not reft. On the con¬ 
 trary, they would gladly have their connexion 
 with this vain world diffolved, that they might 
 behold the face of theirFather in righteoufnefs, 
 and be fatisfied with his likenefs. When Jefus 
 was transfigured on the Mount, thofe favour¬ 
 ed difciples who witneffed that glorious feene, 
 were fo unwilling to leave it, that they fought 
 to ereft three tabernacles, one for their Lord, 
 one for Mofes, and one for Elias. As oft, in 
 like manner, as we retire from our ordinary 
 affairs; as oft as we meet with the Father of 
 our fpirits.; we feel holy defires and ardent 
 longings after more intimate and more unin¬ 
 terrupted fellowfhip with him. Such defires 
 are the efledts of his prefence : and certainly 
 that juftice and loving kindnefs which he thus 
 demonftrates himfelf to poffefs, will never per¬ 
 mit him to difappoint the expectations, to im- 
 pofe on the credulity, and to fport with the 
 feelings of thofe who are moft foljcitous to 
 ferve and to pleafe him. 
 
 If the effects formerly confidered as produ¬ 
 ced 
 
59 
 
 On Jacob's V’tfion at BetheJ,- 
 
 ced by a view of the glory of God, ferve to 
 ftrengthen the principles of good condu^f, this 
 clFe< 5 l confirms our faith in the great motive 
 by which we are led to maintain it. Shall we 
 not feek then to improve in that purity of 
 heart which will fit us for feeing God, and to 
 abound in thofe fruits of righteoufnefs which, 
 are by Jefus Chrift to his glory and praife ? 
 Having this pledge, that our labour is not in 
 vain,—thus brought to the very gate of hea¬ 
 ven,—fhall wejnot adhere fiedfaftly to our prin¬ 
 ciples, and be unmoved by the temptations and 
 difficulties which will be found when we return 
 to the world ? 
 
 To conclude; Some may perhaps treat this 
 doctrine with fcorn, and confider a difcourfe 
 on communion with God as favouring of en- 
 thufiafm. But we would exhort them to re- 
 fledt on their fituation and condudt- Ye in- 
 confiderate mortals, defpife not privileges of 
 which ye have had no experience. Seek to 
 know them, before ye pronounce yourfelves 
 competent judges of their value. “ The na- 
 “ tural man recciveth not the things of the 
 “ Ipirit of God : for they are foolilhnefs unto 
 ** him; neither can he know them, for they 
 
 are Ipiritually difcerned.” But we would not 
 have you ignorant of this, that if ye call not 
 on the Lord to manifeft the glory of his grace, 
 in delivering you from the bondage of corrup¬ 
 tion, he will hereafter manifeft the glory of 
 his juftice in your final condemnation. Be 
 perfuaded then by the terrors of the Lord ; op* 
 
 C 6 rathe i? 
 
6 o 
 
 On Jacob's Vifion at Bethel. Ser. 3. 
 
 rather let his goodnefs lead you to repentance, 
 and bind you to his fervice. ‘‘ In this your 
 “ day of merciful vifitation attend to the things 
 “ which belong to your peace, left they be for 
 ever hid from your eyes.” 
 
 Again, we would addrefs in words of con- 
 folation, and would foothe with the melody of 
 Zion, thofe who may have fet their hearts to 
 leek the God of their fathers, but are now 
 mourning, that it is not with them as in times 
 paft; that his way is in the Tea, and that his 
 footftcps are not known. Think not, brethren, 
 that you are utterly foiTaken j or that even 
 this difpenfatinn may not minifter to your im¬ 
 provement. Perhaps there is ftill fome iniqui¬ 
 ty in your hand, which this trial warns you to 
 remove; fome undue attachment to the pre¬ 
 lent world, which this proof, that your reft 
 is not here, is meant to diminilh. It is hard 
 indeed to endure the hiding of your Father’s 
 face, and painful to think that it is covered with 
 frowns. But while this remains a fource of grief 
 and complaint, forrow not even as others who 
 have no hope. Let the peculiar promifes 
 which are made to the mourners in Zion, be 
 called into your memories; let your fervent 
 fupplications be made for the fulfilment of 
 them ; and let the faithfulnefs of him that hath 
 promifed be your ground of truft, that you 
 lhall not feek his face in vain. “ Sorrow may 
 “ endure for a night, but joy coineih:ia the 
 “ morning. Unto the righteous light arifeth 
 
On Jacob's Vijion at Bethel. 
 
 6\ 
 
 in darknefs, and gladnefs is Town for the 
 “ upright in heart.” 
 
 Lajily, Let thofe who may have feen, or who 
 now fee, the glory of the Lord, be exhorted 
 to value and to improve fo high a privilege. 
 Praife and adore his; condefcenlion in dwell¬ 
 ing with men. Since he hath chofen you as 
 temples for his Spirit, pollute not thele tem¬ 
 ples, by any thing criminal or bafe Set a 
 proper value on yourlelves, that you may ftoop 
 to no compliance which may degrade your 
 character. But, on the other hand, guard 
 with care againh the remoteft tendency to fpi- 
 ritual pride and vain glory. Your privileges 
 are indeed ineltimable ; but as you had no 
 hand in procuring, and have no right to re¬ 
 tain them, be not above meafure exalted. 
 While you Hand, take heed led you fall. Be 
 diligent in the ufe of appointed means, and 
 regular in your attendance on inifituted vvor- 
 fliip. But fuffer not yourfelves to think that 
 thefe will fuperlede the neceffity of fulfilling 
 the weightier matters of the law. By going 
 with the multitude that keep holy days, you 
 alTume a profeffion which, in ordinary lite, 
 it mull be your bufinefs to adorn. The God 
 whom we ferve, “ is not a God that hath 
 “ plealure in wickednefs, neither lhall evil 
 “ dwell with him.” “ I'hc kingdom of iieavcn 
 “ is not meats and drinks, but righteoulh'efs, 
 “ and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft. Let 
 
 every 
 
62 On Jacob's Vifton at Bethel', 
 
 « every one, therefore, that nameth the name 
 of Chrift depart from iniquity. Let thofe 
 “ who have believed in God.be careful to 
 “ maintain good works.” So (hall we be pre¬ 
 pared' for the exercifes and enjoyments of 
 God’s banqueting houfe : So when feated at 
 his holy table, ftiall we be difpofed to fay, “ It 
 “ is good to be here : this is none other but 
 “ the houfe of God, and this is the gate of 
 “ heaven,” 
 
 S E R- 
 
SERMON V. 
 
 The Believer’s Joy in ChrifV Jefus. 
 
 By Henry Hunter, D. D. 
 
 Preached at Leith, April 22. 1770, after dlfpcn- 
 fing the Lord’s Supper. 
 
 Acts, viii. 39^, . 
 
 -—He •^ent on his way rejoicing. 
 
 T^HIS is the conclufion of the Interefting 
 and inftru£live hiftory of the converfion 
 of the Ethiopian eunuch. It commences at 
 the 26th verfe, and exhibits to us a perfon 
 highly diftinguifhed by his rank in life, and 
 much more by his piety, on his return from 
 Jerufalem, to which he had reforted to join 
 in the folemn worfhip of one of the great 
 Jewilh feftivals, to Ethiopia, the theatre of 
 his fecular employments. To amufe the te- 
 dioulhefs of the road, and to fix the ferious 
 impreffions which the fervice of the temple 
 had made upon his mind, he betakes himJelf 
 to the reading of thofe facred books which, 
 as a profelyte to Judaifm, he received as the 
 rule of his faith and conduct. That Pi’ovi- 
 dence which watches over all events, and was 
 haftening its graciot» defigns upon him to 
 
 their 
 
64 The Believer^s Joy in Chriji Jefus. Ser. 5. 
 
 their accompliniment, at once diredls the fub- 
 je6l of his reading, and fends an interpreter. 
 The good feed of the word, being caft into a 
 well-prepared foil, fpeedily brings forth fruit 
 unto God *, the treafurer of Candace, Queen 
 of the Ethiopians, becomes a difciple of Jefus 
 of Nazareth : He reads, he underflands, he 
 believeth, and is baptifed : He is filled with 
 peace ahd joy in believing *,—He 'went on his 
 “ ivay rejoicing^ 
 
 You have, this day, Chriftians, recognifed 
 baptiimal engagements ; you have profefied 
 your faith and hope in the Lamb, flain from 
 the foundation of the world : you have been, 
 with this illufirious and early convert to Chri- 
 ftianity, folemnly declaring, that with all your 
 heart. Ton believe that Jefus ChriJl is the Son 
 of Cod. Would God grant the defire of my 
 heart, concerning every one in this great af- 
 fembly, ^’ou fliould with him alfo go on your 
 way rejoicing, 'i'hat by the grace of God, 
 I may contribute fomewhat to an end fo de- 
 firable, permit me, from the circumftances of 
 this Ihort hiftory, or from obvious concltr- 
 fxons founded upon it, to point out fome of 
 the fources of the believer’s joy in Chrift Je¬ 
 fus ; and then to dire£l you to fuch a walk 
 and converfation, as, by the blefling of Hea¬ 
 ven, may conduce to your true peace and- 
 comfort through life, at a dying hour, and in 
 the glorious world of unmixed and everlaft- 
 ing love and joy. 
 
The Believer’s Joy in Chrijl Jefus. 6 y 
 
 I. Then, we behold this good man rejoicing 
 as he goes, that God had been gracioufly 
 pleafed, and by means To wonderful, to reveal 
 to him his Son Chrift Jefus, and falvation 
 through his blood. He was blefled with a 
 teachable difpofition, he had a heart turned 
 to devotion j modeft, inquiring, zealous, in¬ 
 defatigable, he had come to Jerufalem for to 
 'Lvorfoip ; he v/aited for the confolation of If- 
 rael ; he was in the habit of diligently I'earch*^ 
 ing the feriptures 5 but behold, he is, on his 
 way homeward, {fill in the dark ; the word 
 that he reads is but a dead letter, as a fpring 
 fliut up, a fountain fealed. Upon bis arri¬ 
 val at the Jewifh metropolis, he would no 
 doubt be informed of the late interefting e- 
 vents, which-had fo much engaged the minds, 
 and afFcifled the converfation of men; the 
 crucifixion of Chrift, the progrefs of his a- 
 poftles, the martyrdom of Stephen, and the 
 like : But w'hether from his ignorance of the 
 feriptures, and of the real charadler of Jefus 
 Chrift, or from the prejudices inftillcd into 
 him by fome Jewifl^, teacher, who, in all proba¬ 
 bility, directed his faith and confcience ; thefe 
 events, however ftriking, had failed to make 
 much impreffion : he remains ftill ignorant 
 that the promifed Meffias was already come ; 
 and that there was no name under heaven 
 given among men, whereby they could be 
 rendered acceptable to God, and faved, but 
 the name of him whom the Jews had jult cru- 
 cihed and flain. But, now that he is fully rn- 
 
 ftrudled, 
 
66 The Believer's joy in Chriji jefus. Ser. 5, 
 
 ftrufted in the meaning and application of the 
 prophecies; now that the veil is removed from 
 his eyes, and the great myflery of godlinefs 
 ftands confefled j now that he fees Chrift Je- 
 fus the Lord, in what Mofes rnftituted, David 
 fung, and Ifaias foretold ; his heart overflows 
 with gratitude and delight : and may we not 
 fuppofe him, in language fuch as this, expref- 
 fing the wonder and the joy which filled his 
 foul ? 
 
 Glory to God in the higheft, that the 
 ** defire of all nations is come ; that the fcrip- 
 “ tures are fulfilled 5 that the fun is rifen, and 
 the fhadows fled away ; and that it is a 
 light to enlighten the Gentiles, as well as 
 the glory of Ifrael, But what am I, O Lord 
 ** God, that to me this grace fhould be given ? 
 an alien ! a wanderer from Ethiopia ! ig- 
 norant, bewildered, helplefs ! Now know I 
 ** of a truth that thou art no refpefter of per- 
 fons; that he who fincerely feeks, fhall cer- 
 ** tainly find thee \ that tfiou wilt have mercy 
 “ on whom thou wilt have mercy. What 
 fhall I render unto the Lord, who has made 
 “ me a chofen veflel to convey his name, and 
 “ his Son’s name, to diftant nations and re- 
 gions of darknefs ? I came hither empty, 
 “ but I return filled with good things. Once 
 I was in uncertainty and obfcurity, but now 
 I am light in the Lord, for the glory of the 
 “ Lord is arifen upon me. I read, but un- 
 “ derftood not what I read : but God has gra- 
 cioufly prefented me with the golden key 
 
 ** which 
 
l^he ScUevet*s Joy In Chrijl Jefus. 77 
 
 “ which unfolds the paflage to the treafures 
 of fcripture, infinitely more precious than 
 “ thofe which my royal miftrefs has intrufted 
 to my care: now have I found him to whom 
 “ all the prophets give witnefs *, him whom 
 “ my foul loveth ; my Saviour and my God ; 
 
 And I will go in his ftrength j I will make 
 “ mention of his righteoufnefs, even of his 
 “ only.” 
 
 Have you obtained of the Lord,- Chriftians, 
 like caufe of rejoicing, from your attendance 
 on the fervice of his houfe and table this day ? 
 You perhaps came hither, as Mary, inquiring, 
 weeping, and complaining, “ They have ta- 
 “ ken away my Lord, and 1 know not where 
 they have laid him but are now ready to 
 retire in the fatisfaflion and triumph of Si¬ 
 meon, “ Lord, now lettefl thou thy fervant 
 depart in peace, according to thy word. 
 ** For mine eyes have feen thy falvation.” 
 Hold the beginning of your confidence fted- 
 faft unto the end. The eternal God is your re¬ 
 fuge, and underneath are the everlafting arms; 
 ye fhall renew your ftrength j ye lhall mount 
 up on wings as eagles y ye ftiall run and not 
 weary, ye fhall walk and not faint. 
 
 II. Another evident fource o^ joy to this 
 great and good man, is his admiflion into the 
 family of Chrift by baptifm, and all the privi¬ 
 leges connefled with that high dignity. Having 
 heard and tailed of the grace of Chrift, he 
 tajinot reft till he is foleranly united to that 
 
 venerable 
 
 ft 
 
68 The Believer's Joy in Chrljl Jefiis. Ser. 5. 
 
 venerable name, and profeffes the utinoft rea- 
 dinefs to refign every thing that miglit pre¬ 
 vent, to comply with every thing that might 
 procure fo great a bleffing : “ See, here is 
 “ water ; what doth hinder me to be bap- 
 “ tifed ?” 
 
 He had hitherto reckoned it a diftinguiflied 
 honour to be admitted among the worlliip- 
 pers of the true God, though in the outer- 
 court of his houfe only ; and in order to ob¬ 
 tain that honour, had chearfully fubmitted, 
 at {fated times, to the inconvenience, pain, and 
 fatigue of a tedious journey through inhofpi- 
 table regions, and under a burning fky ; and 
 now his zeal and devotion meet with a glori¬ 
 ous recompence, which fmooths the rugged- 
 nefs of the way, and tempers the ardours of 
 the noon-tide heat. He had left the court of 
 a great Queen, where he was refpe^fed, loved, 
 and trulfcd, to do homage to the King of 
 kings j and behold, fuch love hath the Fa¬ 
 ther bellowed upon us ; he is truly dignified 
 and ennobled ; he is encouraged to call God, 
 Father, and Jefus his Friend j angels his fel- 
 low-fervants ; apoftles, and prophets, and 
 faints, his brethren. What joy equal to that 
 of confidering one’s felf as connected with an 
 cxtenfive, a wife, a virtuous, and an honour¬ 
 able kindred ; and of contributing a lhaite to 
 the luftre and refpeft of an ellimable houfe ? 
 And what kindred fo numerous, fo worthy, 
 fo refpe£{able i what houfe fo illuftrious, as 
 that to W'hich the Chriltian belongs ; into 
 
 which 
 
rhc Believer's Joy in Chrijl Jefus, 6 p 
 
 which he was received by baptifm, which he 
 ftrives to adorn by his virtues, where he lives 
 in complacency and delight, and to which he 
 is united by bonds endearing, indilToIvable, 
 eternal : and this honour and happinefs have 
 all the faints. You have this day, my friends, 
 been fitting at your Father’s table, and eating 
 children’s bread ; tailing the heavenly manna, 
 and drinking the water of life ; converfing 
 with your bell friends, and holding commu¬ 
 nion with God himfelf. However mean your 
 condition in the world, however contradled 
 or diftrelhng your circumftances, the great 
 Lord of all looks down upon you with atten¬ 
 tion ; angels are'miniftring fpirits to your ne- 
 celaities ; and there is a kingdom prepared for 
 you fi om the foundation of the world. And 
 what have the children of kings to boaft of 
 compared to this ? * 
 
 At that table your Saviour prefented you to 
 his and your Father and God, as his difciples 
 and brethren, and friends; recommending you 
 to the care of his Providence, the conduft and 
 confolations of his Spirit, and all the bleflings 
 of his love; and you can henceforth footh 
 all your anxieties and pains, in the belief, that 
 the great God takes an intereft in all that con¬ 
 cerns you; your health, your fubfiftence, your 
 reputation, your family: and will alTuredly 
 make all things work together for your good: 
 ihus dilburthened, thus fupported, thus con- 
 neided, muft you not proceed on the journey 
 
 of 
 
70 The Believer^s Joy hi Chrift Jefus., Ser. 5. 
 
 of life, with firmnefs, with chearfulnefs, with 
 elevation of fpirit, with joy of heart. 
 
 III. We miift fuppofe this good Ethiopian 
 rejoicing as he went on his way, in the new, 
 the clearer, the more juft: and fatisfying ideas 
 he was now taught to entertain .of tho Su¬ 
 preme Being, his nature, his will, his worfhip. 
 He had, indeed, ahvsady taken one great ftep 
 in religion, in renouncing the gods of his fa¬ 
 thers, and acknowledging the one living and 
 true God : but fo erroneoufty did he ftiill con¬ 
 ceive of that God, fo contracled ftill were the 
 views of our illuftrious traveller, that, till 
 now, he confined his notions .-of religious wor- 
 Ihipto one mode, and a particular fpot, a fpot 
 far removed from his ufual relidence. Jeru- 
 falem, he had been inftirufled to think, is the 
 place where men ought to worfhip. But the 
 dodb'ine of the blefTed Jefus expands his mind, 
 and inlpires nobler ideas of the Father of Spi¬ 
 rits. he approached the holy city in times 
 part, how would his heart glow when firft: he 
 deferied the lofty battlements of the Temple : 
 the place which God had chofen to put his 
 name there: “ Behold, O Lord, the habitation 
 of thy holinefs and glory. I fliall foon be 
 “ where God delights to dwell; my feet fhall 
 hand once more in the courts of the Mod 
 Fligh: I lhall take Ihelter under the fhadow 
 of his wings, and mix with the happ\, hip- 
 ** py multitude, who are continually before 
 ** him. Beautiful for lituation, the joy of the 
 “ whole earth, is Mount Zion; on the fides of 
 
 “ the 
 
71 
 
 The Believer^s Joy in Chrijl Jefus. 
 
 the north, the city of the GreatKing: God 
 
 is known in her palaces for a refuge.’^ The 
 foleninity was now over, and he is conftrained, 
 by the neceffity of his affairs, to turn his back 
 on the fcene of his devout employments, and 
 undoubtedly he did it with a heavy heart. 
 When that God, whofe prefence is univcrfal, 
 and his power unlimited, converts the defert 
 into a temple, kindles the facred flame with 
 fire brought immediately from the heavenly 
 altar, and conveys an inftru^or to him on the 
 fwift wings of the wind : How would the fa¬ 
 cred volume now unfold its fublime and my- 
 fterious truths to his comprehenfion! He 
 would find that fame prophet, who firft led 
 him to the knowledge of Jefus Chrift, and him 
 crucified, conduced alfo to juft and encou- 
 raging views of the majefty and condefcen- 
 flon of God, as “ the high and lofty One who 
 “ inhabiteth eternity, whofe name is holy, 
 “ who dwelleth in the high and holy place ! 
 
 with him alio, that is of a contrite and 
 “ humble fpirit; to revive the fpirit of the 
 “ humble, and to revive the heart of thecon- 
 “ trite ones.” Now he is taught to conflder 
 the fpacious expanfe of heaven as one great 
 temple : And how contratfled, how mean does 
 even the magnificent pile on Mount Zion ap. 
 pear! compared to that glorioufly fublime 
 Hrch, that ftar-befpangled vault, which fpreads 
 us vaft circumference over the metropolis of 
 Ethiopia, as well as over that of Judea. Is it 
 any wonder that he went on his way rejoicing, 
 JV’hen he proceeded in this delightful perfua- 
 
 fion, 
 
^2 ‘The Believer’s Joy in Chrijl Jtfiis. Ser. 5. 
 
 fion, that God attended all his footfteps, en- 
 compafled his path and his bed, and crov/ned 
 him with favour, as with a fhield? Is it any 
 wonder, that the fcorching heat of the fun, the 
 drearinefs of vafl and frightful folitudes, and 
 the other hardfliips of the way,were unfelt, or 
 ceafed to airlift? when he could read, and with 
 full underftanding, “ Behold he that keepeth 
 “ Ifrael, fliall neither Humber nor lleep. The 
 “ Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy fhade 
 “ upon thy right hand. The fun lhall not 
 finite thee by day, nor the moon by night.” 
 He would not now need to inquire, of whom 
 fpeaketh the prophet thus, when employing that 
 beautiful imagery borrowed from the ftate of 
 Nature in regions with which he was lb well 
 acquainted. “ ^ fliall be as an hiding 
 “ place from the wind, and a covert from the 
 “ tempeft: as rivers of water in a dry place, 
 “ as the lhadovv of a great rock in a weary 
 land.” And now that he law accomplifhed, 
 in a more exalted lenfe than he had hitherto 
 apprehended, that other prediftion of the fame 
 great herald of the Saviour : “ In the wil- 
 “ dernefs fliall waters break out, and ftreams 
 in the defert; and the parched ground fliall 
 “ become a pool, and the thirfty land fpnngs 
 “ of water. In the habitation of dragons, 
 
 “ where each lay, lhall be grafs with reeds and 
 “ ruflies. And a highway fliall be there, and 
 “ a way, and it lhall be called the way of ho- 
 “ linei's ; the unclean lhall not pafs over it, 
 
 “ but it fliall be for thole: The way-faring 
 
 “ men, 
 
12 
 
 Believer's Joy in Chrifi Jefus. 
 
 •men, tliough fools, lliall not err therein. No 
 lion fliall be there, “ nor any ravenous beah 
 fhall go up thereon ; it fhall not be found 
 “ there. But the redeemed fhall walk: there. 
 And the ranfomed of the Lord fhall return, 
 and come to Zion with fongs, and everlah- 
 “ ingjoy upon their heads: they fhall obtain 
 “ joy and gladnefs, and forrow and fighing 
 “ Ihall flee away.” 
 
 We alfo muft now retire from the temple, 
 and ptirfue our journey through the wilder- 
 nefs. But we walk not unaccompanied : He 
 is faithful who hath promifed, “ My prcfence 
 “ fliall go with you, and I will give you reft.’ 
 
 “ I will never leave nor forfake thee.” When 
 thou paflefl through the waters, I will “ be 
 “ with thee ; and through the rivers, they 
 “ fhall not overflow thee: When thou walk- 
 eft through the fire thou (halt not be burnt; 
 “ neither fhall the flame kindle upon thee,” 
 Ilenlffe we can rejoice in the words of the 
 pfalm we have been juft now flnging. “ Yea, 
 though I walk through the valley of the 
 “ fliadow of death, I will fear no evil: for 
 thou art with me, thy rod and thy ft aft they 
 comfort me. Surely goodnefs and mercy 
 “ fhall follow me all the days of my life : and 
 “ 1 will dwell in the houle of the Lord for 
 “ ever.” 
 
 IV. The glorious and animating profpefls 
 which the goi'pel opens to our view, exhibit an- 
 VoL.IV. D 'Other 
 
74 Believer's Joy in Chrijl Jefus. Ser. 5. 
 
 other caufe of holy joy. He went on his 
 way rejoicing in hope of the glory of God : in 
 hope of a refurreftion from the dead, of ab- 
 folution in the day of judgement, of reception 
 into the kingdam of heaven, of being ever 
 with the Lord. Till life and immortality were 
 brought to light by the gofpel, futurity was 
 covered with darknefs impenetrable : all was 
 conjedlure and uncertainty. In fome rare in- 
 ftances the foul indeed feemed to awake to-the 
 confeioufnefs and the belief of its divine origi¬ 
 nal, and to look beyond the grave with com- 
 pofure and dignity; yet, even fome of the 
 greateft geniufes, who entertained this perfua- 
 lion, acknowledge, after all their reafonings 
 -and concluiions, that the do6frine of ihe im¬ 
 mortality of the foul might be but a pleafing 
 delufion j a truth rather to be fondly wiflied, 
 than clearly demonftrated : But the body was 
 univerfally, and for ever, given up a prey to 
 corruption: Not only rude barbarians, but 
 the learned, intelligent, penetrating Atheni* 
 ans, treated the dodlrine of the rcfurreclion 
 as the ravings of a madman. What a noble 
 fuperiority then, does the meaneft difciple of 
 Jelus enjoy, in the knowledge of what is moft 
 interefting to human nature: How folemnly 
 pleating is It, to look forwards to all the events 
 of our future cxiftence, which Chriftianity 
 difclofes *, to the vaft revolutions which the 
 fyftera of nature muff undergo j the wonder- 
 
The Bell everts Joy in Clirijl Jcfus. 75 
 
 ful arrangements of Providence which are to 
 fucceed i 
 
 What heart does not fympathizc in the joy 
 of good old Jacob, when, inconfolably mourn¬ 
 ing over the lofs of his beloved fon, and in a 
 land diftrelPed with famine, he is informed 
 that his darling-child is yet alive; alive in a 
 land of plenty; chief governor In that land : 
 fovereign difpenfer of that plenty ; and that he 
 had fent for him to be a witnefs of his great- 
 nefs, to be a partaker of his honour, to be 
 preferred alive in famine by his bounty, to a- 
 bide with him in the choice fpot of the coun¬ 
 try, to be comforted and delighted by his filial 
 duty and afFedlion? Piejoice, O Chriftian, and 
 be exceeding glad ! Your brother and friend : 
 your tender-hearted Redeemer: He who mas 
 dead, is alive, and behold he liveth for ever¬ 
 more ; liveth in another country, that is an 
 heavenly; a land where fpring and autumn 
 reign in eternal unions and over which he is 
 conftituted foie adminiftrator, for the fufier- 
 ing of‘death, being crowned with gloiy and 
 honour: having obtained a name that is above 
 every name, all things in heaven and in earth 
 being committed to him, and eternal life at 
 his difpofal, to give it to as many as he will: 
 And lo ! he fendeth for thee, to behold his 
 glory, to partake of the inexhaufted plenty of 
 that good land, to fix your everlafting abode 
 in that heavenly Gofhen he is gone before to 
 prepare for you. And O ! what glorious things 
 
 D 2 are 
 
76 The Believer's Joy in Chrijl jefiis. Ser. 5. 
 
 are fpoken of this habitation of the blefled ! A 
 land watered with the pure river of water of 
 life, which proceedeth from the throne of 
 God, and the Lamb \ planted and fhaded with 
 none but the trees of life, whofe leaves are for 
 the healing of the nations, and whofe various 
 fruits are produced at all feafons of the eternal 
 year ; enlightened, not with a fun, moon, and 
 flars, but with the glory of the Mod: High ; 
 and peopled only with fons of light, the na¬ 
 tions of them that are faved : A land where 
 there is day without night ; joy unfullied by a 
 tear; prefent and perfect felicity, not fubject 
 to rcmorfe, nor checked by apprehendon of 
 change; purity unfufceptible of pollution^ 
 immortal youth and vigour liable to no age or 
 'decay ; gloriouQy bright and fniiling faces free 
 from fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing; per¬ 
 fect love that calls out all fear and fufpicion; 
 ‘and, the crown of all, eternity, that knows 
 neither limit nor change. And is your heart, 
 rny friend, like the venerable patriarch’s, ready 
 to faint at the good news ? Is the vadnefs 
 and the value of the blefllng too great for be¬ 
 lief? Let your fpirit with his revive, when 
 with him you behold the vehicles which are 
 fent to carry you the ordinances of his grace, 
 conduced by his fpirit. What a triumphant 
 car is this fame divine inflltution of our blef- 
 fed Mader ! it carries the foul on rapid wheels 
 to Chrid’s fecond coming: like Elijah’s fiery 
 chariot, it elevates to heaven, puts us down at 
 our Father's houfe, and places us with Abra¬ 
 ham^ 
 
The EeVicver^s Joy in Chrijl Jcfus. 
 
 77 
 
 ham, Ifaac, and Jacob, at a table that is never 
 to be removed. Go on your way rejoicing, 
 for now is your falvation neai'er than when 
 you believed Who would not advance with 
 joyful fpeed, v/hen fuch a profpeft is before 
 us! Up, up, ye travellers to Zion *, this is not 
 your reft : Arife, let us go thence; Take in 
 your hand, and carefully conlult, the chart of 
 both countries, that through which your jour¬ 
 ney lies, and that to which you are travelling : 
 Mount the carriages your Father’s care and 
 tendernefs have provided ; the fwift, fmooth 
 vehicles of meditation, of prayer, of praile, 
 of the facrament, of holy zeal, of Chri* 
 ftian ufefulnefs j put and kept in nrotion, by 
 faith, and hope, and love, and joy i and in one 
 or other of thefe you lhall, not long hence, en¬ 
 ter through the everlafting gates into the city 
 of the great King, to go no more out. What 
 though that frightful Jordan roll between ? 
 Does not our great FFigh Prieft go before us ? 
 Do not his feet ftand firm on dry ground in 
 the midft of the channel ? and while they do, 
 its waters flaall ftand as a v/all on either hand 
 to defend, inftead of a wall in front to op- 
 pole. Arife then, and let us take pnflefiion 
 of the promifed land ; and then let Jordan 
 roll back his tide, and for ever disjoin us from 
 our enemies *, our fins, our frailties, our dan¬ 
 gers, our forrovvs; and for ever unite us to 
 our deareft friends •, our God, our Saviour, 
 our Comforter •, our kindred angels, our fel¬ 
 low faints; when from this good Ethiopian’s 
 
 D 3 own 
 
7 8 The Believer s Joy in Chrijl Jefus, Ser. 5.. 
 
 own mouth, we fhall Jearn the wondrous flo- 
 ry of redeeming love towai’ds him, and with, 
 him, and all faints, for ever celebrate the grace 
 wherein we hand. 
 
 V. Finally, May we not fuppofe our 
 Chriflian profelyte rejoicing in the profpe^l of 
 being made greatly and extenfively ufeful to 
 others *, of being made the happy inftrument 
 of immortal happlnefs to thoufands. How 
 would his heart burn within him with facred 
 ambition, with affedfionate zeal, to think that 
 Providence had placed him in a ftation fo fa¬ 
 vourable to the interefts of the Ptedeemer’s 
 kingdom, as well as of that mighty temporal 
 empire, in the adminiftration of whofe govern¬ 
 ment he had fo eminent ,a (hare ; that his ex¬ 
 alted ftation and extenfive authority might, 
 by the bleffing of God, have influence with his 
 fellow-citizens, perhaps with his fovereign, to¬ 
 wards the reception and, acknowledgement of 
 that faith, which he himfelf had embraced ; 
 and that thus generations to come might call 
 him blefTed, while they enjoyed the fruits of 
 his labours of love ; that by his means, Ethio¬ 
 pia might, according as it is written, foon 
 Itretch out her hands unto God ! May we 
 not fuppofe him, once more having recourfe 
 to the prophets, and reading with delight of 
 that blelTed day, when they that be wife fliall 
 fhine as the brightnefs of the Armament j and 
 they that turn many unto righteoufnefs, as 
 the ftars for ever and cyca' : When he ihould 
 
 be. 
 
79 
 
 The Believer's Joy in Chrifi Jefus. 
 
 be honoured to prefent hinifelf before the t- 
 ternal throne, with a numerous retinue of fpi- 
 ritual children, refeued from Pagan idolatry, 
 grofs ignorance, and barbarous manners, and 
 received into the family of the common Fatner 
 of all, blelTed with the fpirit of adoption, and 
 raifed to glory ? 
 
 IVe move in a fphere much more contrac¬ 
 ted ; but to every one* there is his particular 
 Tphere, in which he may be greatly, nobly ufe- 
 ful: let every one confider the extent, the 
 connedtions, and dependencies of his own. You 
 have families and friends ; the poor, and the 
 ignorant, and the afllidted,. you have always 
 with you. Are there not among you, the 
 giddy, the thoughtlefs, and the vain, to be ad- 
 monifhed with wifdom, and reproved with 
 tendernefs ? are there not the impious and the 
 profane, to be oppofed wdth firmnefs, repre¬ 
 hended by example, reclaimed by goodnefs, 
 interceded for with compaflion, or feparated 
 from with refolution ? are not thefe dear, pre¬ 
 cious lambs of the flock the hope of the pre¬ 
 fent age, and the feed of thofe whioh are to 
 come, to be fuckled, to be trained up, to be 
 protefled ? are not the poor and the afflidled 
 of God’s people, for whom Chrifi died, to be 
 cherifhed and comforted, with the confolation 
 whereby we ourfelves are comforted ot God ? 
 are thefe, and objedls fuch as thefe, mean or 
 unimportant ? are they not generally interefl- 
 
 D ing ? 
 
So The Believer's Joy in Chriji Jefus. Ser. 5. 
 
 ing ? vvonkl not fuccefs in any fervice, under¬ 
 taken in the caufe of the gofpel, that is the 
 caufe, at once, of God and of humanity, af¬ 
 ford you the molf fincere fatisfadtion ? How 
 fiUy the pride of rearing up a ffately edifice, 
 to be the feat of a fa.mily and a name, com¬ 
 pared to the noble ambition of railing a tern-. 
 pie for the Holy Ghofi: ? hov/ inlipid, how 
 tranfient, how unfiuisfaftory a gratification, 
 that of getting before others in rank, in riches, 
 in reputation, compared to the fublime de¬ 
 light of working together with God, to bring 
 pcrifiiing finners into the way of life and fal- 
 vation ? how poor an objedt, that of amafllng 
 a great eftate for a beloved child, compared 
 with the divine joy of laying up for him trea- 
 fu.res in heaven ; of raifing young ones up to 
 the lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible,, 
 undefiled, and that fadeth not away ? Q that 
 the profefTed followers of Jefus were thus 
 walking in the fteps of their great Leader I 
 going about doing good; never weary of well¬ 
 doing ; finning as lights in the world ; fulfill¬ 
 ing their own joy, and promoting that of o- 
 thers. How pleafantly might the journey of 
 life glide on, thus fweetened, thus variegated j. 
 thus marked in every ftage by honour and ufe- 
 fulnefs ; and thus with certainty direded to 
 immortal honours, and an unfading crown. 
 
 A few affectionate advices, deemed fuitable 
 tp this day’s fervice; to your profeflions, your 
 
 engagements,. 
 
*Tl)e Believer's Joy in Chrijl Jefiis^ 
 
 I 
 
 engagements, and your profpeils, fhall con¬ 
 clude this difcourfe. 
 
 As I am therefore bound to wifh and pray,, 
 that you may be partakers of the joy of the 
 extraordinary perfon whofe hiftory we have 
 been confidering, after he was made to fee 
 light in the Lord *, fo my 
 
 I. Firft direction to you fliall be, to endea¬ 
 vour to imitate his example previous to the 
 period under review ; to be diligent and af- 
 liduous in the ufe of all the known and infti- 
 tuted means of grace. Read the fcripiures, 
 with what underlfandlng you have, though 
 you may want much of that fatisfying clear- 
 nefs you wifla to poffefs : Go at the appointed, 
 times to the temple to w^orlhip, though the 
 God of the place may as yet be revealed only 
 in part, and you difeern, only as in a glafs, 
 darkly; Beware of reftraining prayer before 
 God, though the Hearer of prayer may feena 
 to turn a deaf ear to the voice of your fup- 
 plications. You have been feeking confoia— 
 tion in waiting upon God in one ordinance, , 
 and in the performance of one duty, and you 
 have milTed it; be the more earneil to learch^ 
 after it in every ordinance and in every duty 
 of Chriftian life. That jefus may be found 
 in the wildernefs of this world, and while you* 
 are employed in the exercife of your ordinary- 
 lawful callings, who fees it meet to withdraw 
 himfclf from folemn religious feafons andi 
 
 D 5 places.. 
 
83 T'he Believer's Joy in Chrijl Jefus* Ser. 5. 
 
 places. It was in the defert of Gaza, not in. 
 the temple at Jerufalem, when he was return-? 
 ing to his fecular employments, not when en¬ 
 gaged in f'andluary fervices, that our convert 
 was introduced to the acquaintance of his Sa¬ 
 viour. God a<fls in a manner calculated to con-, 
 vince us, that he is independent of every thing 
 but his own gracious will and pleafure ; but. 
 he would have us to a 6 t as if our falvation 
 depended entirely on the conftant and diligent- 
 ufe of the appointed means. 
 
 3. Would you have a pleafant journey, 
 endeavour to go on with fpirit and alacrity ; 
 as if your heart were in your work. Agree¬ 
 able and ufeful travelling is the medium be-- 
 tween violent hurry and carelefs fauntering. 
 The Chriftian ought not only to be in mo¬ 
 tion, he mull be making chearful difpatch. 
 There is a fort of lazy faint-hearted Chri- 
 llians, if they can deferve at all a name fo ho- 
 nourabkj whom every fultry hour, and every- 
 rough hep, is ready to difeourage. Thefe- 
 would be fatisfied to Humber it on through- 
 life, and to awake in heaven as from a plea¬ 
 fant dream : They wilh to be at home, but 
 they wilh to be exempted from the dangers 
 and fatigue of the way. But Chriftianity, like 
 every other work of God, connedls the end 
 with the means, and through manifold tribu¬ 
 lations condufls its difciple into the kingdom 
 of God : Here, thofe only are encouraged to 
 ^ock for the prize, who run in the race ; and 
 
 the 
 
The Believer’s Joy in Chrijl Jefus. 8^3. 
 
 the crown of righteoufnefs is laid up for thofe 
 who endure hardlhip as the good foldiers of 
 Chrift, who fight the good fight, who finifh* 
 their courfe, who keep the faith, who endure 
 unto the end. It is not poflible that an in¬ 
 dolent, felf-indulging perfon, Ihould be a pro- 
 fperous and a happy Chriftian. What ftiame 
 is it to the pro felled followers of Jefus, to be 
 drowfy and lluggilh in the plaineft and eafieft 
 paths of duty, when he beholds the Saviour, 
 for his fake, fo ready and fo chearful to tread 
 the moll rugged and forbidding path of fuf- 
 fering ? This fuggefts, 
 
 3. Another dire£lion, and it lliall be de¬ 
 livered in the words of the apoftle; “ Let us 
 “ lay afide every weight, and the fin which 
 “ doth fo eafily befet us, and let us run with 
 patience the race that is let before us, look- 
 “ ing unto Jefus, the author and the finiiher 
 “ of our faith.” Nothing tends fo much to 
 fiBOOth and to fweeten hard weather, and a 
 hard road to the believer, as the light of his 
 Mafter, juft before him. It is good for us 
 to be here, faid Peter on the mount of I’ranf- 
 figuration ; but it is good to be with Chrift, 
 and like him, may the Chriftian fay, in every 
 condition, and in every place j in the ftorm, 
 in the defert, in the prifon ; arrayed in a gor¬ 
 geous robe, wearing a crown of thorns, bear¬ 
 ing a crofs. Our Lord’s firft dilciples, when 
 reproach and fuffering were certain confe- 
 quences of the profeffion of Chriftianity, came 
 
 D 6 out 
 
-34 B'elicver's Jay in Chnjl Jefus», Ser. 5., 
 
 out from the prefence of their perfecutors» 
 rejoicing that they were counted worthy to 
 “ fufFer lliame for his name.” What caufe o£ 
 rejoicing have we, that honour, not lhame,? 
 accompany this profefSon j that with us, kings- 
 are nurfing fathers, and their queens nurfing, 
 mothers to the Chriftian church; that the 
 road is to us, in many places, and in many re- 
 4pe£ts, hrewed not with thorns, but with flow¬ 
 ers : Were our corrupted hearts reduced in¬ 
 to the entire love and obedience of Chrift,. 
 every obftacle would be furmounted, every 
 difficulty overcome. And this is the very ob-.. 
 ject of the prefent advice : that we look to Je- 
 fus for dire£lion, for refolutlon, and for af- 
 fiflance, in pulling off and laying afide thofe 
 diverfe fmful luffs which war againff the fouU 
 checking its progrefs, marring its comfort, 
 waffing its ftrength ; and that we look to him 
 for patience under every external hindrance 
 and diftrefs ; and thefe necelfarily decreafe, as 
 inward corruption is fubdued, 
 
 IV. Permit me to direiSt you, in order to 
 the continuance and increafe of your joy, to 
 take good heed unto yourfelves that you keep 
 in the right road, and perfevere even to the 
 end: for in this, not only your comfort, but 
 your very fafety is concerned. Pk.emember 
 you are not upon an excurffon of pleafure, 
 but a journey on buffnefs, and that of the 
 moff important nature. When a man’s cre¬ 
 dit, or fubfiftence, or his family’s welfare. 
 
i The Believer*s Joy in Chrijl Jifui ,. 8 J 
 
 depend on exadlhefs and expedition, he will 
 certainly take the readied and the fated road : 
 He will not then employ hisetime id digref^ 
 fions aftei*;objects of'amufertient, fiieb as gar« 
 dens, palaces, arid paintings. Were human 
 life intended a§- pa dime,, merely, were the‘ 
 world a fcene of diverfion only, and if in this 
 life alone we had hope, 1 thoiild fend you:a- 
 way this night, with my advice, to drink as 
 deep of plealure as you can-; to make as frt'd 
 quent and as long digreflions into the world 
 as inclination, conftitution, and circumftances 
 can admit; nay, to lake up your abode in it 
 altogether : But when I conlider what it is to 
 the Ghriftian, an enemy’s country, nay Wore, 
 the actual feat of war, furely it is unneceflary 
 to tell the good foldier of Jefus Chrift, that 
 he has need to walk circumfpe<dly; that a ho¬ 
 ly jealoufy is abfolutely necehary ; that ene¬ 
 mies are never fo dangerous as when they ap¬ 
 proach us with a fmiling countenance, with 
 fair words, and with gifts in their hands. To 
 this, let me fubjoin, that it is wife and ufeful 
 to obferve moderation, and to pra^life felf- 
 government, in, the ufe of even the necelTary 
 and lawful recreations of the way. A travel¬ 
 ler may warrantably enjoy the pleafure of a 
 fine profpe£l as he pafles along, and muft of 
 neceffity ftop now and then for refrefliment; 
 but he muft not dream of building an habi¬ 
 tation in every delightlul Ipot, nor millake a 
 comfortable inn for his Father’s houfe. The 
 
 Chrifiian. 
 
86 *The Believer*s Joy in Chrijl Jefus. Ser. 5. 
 
 Ghriftian is called to deny himfelf to the un¬ 
 bounded enjoyment of the moft innocent de¬ 
 lights, as a feparate and independent good^ 
 now i that the polTeffion of them, as connec¬ 
 ted with, and fuhfervient to the enjoyment of 
 God, the fupremc good, may. be the fweeter 
 hereafter. 
 
 5. Finally, be daily^ looking for and ha- 
 ftening unto the coming of the Lord Jefus 
 that blefled period which (hall put a full end 
 to fin and all its dreadful confequences, and 
 ufher in the eternal year of glory and immor¬ 
 tality. Would you be truly fortified againfl: 
 the hardlhips, fecured from the dangers, and 
 fupported under the afili^lions of thistempeftu- 
 ous ocean, call the anchor of hope within the 
 vail. He who fliall come, will come, and will 
 not tarry. When fuch a prize is in view, the. 
 exertion and fatigue of a ihort race are unwor¬ 
 thy of confideration ; when a crown of glory 
 is to be the reward of vidory, who would 
 fliun the inconfidcrable danger of a fafe and 
 eafy combat ? when fuch a manfion is prepa¬ 
 red, what matters it that here and there a 
 finall fpace of uneven ground interfeiSl the 
 road that leads unto it ? 
 
 You have this day, communicants, afcend- 
 cd an exceeding high mountain, and w-ith the 
 eye of faith contemplated the glories of E- 
 manuel’s land. And what have you beheld ? 
 what do you now behold ? The world, and the 
 things of the world on fire j death expiring j 
 
 the. 
 
The Believer's Joy in Chrijl Jefus. 87 
 
 the old dragon chained to eternity j hell ca£b 
 into the lake of fire. ' Behold how the jafper 
 walls of the holy city, the new Jerufalem, be¬ 
 gin to fwell upon the eye; the gates of pearl 
 expand for your admifiion. Behold the un¬ 
 dazzling, unterrifying fplendqur of tlje glory 
 of God and of the Lamb ; and the nations of 
 thena that are faved walking in the light there¬ 
 of. O death, where is thy fting ! O grave, 
 where is thy viflory ? I know that my Re¬ 
 deemer liveth, and that he lhall ftand at the 
 latter day upon the earth. Amen, even fo, 
 come, Lord Jefus, 
 
•i r;:. S E R.'M O N TL 
 j ■ w ; Orir ALM Si: 
 
 By Samuel Charters Minifter of Wilton 
 
 . ........ 
 
 Preached in the Old Church of Edinburgh on the 
 ift of June 1788. 
 
 Luke, xi. 41-, 
 
 But rather give Alms of fuch things as you 
 havey and behold all things are clean unto 
 you. 
 
 ^WE no man any things but to love one an- 
 ^ other. " Love is a debt which we ftill owe,-. 
 When juftice is fulfilled, lifien to the voice 
 of mercy. Give alms of fuch things as you, 
 have. 
 
 1, A man muft provide for his own, and 
 fupply the wants of his children, in preference 
 to others'; nor Ihould a child beftow on any., 
 who are lefs nearly connedled what his pa¬ 
 rents need. The firft thought of a dutiful 
 child, when he has any thing to fpare is. Do 
 my parents need it ? If they do, the voice of 
 nature, and the law of God, demand it for 
 them. 
 
 2. Poor brothers and fiftei's have the next 
 claim. Among children of the fame family, 
 there ought to be a. mutual attachment, ten¬ 
 der: 
 
On Jims. 
 
 8ij- 
 
 der and inviolable ; upon every proper occa- 
 fion, teftin-Kinies of it fhould be given. While 
 thefe are vvith-heid from a brother or filler 
 that hath waxed poor, felf-approbation in re¬ 
 lieving others is not entire. 
 
 3. Attend to the claim of gratitude. Fa¬ 
 vours received Ihould never be forgotten. Re- 
 colle£l thofe to whom you have in any way 
 been obliged or indebted.. If any who ihftruc- 
 ted, or pationifed, or'affilled, or confoled. 
 you, be nov/ in want; feize the opportunity 
 of teftifying your gratitude : to negle(fl it, 
 
 will be matter of reproach and felf-condem- 
 
 nation. They who have been beneficent, tho’ 
 not to us, are entitled to fympathy in diftrefs; 
 it is co-operating with Providence, to Ihew^ 
 mercy to the merciful. 
 
 4. Is your friend reduced to firaits ? Call 
 to mind the mutual confidence and fympathies 
 and endearments by which your hearts were 
 united. They who paint friendfhip in ftrong 
 colours, fpeak of it as rendering all things 
 common. Though this idea is not to be rea- 
 llfed, yet he who hefitates to open his heart 
 and his hand in the day of adverfity, deferves 
 not the name of Friend. Intiui’re if the friend 
 of your youth has any children in want, and 
 extend your friendly regards to them. 
 
 5. Poor relations, though diftant, fliould 
 be acknowledged. To prevent one of them 
 from becoming a charge on the public, is bet¬ 
 ter than to bellow the fame fum on promif- 
 cuQus charity. ^ any man or -woman that 
 
 believeth 
 
90 
 
 On Alms. 
 
 Ser. 6. 
 
 believeth have ’widovosy let them relieve them^ 
 and let nat the church be charged; that it may 
 relieve them that are avido’ivs indeed, i Tim. 
 V. i6. A needy man is refen'ed to his rich 
 relations, and often left to their bounty : tho’ 
 a prodigal, he is an obje(fl of compaffion ; and 
 it is a blemilh on the charadler of his rich 
 relation not to fhew it. 
 
 6 . Servants fallen into poverty, fhould be 
 remembered, by thofe vrhom they have ferved 
 long and faithfully, and it is pleafant to be 
 able to relieve them.. A man of wealth and 
 benevolence might extend his view of this re¬ 
 lation : Seafaring men are employed in the 
 fervice of the merchant; the hands employed- 
 by a manufadturer, work for his profit; tenants 
 labour, and their landlords reap the fruit: 
 fuch as are difabled or worn out in thefe fer- 
 vices, awaken compaflion in a Chriflian ma* 
 fter. The relation of mafter and fervant, once 
 a fyftem of flavery and oppreffion, is trans¬ 
 formed by Chrifiianity into a law of liberty; 
 and a bond of love. 
 
 y. Neighbourhood is a relation which af¬ 
 fords opportunities of indulging compaffion 
 with effect. The poor, who are daily under 
 Our eye, and whofe ftraits we know, excite, 
 our fympathy. It becomes necelTary, for the 
 cafe of our own minds, to do fomething for 
 them. A little does them good. They are 
 thankful for a little. The crumbs from our 
 table may be a meal to them j our fire may 
 
 warm. 
 
On Alms. 
 
 p:!-' 
 
 warm them ; and the cloaths which we have 
 ufed may clothe them. Teach your children 
 companion to poor neighbours, and employ 
 them in works of mercy. 
 
 2. Sympathy, if indulged, will fuggeft many 
 objefts of companion. 
 
 The man who lives in prorperity, and re¬ 
 flects on the changeablenefs of it, will fympa- 
 thife with the unfortunate who have feen bet¬ 
 ter days, and be dlfpofed to relieve them witli 
 that liberality and delicacy which he himfelf 
 would expeCl, were his riches to make to 
 themfelves wings, and flee away. 
 
 They who have rifen from a low eftate,. 
 might look back on the pit from whence they 
 were digged, and feel for thofe vsfho are yet 
 labouring in it. Having known in their own 
 experience, the hardfhip and ftruggles and re- 
 pulfes which a poor man has to meet with,, 
 they can take a kindlier intereft in his con¬ 
 cerns ; they are qualified to direCi and affifl 
 them.. 
 
 They who have known the heart of a, jlran^ 
 ger^ and met with kindnefs when far from 
 their friends, are prompted by the memory of 
 what they felt, to inquire after the friendlefs 
 ftranger, and to comfort him. Loveye therc’^ 
 fore the Jiranger^ for ye were ftrangers in the' 
 land of Egypt. Deut. x. 19. 
 
 The man who has fuffered bondage in all its 
 horrors, remembers thofe that are in bonds, 
 
 as 
 
On ATmi. 
 
 Ser. 6. 
 
 5rz 
 
 as bound with them ; he becomes their zea¬ 
 lous compaffionate friend and intercelTor. Mr 
 Howard was a prifoner in France ; and to his 
 fufFerings there, he afcribes his benevolent la¬ 
 bours. 
 
 Dr Swift felt the approach of lunacy, and 
 founded an hofpital for htnatics. 
 
 People in good circumflances, who are vi- 
 iited with difeafe, and who feel how' painful 
 it is amidft all the comfort which friends, and 
 attendants, and medicines, and cordials can give, 
 a're led to feel for poor neighbours under the 
 fame vifitation, and to fend thofe aids and 
 comforts which a fickbed needs, but which 
 poverty dannot reach. 
 
 Widows, who have friends and, guardians 
 to their children and a liberal provifion, might 
 think of thofe who are "luidows indeed. While 
 your hearts fink, and the fhadov/ of death 
 darkens your remaining comforts, you can 
 fympathife with the joylefs defponding fpirit 
 of one who is left with children poor and 
 friendlefs. By alleviating her forrows, you 
 alleviate your own. 
 
 They who were orphans from their early 
 years, look back with a fympathifing heart 
 on thofe who follow in the fame dark de« 
 fencelefs path. While we remember with gra¬ 
 titude friends whom Providence raifed up to 
 take us by the hand and bring us forward, 
 we are happy to become inftruments under 
 the fame providence of befriending the friend¬ 
 lefs,and being the orphan’s flay. 
 
 They 
 
Vn Alms. 
 
 93 
 
 They who 'are entering unconnedled into 
 the vale of years, might fympathife with fuch 
 as are farther advanced into that vale in the 
 fame unconnected lonely ftate, and beflow the 
 attention, and kindnefs, and care which they 
 themfelves may fliortly need. 
 
 The aged, who have of this world’s goods, 
 and who neverthelefs feel the burthen of de¬ 
 clining health and fading faculties, of melan¬ 
 choly, and fear, and pain, fhould fympathife 
 with aged neighbours under the additional 
 load of poverty., d’he poor man whofe arm 
 can no longer earn bread, negleCted and for- 
 faken in his days of darknefs, attracts com- 
 paffion from the rich, whofe feet are alfo 
 Jiumblmg on the dark mcriintains-. It is beco¬ 
 ming in the old who are rich, to fhew kind¬ 
 nefs to the old who are poor, to vifit and con- 
 verfe with and confole them, to affociate with 
 their remaining fellow-travellers in the con¬ 
 templation of ferious and everlafting things, 
 to anticipate that equalifing period when the 
 rich and the poor fhall meet together. 
 
 The young, who now enjoy plenty, are fuf- 
 ceptible of compaffion. Open your eyes, my 
 young hearers, on thofe of your own age 
 who are now begging their bread in rags. 
 Thank God that you are not in their cafe. 
 Pity their hardfliips. Deny yourfelves, to re¬ 
 lieve them. This will give you plcafure. It 
 is a mean of efcaping the fnares of lin, of 
 -groY,’ing in favour with God and men, and of 
 
 obtaining 
 
94 
 
 On Alms. 
 
 Ser. 6, 
 
 obtaining mercy when you yourfelves fliall 
 need it. 
 
 3. Compaffion is early and deeply implanted ; 
 but without proper culture, it will grow irre¬ 
 gular and fruitlefs, and in the end be fup- 
 planted by covetoufnefs. 
 
 ■Compaffion, improperly cultivated, fprings 
 up into ufelefs fenfibility. The pleafure which 
 attends it, foothes and deceives the heart. An 
 interefting account of human wretchednefs 
 excites pleafurable fympathetic emotions: The 
 tongue utters kind wifhes. Be ye clothed, he ye 
 warmed; and the heart exults,in virtuous fen¬ 
 fibility. But, to enter the dwelling of the 
 wretched \ to examine debts, and wants, and 
 difeafes ; to endure loathfome fights and fmells, 
 within thie fphere of infeilion ; to give time, 
 and thought, and hands, and money—this is 
 the fubftance, not the fhadow of virtue : the 
 pleafure of fenfibility may be lefs, but fo is 
 the danger of felf*deceit which attends it. 
 Death-beds, in the page of an eloquent wri¬ 
 ter, delight the imagination; but'they who 
 are moft delighted, are not the firfi: to vifit a 
 dying neighbour, and fit up all night, and 
 wipe off the cold fweat, and molfien the parch¬ 
 ed lip, and remove the phlegm, and give eafy 
 poftures, and bear with peevilhnefs, and fug¬ 
 ged: a pious thought, and confole the parting 
 fpirit. They often encompafs the altar of Vir¬ 
 tue, but not to facrifice. 
 
 Extreme fenfibility is a difeafed date of the 
 
 mind. 
 
On Alms, 
 
 S>S 
 
 ■mind. It unfits us to relieve the miferable, 
 and tempts us to turn away. The fight of 
 pain is Ihunned, and the thought of it fup- 
 prefled ; the ear is ftopped againft the cry of 
 indigence the houfe of mourning -is pafled 
 by *, even near friends 'are abandoned, when 
 fick, to the nurfe and phyfician, and when 
 dead, to thofe who mourn for a hire i and all 
 -this under pretence of fine feeling, and deli¬ 
 cate fenfibility, and a tender heart. The 
 apples of Sodom are miftaken for the fruit of 
 •Paradife. 
 
 Compaflion may fall on the wrong objeiV, 
 and yet be juftified and applauded. One li- 
 •vingin affluence becomes bankrupt *, his fudden 
 fall ftrikes the imagination, pity is felt, and 
 generous exertions are made in his behalf: if 
 artful and fraudulent, he forefaw, and avail¬ 
 ed himfelf of this irregular compaffion ; 'he 
 ftretched his credit, bought and built, and li¬ 
 ved luxurioufly, that his fall might ftrike the 
 more. There is indeed a call for compaffion; 
 but, upon whom ? doubtlefs upon 4he trader 
 and artificer whofe oeconomy he has deran¬ 
 ged, upon the fervant who entrufted him with 
 wages in an evil hour, upon the widow whom 
 'he has caufed to weep over dellitute children, 
 and to curfe him in the bitternefs of her foul. 
 
 Alms given from the impulfe of compaffion 
 foon fail; like feed fallen on flony ground, 
 they quickly fpring and as quickly wither. By 
 •repeated a<Sts, the force of paffive habits is di- 
 
 minilhed. 
 
96 
 
 Cn Alms. 
 
 Ser. 6. 
 
 miniftied. Impodure provokes, oppofition 
 difcourages, ingratitude grieves, time cools the 
 heart, and covetoufnefs enters. 
 
 Reafon and a fenfe of duty flioukf be .em¬ 
 ployed to regulate and aflift conipaffion. Have 
 you given alms to an impoftor? It was ne.ver- 
 thelefs a kind affecSIion to which yoii yielded; 
 and the heart that was never impofed upon in 
 this way, is pi*obably a hard one : learn to ex¬ 
 amine the claims made on your compallion, 
 not carelefsly to repel them. Have you met 
 with ingratitude ? The kindnefs you lliewed 
 was an afl of religion ; and the child of God 
 embraces the opportunity of doing good, as 
 the'olive yields fruit in its feafon, regardlel's of 
 the hand that reaps it. Is your good mifcon- 
 flrued and evil fpokenof? Follow Jefus thro’ 
 bad report as well as through good report. Is 
 your plan of benevolence oppofed and thwart¬ 
 ed ? Still you have the merit of right inten¬ 
 tion. From whatever quarter difcourage- 
 ments arife. Be not weary in well-doing \ in 
 due feafon you floall reap., if you faint not. 
 
 4. Take heed and beware of covetoufnefs. We 
 muft take heed and beware, left it lurk and 
 work imperceptibly. St Francis de Salesy an 
 eminent father confeflbr of the Roman church, 
 obferved. That “ none confefs the fin of co- 
 vetoufnefs.” It is folded in felf-deceit, and 
 cloaked with hypocrify, more eafily than any 
 other fin of the fame magnitude. A man may 
 ftudy fyftems of univerfal dilinterefted abftrad- 
 
 benevolence, 
 
On Ahns, 
 
 97 
 
 i)cnevolence, and fpeculate on the excellencies 
 >of love, while he ovcrloo^ks a poor woman 
 with fatherlefs children, who lives next door 
 to him: a little kindnefs (hewn to her, and a 
 ■little done towards educating her children, 
 and putting them in a way of earning bread, 
 would be more in the fpirit of Chriftian cha¬ 
 rity, than to write books and (ing hymns in 
 praife of it. A mifer may be free from fcan- 
 dalous fins, and thank God that he is no adul¬ 
 terer nor extortioner; he may have kept the 
 commandments from his youth, and have no 
 fufpicion one thing is wanting^ he is found 
 in the faith, and blinded by his zeal for ortho¬ 
 doxy *, he attends the ordinances of religion, 
 and the preacher’s voice is a pleafant fong, to 
 which he liftens, and about which he talks, 
 while his heart goeth after covetoufnefs. 
 
 If the duty of almfgiving be directly propo- 
 fed and urged, covetoufnefs is fruitful in ex- 
 tcufes. 
 
 1. You pay what you owe, the reft is your 
 own; what you do with it, is no body’s con¬ 
 cern.—But it is your own concern, for you 
 muft give an account of your ftewardfhip to 
 God. 
 
 2. You have children to provide for, and 
 can give no alms.—Judge for yourfelf; only 
 it is fit to exercife your judgement, to inquire 
 if there be bounds in providing for a family, 
 if alms be a kind of riches which lay a good 
 ■foundation for the time to come, and whe- 
 
 VoL.IV, E ther 
 
On Alms. 
 
 Ser. 6 . 
 
 98 
 
 t-her your children are likely to profit moft 
 by the favings of avarice, or by the odour of 
 a good name, and the bleffing entailed by Pro- 
 jVidence on the feed of the merciful. 
 
 3. You liave family honours and poflefiions 
 tp reprefent and tranfmit; your bufinefs in 
 the world is to preferve and tranfmit them.— 
 Avarice takes hold of many handles ; here it 
 takes hold of family pride, and hides from 
 ■your eye the true ufe of an eftate, which is to 
 enjoy and do good with it. 
 
 4. You have a rank to keep up, and the 
 revenue is barely fufficient.—It is eafy to err 
 in giving too much to fhew; it is the worfl: 
 extreme ; it difguifes avarice under the malk 
 of grandeur. While too much is given to 
 fhew, there is nothing left for compaflion, not 
 enough for decency, hardly enough for ju- 
 flice. 
 
 5. You do not hoa^rd, but live up to your 
 income; and it does good to poor labourers, 
 though not precifely in the form of alms. 
 —This is fo far well; but ftill it is the defec¬ 
 tive character of the rich man in the parable, 
 who was clothed in purple, and fared fumptu- 
 oufly every day, but gave no alms. He too 
 could plead, that the furnifhing his fine cloth 
 and fumptuous fare gave bread to labourers, 
 for it does not appear that he was an oppref- 
 for or unjuft. 
 
 6. Chriftian alms fliould be done in fecret, 
 and you love not to make a fiiew of them.— 
 A fight principle may be turned into an ex- 
 
 cufe 
 
On Ah:^% 
 
 99 
 
 cufe for covetoufnefs. Is the proportion of 
 your fecret alms fuch as the fcripture requires, 
 as an impartial fpedator who knows your cir- 
 cumftances would approve, as your own mind 
 approves in a ferious hour? Your attendance 
 in the houfe of God may be afcribed to hy- 
 pocrify, but this is not a reafon to withdraw ; 
 your offering there may be afcribed to vani¬ 
 ty, but neither is this a reafon to with-hold 
 it. If you be thought uncharitable by all who 
 know you, and ftand alone in thinking o- 
 therwife, there is reafon at leaft to examine 
 yourfelf with a particular eye to the opera¬ 
 tion of felf-deceit in the caufe of covetouf¬ 
 nefs. 
 
 7. You love not to hear of works, but thofe 
 which Chrift has done, and imputes to belie¬ 
 vers by faith alone : you defire to be clothed 
 with a robe of his rigliteoufnefs, not with 
 rotten rags of your own.—Unguarded expref- 
 fions of controverfial divines are picked up, 
 and perverted by the covetous. That “ we 
 arc faved by grace, and it is God who work- 
 eth in us to will and to do,*^’ are immutable 
 confoling truths ; but upon them the obliga¬ 
 tion to good works is founded. Faith with¬ 
 out works is dead. In whatever light alms be 
 viewed, they are enjoined by an authority that 
 claims obedience. Call them fruits, or evi¬ 
 dences, or concomitants, or what you will, ‘ 
 flill they are neceffiry. Every itne fjaU receive 
 according to the deeds done in the body. Can 
 words be plainer, or flronger, or more in- 
 
 E i terefting ? 
 
100 
 
 On Alms* 
 
 Ser. 6, 
 
 terefting ? Deeds of kindnefs to the poor will 
 be rewarded : they (hall have judgement with¬ 
 out mercy, who have lliewed no mercy. Thefe 
 are truths of God. If you pervert their ob¬ 
 vious meaning, you have reafon to furpedl 
 your own hearts of an evil covetoiifnefs, 
 
 8 . Almfgiving belongs to the rich ; and if 
 ever you get riches, you will be charitable. 
 The reproof of covetoufnefs may be juft, but 
 it likewife belongs to the rich ; and if ever 
 you get riches, you will guard againft it.— 
 By the richy you mean thofe who have more 
 than you •, but are there not many who think 
 your income a rich one, with which much good, 
 might be done ? Unlefs you give alms of fuch 
 things as you have, and do the good you can, 
 additional wealth would make you no better. 
 The fin of covetoufnefs, and the fpirit of alms, 
 may be found, in a low eftate. Affections 
 may fix on a cottage, or a little field ; the 
 heart may cling to a fmall fum ; for a mefs 
 of pottage the birthright that is defpifed may 
 be fold. The fpirit of alms may be found in 
 a cottage with the widow whofe pofleflion is 
 two mites *, with the labourer who can fpare 
 part of his wages to thofe who cannot labour:i 
 with the friendly hand that can reach a cup 
 of cold water to the thirfty. It is the mind 
 which God regards; and if there be frjl a 
 •billing mindy every one is accepted according 
 to what he hath received, not according to what 
 he hath not received. 
 
 It may be thought ufelefs labour to reafon 
 
 with 
 
/ 
 
 Cn Alins, loi 
 
 with the covetous about alms. I know it will 
 have little effect on them ; but it may inftru£l 
 the young, whofe hearts are not yet harden¬ 
 ed ; it may guard the well-diTpofed againfl 
 fophiftry and felf-deceit j it may determine the 
 fervant who wavers in his choice betwixt God 
 and mammon. One end of preaching the gof- 
 pel to every creature is, for a tejlimony in the 
 caufe of virtue againfl: all unrighteoufnefs of 
 men, whether they will hear, or whether they 
 will forbear. 
 
 II. I. Means fhould be ufed to maintain a 
 charitable, in oppofition to a worldly mind. To 
 worldly-mindednefs there are daily tempta¬ 
 tions : It fliould be our daily fludy to reflft 
 and overcome them. Think often on the 
 motives to charity, as they arc propofed with 
 fimplicity and energy in the word of God. 
 Attend to the motive in the text: Give alms 
 ef fuch things as you havcy and all things arc 
 clean unto- you,. When Chrifl fpake thefe 
 words, he was fitting at dinner with a Pha- 
 rlfee who had invited him. The Pharifee 
 marvelled that he had not firfl waflied before 
 dinner, and the Lord faid unto him, Aoxu do 
 ye Pharifees make clean the outfde of the cup 
 and platter, but your imvard part is full of 
 ravening and xuickednefs. With an outfide re¬ 
 ligion, you think to conceal covetous and 
 cruel hearts. Te fools, did not he xuhich made 
 that vjhich is "without, alfo make that xvhich is 
 
 E 3 "Within,. 
 
202 
 
 Ser. 
 
 S/n Alms. 
 
 'ivithin. Much of your religion confifts in ce¬ 
 remonial wafhings : Rather give alms of fuch 
 things as you have, and behold all things are 
 clean unto you. Liften to the law of Mofes, 
 which ye make of none effedl by your tradi¬ 
 tions : “ Every third year, thou fhalt give the 
 “ tithe of all thine increafe to the Levite, the 
 “ ilranger, the fatherlefs, and the widow, 
 
 “ that the Lord thy God may blefs thee.’* 
 Would you enjoy contentment, and fatisfac- 
 tion, and* comfort, in the ufe of what you 
 liave, give alms. Bleffings are multiplied on 
 the head of him that giveth. He has the pro- 
 rnife of this life, and of that which is to 
 conic. 
 
 Amidft' thy abundance, then, liflen to the 
 voice of God. “ Is it not to deal thy bread 
 “ to the hungry, and*that thou bring the poor 
 that are call out to thy houfe i when thou 
 feed: the naked that thou cover him, and, 
 
 “ that thou hide not thyfelf from thine own 
 “ flelh ? Then fhall thy light break forth) as 
 “ the morning, and thine health fhall fpring 
 “ forth fpeedily thy righteoufnefs fhall go 
 ** before thee, and the glory of the Lord 
 fhall be thy rere-ward. Then fhalt thou 
 “ call', and the Lord will anfwer ; thou flialt 
 “ cry, and he fhall fay. Here I am.” Con- 
 feious goodnefs is the light of the mind; 
 you tafte the bleflednefs of giving, and your 
 prayers are heard. “ If thou draw out thy 
 ** foul to the hungry, and fatisfy the afflidled 
 “ foul, then fliall thy light rife in obfeurity, .:;^^* 
 
 «* and 
 
O^t Jims. 
 
 TO 3 
 
 and thy darknefs as the noon day.” In the 
 obfcuriiy of old age, the light of remembrance 
 lhall arife i in the darknefs of affll«^ion, there 
 
 lhall be a noon-day of hope. 
 
 The rich who are difeafed, and fuch as ges 
 riches In their old age, find little plcafure in 
 them, except as an inftrument of good : buc 
 when fo ufed, they enable the pofieiTor, fron> 
 the retirement of old age, and even from a 
 bed of ficknefs, to difpenfe manifold bleffings. 
 Wealth does not exempt from care. There 
 are crofTes, and conftraints, and dilquietudes 
 in a high eftate, from which the heart finds 
 refuge in the indulgence of compaffion. Te¬ 
 ndon obferved, that “ riches are valuable, noc 
 “ fo much for the honours, as for the erodes 
 “ which attend them And Madam hlainte- 
 non, amidft the emptinefs of royal honours, 
 found comfort to her heart, by filling it with 
 the concerns of deliitute children. 
 
 Riches do not avert the ftroke of affluffion, 
 
 I think of an inflance, and probably it is not 
 fingular, of parents abounding in this world’s 
 goods, from whom their children one after 
 another were removed by death. The world> 
 with its good things, was to them a void. For 
 whom have we laboured and bereaved our 
 fouls of reft ? Whofe lhall all thefe things be ? 
 They were finking into defpondence, when this 
 word of feripture came into their minds, Ho- 
 nour the Lord 'with your fubjlance. Confider- 
 ing their fubftance as one talent left, they tra¬ 
 ded with it in works of mercy. Their dark- 
 
 E 4 nefs 
 
On Alms, 
 
 104 
 
 Scr. 6* 
 
 nefs became as the noon-day, and their even¬ 
 ing Is now ferene» 
 
 Alms are a preparation for adverfity and' 
 death. Shut up alms in thy Jiorehoufe^ for it 
 foall deliver thee in all affiiSlion. Job, when- 
 bereaved of earthly comforts, confoled him- 
 Jelf with this fong in the night. “ Eyes was I 
 to the blind and feet to the lame, the blef- 
 “ fing of him that was ready to pcrifli came 
 upon me.” Confider the pocr^ and the Lord 
 ivill flrengthen you on a bed of languijbing : thou 
 •wilt make all his bed in his fcknefs. From the 
 painful feelings of a fick-bed the merciful are 
 not exempted. The man whofe heart is ten¬ 
 der, feels often more than others, the fevcri- 
 ty of pain, the pang of feparation, and the 
 fling of guilt. His fins rife up in mournfuh 
 remembrance : doubts and fears trouble, and 
 tofs, and threaten to overwhelm his foul. But 
 even in the darkeft night, while thefe waveS' 
 and billows are palling over him, rays of com¬ 
 fort open from the remembrance of works of 
 mercy. They are evidences of his regenera¬ 
 tion. Hereby •me-know that we are paffedfrotn^ 
 death to lifey becaufe we love the brethren. 
 
 The rich may be under trouble of mind and' 
 religious melancholy. Perhaps the fecret caufes 
 of your troubled confcience, which you have 
 not yet been able or willing to develope, are an 
 idle life, the love of pleafure, forgetting to do 
 good. This is the interpretation of thofe bit¬ 
 ter things which God writes againft you... 
 They are his call to awake from Both, to do 
 
 good,. 
 
On Alins* 
 
 good, and to communicate'. A£llve goodnefs 
 difpels the gloom of indolence. Sympathy 
 with real, obliterates imaginary evils. 
 and comfort, flowing from your hand, reflect 
 peaceful and pleafant thoughts. The foul re¬ 
 turns to its reft.- Whatever your guilt has 
 been, charity fmoothes the way to penitence 
 and peace through the blood of fprinkhng.. 
 Wherefore let my counfel be acceptable to 
 thee. Break off thy fins by righteoufnefs, 
 and thine iniquities by ftiewing mercy to the 
 
 I have ever obferved,’’ fays Father Bour- 
 daloue, “ that the rich who open their hearts- 
 « in liberal and tender mercy to the poor, get 
 « gracey while the covetous die in their fins.”' 
 The moft liberal alms will not juftify the in¬ 
 dulgence of a known fin, but they may prove 
 the firft ftep of repentance: they loolen the 
 band of felfifhnefs, and affimilate the foul to 
 God, in whom companions flow. One virtue 
 carried high, often draws others in its train, 
 and leads on to perfection. Charity to the 
 poor is intimately connected with the two ra¬ 
 dical virtues, love to God, and love to our 
 neighbour. It appears by comparing fcripture 
 with fcripture, that. Be ye mcrcifiili ns your 
 Father in heaven is mercifuly. Luke vi. 36. is a 
 precept of the fame import with, Be ye pcrfe^y, 
 even as your Father in heaven is perfeFly hlatih.. 
 V. 48, 
 
 a. Blejfed is he that confidcrcth the poor^ 
 And upon how many fubjeCts do we turn ourr 
 
 E 5. thought^,.. 
 
Qn Alms». 
 
 Ser. 6i- 
 
 ic6 
 
 thoughts, to the confideration of which no 
 blefling is annexed ? 
 
 The cafe of the poor requires confidera¬ 
 tion. To employ fuch a& can work, and pay 
 them punflually, is- ferving them not a little. 
 It delivers them from floth, renders them ufe- 
 ful, and awakens the fenfe of independence. 
 In plans for employing wealth, a kind confide¬ 
 ration of the poor might enter, and a predi^ 
 le£\ion for the plan, moft extenfively, ufeful to 
 them. It is worthy of a Chriftian who has of 
 this world’s goods, to devife plans for em^ 
 ploying the idle, giving habits of induftry to 
 the young, and delivering the old from lan»- 
 guor and dependence, by labours fuited to- 
 their years. 
 
 Mr Thomas Eirmin citizen of London, a 
 name confecrated to humanity, among other 
 memorable labours of love, erefled aware- 
 houfe for employing the idle. To many hun¬ 
 dreds he furjiifiied materials for work, and 
 purchafed the produce, accounting the lofs 
 fullained in the difpofal of it to be gain. Ke 
 laid up coals and corn, to enfure^ them in 
 dearth againft cold and hunger. He diftribu- 
 ted a Scripture Catechifm, to inftruft them in 
 pure religion. Thus wifely confidering the 
 cafe of the poor, of their bodies,, and of their 
 fouls; he honoured, the Lord with his fub- 
 hance, and left an example of judicious alms^ 
 which by many might be imitated on a fmailer 
 fcale. To refcue one family, or even one per- 
 
 £bn* 
 
On Alms'* 
 
 fan, from idlenefs and want, is a benefit of'pu- 
 blic as well as private ufefulnefs. 
 
 Here, by the way, let the poor, who are in^ 
 duftrious, and honeft, and content, take com*- 
 fort. You fill up your place in fociety, and 
 ferve your generation^ and glorify God oa 
 earth, more than the rich who-are idle. At 
 the great day of retribution^ refpedl will be 
 had, not to rank, which is affigned by Provi¬ 
 dence, but to fidelity in the rank affigned us*. 
 Thcn^ many which arejirjl Jhall be lajty and the 
 lajl Jhall be frjl. 
 
 Confider the poor who cannot' work. Of 
 fuch there is always a proportion. The poor 
 Jhall never ceafe out of the land. Except in 
 cafes of extreme neceffity, a diftinaion Ihould 
 be made. “ Let not a widow be taken inta 
 the number under threefcore years, having 
 been the wife of one man,, well reported of 
 “ for good works ; it Ihe have brought 
 « up children, if ffie have lodged ftran- 
 « gers, if ffie have waffied the faints feet, if 
 ffie have relieved the affli<fted, it the have 
 followed every good work.’" If fuch a one 
 be left childlefs and defolate in old age,^ 
 « truftingin God,, and continuing in prayer;"' 
 let her find in the bounty of the faithful, that 
 her truft is not vain, that her prayer is heard. 
 The poor who have been honeft, and labo¬ 
 rious, and peaceable^ and kindly affeclioned, 
 whom age, or difeafe, or calamity has redu¬ 
 ced to want, are peculiarly intitled. to alms. 
 Affifting them, is working together with God, 
 
 ' E O and* 
 
On Alms,- 
 
 Ser. 6 ,- 
 
 loff 
 
 arid vindicating his ways to men. They who' 
 are poor through floth, or drunkennefs, or 
 fenfuality, or vain expence, are not equally in- 
 titled to relief: they fufFer the punifhment an¬ 
 nexed by Providence to guilt. Yet when their 
 mifery is extreme, the compaffion. which it 
 excites is a token of divine mercy mingling, 
 with judgement. They are human creatures, 
 Adverfity may reclaim. Gratitude for favours, 
 received, may prove the firft fentiment of re¬ 
 turning goodnefs. From the rich who have 
 fufFered, or deferred to fuffer the penal eftecls 
 of debauchery, compaffion is due to the poor 
 who fuffer them. The penitent rtiight endea¬ 
 vour to reclaim, by kindnefs, thofe who have 
 finned after the fimilitude of their own tranf- 
 greffion. 
 
 Confider the poor, who are fo from their 
 own incapacity to confider. Advife and affift 
 them in the management of their field or of 
 their trade, in turning their labour to the beft 
 account, in avoiding Ioffes which they can ill 
 bear, and in recovering what is due to them.. 
 Giving a little money to a poor perfon, or^ 
 even giving money fufficient to fupply their 
 neccffities, will not always have the effect. To 
 provide lodging, and fuel, and- food, and 
 clothes, is indeed a more troublefome way of 
 giving alms, but it is the only way of render¬ 
 ing them effectual to the inconfiderate. It will 
 perhaps be faid. Let them learn to confider. 
 They have much need, to be fure ; and if they 
 had been capable of learning, mifery might 
 
On Alins^ 
 
 ro(jr 
 
 ere now ha« taught them. But. they real- 
 
 ly want capacity, tltey are fo much more oh. 
 jlas of compaffion. Your heftow.ng conli. 
 deration on their cafe, ia a feafonable alms, 
 and a proper teftimony of gratitude to hm 
 who made you to difFetw 
 
 •t. The methods of fupplylng the poor y 
 taxation, hofpitals, and voluntary gifts, might 
 
 be conftdered and compared. 
 
 You have liftened perhaps to the arguments 
 of able men againft fupplying the poor by tax- 
 
 ation-.but may not thefe arguments be fome- 
 
 times liftened to with a partial car ? Think ou 
 the equality of man, his original right to a u - 
 fiftence on the earth, and in how many ^ays 
 that right may be violated. Attend to the pi- 
 rit of human laws, favouring, proteamg, ancl 
 avenging the rich j appropriating the earth, 
 the air, and the water ; debarring the poor 
 by penalties from all that in them is. Is it 
 much that in one inftance they breathe another 
 fpirit, by infuring to the miferable ^ fubfift- 
 ence and a grave ? Enquire if a legal provi- 
 fion for the poor has ever been found necefta- 
 ry, and if any thing fhort of neccftuy would 
 have led thofe who pay to impofe it. 1 he ex¬ 
 pediency of enforcing that law, muft be de¬ 
 termined by circumftances. If the love of 
 many wax cold i if the rich withdraw from 
 religious worlhip, and forget good works 5 it 
 abfent proprietors do nothing for the poor on 
 
 their eftates *, if the humane be burdened a- 
 
 bove 
 
iro 
 
 On Alms. 
 
 Ser. ( 5 .- 
 
 bove what they are able to bear; if the poor 
 be tempted by their increafing number and 
 preffing wants, and the failure of other refour- 
 ces, to put forth their hands and IVeal *, a legal 
 provifion feems then to be expedient; it feems 
 then to be equal and right, that the heritor 
 who will not give to the poor, be compelled to 
 give. Thofe among us who have miniftered 
 to the poor, where the law is enforced, and 
 where it is not enforced^ can tell the differ¬ 
 ence it makes; a’ difference betwixt the fre¬ 
 quent feeling and the conftant fear of want on 
 the one hand, and on the other, an adequate 
 fupply of real wants, with deliverance from 
 fear^ -which caiijeth torment. 
 
 Imperfedlions and evils are found in poor 
 la-ivs; but let the evil be balanced with the 
 good, the murmuring of the rich with the 
 contentment of the poor, the inconvenience 
 of few with the comfort of many, the pleafure 
 that is refigned with the mifery that is extin- 
 guifhed-. If, upon the whole, good preponde¬ 
 rates, let abides be corre£fed, and the fyflem 
 perfected; in the fame way as abufes in civil 
 government are a reafon, not for renouncing 
 but for improving and perfeding civil fociety. 
 Let the wifdom of God be adored in the civil 
 laws of men; and let the fpirit of Chriftiani- 
 ty be venerated, in dictating what was before 
 unknown, a legal provifion for the poor. 
 
 Hofpitals are monuments of piety and Chri- 
 Siaa love. They embalm tbe memoiy of 
 
 founders^. 
 
On Alms. 
 
 m 
 
 founders, who forefaw the time foretold In 
 prophecy when faith and love would fail and 
 cool, and bequeathed alms to children yet un¬ 
 born. A tribute of honour is likewife due 
 to thofe who adminifter with prudence and fi¬ 
 delity. 
 
 A willing mind is eflential to alms. The 
 tax for alimenting the poor, is a< debt as due 
 to them as rent to the landlord.^ to pay it, is 
 to do juftly. Chriftian alms are voluntary^ 
 not enforced by human laws, but prompted 
 by the law of love, and by the promife of a 
 blefling from on high. • 
 
 41. Devote a^ proportion of your income to 
 alms. This enfures the pradfice of an eflen^ 
 rial duty, which may be neglefted or perform¬ 
 ed imperfeflly, if left to accidental occafions 
 and feelings.. Yon calculate a table, a ward¬ 
 robe, a retinue, and amufements, proportion¬ 
 ed to your wealth: Such calculations are pros¬ 
 per for the fake of juftice. But if alms be 
 left out, calculate anew. Confider on the firft 
 day of the week, how God has profpered’yon 
 in the world, and what acknowledgement is 
 due to him. It is a work of religion fuked 
 to the Lord’s day. Weigh your wealth, and 
 proportion, your alms in-the balance of the 
 fan£luary, with an eye to the Sovereign of 
 the world, who requires this at your handj 
 to the poor whom he has appointed to receive 
 it, and to the day of judgement, when he will 
 sequite it^ 
 
 Uffl 
 
On Alins* 
 
 Scr. 6 *~ 
 
 ti2 
 
 UTe proper means to provide and increafc 
 a fund for alms. Habitual frugality is a mean, 
 and occafional favings from allowed expence. 
 When you meet with any worldly profperity, 
 add a thank-offering. Let him work with his 
 handsy that he may have to give to him that 
 needeth. The apoffle recommends work, not . 
 ©nly to procure an honeft livelihood, but to 
 furnifh means of charity. Chrift wrought as 
 a carpenter. It was ufual among the Jews for 
 fcholars to learn a mechanic ti'ade. Paul, by 
 working at his, remitted what was due to him 
 as a preacher. The fame praflice continues 
 in the Jewifh fchools, and Spinoza lived by 
 his craft when they put him out of the fyna- 
 gogue. If fome profitable work could be 
 thought of, confiftent with the office of mini- 
 fters in Scotland, it would augment livings 
 which diminiffi as national wealth increafes,, 
 while yet the rich oppofe an augmentation in. 
 the v/ay of juftice, it would ftrengthen their 
 independence, which, humanly fpeaking, is' 
 their ftrongeft bulwark; it would leffen the 
 number of their own claims on benevolence and> 
 compaffion, and extend their power of doing; 
 good, which is the objedt for which it is now 
 propofed. Richard Baxter gave many of his^ 
 writings to the poor, converting the labour of 
 his mind into alms. Were idle gentlemen to 
 work with their hands for fome kind and ufe- 
 ful purpofe, it would increafe their happinefs 
 and virtue. Dorcas was full of alms-deeds 
 and it appears from her works, which were 
 
 fhovva. 
 
On Alms. 
 
 113 
 
 fiiown to the apoftle after her death, that (he 
 made garments. Devout women,^ by follow¬ 
 ing this pattern, may increale their fund for 
 
 alms. 
 
 Confider how the moft good may be done 
 with what you have devoted. A little money 
 goes a great way in furnifhing the necelTaries 
 of life to thofe who have them not; it re¬ 
 moves more pain, and gives more happinefs 
 than the fame fum beftowed on thofe who 
 have them. Liberal and generous donatives 
 may fometimes be proper ; and benevolence in 
 every form is lovely ; but let not the hand 
 even of generofity trench on the fund for 
 Gompaflion. The proper objects of Chriftian 
 alms are the necelEtous, the friendlefs, the 
 helplefs, the dejeded, thofe who can make no 
 return. 
 
 It was an imitable praffice of a pious man, 
 to beftow his devoted fum on a good work 
 which would otherwlfe have been left undone. 
 Where the poor receive a legal aliment, find 
 out fome poor perfon who does not receive it. 
 Where hofpitals for the fick arc endowed by 
 others, minifter to fick who are not admitted. 
 Where bodily wants are fupplied by others, 
 minifter to fpiritual wants. When one good 
 work is in a fuccefsful train, invent another. 
 Study to extend the fphere of love. 
 
 S £ 
 
SERMON VII. 
 
 The fame Subject continued. 
 
 Luke, xi. ^r. 
 
 Hut rather give Alms of fuch things as you 
 havsy and behold all things are clean unto 
 you. 
 
 III. I. ^^IVE alms offuch things as are in your 
 pQVj£r : fo fame interpret the text. 
 We may have it in our power to aflift the 
 poor by our talents, offices of truft, world¬ 
 ly employments, and profeffional Ikill. 
 
 LegiflatOFS, and judges, and magiftrates, 
 have it in their power to difcourage idlenefs, 
 to open channels of productive labour, to un¬ 
 do the heavy burden, and break the oppref- 
 for’s rod, to mingle juftice with mercy. 
 
 The managers of a public revenue can 
 fometimes render it an inlfrument of good. 
 To build churches in this metropolis, and to 
 open fchools, for affording to the poor and 
 to their children the means of worfhip and 
 
 of 
 
IIS 
 
 0)1 Alms* 
 
 of inftru<5lion, would far exceed. In point of 
 meritorious ufefuluefs, the luoft coftly deco¬ 
 ration. 
 
 Merchants and wealthy farmers, who com¬ 
 mand by their wealth the necelTaries of life, 
 might admit in their fpeculations the motive 
 of humanity. “ He that with-holdeth corn, 
 “ the people fliall curfe him ; but blellings 
 “ fhall be on the head of him that felleth it.” 
 Prov. xi. 26. 
 
 Men of rank in the army and navy, might 
 attend to the clothing, and food, and medi¬ 
 cine, and religious inftrudtion of poor foldiers 
 and failors, and fee juftice done them ; they 
 might confider fuch as have families with a 
 diftinguifhing and kind attention. 
 
 Lawyers have at times an opportunity of 
 recovering debts for the poor ; of vindicating 
 .the rights of a widow, or fatherlefs children i 
 of difcouraging law-fuits which might reduce 
 their clients to want *, of re-eftabliflaing peace 
 where it was ready to be broken. 
 
 Medical men are often called, in the courle 
 of their laborious and benevolent duties, to 
 the exercife of compaflion ; and in their breads 
 the facred fire often burns. Let the blefling 
 of fuch as were ready to perifh come upon 
 them. Let them not be weary in well-doing. 
 Your labours of love are recorded. Your 
 witnefs is in heaven, and your record is on 
 high. 
 
 Pallors cannot behold with Indifference the 
 poor of their flock in want and mifery. It is 
 
On Alms, 
 
 li6 
 
 Ser. 7. 
 
 in the fpirit of that gofpel which they preach, 
 and of the Mafter whom they ferve, and of 
 the approaching judgement which they an¬ 
 nounce, to take the lead in works of mercy. 
 
 2 . Give aims of fuch things as are in your 
 foiver. Wealth puts many things in the poflef- 
 for's powerhe ought to know and to do 
 them. 
 
 It may be in his power to rear up a viU 
 lage, and fow the feeds of induftry ♦ 5 to 
 make young men apprentices, and give mar¬ 
 riage-portions to young women j to build a 
 cottage for the wanderer; to protedf the laws 
 of juftice from violation through want, and 
 rage, and defpair ; binding the poor to order 
 with the bands of a man, and drawing the 
 miferable with a cord of love.- 
 
 Means of preferving and of reftoring health 
 may be furnifhed by the rich : they fhould 
 attend to this, becaufe health is the greateft 
 temporal good, and without it the poor can¬ 
 not earn bread.. To fend fuel among the 
 young and infirm, and to drain and repair 
 their houfes ; to provide woollen clothing for 
 thofe who are expofcd to cold, and fubje^t ta 
 difeafes occafioned by it j to promote clean- 
 linefs by gifts of flax and foap, and encou¬ 
 ragements to the waflaing with water, whiclr 
 
 * A Letter to the people of Laurencekirk, on this fub- 
 jcA, deferves to be read attentively by the rich and the 
 pour.. 
 
 was 
 
On Ahns* 
 
 -was of old enjoined by the law of Mofes, and 
 is ftill a mean of health and comfort; to clothe 
 poor children, upon condition of their regu¬ 
 lar attendance on worlhip and inftrudlion, and 
 their clean and decent appearance there ;— 
 to join confideration with bounty in fuch ways 
 as thefe, doubles the value of the gift. 
 
 Inoculation for the fmall-pox is now ge¬ 
 nerally approved by thofe who are beft qualw 
 fied to judge. When the poor are convinced 
 that it is a mean of rendering the difeafe mild¬ 
 er and lefs dangerous, the rich might enable 
 them to ufe it. 
 
 Medical affiftance provided for the poor, is 
 a feafonable confequential alms: and if kind 
 vilits be added, with cordials and nourifhment; 
 fuited to a date of recovery; and if the 
 thoughts be turned with devout attention to 
 the will and purpofes of Providence in fending 
 trouble, this work of mercy is fulfilled, 
 
 Penfions are a charity fuited to the great. 
 Such as have feen better days, and had a good 
 education, and maintained their uprightnefs in 
 adverfity, are proper objects of it. The plea- 
 fure of confoling fuch by a moderate inde¬ 
 pendence, is one of the pureft which flow 
 from riches. Gratitude will in this cafe be 
 felt, and part of the bounty will defcend in 
 fmaller ftreams of charity. The unfortunate 
 feel compaflion : the kindnefs they have recei¬ 
 ved, difpofes and enables them to be kind. In 
 •this way the alms of the rich find their way to 
 
Gn Aim. 
 
 ')fl8 
 
 the mlferable ; the rich and the poor meet to¬ 
 gether. 
 
 The houfehold of faith is recommended by the 
 Apoftle to the fpecial attention of thofe who 
 are able to do good, and to communicate. 
 This refers to times when believers were few, 
 and pi'obably fincere: it may ftill be applied to 
 thofe who fuffer in their worldly circuniftan- 
 ces for confcience fake; who prefer poverty 
 to flattery, and falfehood, and fraud, leaving 
 all the crooked ways of gain to the children of 
 this world. They who will not flatter the vain 
 for a fubfiftence, who are debarred from pro¬ 
 fitable articles of commerce and manufacture, 
 "^becaufe they will not fwear falfely nor equivo¬ 
 cally j from a provifion in the church and 
 colleges, becaufe they dificr in doubtful points 
 from human ftandards; and from civil and 
 military preferments, becaufe of perplexing 
 tefts and oaths; all fuch are diftinguifhed 
 members of the houfehold of faith. A little 
 will fatisfy the believer whofe heart is not on 
 things of this world ; he will be thankful to 
 the generous hand that helps him to a retired 
 quiet paflage through the wildcrnefs ; his fer¬ 
 vent prayer for a benefaClor will be heard. 
 
 3. Spiritual alms Ihould be conlidered by 
 the rich who can do fomething towards pro¬ 
 pagating the gofpel where it is unknown ; to¬ 
 wards planting churches and fchools where 
 they are needed, towards qualifying young 
 men to preach and to teach. 
 
 There 
 
On Alms. 
 
 119 
 
 There are inflitutions for propagating Chri- 
 ftian knowledge both at home and abroad, to 
 which the rich may contribute, with fecrecy 
 if they pleafe, and with the afTurance of a 
 faithful application. 
 
 For the planting of a church in this king¬ 
 dom, even where it is moft neceflary, the con- 
 fent of heritors is by law required \ and to 
 give it, would befpeak a Chriftian temper. 
 
 To educate for the miniftry a young man 
 of good parts and of a ferious mind, would 
 he a valuable gift, and, in the prefent Hate of 
 things, very feafonable. They who can e- 
 ducate their fons liberally, are apt to think a 
 Scotch ftipend a flender maintenance. The 
 priefthood, as in the days of Jeroboam, is“ 
 defeending to the meaneft of the people. Ex- 
 tenfive knowledge and liberal manners feldom 
 fall to their lot. This, in an enlightened and 
 lukewarm age, makes the facrifice of the Lord 
 to be defpifed. It indeed becomes the mini- 
 fler of Chrift to be content with little, and to 
 atone for poverty by virtue ; but it is for the 
 honour and intereft of religion, that ho a- 
 bound in knowledge as well as goodnefs. 
 While no public provifion is made for the 
 clergy, adequate to the expence of a liberal 
 education, it is a good work for rich indivi¬ 
 duals to furnifh fome with the means of know¬ 
 ledge, who, in the next age, may dand in the 
 gap, to ftem the tide of growing profanenefs 
 and infidelity. 
 
 The 
 
120 
 
 On Almi* 
 
 Ser. 7* 
 
 The Lord’s Supper might be celebrated 
 more frequently, if the necelTary expence were 
 furniftied. Minifters of this church, who fel- 
 dom have money to fpare, would willingly 
 beftow their labour. To an afFe^lionate friend 
 of Chrift, k is a work peculiarly grateful, to 
 multiply the memorial of his dying love, with 
 thofe devout and kind affeiftions which the 
 remembrance of his death infpires. The pof- 
 feflbr of an eftate might in this way entail a 
 bleffing. 
 
 ‘ A fchool for the ufe of remote villages is 
 often wanted. The expence, to a benevolent 
 proprietor, is requited by the good that is 
 -done. The Inhabitants are reconciled to their 
 lot; the young are admitted to an invaluable 
 privilege ; a bright genius may be difeovered 
 and brought to light; the plan of Chriftianitjr 
 is forwarded, in covering the earth with the 
 knowledge of the Lord *. 
 
 With a fmall annual fum, a fchool might be 
 opened on the Lord’s day, before and after 
 .public worfhip, for the young who have learn- 
 vcd to read, and are entering on labour ; and 
 •for thofe who have had the misfortune never 
 
 * If an addiiional provifion be made for the inftriic- 
 tion of youth, the cafe of populous villages remote 
 from parifh-fchools fliould be coiihdered. If the fa- 
 laries of parifl>>fchools be augmented, it might be 
 done upon condition of opening fchool on Sundays. 
 Were fchoolmaders, in their application to parlia¬ 
 ment, to offer that additional fervice, it would per- 
 ^aps-reconamend their.plea for an augmentation. 
 
 to 
 
On Alms. 
 
 ill 
 
 to be taught. By this mean, acquaintance 
 with the feripture is retained and increafed, 
 and a door of knowledge is opened for the ig- 
 noi-anr. A habit of reverencing the Sabbath 
 is acquired, at the time of life when habits arc 
 formed, and when Sabbath-breaking is often 
 the firft ilep in that broad way which leadeth 
 to deftrudion. A good foundation is laid for 
 the time to come i memory is ftored with the 
 truths, and laws, and confolations of God ; 
 the lender heart receives its firft indelible im- 
 preflions from the facred oracle ; the opening 
 mind is occupied and interefted with things 
 concerning falvation, and the way of life is 
 chofen. 
 
 Chriftians, who are not able fingly, might 
 .tinite in a good work of this kind. The con¬ 
 certing, and fuperintending, and promoting it, 
 would be an agreeable and ufeful bond of u- 
 nion. 
 
 The effect of affociating for good works Is 
 ■illuftrated by the Society through whofe means 
 we are now affembled, to offer alms and pray¬ 
 er to God, and to meditate upon his^law. It 
 gives an objeft and an edge to religious zeal; 
 it opens new channels of beneficence ; it gives 
 countenance and fupport to the caufe of Chrift, 
 in which the feeble mind might hefitate to a<ft 
 alone; by the multitude of counfellors ufeful 
 plans are devifed and ripened. It forms a con- 
 iraft to the numerous affociations throughout 
 the land, where money and luxury in various 
 fliapes are the objects. While we read in the 
 VoL. IV. F Prophet 
 
 
On Alms. 
 
 
 Ser. 7. 
 
 Prophet Malachl fome humiliating charafters 
 of the prefent age, we turn with comfort 
 to another branch of the prophecy, which is 
 alfo accomplifhed. “ Then they that feared the 
 ‘‘ Lord fpake often together, and the Lord 
 
 hearkened and heard ; and a book of re- 
 “ membrance was written for them that fear- 
 “ ed the Lord, and that thought on his 
 
 name.” Mai. iii. 16. 
 
 A little money may be ufefully laid out on 
 well-chofen books for lending to the poor. 
 The poor have leifure hours ; they can read, 
 and fome of them love reading *, but they can¬ 
 not purchafe books, and may fall on improper 
 ones. By being properly fupplied, they efcape 
 the temptation to idlenefs, and vain thoughts, 
 and foolilh talking; their minds are impro¬ 
 ved, and their converfation furnidted. A mi- 
 nifter of religion might in this way follow out 
 the miniftry of advice, and reproof, and com¬ 
 fort. 
 
 Parifli libraries would be an ufeful inftitu- 
 tion. Reading forms the mind. The influ¬ 
 ence of books at the Reformation was mighty, 
 and is at all limes great. In the dawn of know¬ 
 ledge, it was an objeft with Leighton and o- 
 thers, to furnifti the clergy with books. By 
 private and circulating libraries, the middle 
 ranks are now furnilhed. By a parifli library, 
 knowledge would defcend. Under a mini- 
 fler’s dire<Rion, poifonous books would be ex¬ 
 cluded, and good ones chofen, fuited to the 
 young, the tlioughtlefs, the bufy, the fick, the 
 mourner, the melancholy, the aged. An ap¬ 
 petite 
 
Cu Antis^ 
 
 petite for controverfy will fubfide when better 
 food is provided. The expcnce of fuch a plan, 
 if properly explained and recommended, would 
 perhaps be fumifhed in fome parilhes by he¬ 
 ritors, or well-difpofed individuals. Religious 
 ladies, who minifter kindly and liberally to the 
 bodily wants and difeafes of the poor, would 
 minifter with equal kindnefs and liberality to 
 the wants and diieales of their fouls. Mini- 
 fters and others might thence be excited to write 
 practical treatifes fuited to the times. The puri¬ 
 tans, who excel in this kind of writing, new- 
 modelled antiquated books, and adapted reli¬ 
 gious inftrudlion to their own day. Since they 
 wrote, a c-entury has elapfed. Knowledge is 
 increafed. Language, and tafte, and manners, 
 and circumftances, both private and national, 
 have undergone a change. By adapting reli¬ 
 gious inftruclion in fermons and books to ac¬ 
 tual circumftances, mankind are prepared for 
 the reign of Chrift. 
 
 IV. I. Give alms cf fuch things as you have^ 
 
 Silver and gold have I none,” faid Petei' to 
 a lame man who alked alms, but fuch as I 
 “ have give I thee. In the name of Jefus 
 
 Chrift of Nazareth rife up and walk.” There 
 are gifts of the Spirit more excellent than that 
 of miracles, and far more excellent than fiU 
 ver and gold, which may ftill be exercifed in 
 works of mercy. The afteftionate and en¬ 
 lightened cafuift, who puts his foul in my 
 foul’s ftead, treating my wounded fpirit with 
 
 F 2 wife 
 
On Alms. 
 
 »Y24 
 
 Scr. 7. 
 
 ■wife and kind attention, I’efolving my doubts, 
 clearing the way of duty, leading me to my 
 Father j he gives not as the world giveth. 
 They who confider the cafe of fouls, and mi- 
 nifter to their necefiities and wants, enter into 
 the fpirit of Chrift’s precept, and follow clofe- 
 ly his fteps of mercy. “ Who is weak,” fays 
 the apoftle, “ and I am not weak ? Who is 
 
 offended, and I burn not ?” tie entered in¬ 
 to the weakneffes of his brethren, that he 
 might ftrengthen them ; into their offences, 
 that he might reclaim and conciliate. 
 
 Look not every man on his own things, but 
 every man alfo on the things of others. A man 
 muft look on his own things lirfl and moft, 
 becaufe there he is moft accountable ; but the 
 precept is Ipelled againft a cold contracted 
 J’pirir, which takes no concern in the things 
 ,of otliers, and repclls every motive to action 
 but feififhnefs. Many gifts are beftowed for 
 rendering us ufeful to others *, and he who 
 looks only to his own things, buries his ta¬ 
 lent in the earth. Let us confider one an¬ 
 other, to provoke to love and to good works. 
 
 Some who cannot give much alms, can per- 
 fuade the rich to give. Wifdom, and elo¬ 
 quence, and influence of every kind, are wor¬ 
 thily exerted in the caufe of charity. Even 
 bad men may be influenced. Herod heard 
 John the Baptift gladly, and did many things. 
 When the feed falls on good ground, it yields 
 fruit an hundred fold. King Edward the Sixth, 
 in confequence of Biiliop Ridley’s fermon on 
 
 alms, 
 
alms, founded St Bartholomew’s hofpkal for the 
 
 fick and wounded, Bridewell for the wilfully 
 idle and mad, and Chriftchurch for orphans. 
 After laying a foundation upon ■which fo ma¬ 
 ny works of mercy have fince been built, he 
 blefled God for fparing him to accomphfli 
 this fervice, and died the more contented . 
 The rich fliould be exhorted in life, and at 
 death, to be rich in good works. It is, for the 
 mofl part, proper in a teftament, to leave fome- 
 thing to the poor, efpecially to poor i-elations. 
 
 In the prefent times, this duty is often ne-' 
 glefted, and thofe who counfel the lick Pnould 
 remind them of it. It is ftill more important 
 while in health, that we “ conlidcr one an- 
 « other, to provoke unto love and to good 
 “ works; and fo much the more, as we fee 
 ‘‘ the day approaching.” Heb. x. 24* 
 
 Let us confider one another^ the power of 
 doing good which each polTelTes, and how to 
 bring it to adl; the fnares of worldlinefs which 
 are laid for each, and how to break them; 
 the good works which require a combination, 
 and how to co-operate in fulfilling them. Con- 
 verlation has great influence upon condu6t : 
 it is eafy to ftir up felfilbnefs and wrath by 
 the tongue, and by the fame inftrument we 
 may provoke to love and to good works ; 
 there are principles of benevolence, which in 
 young minds may be cherilhed and drawn 
 
 * Burnet’s Hiltory of the Reformation. 
 
 F 3 forthj 
 
126 
 
 On Jhni, 
 
 Ser. 7. 
 
 forth, by prefeming kind and compaffionalc 
 views, by combating ungenerous and cruel 
 maxims, by approving and ripening plans of 
 ufefulnefs. Though it be wrong to boaft of 
 alms, yet they may fafely be fpoke of in the 
 way of mutual confultation, and advice, and 
 incitement: by fuch a confidential intercourfe, 
 proper objedts are difcovered, and impofition 
 detected, knowledge in the dodlrine of alms 
 is increafed, the heart is enlarged, and ge¬ 
 nerous aifedlions kindle. Ordinary couverfa** 
 tion is very properly feafoned with the praifs 
 of goodnefs : indignation at vice may be tin¬ 
 ged with perfonal animofity, but the love and 
 the praife of virtue indicate and cherifh pure 
 and undefiled religion. 
 
 2 . The learned may provoke to love and to 
 good works, by propofing arguments and mo¬ 
 tives ; by writing the hiftory of thofe who ex¬ 
 cel in ufefulnefs; by celebrating fuch as have 
 opened new fources of benevolence, and en¬ 
 tered untrodden paths of mercy. If praife be 
 due to inventors who enlarge the fphere of 
 happinefs, it is alfo due to thofe who diminifli 
 the fphere of mifery. 
 
 Fiditious charaflers of goodnefs are often 
 di'awn j and though their imprcffion be for 
 the mofl part airy and fallacious, yet while 
 the tafte for fuch reading continues, they are 
 wholefomer food for the imagination than 
 much that it is apt to feed upon. 
 
 Truth is preferable to fiction; it conveys 
 knowledge with more effect, and a pure mind 
 
 relifhes 
 
On Jims. 
 
 127 
 
 relifhes it more. Such a book as Hoiaardort 
 the State of Ptifons in Englandy interefts and 
 edifies. Mifery is beheld in forms little 
 thought of, not phantaftical, but real forms. 
 
 A pattern of mercy is fet before us, not in word 
 but in deed. We fee the knowledge of laws 
 and of arts, of religion and of the world, ren- 
 dered fubfervient, and learn what this mean- 
 eth. Let love abound •with all knowledge. We 
 trace the footfteps of love ftrong as death, in 
 its exertions and its influences. Sympathetic 
 emotions incite the powerful to amend laws 
 lefs humane to prifoners in Britain than on 
 the Continent, and to check illegal impofi- 
 tions on the unhappy i they incite the private 
 citizen to alleviate miferies lefs under the pu¬ 
 blic eye, and lefs connected with guilt than 
 thofe of prifoners. To the devout reader, 
 profpeas of God’s adminiftration open. 
 
 “ From heaven God beholds the earth, to 
 hear the groaning of the prifoner. He 
 fends his fervant the organ of his compafllon, 
 having trained him by the forrows of captivi¬ 
 ty from cruel men. “ Surely the wrath of 
 man (hall praife thee, and the refidue of 
 
 *« wrath wilt thou reflrain.” 
 
 Even the doarine of alms, when accom- 
 modated to the fituations which arife in the 
 “ life of.an inhabitant of this country in thefe 
 times,” as in Paley’s fyftem of Morals, may 
 affift the praaice. By perufing there the ob¬ 
 ligation to alms, the manner of giving them, 
 and the pretences for negUaing them anfwer- 
 F 4 
 
128 
 
 On Alms. 
 
 Scr. 7. 
 
 ed ; a benevolent reader is more “ thorough- 
 “ ly furniftied unto all good works.” 
 
 Efforts of genius and philofophy are praife- 
 worthy, in proportion to their influence on 
 virtue and happinefs. “ Men of deep re- 
 “ fearch and curious inquiry,” fays Bifhop 
 Butler, “ fliould juft be put in mind not to 
 “ miftake what they are doing. If their dif- 
 coveries ferve the caufe of virtue and reli- 
 *' gion in the way of proof, motive to prac- 
 “ tice, or afliftance in itj or if they tend to 
 render life lefs unhappy, and promote its 
 “ faiisfa<ftions j then they ai’e moft ufcfully 
 “ employed.” 
 
 The art of inftru<fting the deaf and dumb 
 is a high and happy eftbrt of genius**. It 
 reflecls honour on the underftanding and 
 heart of thofe who pradlifeit: it makes light 
 to arife on fuch as fit in darknefs, and calls 
 forth their latent powers: it renders the poo? 
 who are in fuch circumftances, objefls of ef¬ 
 ficient charity. Contributions were formerly 
 made for the redemption of flaves : a contri¬ 
 bution for inftrufting the deaf and dumb, may 
 be confidered as a ranfom for the foul, for 
 opening the prifon-doox', and fetting its fa¬ 
 culties free. 
 
 Experiences recorded and formed into ma¬ 
 xims, are “ gilts of the wife.” Bolomon, and 
 
 * This Art is happily revived in Scotland by Mr 
 John Johnfton writing-mafter in Edinburgh. 
 
 \ 
 
 the 
 
the fon of Syrac, have bertowed fuch gifts on 
 men. The application of religious and mora 
 principles to particular ftations and profef- 
 fions, is learned from experience. From Mar¬ 
 cus Antoninus, kings and princes of the 
 earth may learn tvildom. In Sic Matthew 
 Hale’s Contemplations, the laws of virtue, an 
 the praaice of piety, are applied to the cha- 
 raaer and office of a Judge. Dr Gregoiy 
 teaches the duties of a phyftcian. In every 
 profcffion. there are peculiar temptations and 
 peculiar duties beh known to profeffional 
 men. The difcipline preparatory for mer- 
 chandife, are taught by a merchant in his 
 Prefent to an Apprentice. The pradice of vir¬ 
 tue and piety in trade, are well explained in the 
 Religious tradesman, lately republilhed by the 
 • Society in Scotland for promoting Religious 
 Knowledge among the Poor. 1 here are wife 
 and good men in every profefiion and fphere 
 of life> fome of whom are qualified to inftruiR 
 thofe of their own calling and iphere. Pio- 
 feffional knowledge is often taught in bcoics ; 
 the prefent propofal is, that protcfiional mo¬ 
 
 rals be alfo taught. ■ 
 
 o. Give alms of fuch things as are in your 
 power. Ere long they will be out of your 
 power. Delay in doing good, is equally coni- 
 mon and equally dangerous as in caifing to do 
 evil. If, in lillening to the doiSlrine of alms 
 as at this hour, a kind purpofe fpi ings up m 
 
 your heart, preferve, and cherilh, and halten to 
 
13® Alms. . Ser. 7. 
 
 fulfil it. Beware left the, God of this world 
 fuatch it away, left returning felfilhnefs root 
 it out. Beware of refifting the fpirit of love. 
 Liften not to the worldly maxims of pretend- 
 , ed. friends. Shun profane mockers, whofe, 
 breath of ridicule in an unprincipled age, has, 
 hlafted fo many feeds of goodnefs. Be jea« 
 lous over your own changeable deceitful 
 hearts. Inftead of endlefs mufing on your, 
 purpofed good, and talking about and expo- 
 ling it, or plucking the honour prematurely— 
 Doit. 
 
 The opportunity for alms may be loft by 
 delay. The poor child grows up in ignorance, 
 and ill habits, while you are forming a plan 
 to educate him. The naked' are fuffering^ 
 from cold, while your fuperfluous garments 
 are moth-eaten. The fick man is dying, and 
 your cordials may come too late. A word, 
 fpoken in feafony How good is it! but how quick¬ 
 ly and irrevocably does the feafon pafs! You, 
 yourfelf are mortal. How many plans of a- 
 mendment and benevolence does unexpedled, 
 death for ever fruftrate ! 
 
 Teftamentary alms are not always fure. Mr. 
 Mayot, a godly man in Charles the Second’s 
 time, bequeathed fix hundred pounds to e- 
 je^ted minifters, not becaufe they were non- 
 conformifts, but becaufe many fuch were poor 
 and pious, to be diftributed by Richard Bax¬ 
 ter. This bequeft was, in the fpirit of Chriftian, 
 love, committed to an apoftolic man for the.. 
 
 relief 
 
On Jims. 
 
 13 ^ 
 
 relief of God's fervants in adverffty. In his 
 life-time he might have made the relief efFcc- 
 tuali but the Icing’s Attorney, Sir Robert 
 Sawyer, fued for it in Chancery, and the Lord 
 Keeper North gave it all to the King. “ I 
 “ had got in all my life,” faid Richard Baxter 
 of himfelf, “ the juft fum of a thoufand 
 pounds. Having no child, I devoted it to 
 charity. Before my purpofe was accom- 
 plilhed, the King caufed his Exchequer to 
 be fhut, and it was loft, which I mention to 
 “ counfel any man that would do good, to 
 “ do it fpeedily and with all his might*. 
 There are many inftances of benevolent pur- 
 pofes fruftrated by delay. They are fo many 
 reafons for doing the good we intend when it 
 is moft needed, and while it is in the power of 
 our hand to do it. 
 
 4. Do good to all men as you have opportiini' 
 iy, or in feafon, as the word fignifies. They 
 lhall reap who fow in due feafon. Our owas 
 circumftances, and thofe of others, mark the 
 feafons for doing good. 
 
 Deliverance, for example, from dangerous 
 difeafe, or from any imminent danger, 
 pi-ompts the rich to give alms as a token of 
 gratitude, as an expreflion of fympathy with 
 thofe who fuft'er, and as a fruit of the warn¬ 
 ing they have received, that the time of life 
 and ufefulnefs-is uncertain as well as fliort. 
 
 To thofe who return from abroad with an 
 cverftowing cup, it is the feafon for devifing 
 liberal things, for comforting their parents,. 
 
 * Baxter’s Life written by himfelf. 
 
 E 6/ \ foil- 
 
On Alms, 
 
 132 
 
 Ser. 7^ 
 
 for extending to their relation? fuch peade a? 
 the world giveth, for difperfing and giving to 
 the poor, for realihng the plans of benevo¬ 
 lence which they formed in early years. To 
 fuch it is indeed a prior duty to review their 
 method of acquiring, and to judge it by thej 
 Chriftian rule, God hatcth robbery- for a burnt- 
 offering. Let the honed pofTcflbr of riches 
 confider Solomon’s fentence, There is no good 
 in them, but for a man to rejoice and to do good. 
 The. enlightened zealous pradfice of good 
 works is a Ihield from idlenefs, ufeledhefs, fri¬ 
 volity, languor, and I’uicide. 
 
 Upon fome occahons, a ftretch in expence 
 is reckoned fit, as at a funeral, a marnage- 
 feaft, the departure of a friend, or the meet¬ 
 ing of friends who have long been feparated. 
 Upon occafion of general or local calamity, it 
 feems fit for Chriftians who have it at all in 
 their power to make a firetch in alms. In a 
 tender heart motives fpring up and multiply. 
 Have we indulged expenfive curiofity and va¬ 
 nity without a grudge, and (hall we grudge a 
 fimilar expence to indulge compaflion ? Do 
 we fpend in an evening what might feed a poor 
 family a week, and fhall we not impart fuper- 
 fluity to neceflity ? Have we loft money by 
 fraudulent debtors ? let us lend part of what 
 reiuAins to the Lord, whi will afiurtdly repay. 
 H as God profpered you in the world ? bring 
 forward your thank offering. Is the dearth 
 ©f provifion a mean of wealth to you ? double 
 
 your 
 
O'}} Alms* 
 
 ^33r 
 
 your bounty to the indigent. Have you any 
 caufc of joy? hallow it by alms. Is your 
 mind troubled ? the fruit of mercy is peace,. 
 Do you know from experience the pleafure o£ 
 doing good? let the remembrance of that 
 pleafure, and the increafing objeds of benefi¬ 
 cence, excite. you to abound more and morSi, 
 Have you forgotten to do good, and lo.com- 
 municate ? Ood is long-fuffering j but if you 
 ftill neglect the opportunity, how aggravated 
 the guilt! Deliverance will be wrought, for 
 God is our Father; but lhall you be able to 
 forgive yourfclves, if you rcfuie to be fellow-- 
 workers with him in relieving his children? 
 ‘Will it not caule future regret to the Chriltiani 
 who has of this world’s goods, if he is not li¬ 
 beral in times of need ? Could we fuppofe 
 regret in heaven, it would Ipring up from the 
 remembrance (not of uncharitablenefs, for 
 the uncharitable are not there) but from the 
 remembrance of a fparing hand, when Chrift 
 will ieem to fay of your fcanty offering, /f^as 
 this thy kindtiefs to thy friend? We know not 
 diffinftly the fentiments of a future ffate ; but 
 we know this. He that fovjeth fparingly^ Jhall 
 reap alfo fparingly. 
 
 "V. An important branch of the fubjecSl 
 remains. Take heed that ye do not your alms 
 before men^ to be Jeen of men. Let not the 
 love of praife be your motive. Do not foimd 
 a trumpet before theCf as the hypocrites do. 
 
 Make 
 
134 
 
 On Almti 
 
 Scr. 7^ 
 
 Make no oftentatious difplay of alms. Let 
 not your left hand know what your right hand 
 doth. Be as fecret in conveying relief as is 
 confiftent with rendering it effedlual. If thine 
 eye be fingle^ if the intention be right, thy 
 whole body fhall be full of light; every ftep and 
 circumftance of duty fhall be properly di- ' 
 ref^ed. 
 
 The apoftle’s inftru^lion on this fubje£f is 
 a good abridgement of his Mailer’s. He that 
 givethf let him do it with fimplicity. Give with 
 Iknplicity, without magnifying or vilifying^ 
 your gift, without curious reftedlion on the 
 temper with which it is received, or the light 
 in which it may appear to others ; without 
 the retours of vanity and felf-complacency ; 
 without afFcilation of any kind j for even the 
 aSedlation of fecrecy is againfl that fimplicity 
 with which we ought to give. 
 
 Do not your alms before men, to be feen of 
 men. They may be done before men, though 
 from a higher motive than to be feen and 
 praifed. Compaffion muft not be fupprefled, 
 becaufe the relief which it affords is vifible. 
 If we do good to all as we have opportunity,, 
 it will fometimes appear, and it is fometimes 
 fit that it fhould. Regard is due to appear¬ 
 ances. Abfain from the appearance of evil. 
 Let not your good be evil fpoken of. Think on. 
 things that are lovely and of good report. The 
 appearance of a covetous temper is evil; the, 
 
 appearance; 
 
. On Alms.>, 13 S' 
 
 appearance of a merciful temper is lovely, and 
 of good report. 
 
 One living on a rich inheritance, without 
 child or brother, who (hews no kindnefs to 
 his relations, whofe tenants often feel the ri¬ 
 gour of juftice unqualified by equitable and 
 humane confiderations, whofe mercy never 
 extends to the poor on his eftate, who aban¬ 
 dons his domeftic fervants in age and. filcknefs, 
 who contributes nothing to public plans of be¬ 
 neficence, and whofe fcanty offering in the 
 houfe of God is a reproach i this man has the 
 appearance of covetoufnefs: an hofpital rifijig 
 on his aihes, is not an atonement. 
 
 One in fimilar circumftances, who puts on 
 bowels of mercies, is lovely and of good re¬ 
 port. He is a city fet on a hill, which cannot 
 be hid. His wealth is known, and the fymp- 
 toms of it are obferved j but with the know¬ 
 ledge and obfervation of his wealth are com¬ 
 bined, the knowledge and obfervation of his. 
 public fpirit and humanity. His devotion 
 and alms in the houfe of God are exem¬ 
 plary. The plenty and peace in his own houfe, 
 with goodnefs and mercy following his do- 
 meftics, all their lives, render it defirable to 
 be a hired fervant there. On his eftate the 
 remains of bondage are abolifhed, and his te¬ 
 nants fecured in long and peaceable pofTeffion. 
 To fuch as are oppreffed, he is a refuge. Poor 
 families, whom the cruel are fo eager to thruft 
 out, he plants in houfcs, and. inftitutes em,-^ 
 
 ployment 
 
On Alms. 
 
 I3fj 
 
 Scr. 7. 
 
 ployment for their children. In all his im¬ 
 provements, and in all his ornaments, it is a 
 leading objeft to feed the poor with the bread 
 of induftiy. Like his Father in heaven, he 
 pours mercy over all his works. None of his 
 induftrious poor are forgotten in the day of 
 their calamity, “ He is as a hiding place from 
 “ the ftorm,' and a covert from the tempeff, 
 as rivers of water in a dry place, and the 
 “ lhadow of a great rock in a weary land.’* 
 Let your light fo Jhine before men^ that o- 
 ihers may fee your good works ; that the re¬ 
 proach of avarice may not fall on Chriftians, 
 that Wifdom may be juflified of her children, 
 that God may be glorified. 
 
 Still the praife of men is a low motive, and 
 a fmall reward ; it is partial, and limited, and 
 evanefcent, and fo is the pleafure which it 
 yields. A Chriftian fhould rife above and look 
 beyond it. The right motive in giving alms, is 
 to him a matter of high, of everlafting con- 
 fequence. I fhall therefore conclude by lug- 
 gefting fome confiderations which tend to pu¬ 
 rify our alms, to exclude vain glory, and to 
 clothe them with humility. 
 
 17?, Confider alms as given to the offspring 
 of God, who has made of one blood all the 
 families of the earth, who has by Jefus Chrilf: 
 united believers into one body, of which he 
 is the Head. While under the influence of 
 thefe views, an obligation to aflift the poor is 
 felt, and neceffity is laid upon us to relieve 
 
 the 
 
the niiferable. It is no longer a work of fu-^ 
 pererogation or ground of boafting j it is on¬ 
 ly doing what is equal and right. He that 
 hath gives to him that needethj—he difcharges 
 a trull committed to him by God, You con¬ 
 tribute to an afylum for orphans—they are 
 the children of your Father in heaven. You 
 bring up an orphan in your houfc—it is pro¬ 
 viding for a younger child of the family. You 
 minitler to a poor neighbour in diftrefs—it is 
 one member of the body fympathiling with and 
 minillringto another member that fuflfers. You 
 have done what was your duty to do. 
 
 idt Keep in mind, that the means of doing 
 good which are now poflefled, mull be all ac¬ 
 counted for ; that of them to whom much is 
 given the more will be required ; that a large 
 trull involves flrong temptations, and “ it is 
 “ hard for a rich man to enter into the king- 
 *- dom of heaven.” A rich man, who lH 
 
 Chrift, has peculiar reafons for humility and 
 godly fear. Under manifold temptations to 
 forget God and his needy brethren, and a 
 judgement to come, he feels himfelf on flip- 
 pery places, from whence many have fallen 
 into deftruiStion and perdition; His prayer 
 alcends for deliverance in danger, for difccrn* 
 ment of the bell ways of doing good, and fof 
 a heart to walk in them. Studying the laws, 
 and following the fleps of the Son of God, 
 he never accounts that he has already attain¬ 
 ed or is already perfect. 
 
*38 
 
 On Alms^ 
 
 Scr» y* 
 
 3J, Endeavour to grow in goodnefs. Va¬ 
 nity will fubfide in proportion as love and 
 good works increafe and multiply. It is of 
 the firft and feeble afts of virtue a man is apt 
 to boaft; owing to felf-ignorance, and igno¬ 
 rance of the law of God, which is exceeding 
 broad. As he grows in goodnefs, other fen- 
 timents will arife. How manifold the evils 
 ** around me which excite compallion ! how 
 “ few of them can I remove or alleviate! how 
 inadequate to my powers have my exertions 
 “ hitherto been ! I am grieved for miferies 
 “ beyond my help. I am humbled for nc- 
 ** gledling what I might and ought to have 
 “ done.” Thefe fentiments, which indeed are 
 evidences of growth in grace, impel him to 
 leave the things behind, and to prefs forward 
 in the path of mercy and humility. 
 
 Mingle devotioa with alms. In our 
 intercourfe with fellow-creatures, thoughts of 
 vanity are apt to arife, but they dlfappear in 
 the prefence of God. Come into his courts^ and 
 bring an offering ivith you. Your offering there 
 is a memorial of gratitude, an expreffion of 
 gratitude for favours received, an evidence of 
 love to him who loved you. While divine 
 mercy is celebrated in the affembly of the 
 faints, they feel the pureft and the highefl 
 motives to be merciful. In the exercife of 
 mercy, their fellowfhip is with the Father and 
 with the Son. 
 
 ^tht Look to the recompencc of reward." 
 
 Your 
 
On Alms* 
 
 139 
 
 Your Father, who feeth in fecret, fhall re¬ 
 ward you openly^ Sufpend and elevate your 
 love of praife. Jefus will confefs you before 
 his Father, and acknowledge your kindnelTes 
 to his brethren as done to himfelf. “ In'that 
 “ day, the prifoncr and the afili£led, the poor 
 “ and the comfortlefs, the widow and the or- 
 “ phan, who have been in every generation, 
 fhall rife up and acknowledge before the 
 “ general affembly of created beings, all who 
 fyinpathifed with them, and took them up, 
 and cared for them in this wildernefs, wiU 
 “ plead in their behalf, and call them blelTed. 
 
 The Judge of all the earth will confirm the 
 <* blefling, Come^ ye blejfed of my Father^ in- 
 “ herit the kingdom prepared for you** 
 
 S E R- 
 
 f 
 
SERMON VIII. 
 
 The Reputation of the Righteous. 
 
 By James Finlayson, V. D. M. and Profef- 
 for of Logic in the Univerlity of Edin¬ 
 burgh, 
 
 Preached at Borthwick, Dec. 23. 1787, being the 
 firft. Sunday after the interment of the Right 
 Honourable Robei-t Dutidas of Arnifton, Efqj 
 Lord Prefident of the Court of Sefiion. 
 
 Psalm cxii. 6. 
 
 The Righteous Jloall “be in everlajling remcni- 
 hrance* 
 
 '“pHE defire of reputation is natural to man. 
 
 It is a part of the focial conftitution; 
 which God has given us; and, when properly 
 directed, has a powerful tendency to promote 
 our moral perfe(Slion. By uniting the appro¬ 
 bation of our brethren to the teftimony of our 
 confeience, it heightens the reward of righte- 
 oufnefs, and imparts to virtue an energetic 
 vigour, which enables her to defpife the al¬ 
 lurements ot indolence, to refifl: the tempta¬ 
 tions of in^^refl: and of pleafure, and to guide 
 
 her 
 
The Reputation of the Righteous. 
 
 141 
 
 her votary, through feenes even of danger 
 and death, to great and honourable con- 
 du6l. 
 
 This principle, which has fo extenfive power 
 in forming the charadler of men, is infeparable 
 from their nature. It appears in the mind at 
 a very early period, furnifliing to the Ikilful 
 inftruftor an important inftrument of difei- 
 pline and education. It feems to colledt force 
 as our faculties advance towards maturity. ^In 
 a genei'ous breaft it continues to burn with en- 
 creafing ardour through the whole of life: 
 And though bafer minds, hardened by habi¬ 
 tual guilt, may become lefs fenfible to its in» 
 fluence ; yet, even in them, it cannot be to¬ 
 tally extinguifhed. In the loweft flage of their 
 degeneracy, they (till retain fome regard to 
 the judgement of the world. They have ftill 
 fome friends whofe opinion they refpecl, fome 
 aflbeiates whofe contempt they are unwilling 
 to provoke, fome eftimable qualities, on which 
 they hope to build their fame, and to fecure a 
 portion of applaufe. 
 
 But a portion of applaufe from our imme¬ 
 diate neighbours will not latisfy the ambition 
 of our minds. We delire not the efteem of 
 our cotemporaries alone. Extending our 
 profpe£ts through a wider fphere, we feek 
 to be approved by the fpirits of the juft 
 who adorned the ages that are pail: \ and 
 look forward, with fond expectation, to the 
 reverence that awai^ us, after this moital 
 
 frame lhall have mouldered into duft. As if 
 
 actuated 
 
t4t Reputation of the Righteous. Ser. 8. 
 
 aftuated by a prefage of our immortal defti- 
 nation, and of the intereft which we (hall yet 
 take in future feenes, we often difeover great¬ 
 er anxiety to fecure the applaufe of pofterity, 
 than of thofe who are our immediate fpe£fca- 
 tors in the bufinefs of life. How often has 
 the patriot, trufting to the judgement of fu¬ 
 turity, proceeded with his work of reforma¬ 
 tion, in oppofition to the combined prejudices 
 of his cotemporaries, unable as yet to appreti- 
 ate thereafons of his conduct ? Even when he 
 falls, in the caufe of freedom, a martyr to the 
 ignorance or corruption of the times, how 
 often do we fee him fmiling on death with a 
 generous triumph, looking forward through 
 the infamy which now covers him to the ap¬ 
 probation of a more enlightened age, and 
 bleffing his enemies for their malevolence, 
 which but confummates the glory of his vir¬ 
 tue, and tranfmits his deathlefs fame with a 
 fuperior lufti'e to the lateft generations. 
 
 But though the defire of reputation be na¬ 
 tural to man, and though it operates with pe¬ 
 culiar force in the nobleft minds; yet it is not 
 to be followed as the guide of our conduct. 
 In itfelf it is a blind impulfe, and produces ef¬ 
 fects that are either good or bad, according to 
 the direction which it receives. If it leads us 
 tofeek the efteem of our brethren by methods 
 which our confcience condemns, to court 
 their applaufe by flattering their follies or 
 their paffions, to cultivate only the accom- 
 
 pliftiments 
 
- 7he Reputation of the Righteous. 143 
 
 plifliments which coincide with the prepoflef- 
 fions of the times, or to affume the appearance 
 of accompliihments which we do not poflefs, 
 it deviates from the pufpofe which it was in¬ 
 tended to ferve. It is valuable only when it 
 a^s in fubordination to the principles of vir¬ 
 tue, and gives additional force to their impref- 
 fion. Separated from thefe principles, it be* 
 comes a fource of corruption and depravity. 
 Inftead of animating the foul to generous 
 deeds, it defeends to fofter the fwellings of 
 vain-glory, and to beget the meannels of often- 
 tation or the vilenefs of hypocrify. 
 
 When the love of praife is perverted to fuch 
 unworthy purpofes, it feldom accomplilhes Its 
 end. For though the artifices of deceit may 
 fucceed for a while, and obtain for the un- 
 deferving a temporary applaufe, yet the con- 
 ftitution of things has placed an infuperable 
 bar between the pradllce of iniquity and a du¬ 
 rable reputation. The joy of the hypocrite, 
 faith the feripture, fhall laft but for a moment. 
 The name of the wicked fliall rot, and the 
 remembrance of him perifli from the earth. 
 Yea, the light of the wicked fhall be put out, 
 and the fpark of his fire fhall not fhine. To 
 the virtuous alone belongs the reward of lad¬ 
 ing glory; and the Almighty will not fufter a 
 flranger to intermeddle with their joy. For 
 them Providence has prepared the approba¬ 
 tion of the age in which they live, and their 
 memorial defeends to warm the admiration of 
 fucceeding times. Light is fown for the up¬ 
 right i 
 
144 Reputation of the Righteous. Ser. 8. 
 
 right; the memory of the juft is blefled ; and 
 the righteous ftiall be in everlafting remem¬ 
 brance. 
 
 This, Chriftians, is a comfortable doctrine. 
 It tends in fome degree to reftrain the over¬ 
 flowings of iniquity ; and it fupports the cou¬ 
 rage of good men amid all the difficulties with 
 •which they have to ftruggle. Let me there- 
 fore.claim your attention, while I proceed to 
 fuggeft a few obfervations, for the purpofe of 
 confirming this important truth. That the 
 practice of righteoufnefs is the moft effectual 
 method to fecure the efteem and confidence 
 of the men with whom we live,—and that it 
 will tranfmit our names with honour to po- 
 fterity. 
 
 When God formed the human mind, he 
 formed it after his own image, imprefled with 
 the love of' righteoufnefs, and the hatred of 
 iniquity. And though the glory of our na¬ 
 ture be now much defaced, yet the remains 
 of this original conftitution are ftill found in 
 it, difpofing us to approve and reverence what¬ 
 ever bears the mark of integrity. Amid the 
 ruins of the fall, virtue is ftiil a lovely form, 
 fitted to attradl and captivate the heart of 
 man. On every character that bears the im- 
 preffion of her features, ftie diffufes a refiftlefs 
 charm, which renders it the natural objedt of 
 our efteem, which gives us an intereft in its 
 fortune, which extorts refpejSl: from the wick¬ 
 ed themfelves, and forces them to acknow¬ 
 ledge, 
 
The Reputation of the RlghtcGU^-, 145 
 
 j ledge, that the righteous is more excellent 
 A than his neighbour. 
 
 I This approbation of worthy conduct Is tlie 
 immediate dilate of our nature, and fprings 
 E up in our hearts without any regard to the 
 I advantages that refult from it. We applaud 
 i juftice and generofity, when they appear ia 
 I dihant ages, or in diftant nations, though their 
 t effects do not extend to us. We refpeef the 
 magnanimity and public fpirit of an enemy, 
 even though they have been employed againft 
 our country. They have a value in them~ 
 felves, independent of the circumftances in 
 which they were exerted, and which every ra¬ 
 tional mind muft perceive and honour. 
 
 But virtue appears ftill more lovely, when 
 viewed in connection with the advantages that 
 /pring from it. God has rendered it necef- 
 fary, in a certain degree at lead, to the exift- 
 euce of fociety ; and the voice of intei-eft con¬ 
 curs with the voice of confcience to celebrate 
 hs praife. It reprefents the righteous as blef- 
 fings to the country where they dwell, as the 
 firmed pillars of the date, and the only per- 
 fons that, in the private intercourfe of life, 
 deferve the confidence of their brethren. The 
 wicked you may indeed fee afiociating toge¬ 
 ther, for the purpofes of riot and diilipation, 
 to fpend an idle hour, and to free themfelves 
 from the horrors of folitude and refieCtion. 
 But who is the man to whom they unbofom 
 themfelves in the confidence of fecrecy j to 
 VoL. IV. G whom 
 
■z^6 The Reputation of the Uightcous. Ser. 
 
 \Yhom they cling in the hour of difficulty ; 
 and by whofe counfels they are conducted in 
 every matter of iniportance ? Who is the man 
 to whom, on the bed of death, they commit 
 the helplefs orphans whom they leave behind 
 them ? In fuch inftances, their conduct pro¬ 
 claims their reverence' for virtue, and declares 
 that the righteous man alone is the objedt of 
 their truR. Though his virtues be a reproof 
 to their own wickednefs ; yet they cannot 
 with-hold from him this honourable teRimo- 
 ny of their approbation. 
 
 But though righteoufnefs, where-ever it is 
 perceived, be the natural and neceflary objedt 
 of refpefl:; yet, in the prefent feene of confu- 
 fion, it is too often mingled with circum- 
 Rances that conceal it from the view of the 
 world. The charaffers of the beR men are here 
 ffiaded wnth manifold imperfections. Even 
 their good qualities are fometimes viewed 
 through the medium of envy or of prejudice. 
 The ffiaft that flies in the dark may wound 
 their reputation, and the competitions of in- 
 tereft divert our attention from their me- 
 I'ir. But thefe circumRances have, for the 
 moR part, but a temporary influence. In con- 
 lecpience of their operation, iinglc and fcat- 
 tered efforts of virtue may be configned to 
 forgetfulnefs ; but an uiiiform fyRem of per- 
 fevering goodnefs will, in general, overcome 
 every obRacie, and obtain for the righteous, 
 even in their lifetime, the praife that is due 
 to their integrity. The God whom they ferve, 
 
 and 
 
147 
 
 The Reputation of the Righteous. 
 
 and In whofe hand are the hearts of men, 
 will bring forth their righteournefs as the 
 light, and their judgement as the noon day. 
 
 A day at lead is coming, which, in the or*, 
 dinary progrefs of events, difplays the cha¬ 
 racters of men with fufficient evidence, and 
 beftows on the juft their merited applaufe. 
 When the work of life is finiflied, an awful 
 tribunal is prepared for the dead in the hearts 
 of thofe who furvive them, appointed by Hea¬ 
 ven to review their conduCt, and to fix the 
 meafure of their fame. Before this tribunal 
 every man muft Hand to receive his fentence : 
 and Providence has fo arranged the courfe of 
 things, as to fecure, in mod cafes, an equi¬ 
 table decldon for the righteous. Death re¬ 
 moves the chief caufes of uncharitable judge¬ 
 ment, and enables us to edimate the value of 
 departed worth, free from the influence of 
 prejudice and paffion. The little jealoufies 
 which darken the reputation of the living, 
 feldom purfue them beyond the limits of the 
 grave. Envy ceafes when their merit has cea- 
 fed to be an obdacle to our ambition. Their 
 imperfections are buried with their bodies in 
 the tomb, and foon forgotten ; while their 
 better qualities, recalled often to our thoughts, 
 and heightened by the Inconveniencies which 
 their departure occafions, live in the remem¬ 
 brance of their neighbours, and receive the 
 tribute of jud approbation. We are even 
 willing to repay them by an excefs of praife 
 for the injury we did them while alive. £m- 
 
 G 2 baltned 
 
The Reputation of the Righteous. Ser. 8. 
 
 balmed with the bleffings of the good, their 
 memory defcends as an inheritance to their po- 
 fterity; and their children’s children, through 
 many generations, refpefted on their account, 
 and animated by the example which they have 
 left, rife up to fliew the image of their virtues, 
 and to call them blefled. 
 
 Thefe, my brethren, are confolations which 
 every good man may carry with him to the 
 bed of death, to fupport his hopes in the hour 
 of diflblution. However humble his lot may 
 have been, yet he may go down to the grave 
 in peace, trufting that his memory lhall not 
 perifla in the duft ; that the remembrance of 
 his virtues fliall live in the circle where his ufe- 
 fulnefs was known ; and that when his Pve- 
 deemer fliall ftand on the earth at the latter 
 day, his righteoufnefs fliall be publiflied to the 
 aflembled world, and crowned with everlaft- 
 jng applaufe. 
 
 But if the righteous man has been called to 
 afl in a fuperior flation, if he has been fent 
 by Heaven, like an angel of mercy, to fcatter 
 bleffings through a guilty land, to fupport the 
 glory of a falling conflitution, to ftrengthen 
 the arm of juftice, and to diffufe her influ¬ 
 ence to the remotefl corners of an empire, his 
 reward will bear a proportion to the good 
 he has performed. Appearing on a more 
 tonfpicuous ffage, his actions are more expo- 
 fed to the obfervation of his brethren ; the 
 eft'efts of his conduct extend to a greater di- 
 ftance j and a more numerous multitude is 
 
 called 
 
rhe Reputation of the Righteous. 149 
 
 called to witnefs and approve his virtue. Tho’ 
 envy may fometimes feek to blaft his riling 
 glory, and rivals threaten to lap the founda¬ 
 tion of his greatnefs, yet integrity is his fure 
 defence, and the applauding voice of a nation 
 is lifted up to deprecate his fall. Every heart 
 takes an intereft in his fortunes. To his de¬ 
 clining years, good men look forward as to 
 a public calamity. If he fickens, the fkilful 
 of the land attend his couch with filial foii- 
 citude j the anxious voice of inquiry is heard 
 at his door ; and the prayers of the faithful 
 afcend to heaven for his recovery. And when 
 he falls his country mourns. Her furrowing 
 nobles affemble in crowds to pay the laft ten¬ 
 der tribute to his memory *, the poor bewail 
 the lofs of their protestor ; and the widow 
 and the orphan are feen weeping at his grave. 
 But angels have bended from their thrones to 
 receive their kindred fpirit, to rejoice with 
 him at the remembrance of the labours he has 
 fuflained, and to welcome his arrival in the 
 manlions of the juft. His.bleeding country, 
 with a generous ardour, labours to perpetuate 
 his woith. The tears of genius fall around 
 his tomb. The faithful page of the hiftorian 
 records his fame, and the fculptured marble 
 tranfmits to pofterity the image of the dead. 
 O ! may it roufe them to the imitation of his 
 virtues j and, like the mantle of Elijah, con¬ 
 vey to future patriots a portion of his fpirit! 
 
 Such, Chriftians, is the care which Provi¬ 
 dence has taken to perpetuate the remera- 
 
 G 3 brance 
 
150 The Reputation of the Righteous. Ser. S. 
 
 brance of the righteous. When vve commit 
 their bodies to the diih, we may truft that 
 their memory will furvive the luins of this 
 mortal tabernacle, and that their fpirits have 
 gone to mingle in the fociety of the blcfTed. 
 On their account, therefore, vve are not per¬ 
 mitted to weep. But when the faithful fail 
 from among men, we may weep for ourfclves, 
 and for our children. On the prefent mourn¬ 
 ful occaflon, we may furely, without a crime, 
 join our voice to the general lamentation of 
 our country, and weep at the remembrance 
 of departed virtue. The diftinguilhed per- 
 fon, whofe remains we lately configned to the 
 tomb, was endeared to us by peculiar ties. 
 Living under his immediate protection, we faw 
 more diftinCtly the wifdom of his conduCt; 
 and Teemed to participate in the honours that 
 were paid him. Defcended from a race of 
 patriots, whofe fervices to their country your 
 infant tongues were taught to rehearfe, he add¬ 
 ed new luftre to the ancient reputation of his 
 family. P..eceiving from nature the principles 
 of a vigorous underflanding, which had been 
 carefully improved by a regular and extenlive 
 education, he Toon attained didinguifhed e- 
 minence in his profeflion at the bar. At an 
 early period of his life, he was called by his fo- 
 vereign to take an aClive fhare in the direCfion 
 of public bufinefs; and in the feafon of dan¬ 
 ger, when a generous, but mifguided, multi¬ 
 tude threatened the ruin of our conftitution, he 
 contributed, pn a very confiderable degree, by 
 
 the 
 
The Reputation of the Righteous. i S i 
 
 the vigour and prudence of his condua, to. 
 difconcert the meafures of rebellion, and to 
 reftore the peace and fecurity of the nation. 
 After rifing through the feveral gradations of 
 law-preferment, and honourably repie.enting 
 his native county in parliament, he was at la t, 
 when in the full vigour of his age, called to 
 fill the moft important office in this 
 the kingdom, to fuperintend the functions o^ 
 public juftice, and to fecure to every fubjedt 
 the free enjoyment of his rights. To t iis o 
 fice he brought an aflemblage of great qua i- 
 ties that are rarely united in the fame perion.. 
 With that minute knowledge of bufinefs whic i 
 practice alone can beftow, he poffiefied an acute- 
 nefs of judgement, which perceived at a glance 
 the point on which any qtiefiion relied ; an 
 extent of memory from which no efiential cii- 
 cumftance could efcape ; and a patience of 
 inveftigation that would have given dillinaion 
 to men whofe abilities were far inferior to his. 
 To thefe intelledlual talents, he added the ItiU 
 more valuable qualities of the heart, a v/aim 
 and fteady love of juftice, with that incorrup¬ 
 tible integrity, which nothing could leduce 
 from the path of duty. Even his external ap¬ 
 pearance wore the afpe^ of command, and 
 infpired an awful refpedl befitting the dignity 
 of a fupreme court. 
 
 With thefe accomplilhments, he took Ins 
 ftation at the head of the bench of Juftice ; 
 and foon rofe, in the general opinion of ns 
 country, to be the firft characler in the i 
 
 G 4 
 
152 "The ’Reputation of the Righteous. Ser. 8 » 
 
 of Prefidents. During the long period of hrs 
 adminiftration, juftice flowed through the land 
 in a clear untroubled ftream, free from thofs 
 obflrudlions that have been To often permitted 
 to retard its courfe, and which are fometimes 
 moi'e ruinous to the contending parties than 
 an iniquitous decifion. Afliduous himfelf and 
 ardent in the duties of his profeflion, he in- 
 fpired into the breads of his colleagues a por¬ 
 tion of the fame fpirit, and introduced into 
 law-proceedings a vigour and difpatch hitherto 
 unknown. Notwithflanding the great increafe 
 of bufinefs which the increafed profperity of ths 
 nation muft have necelTarily occafioned, he 
 left at his death a fmaller number of unde* 
 cided caufes than any of his predecelTors *. 
 
 Thefe were the circumftances that attra^fled 
 the applaufe of his cotemporaries, and which 
 have rendered his death an irreparable cala* 
 inity to the nation. But by us, my Brethren, 
 he was known for other virtues. The public 
 have loft a faithful and able magiftrate ; but 
 we have loft a father and a friend. We faw 
 him in the more private walks of life, and ex* 
 pericnced the warmth of his attachment, or 
 the bleflings of his protection.. The fame ar¬ 
 dour of mind that marked his public charac- 
 
 * At his admiflion to the office, he found bufinefs 
 that had been ready for receiving the judgement of 
 the Court for more than tv/o years. At ,his death, 
 no caufe remained undecided that had been ready for 
 decifion a few weeks before. 
 
The Reputation of the Righteous . 153 
 
 ter, defeended with him to his retirement, 
 to enliven his devotion, and to prompt his be¬ 
 nevolence. Attached to the ordinances of re¬ 
 ligion, and active in his duty as a member os 
 the church, he was ftudious to give you, la 
 this holy place, an example of that public re¬ 
 verence which is due from all to the Father 
 of their fpirits.^ Hofpitable in his dlfpofition, 
 attentive in his manner, lively in his conver- 
 fation, and heady In his friendlhips, he was 
 peculiarly formed to fecure the efteem of his 
 acquaintance, and to promote the intercouiTe 
 of focial life. The poor who mourn for his 
 lofs, and his domeftics who have grown old 
 in his fervice, teftify the general humanity of 
 his mind. But his family alone knew the 
 warmth of his paternal affections •, his family 
 alone, and thofe who have feen him mingling, 
 with them in the tendernefs of domeftic ea* 
 dearment, who have marked his eye Iwimming 
 with a parent’s fondnefs, while he fuiveyed 
 the numerous progeny fent by Heaven to blifs 
 the evening of his day, and to tranfmit the 
 memory and the image of bis virtues to their 
 fucceeding race,. Thefe were aftbaions which 
 he laboured to conceal. But they were mark¬ 
 ed by thofe who ftudied his conduCt: they ais 
 recorded in the regifter of heaven, and wiU 
 meet their reward. 
 
 Such were the qualities that adorned the il- 
 luarious Judge whofe death we now deplore, 
 if he had his failings, (and the lot of huma- 
 
 G 5 
 
3 54 Reputation of the Righteous. Ser. 8. 
 
 nity, alas ! was alfo his), they were the fail¬ 
 ings of a great mind, and fprang from the 
 fame impetuofity of temper which was the 
 fource of his nobleft virtues. But they are 
 now gone to the drear abode of forgetfulnefs ; 
 while his better qualities live in the hearts of 
 the good, and will defcend in the records of 
 fame to roufe the emulation of diftant ages. 
 He has gone himfelf to his deftined habita¬ 
 tion, to appear before the Great Judge of all, 
 and to receive according to his deeds. Let 
 us, my Brethren, prepare to follow him. For 
 though we be ftill permitted to prolong the 
 term of our probation, and to enjoy the fo- 
 ciety of our friends on earth, yet we alfo muft 
 foon enter the narrow houfe, and mingle our 
 bones with the afhes of our fathers. God a- 
 lone knows the hour that is appointed to lay 
 us with the dead. To fome, he grants a term 
 of many years, and enables them to rejoice 
 in them all ; while others fcarcely open their 
 eyes to the light of heaven, when he com¬ 
 mands them to withdraw again into darknefs 
 and difappear. Of thofe who joined us in 
 paying funeral honours to the deceafed, one 
 iliuftrious fliade has gone already to vifit 
 him in the land of fouls *. Our lot will 
 follow in its turn. The prefent day alone is 
 ours. Even before it has reached its clofe, 
 
 * John F.arl of Hyndford, who died fuddenly on 
 the third day after the interment of his friend the 
 Lord Prefidtnt. 
 
 the 
 
The Reptitatio7i of the Righteous. 155 ' 
 
 tbiC nngcl of dcJitli may liave laifcd liis hand 
 to heavfinj aiid fworn by Him that liveth for 
 ever, that time, with regard to us, (hall be 
 no more. If, at this folemn moment, he weie 
 to defeend in the terrors of his wrath, and, 
 Handing vifibly before us, to fumnion us away 
 to the alTcmbly of our fathers, what would 
 be the feelings of our hearts! and that awful 
 moment is faft approaching to us all. Let us 
 prepare to meet it with the compofure and the 
 confidence of Chriftians. Let us live the life 
 of the righteous, and our laft end fhall be 
 like his. Then when we fall, we fliall fall 
 lamented by the good *, and while our bodies 
 fleep in the filence of the tomb, our names 
 Hudl be in everlafting''remembrance, and our 
 fpirits fhall rife to the habitations of the juft. 
 Amen. 
 
SERMON IX*. 
 
 The Advantages of fearching the Scrip- 
 tures. 
 
 By George Hill, D. D» one of the Minifters 
 of the City, and Profeflbr of Greek in the 
 Univerfity, of St Andrew’s, and Dean of the 
 Oi'der of theThiftle.^ 
 
 Preached before the Society in Scotland for pro¬ 
 pagating Chriftian Knowledge, at the Anniver- 
 fary Meeting in the High Church of Edinburgh, 
 on Thurfday, June 7. 1787. 
 
 John v. 30. 
 Search the Scriptures, 
 
 HE books of the Old and New Tefta- 
 
 1 ment are received with reverence by 
 the whole Chriftian world. All in every 
 land, who name the name of Jefus, agree in 
 acknowledging them to be the Scriptures gi¬ 
 ven by infpiration of God: but they differ 
 in the method of teftifylng their reverence- 
 The Church of Rome, profeffing to confider 
 
 this 
 
On the advantages of^ 157 
 
 tkis treafure as too facred, and too liable to 
 abufe, to be committed to ordinary hands, 
 lock it up in a tranflation which is now un- 
 derftood only by the learned *, and they com¬ 
 municate to the people fuch parcels, with fuch 
 interpretations as they judge expedient. That 
 great body of Chriftians, on the other hand, 
 who have feparated from the Church of 
 Rome, adopting this precept of our Lord as 
 the principle of their reparation, have been 
 careful to diftribute copies of the Scriptures 
 in a known tongue. For more than two 
 centuries the Scriptures have been publilhed 
 in that language which is moft generally fpo- 
 ken in Great Britain. There is no book fo 
 univcrfally fpread amongft us : none of the 
 fame iize that may be fo cheaply purchafed. 
 It is put into the hands of the people in their 
 childhood; it continues their companion 
 through life-, and all tlxe authority, which 
 they are accuftomed to refpe<Sl:i concurs in en¬ 
 joining the fearch of the Scriptures. 
 
 While the greater part of the inhabitan-ts of 
 this ifland thus found eafy accefs to the Scrip¬ 
 tures in their native tongue, while the progrefs 
 of improvement in the low countries was daily 
 increafing the r>umber of thofe who, even in 
 the humbler ranks of life, receive that educa¬ 
 tion which qualifies them to read the Scrip¬ 
 tures, the Society, before whom I now fpeak, 
 directed their attention to thofe corners of the 
 ifland where the fituation of the natives was 
 
 much 
 
1S8 
 
 Ser. 9 . 
 
 On the advantages of 
 
 much more unfavourable. Their original 
 charter grants them power ‘‘ to receive con¬ 
 tributions, and therewith to ere£l and maintain 
 fchools in the Highlands and iflands of Scot¬ 
 land, for the purpofe of teaching to read, 
 efpecialiy the Holy Scriptures.” Under this 
 authority, they have proceeded, during the 
 courfe of this century, gradually extending 
 their fchools, with the increafe of their capi¬ 
 tal, through the moft convenient ftations : 
 They require the mafters whom they employ 
 to teach the fcholars to read and fpeak the 
 Englifli tongue, and to tranflate Gaelic into 
 Englhli; They diftribute Englilh Bibles to 
 thofe fcholars whofe parents are unable to buy 
 them j and, knowing the predilection which 
 the inhabitants of thofe diftri£ts have for their 
 native language, they have invited them to 
 fearch the Scriptures, by publifliing firft the 
 New Teftament, afterwards the Pentateuch, 
 and lately the Prophets, in the Gaelic tongue ; 
 and they have given notice that a tranflation 
 of the remaining books of the Old Teftament 
 is very foon to follow. 
 
 This great work, by vrhich the Society in 
 Scotland for propagating Chriftian knowledge 
 are jufl about to crown their pious labours, 
 has naturally diredfed my attention to the fub- 
 jedl which my text prefents. Many ufeful and 
 important topics connedted with the inftitu- 
 tion of this Society, have been illudrated with 
 diftinguiihed learning and eloquence upon fi- 
 
 milar 
 
fearchhig the ScripUtres. 159 
 
 milar occaflons ; but I may hope that I fliall 
 not perform an unacceptable fervice to thofe 
 before whom I fpeak, while I contribute my 
 endeavours to promote the primary object of 
 their attention ; while, with the zeal of a good 
 citizen, with the plainnefs and earneifnels 
 which become a preacher of the gofpel, I re¬ 
 commend to my countrymen the fearch of the 
 Scriptures. 
 
 I lhall endeavour to ftate the advantages 
 which may be derived from fearching the 
 Scriptures •, and I lhall then fuggcft fome di¬ 
 rections for fearching them fo as to reap thofe 
 advantages. 
 
 I. Searching the Scriptures is ufeful for our 
 information—for our comfort—for the direc¬ 
 tion of our conduct. 
 
 I. Searching the Scriptures is ufeful for our 
 information. 
 
 “ All Scripture,” fays the Apoftle Paul, 
 is profitable for doctrine,” that is, for 
 teaching truth, “ and for reproof,” that is, for 
 confuting error. I comprehend both, when I 
 fay, that fearching the Scriptures is ufeful for 
 information. 
 
 When the Scriptures were firfl publiflied, 
 they brought to light many important truths: 
 They were eagerly read by thofe who received 
 them; and the different parts of them were 
 compared in order to attain the full meaning 
 of that which they taught. The importance 
 of the fubjetff Hill remaias j but it has become 
 
i 5 o On the advantages of Ser. 9, 
 
 lefs interefting by the want of novelty. Thofe 
 who live in a Chriftian country are trained in 
 the faith of that fyftem which the Scriptures 
 reveal: Their cui’iofity is early faiisfied; and 
 as they advance in life, and engage in a multi¬ 
 plicity of bufinefs, they are ready to account 
 the fearch of the Scriptures a duty lefs need¬ 
 ful than it was in former times, becaufe they 
 fuppofe that the knowledge conveyed in them 
 is now completely incorporated with the 
 whole mafs of human knowledge, and may 
 eafily be acquired by converfatioa, by the efta- 
 blifhed methods of inftrudlion, and by other 
 books. 
 
 This is the amount of that apology which 
 many who acknowledge the divine authority 
 of the Scriptures, pretend to offer for the very 
 fmall portion of their time which they fpend 
 in reading them ; and by this carelefs apolo¬ 
 gy, they would reprefent that duty which my 
 text preferibes to all, as the bufinefs of a par¬ 
 ticular profeffion, or as one of the many a- 
 mufements which leifure and curiofity open to 
 the learned. 
 
 It is obvious that this apology is very in- 
 confiftent with that love of truth, that fpirit of 
 enquiry, that liberty of judgement which are 
 defervedly the boaft of modern times. Why 
 fhould thofe who are commanded “ not to 
 “ call any man their mafter upon earth,” fub- 
 mit to human fyftems of Chriffian do^lrine as 
 the rule of their faith, when the book from 
 which every fyftem profeffes to derive its au¬ 
 thority, 
 
j’earching the Scriptures. 
 
 thorlty, is put into their hands ? Does It not 
 become every man, in a matter of fuch In> 
 portance, “ to judge of himfelf what is 
 ** right to learn “ the truth, as it is m 
 
 Chrift Jefus,” from thofe to whom it was 
 communicated by the Spirit, and to avoid the 
 impurities which this living water may have 
 contraaed in the channels that have conveyed 
 it to us, by drinking it unmixed at the foun¬ 
 tain-head ? 
 
 If the evidence of our Holy Religion could 
 be comprifed within the compafs of a fhort de- 
 monftration,. and if faith were nothing more 
 than an alTent to the truth thus demonftrated, 
 there might appear to be lefs occafion for 
 fearching the Scriptures. But it is well 
 known, that the argument for the truth of 
 Chriftianity confifts of a multitude of circum- 
 fiances which are not perceived at one view, 
 but are gradually impreffed upon the-mind ; 
 and even that faith, which is the foundation of 
 the Chriftian charaaer, is a trial of the good- 
 nefs and honefty of the heart. Searching the 
 Scriptures is, in this way, an elTential part of 
 the education of a Chriftian. A perfon who 
 has been accuftomed to admire the laboured 
 productions of human genius, is not at firft 
 delighted with the fimplicity and fublimity of 
 the word of God. “ The natural man recei- 
 “ veth not the things of God, for they are 
 «*■ fooliftmefs to him.’* But by fearching the 
 
 Scriptures, 
 
i 62 
 
 On The advantages of Ser. 9, 
 
 Scriptures, our underftanding is enlarged fo 
 as to receive the whole counfel of God. By 
 comparing things fpiritual with fpiritual, vve 
 are enabled to difeern them; and, when 
 
 the word of Chrifi: dwells in us richly,” 
 we come to have in ourfelves that witnefs 
 which is to us the moft fatisfying, how far fu- 
 perior the Scriptures are to all human compo* 
 iiiions. 
 
 Every perfon knows that the Scriptures con¬ 
 tain prediftions of future events; and every 
 Chriftian has a general impreffion that many 
 of thefe predictions have been accomplifhed. 
 But it is only by reviewing them frequently, 
 and comparing them with hiflory, that we 
 can attain any conception how literal and how 
 minute that fulfilment has been. Search 
 “ the Scriptures,” fays Jefus, “ for thefe are 
 “ they which teftify of me.” The predictions 
 of the Old Teftament refpeCting the Meffiah, 
 and the hiftory of the Divine Perfon who ap¬ 
 pears in the New Teftament claiming that 
 character, illuftrate, in the moft beautiful 
 manner, the continuity of the whole difpen- 
 fation of grace ; and they furnilh an inftance 
 of the fulfilment of prophecy, which has this 
 peculiar advantage, that extent of reading and 
 depth of reflection are not necelTary in order 
 to judge of it. That book which is in the 
 pofieflion of every Chriftian, contains both the 
 prophecy and the event: the progreflive open¬ 
 ing of the prophecy'from the beginning of 
 
 the 
 
fear eking the Scriptures. iC'3 
 
 tlie world liil the event draws near, may be 
 traced by every reader; the hiftory of the e- 
 \'ent perpetually leads him back to the pie— 
 diction ; and the refemblance is fo dn- 
 king that he cannot avoid making a com- 
 parifon.—Thofe who have leifuie and op“ 
 porttmity for further refearches are able 
 to trace the fultilment of many other pro¬ 
 phecies d he i'ubjeit has undergone much 
 difeuflion; and that coincidence between the 
 prediction and the event, which, in numberlefs 
 inftances, aftonifltes thofe to whom it is firft 
 prefented, has only been placed in a more fti’i- 
 king light by the moil laborious and learned 
 inveftigations. There are, it is true, many 
 prophecies in Scripture which are dill very im- 
 perfetdiy underdood. But various events have 
 explained to us fome parts of thefe prophe¬ 
 cies, and give us adurance that eveiy woicl 
 has a meaning, and will have an acccmplifli- 
 ment. We endeavour, therefore, by fearch- 
 ing the Scriptures, to catch the light which, 
 in the courfe of Divine Providence, is giaau- 
 ally redetded upon what we do not under- 
 {land ; and although we acknowledge the va¬ 
 nity of attempting to foretell future events by 
 a conjedtural explication of dark expredions, 
 yet, judging from what we have feen, we re¬ 
 gard the prophecies contained in the Scrip¬ 
 tures as an evidence of their divine original, 
 which grows with the lapfe of time, which 
 cannot be overturned by any corruptions in 
 
On the advantages of 
 
 16^4 
 
 Ser.9. 
 
 the Chi’iftlan church, by any power of fo- 
 phiftry or of ridicule in its enemies ; and we 
 reft in faith and hope, that, to foine of the 
 generations of men, this evidence will be ft) 
 clearly illuftrated by the fucceffion of events 
 in the church of Chrift, as to convince even 
 thofe who fliall then be moft dilpoled to re¬ 
 lift the truth. 
 
 All who believe in the exiftence of a Su¬ 
 preme Being, may know from the works of 
 nature, that “ he does marvellous things which 
 “ we cannot comprehend j” and all who be¬ 
 lieve in the extraordinary revelations which 
 he has vouchfafed to the human race, receive 
 them upon the faith of thofe ligns and won¬ 
 ders by which they were ulhered into the 
 world. But the extent of power therein dif- 
 played, the working of that Almighty arm, 
 which, by methods in our eyes the moft un¬ 
 likely, has condudled from the beginning of 
 the world the great fchemes of Divine Provi¬ 
 dence, are thought of with becoming reve¬ 
 rence only by the perfons who read and pon¬ 
 der the limple accounts of thofe tranfadlions 
 which the Scriptures contaiq. In the miracles 
 of the gofpel efpecially, it is not merely the 
 power, but the mixture of power and grace, 
 the condefccnlion, tendernefs, and delicacy, 
 which the narration of the evangelifts exhi¬ 
 bits, that charafterife the works of Jefus, and 
 fliew to an attentive reader the hand of God, 
 with the man ‘‘ who went about doing goodJ^ 
 
 ' As 
 
fearding the Scriptures. i 6 ^ 
 
 As the fearch of the Scriptures is profitable 
 for “ cioflrine,” for teaching us the excellence 
 and the evidence of religion, it is profitable alfo 
 “ for reproof,” and in this re(pe<fl too, it may 
 be faid to extend our information. 
 
 Many circumftances have confpired to ren¬ 
 der the Scriptures a favourite fubjedf of ridi¬ 
 cule and fophiflry to the fcorner -, and thofe 
 who are ftrangers to this book are eafily mif- 
 led by his words, becaufe they are unable to 
 give any rational account of the detached paf- 
 fages which they hear him mifreprefent. But 
 that acquaintance with the general fcheme of 
 the Scriptures, with the connection and de¬ 
 pendency of the feveral parts, which is acqui¬ 
 red by reading them carefully, prepares a 
 Chriftian to give an anfwer to every one that 
 alketh a reafon of the hope that is in him^ 
 and qualifies him to difeern the futility of 
 thofe objedlions which arife from partial 
 views, or from the petulance of men who 
 “ {peak evil of the things which they know 
 
 “ not.” 
 
 “ P^eproof” is neceffary, not for the fcorn- 
 cr only, but alfo for the falfe prophet. The 
 ■ faith and pra£fice of Chriftians have been of¬ 
 ten perverted, and their confciences have been 
 fubjedeed to the traditions and commandments 
 of men. They who were miffed fell into this 
 corruption and llavery by neglecting to fearch 
 the Scriptures ; They were delivered out of it 
 by that pure and complete information which 
 is to be derived from the word of God. It 
 
 was 
 
i66 
 
 On the advantages of Ser. 9 . 
 
 was after the church of Rome had takea a- 
 way the key of knowledge, and forbidden the 
 people the ufe of this book, that die was able 
 to impofe the full weight of that grievous 
 yoke under which the Chriftian world long 
 groaned : And it was when our forefathers 
 prefunied to open this book, that they began 
 to make themfelves free. From hence they 
 derived irrefiftible weapons. By the light of 
 Scripture, they expofed to fcorn the fabulous 
 legends, the abfurdities, the idolatry, and the 
 uncharitable fpirit of thofe who had kept 
 them in bondage. The various forms of er¬ 
 ror, with all the fan^lion which they derived 
 from authority, cuftom, and fuperhition, were 
 unable to hand before the truth : And the 
 fearch of the feriptures hath eftabliflied that 
 rational fyftem of faith, that fpiritual worfhip, 
 thofe rights of private judgement and mutual 
 toleration, and thofe pure conceptions of Chri- 
 Rian duty, which are the glory of the I'eform- 
 ed churches.—If ever a night of fuperftition 
 fhall again overfpread the Chriftian world, it 
 will arife from that negledf of the Scriptures 
 which grows with the impiety of modern times ; 
 for the ignorant are always an eafy prey to 
 impofture, while every well inftriuftcd Chri- 
 ftian raifeth, in his place, a mound againft the 
 return of fpiritual tyranny. 
 
 It is the honour of the Society before whom I 
 fpeak, that they have trodden in the path of the 
 firft reformers. By teaching the inhabitants of 
 tJie Highlands anti iflands of Scotland to read 
 
 the 
 
i67 
 
 fearchlng the Scriptures. 
 
 theIIolyScnptures,andbyfurni(liing them with 
 
 copies of this boolc io the Oaelic tongucj they 
 take the moft elfectual method of combating 
 the errors of Popery in thofe diftridls where 
 that corrupted form of Chriftianity hill pre¬ 
 vails. They oppole to the feducing arts of 
 Popifh teachers, that knowledge which fuck 
 teachers have always been moft lolicitous to fup- 
 prefs ; and they enable thofe who lat in dark- ' 
 nefs, to adopt the words in which David ce¬ 
 lebrates the information derived from that part 
 of the Scriptures which was publiflied in his 
 days, Thou, through thy commandments, 
 
 “ haft made me wifer than mine enemies; for 
 “ they are ever with me. I underhand more 
 “ than the ancients, for thy teftimonies are 
 
 my meditation.” 
 
 2. Searching the Scriptures is ufeful for r.itr 
 Comjort. 
 
 The underftanding of man Is delighted and 
 improved by receiving information but he 
 hands in need of fomething more. The goods 
 which this world offers are unable to fatisfy 
 his loul i and all the objeas to which he clings 
 upon earth confefs their infufficiency at thofe 
 very times when he has the moh cccafion for 
 fupport. Amidh the viciffitudes and calami¬ 
 ties to which his life is expofed, he has direc¬ 
 ted his eyes from earth to heaven, and, by 
 making his complaint to thofe luperior beings 
 whom unaffiifted reafon taught him to acknow¬ 
 ledge, he has fought to find, in a communi¬ 
 cation with them, that relief which the crea¬ 
 tures 
 
t68 
 
 On the advantages of 
 
 Ser. 9 , 
 
 tures were unable to yield. But this pure ft 
 iburce of comfort was early empoifoned by 
 idolatry and fuperftition. The human mind, 
 in its wanderings, forfook the living God ; 
 and that which was called religion, became, in 
 fome refpefts, fo childilh, that it could not 
 reach a wounded fpirit 5 and in others, fa 
 gloomy, that it added to the natural horror 
 of affliction. 
 
 How defirable then to man is that facred 
 book, where all the revelations which the true 
 God hath made of himfelf are collected for 
 his benefit; where religion, ftripped of thofe 
 terrors which are not its own, and no longer 
 clouded by the miftakes of human fancy, ap¬ 
 pears with its native power of foothing and 
 invigorating the mind. 
 
 We fee in the Scriptures one Almighty Be¬ 
 ing, the Creator and Preferver of all thofe 
 parts of nature which the blinded nations 
 fuppofed to be animated by a multiplicity of 
 gods, providing this earth with every thing 
 necelTary for the fuftenance and amufement of 
 its nobleft inhabitant; extending a fatherly 
 care over all the offspring of that one pair 
 whom he made after his own image, and exer- 
 cifing, in a variety of difpenfatjons, that moral 
 government of which they are the fit fubjeCfs : 
 We fee him employing the illumination of one 
 people, to preferve, in the midft of idolatry 
 and wickednefs, the knowledge and the hopes 
 of true religion, and preparing the world, by 
 
 the 
 
fearchlng the Scriptures. l 6 g 
 
 the condu£t of a febeme of Providence which 
 was opened from the beginning, for the ap» 
 pearance of that perfon, who came, in the fuU 
 nefs of time, from tiie bofom of his Father, 
 to declare him unto us, whofe death is the a- 
 tonement for the iins of the world, whofe re- 
 furreftion is the affurance that his hicrifice was 
 accepted, “ who entered into glory, that our 
 “ faith and hope might be in God and 
 whofe religion, fpread over the world by the 
 power that is given unto him, is the appoint¬ 
 ed mean of enlightening the blinded nations, 
 and of uniting the whole human race in the 
 knowledge, the worfltip, and the love of one 
 God and Father of all, through one Mediator, 
 the man Chrift Jefus, 
 
 This is the fyftem of grace and confolation 
 which the Scriptures unfold. It brings to the 
 lieart of man, under every perplexity, every 
 fear, and every forrow, that precious balm 
 which the world cannot give : It cheers thofe 
 who know no other joy; and while it alle¬ 
 viates the burdens of this life, it opens the 
 moft delightful profpefls after the time of 
 bearing them is at an end. 
 
 The truth of this fyftem is believed by all 
 who receive the Scriptures : Its power in heal¬ 
 ing the broken-hearted is felt only by thofe 
 who fearch them : For the confolation of the 
 Scriptures is not concentrated in one part of 
 this facred book, but, with divine munificence, 
 is fcattered throughout, the whole in all dif¬ 
 ferent forms, and they who make the mod 
 Voi.. IV, II dili^euTi 
 
170 
 
 On the advantages of Ser. p. 
 
 diligent fearch gather the largefl; fiore. In the 
 Scriptures, that power, wifdom, and goodnefs 
 which, when united, form the proper objedt 
 of truft to a feeble ignorant creature, are ex¬ 
 hibited in the moft ftriking light, not by de¬ 
 scription merely, but by a record of their va¬ 
 rious exertions : The whole extent of crea¬ 
 tion, and the whole conduct of Providence, 
 are perpetually prefented to us, in this book, 
 under that afpedf which enables us to under¬ 
 hand from them the loving-kindnefs of the 
 Lord ; and the death of Chrih is hated as the 
 facred pledge given to man that the Lord is 
 gracious, and full of compaffion. “ What- 
 “ Soever things were written here afore-time, 
 were written for our learning, that we, thro* 
 ** patience and comfort of the Scriptures, 
 might have hope.” The mefllrges Sent by 
 the ancient prophets to thofe nations with 
 whom the Almighty was pleafed to luaintain 
 a Special intercouiTe, abound with the moh 
 condescending views of the Divine Majehy, 
 the moh rich and tender promifes. In the 
 many hihories of good men which the Scrip¬ 
 tures record, we fee the fulfilment of thofe 
 promifes, the watchful care of Providence ex¬ 
 emplified, the friends of God ever with him, 
 afflidled yet not forfaken, chahened in faith- 
 fulnefs and in love, raifed out of the depth of 
 affliefion, and compafied about with Songs of 
 deliverance. Their experience of his good¬ 
 nefs removes our dihruh ; their exprelTions of 
 lhankfulnefs rebuke our murmurings. ^When 
 
 we 
 
fearching the Scripture'S^. 175 
 
 we read the prayers and praifes which thei-e* 
 pious fouls breathed, our hearts begin to fym- 
 pathife with theirs ; and when, in fimilar cir- 
 cumftances, we adopt the fame language, we 
 feel our breads glow with a portion of their 
 (jairit. There is no fiiuation in all the viciffi- 
 t-udes of human life to which fome expreflions 
 in the Pfalms are not appofite. Every devout 
 perfon 6nds his own condition delineated *, 
 and the oftener he draws out of this well, he 
 imbibes the more fully the fentiments which 
 that condition ought to infpire. 
 
 Could we promife to pafs through life with¬ 
 out forrow and without change, we might ac¬ 
 count the precept in my text a needlefs in- 
 juntdion. But if our gracious Father, know¬ 
 ing ^that man is born to trouble, hath pro¬ 
 vided in the Scriptures a cordial adapted 
 to every capacity and every tafte, it is furely 
 o.ur wifdom to ufe it. The carelefs reader 
 
 muft mifs the treafure contained in a book 
 / 
 
 where the mod interefting hiftories, the mod 
 fublime poetry, the plained words of promife, 
 and the tendered efFufions of devotion, are 
 beautifully thrown together. But to them 
 who fearch thi’Scriptures, the confolation o- 
 pened from thofe various fources is fully im¬ 
 parted ; it is impreffed upon their minds, and 
 they are not only foothed during the aftion of 
 reading, but they lay up a dore for the time 
 of need.—Perfons who have occafion to villt 
 the afllidled, know how dreary and barren 
 thofe minds are which have no acquaintance 
 
 H 2 with 
 
On the advantages of 
 
 Ser. 9. 
 
 572 
 
 with the Scriptures, how fvveetly and power* 
 fully the promifes, the experiences, and the 
 devotions contained in tliis book, recur, in the 
 day of trouble, to thofe who have made them 
 their meditation. 
 
 This is the cordial which has been fent to the 
 remote corners of this country, where many of 
 the conveniencies of poliflied life have not yet 
 loeen introduced, where the refources of other 
 Ifudy and knowledge are little known, where 
 the help of the dcilful is often very dihanf, 
 and there is not that kindly alleviation of di- 
 flrefs which arifes from the fympathy and aid 
 of a numerous neighbourhood. The Society 
 in Scotland for propagating Chriftian Know¬ 
 ledge have gladdened the bleak mountain, the 
 fequeftered glen, the lonely iflands of a ftor- 
 iny fea, by introducing ioto them a found 
 which is more chearing than the countenance 
 of a friend. The widow, the fatherlefs, the 
 poor, the lick, the mourner, the folitary, fhall 
 blefs you for that familiar acquaintance with 
 the Scriptures which you have furnifhed them 
 with the means of acquiring : They will feel 
 vourgift to be “ better than thoufands of gold 
 
 and filver and they will henceforth be 
 able to fay with David, “ Thy ftatutes have 
 “ been my fongs in the houfe of my pilgii- 
 “ mage. Thy teflimonies have I taken as 
 “ an heritage for ever. When my foul melt- 
 “ eth for heavinefs, thy W'ord quickeneth 
 “ me.” 
 
 3, Searching 
 
fearching the Scriptures. 17 J 
 
 3. Searching the Scriptures is ufeful for the 
 
 DireSlion of our ConduSl. 
 
 The end of religion is good conducl The 
 inforniation of religion is communicated “‘‘Ol¬ 
 der “ to furnifh us for every good work j 
 and the comforts of religion are experienced 
 only by thofe who work the works of God. 
 Accordingly, the Apoftle Paul fays, that all 
 Scripture is profitable for correction and 
 “ inftruftion in righteoufnefs j” “ for correc- 
 tion,” that is, for amending thofe who have 
 erred ; “ for inftruaion,” that is, for train¬ 
 ing men in the way in which they QUght to 
 walk. 
 
 “ God hath fhewn to man what is good 5 
 « and that which the Lord requires of him,’’ 
 may be deduced from his natural fenfe of 
 right and wrong j from his relation to God 
 and to his fellow-creatures; from juft views 
 of his own intereft, and the interefts of fo- 
 ciety j from an enlarged comprehenfion of the 
 ways of Providence. It is certain, however, 
 that the knowledge of that rule of life which 
 may, in this manner, be deduced, has never 
 been completely or univerlally attained in any 
 country which was not bleffed with an extia- 
 ordinary revelation. The laws of human fo- 
 ciety, even when they provide with wifdom 
 for the peace and good order of the commu¬ 
 nity, do not attempt to wafli the heart from 
 wickednefs j and the moft admired conftitu- 
 tions of civil government have foftered dif- 
 pofitions very inconfiftent with pure virtue, 
 
 H 3 Thofe 
 
J'74 advantages of Sen pi- 
 
 Thofe dedu( 5 \ions of our duty which vve find 
 in the writings of a few men whom Provi¬ 
 dence raifed up in the midfi: of Heathen dark- 
 nefs, remain as monuments how agreeable 
 good conduct is to the mofi? enlightened rea- 
 fon of man. At the fame time, had their de- 
 duflions been nearer to perfection than they 
 are, they would not have produced much ef- 
 feCl. They were counfels delivered without 
 authority ; they were unable to preferve the 
 purity of thofe who received them, and they 
 were not publifhed to the world-. The great 
 body of the people were left to entertain con¬ 
 ceptions of the duties of life which were both, 
 grofs and narrow : No moral inlfruClion was 
 adminiftered fufficient to remedy the corrup¬ 
 tion of their manners, and the natural fenti- 
 ments of the mind were perverted by the pre¬ 
 vailing fuperftition. 
 
 It cannot be denied that mankind, in thete 
 circumfiances, ftood in need of a plain, ex¬ 
 plicit, authoritative declaration of their duty : 
 And taking the Scriptures in the fimpleil 
 view as a rule of life, they "will be allowed to 
 be a moft ufeful book. Here is a ftandard of 
 conduct, which is lefs liable than any other 
 to be perverted by culfom, or paffion, or in- 
 tereft *, a fafe unerring guide to which in eve¬ 
 ry fituation, we may, without fear, commk 
 ourfelves; a voice from heaven, faying, “ This 
 is the way, walk ye in it.” The obligation 
 of good conduct is not here left to reft upon 
 reafonings which are level to the capacities of 
 
 few, 
 
fearchlng the ScTipttircs* i z S 
 
 few, and which hardly touch the hearts of 
 thofe who are able to perceive them ; but it 
 is refolved into the will of our Creator. The 
 moft venerable authority is oppofed to the im.- 
 petuofity of paffion ;—the moft interefting oo- 
 jedts to the gains of iniquity •,—the moft exalt¬ 
 ed affections to the pleafures of fin *, the ua* 
 derftanding, the confeience, and the heart 
 are addreffed at once *,—and every other mode 
 of inftruction appears to be feeble, when 
 compared with the energy of the word of 
 God. 
 
 But we derive little benefit from the bare 
 knowledge of that rule of life which the Scrip* 
 tures contain : That they may be profitable to 
 us for correction and inftruCtion in righ- 
 
 teoufnef*,” we muft fearch them. A wife 
 father does not attempt to pour at once into 
 the mind of his fon all the inftruCtion which 
 is needed through the journey of life ; but he 
 often repeats to him the many cautions which 
 paternal care fuggefts to the heedleffnefs^ of 
 youth ; he prefents to him objeCts that mini- 
 fter to his improvement *, he furnifhes him 
 with frequent opportunities of obfervation and 
 reflection , and even when he does not appeal 
 to teach, he leads him to grow wife by the 
 exercife of his own powers. Under this fa¬ 
 miliar image, you may perceive the profitable- 
 nefs of fearching the Scriptures. This book, 
 like the book of nature, is full of inftruClion \ 
 and the method of teaching is fo perfectly ad- 
 
 H 4 apted 
 
176 On the advantages of Ser^t;. 
 
 spted to the minds of thofe to whom it is 
 addrefled, that every one who is attentive may 
 hearn from it “ wifdom, and juftice, and e- 
 “ quity.” In 6ne place, the general principles 
 of a good life are hated conclfely; in another, 
 they are fpread out in the detail of the duties 
 of different relations,. Here, the perfecSlion 
 after which vve ought to afpire is held forth 
 ■without limitation ; there, the commandment 
 is accommodated w’ith grace to the infirmities 
 of our nature. God fpeaks to us in this book 
 ■with authority, with gentlenefs, in precept, ia 
 promife, in threatening, in fimilitude, in alle¬ 
 gory. ^His commandments meet us in fo many 
 forms that we are always put in remembrance j 
 and if we only retain his words, we fhall find 
 Jus hand, wherefoever we are, leading us in 
 the right path. His precepts come to be en¬ 
 graven upon our hearts by enfamples which 
 “ are written for our admonition.” There are 
 many hiflories in Scripture which prefent to 
 us the protedion and blefilng that attend the 
 righteous, the curfe that is in the houfe of 
 the vvickedd’ The virtues of good men are 
 difplayed in the midft of perils and tempta¬ 
 tions, to incite us to be followers of them 
 their failings are recorded, to teach us humi¬ 
 lity and circumfpeilion. We fee in the life 
 of Jefus, a chara6ler free from every fliade of 
 human weaknefs, yet foftened by every tender 
 feeling ; a man like ourfelves, who was more 
 feverely tned> and more firm than any hero, 
 
 yet 
 
177 
 
 fearching the Scriptures, 
 
 yet more amiable than the faireft of the Tons 
 of men. The fimplicity witli which this cha¬ 
 racter is delineated, wins the heart *, and Jefus- 
 commands us to fearch the Scriptures, that 
 we may fee him going before us in all that he 
 enjoins, and that the coi’ds of love may thus 
 bind his yoke upon thole who conlider his 
 virtues. 
 
 Such is the variety of inftruCtion by which 
 the Scriptures explain and enforce our duty, 
 and i-econcile our hearts to the praCtice of it : 
 And this is the perfeCt teaching with which 
 the Society in Scotland for propagating Chri- 
 ftian knowledge has furnilhed thole whom par¬ 
 ticular difadvantages had retained longer than, 
 the inhabitants of other parts of the ifland in. 
 the rudenefs of our anceftors, and whofe lo¬ 
 cal traditions and cuftoms, while they che- 
 rillied fome virtues, were unfavourable to that 
 uniformity of good conduCt which is the per- 
 fedfion of the human character. By putting, 
 the w'ords of this book into their mouth, and 
 alluring them to meditate in the law of God. 
 da> and night, you have aff'oided the mod:: 
 effectual and certain aid to the dictates of pru¬ 
 dence, of confcience, and of kind affeCtion. 
 You have given a guard to their integrity, a 
 bridle to their pallions, and an incentive to 
 their languor. If they make ‘‘ the tellimonies . 
 “ of the Lord their counfellors,” they will feel 
 an alacrity in well-doing, which does not a-- 
 yife from any inferior confideration; and they. 
 
 JJ 5 witli 
 
178 On.the advantages ofy Ser. gv. 
 
 will fay with David, “ Thy word have I hid 
 “ ill my heart, that I may not offend againft 
 “ thee. It is a light unto my feet, and a lamp 
 “ unto my path. I have chofen the way of 
 “ truth; thy judgements have I laid befora 
 me.!’ 
 
 SER- 
 
SERMON X. 
 
 The fame Subject continued- 
 
 John v. 39. 
 
 Search the Scripturesi 
 
 tjAving in the foregoing difcourfe ftatedi 
 the advantages which may be derived^ 
 from fearching the Scriptures, I now proceed,* 
 in the fecond, place, to fuggefi: fome directions 
 for fearching them in fuch a manner as to reapL 
 thofe advantages. 
 
 The word wlpch our Lord has chofen,* 
 marks with precifion the outward aCt whiclv 
 is required of Chriftians. To fearch tho 
 Seriptures'is not to read them haftily, with-? 
 out attention, upon fome rare occahon ; it is 
 to read them frequently, ftatedly, and delibe¬ 
 rately. None will fay that this is an impracti¬ 
 cable duty. The bulieft may, by a proper dif- 
 pohtion of their affairs, fet apart a portion of 
 their time for this employment; and the idlo 
 may well fpare fome of thofe hours, whlclur 
 with all their anxiety to find different amufe— 
 ments, they often know not how to difpofo 
 of.. To every one of us God hath given tho 
 
 H6 Subhaihi 
 
Ser. I0-. 
 
 iS'& On the advantages of 
 
 Sabbath as a returning feafon of religious re- 
 colledlion. A part of it ought always to be 
 fpent in reading the Scriptures; and if we ac¬ 
 count the day of the Lord honourable, we will 
 not want leifure for obeying the command ia 
 my text^ 
 
 The rules of facred criticifm cannot be fup- 
 pofed to enter into a popular difcouiTe. I 
 prefume not to addrefs myfelf to thofe who^ 
 are led, either by inclination, or by a fenfe of 
 duty, to employ their literary talents in the 
 profecution of theological ftudies. But, after 
 the example of that Society before whom I 
 fpeak, whofe inftitutions are calculated for the 
 benefit of the great body of the people in cer¬ 
 tain difi;ri<S:s, I wifh to affifi: thofe who have 
 no peculiar advantages for fludy^ in deriving 
 information, comfort, and infi:ru6lion from 
 the fearch of the Scriptures : And to them I 
 fay, that, if they would not ■• ifh this employ¬ 
 ment to be “ bodily exercife, which profiteth 
 
 little,” they muft read with good intention,. 
 —with humility,—with application to their 
 own cafe,— and with prayer. 
 
 I. In Older to proft by fearching the Scrip¬ 
 tures, it is necejj'ary to read them vjith good in-, 
 tention. 
 
 In bodily talks, the difpofition of the work¬ 
 man’s mind is not of great importance. Pro¬ 
 vided the work be done, his wages are earned, 
 and his mafter is fatisfied : But the ufefulnefs 
 of thofe exercifes which ininifter to the im¬ 
 provement of the mind, depends very much, 
 
 upoa 
 
fearching the Scriptures, iBi ' 
 
 upon the fentUnents and views with which 
 they are performed. Here the manner of do¬ 
 ing the work is often of more importance 
 than the work that is done ^ and a wrong in* 
 tention in the agent often prevents him fiom 
 reaping the fruit of his toil. 
 
 If you fearch the Scriptures in order to 
 make a difplay of youi' acquaintance with 
 them, you may have your reward. By the 
 readinefs of your quotations, and the acute- 
 nefs of your critical remarks, you may aftonilh 
 the ignorant, and obtain praife from thofe 
 who value fuch refearches. But your own 
 heart will not be the better for “ that know 
 “ ledge which puffeth up.” If you fearch the 
 Scriptures in order to be learned in controver- 
 fy, you may know the grounds of all the dif¬ 
 ferent opinions refpefting certain difputed 
 points j you may be able to convince the ad- 
 verfaries, and to defend your own tenets with 
 dexterity. But there is a danger of your turn¬ 
 ing afide from the weighty matters of the law, 
 to “ queftions and llrifes of words and ia 
 your zeal to eftabiifb what you account the 
 truth, you may make fhipwreck of faith and 
 a good confcience. Once more, if you fearch 
 the Scriptures with a captious fpirit, delirous 
 of railing objedlions, of finding matter of cen- 
 fure or of ridicule, you may fucceed beyond 
 your expe£fation. You may puzzle both 
 yourfelves and others j you may derive from 
 the venerable phrafeology of Scripture much 
 
i8:z * On tHe advantages of Ser. ro,,. 
 
 aid to the barrennefs of your wit j by a fneer 
 at what you do not underhand, you may 
 pleafe thofe who know as little as you do; and 
 by a ludicrous application of folemn expref- 
 fions, you may excite laughter amongft thofe 
 who care not at what expence they are made 
 merry. But your fearch of the Scriptures will, 
 in this cafe, degrade in your eyes the great 
 truths of religion, and, while it confounds 
 your underhanding, and tends to efface every 
 ferious impreffion from your hearts, it will 
 produce in your difcourfe a multitude of idle 
 words, for every one of which, your Maher 
 hath faid, you fhall give account in the day of 
 judgement. 
 
 Think it not enough, then, that you fpend 
 a portion of your time in reading your Bibles ; 
 but examine yourfelves, that you may know the 
 intention with which the work is done. Do 
 not fearch the Scriptures for ohentation, for 
 contention, or for fport; but fearch them as 
 the book given by God to convey to you the 
 moh important knowledge, to comfort your 
 hearts, and to diredt your lives. Keep thefe 
 great purpofes of this book in your eye when 
 you read it. “ As new born babes, defire 
 “ the fincere milk of the word, that ye may 
 “ grow therebyAnd if, with good and 
 
 honeft hearts,” ye feek the profit which 
 the Scriptures were given to adminifier, 
 through the blefling. of God, ye fliall obtain 
 
fearching the Scriptures. 1 B 3 
 
 2 . In order to profit by fearching the Scrip' 
 fureSy it is necefjary to- read them vjith hutnih' 
 ty. 
 
 In all our intercourfe with the Almighty, 
 we receive leflbns of humility. Vain man, 
 
 “ who would be wife,” is perpetually re¬ 
 minded, both by the book of nature, and the 
 book of Scripture, that “ he is of yefterday, 
 
 “ and knows nothing.” In creation, thofe 
 things which are necelTary for the fuftenancs 
 of man are fcattered with profuhon, and are 
 gathered by the untutored favage. But many 
 materials of convenience and enjoyment long 
 remained hidden from the generations of men* 
 The inveftigation of the laws according to 
 which God conducts thofe operations which 
 we daily fee, requires much attention and 
 iludy i and there appear to be certain bounds 
 fet to the curiolity of man, myfteries- in na¬ 
 ture which he in vain attempts to penetrate, 
 where the fa£l is manifeft to his fenfcs, while 
 all fpeculations concerning the hit are dark 
 and bewildering. The book of Scripture, in 
 like manner, bears the marks of proceeding 
 from him who is known to us only in tha^ de¬ 
 gree in which he condefcends to make hirnfelf 
 manifeft. He hath made every thing necelfa- 
 r,y for our information, our comfort, or our 
 inftru6tion, plain to thole who fearch. “ The 
 entrance of his word giveth light to the 
 fimple,” and every Chriftian may find here 
 the words of eternal life. But the Almighty 
 
 hath 
 
184 On the advantages of Ser. io» 
 
 hath mixed much darknefs with this light. 
 Even the hiftorical books of Scripture appear 
 ftrange to thofe who are unacquainted with 
 ancient cuftoms. The writings of the pro¬ 
 phets, from the very nature of prophecy, are 
 obfeure, and to us they appear veiled in the 
 figurative language, and the fymbolical adlions 
 of Eaftern nations. The doctrinal parts of¬ 
 ten touch upon fubjedls which are raifed far 
 above us ^ The limited faculties of man, in 
 vain, attempt to comprehend the wifdom, the 
 majefty, and the grace of an infinite Being v 
 and the fpeech of man is altogether inade¬ 
 quate to exprefs that which it hath not en¬ 
 tered into the heart of man to conceive. 
 
 If, then, you begin your fearch of the Scrip¬ 
 tures with an expectation that every thing con¬ 
 tained in them is level to your capacity, you 
 will foon be diflatisfied; you will be in danger 
 of rejc<fting what you do underhand, becaufe 
 you meet with difficulties; or, like the un¬ 
 learned anduriftable whom the Apoftle Peter 
 reproves, you will wreft the Epifiles, and 
 other difficult places, to your own deftruftion. 
 It becomes you to confider that this is a ftate 
 of mind very unfavourable to your improve¬ 
 ment, and very unfuitable to the employment- 
 which my text recommends : And you ought 
 to recolledl, that, as there muft be in Scrip¬ 
 ture, “ things which are hard to be under- 
 ftood,” fo, in the wifdom of God, thefe very 
 things are made fubfervient to many excellent 
 
 purpofes.. 
 
185 
 
 fearching the Scriptures. 
 
 T)tirpofes. This book was given to be the rule 
 of faith and pra^flke, the meditation and 
 delight of Chriftians of every condition, of 
 every meafure of attainment in fcience.— 
 Here, therefore, according to the image of 
 the Apollle, there is not only “ plain food 
 “ for fuch as have need of milk, but there 
 “ is alfo hrong meat for fuch as are of 
 “ full age, even ihofe who, by reafon of ufe, 
 have iheir fenfes exerciled to dilcern good 
 “ and While “ the principles of the 
 
 “ do6lrff?e of Chrift are here revealed unto 
 babes in knowledge,” there is enough to 
 excite the curiofity of thofe who inquire, and 
 to exercife the talents of the wife. Gramma¬ 
 rians, philofophers, hiftorians, have fearched 
 the Scriptures, and their fearch has been amp¬ 
 ly rewarded. An enlai'ged comprehenfion of 
 the fcheme of Providence, and the courfe of 
 human affairs, has enabled lome to attain that 
 fenfe which was too profound for ordinary 
 minds: An intimate acquaintance with an¬ 
 cient languages and manners has expounded 
 the meaning of many paffages which had been 
 mifunderftood or mifreprefented j and facred 
 criticifm, proceeding upon found principles, 
 and condudled by men of erudition and infor- 
 formation, has, in numberlefs inftances, re- 
 fcued the Scriptures from the charge of ab- 
 furdity and inconfllfency, and has demonftra- 
 ted the effedlual care with which Providence 
 has prefcrved the oracles that were at firft gi¬ 
 ven 
 
i86 On the advantages of Ser. io» 
 
 ven by infpiration of God, from defti'u£l‘ion, 
 or from grofs corruptions. The different in¬ 
 terpretations which the fame, text had received 
 in the eagernefs of controverfy, have correct¬ 
 ed one another; and the diligence and acute- 
 nefs with which theological writers have lifted 
 the opinions of their adverfaries have aflilted 
 candid minds in apprehending the truth. Hi- 
 ftorical refearches have elucidated prophecy : 
 And the beauty of the poetical parts of Scrip¬ 
 ture, as well as the cxactnefs of thofe that are 
 narrative, has received many delightful and 
 ftriking illuftrations from the reports of thofe, 
 whom the extenlion of modern commerce has 
 carried to vilit parts of the world that are far 
 removed from us. 
 
 In this manner the difficulties of Scripture 
 are continually vanilhing before enlightened 
 inquiry ; the prefumption and ignorance of 
 the fcoi'ner are expofed ; the knowledge of 
 the modell is increafed, and the faith of thofe 
 who wait upon God is eftablilhed : And from 
 all this we learn with what humility we ought 
 to read. By “ the things in Scripture which 
 “ are hard to be underftood,” God checks 
 our pride : by the gradual explication of thofe 
 things, he gives us affurance that his word 
 fhall endure for ever, and teaches us to look 
 for that time ordained in his providence, for 
 which the united labours of his fervants are 
 preparing the world, when the infignificant 
 attacks that have been made upon his word 
 
 fliall 
 
fearching the Scriptures. iSy 
 
 fliall be forgotten, when the fcruples which 
 thofe attacks have fometimes raifed In pious 
 breafts lliall be perfectly removed, and the 
 w'lfdom and confiftencv of this divine book 
 
 N ^ 
 
 fliall be unlverfally acknowledged. In this 
 hope, dwelLye upon thofe palTages which you 
 underhand: meditate on them: be thankful 
 for them. Believe that a great deal of what 
 you do not underhand Is plain to others more 
 learned, more experienced, more diligent than 
 you are. Attend to the conne<hion in which 
 difficult pahages hand with the context, to 
 other places of Scripture where the fame 
 thing is more clearly expreffed, to the expli'- 
 cations which you occafionally receive. If, 
 after all, darknefs ffiould remain upon many 
 places, be not diffieartened, and do not repine. 
 Be aflured that what you know “ is able to 
 ‘‘ make you wife unto falvatlonAnd, ac¬ 
 cording to the counfel of the fon of Siracb, 
 “ be not curious in unnecehary matters, nei- 
 “ ther feek the things that are above thy 
 “ hrength ; for more things are ffiewed thee 
 than men underhand, and it is not necefla- 
 “ ry for thee to fee the things that are ^in fe- 
 cret.” 
 
 The Scriptures are “ as a light fhining in 
 a dark place, unto which ye do well that ye 
 “ take heed, until the day dawn, and the day- 
 har arife.” This is but the beginning of 
 our exihence, the opening of the powers of 
 reafon and virtue in our fouls. The things 
 ‘‘ which are reported unto us in this book 
 
 arc 
 
i83 On the advantages of Ser. rc. 
 
 “ are what the angels defire to look into,”^ 
 and they will afFoi'd employment to our minds 
 when we are made like the anr^els. “ Now 
 we fee through a glafs darkly ; then we fhall 
 “ fee face to face. Now we know in part; but 
 “ when that which is perfect is come, then 
 “ that which is in part fhall be done away.” 
 
 3 . In order to proft by fearching the Scrip-^ 
 iures, it is necejfary to read them 'with applica- 
 tion to cur ewn cafe. 
 
 The Scriptures are not to be clalTcd with 
 the many other books of amufement or im¬ 
 provement, in which our attention is engaged 
 by remote objects, that are made intcrefting 
 to us only by the beauties of fentiment or of 
 compofition. Wifdom here uttereth her words- 
 To you, O men, fhe calls; her voice is to 
 the fons of men.” All kindreds and tribes 
 are commanded to draw near; and the fpecial 
 intereft which fome nations appear to have 
 had in the tranfadlions here recorded, only 
 renders their hiftory an inftruflive leflon, 
 which it is the duty and the wifdom of future 
 generations to mark. The Father of the hu¬ 
 man race here gives to all his children that 
 counfel by which he would guide them in the 
 way of life and his counfel is accommoda¬ 
 ted with condefeending grace to all thofe va¬ 
 rieties in their condition which he forefavv. 
 There is a warning, a reproof, a confolatiCfA, 
 a promife, a threatning adapted to every cafe: 
 We are only req^uired to prove ourfelves, and 
 
 to 
 
fcarc hing the Scriptures. iSp 
 
 to draw out of this inexhauftiblc ftorehoufe 
 that which we need. 
 
 Do not bufy yourfelves with applying what 
 vou read or hear to others ; an employment in 
 which there is feldom a probability of doing 
 much good, and always a danger of doing much 
 harm : But feck to attain that elTential benefit 
 which may certainly be derived from a wife 
 application of the Scriptures to yourfelves. 
 When you contemplate thofe excellent cha- 
 ra£lers which are delineated in this book, do 
 not think it enough to pay that tribute of ad¬ 
 miration which the moft hardened finner can¬ 
 not with-hold ; but turn upon yourfelves, and 
 fay, Am I a follower of that which I admire ? 
 Have I any portion of the faith of Abraham, 
 of the fortitude of Jofeph, of the gentlenefs 
 of Mofes, of the patience of Job, of the piety 
 of Daniel, of the mind of Jefus i When your 
 abhorrence is excited by thofe pi<51:ures of the 
 iniquity of Ifrael which abound in the Pro¬ 
 phets, and of the vices of the Heathen world 
 which occur in the Epiftles, fearch for the 
 plague of your own heart ; and fee if, in fome 
 corner of the pifture, the fin which befets 
 you, is not painted with fb ftrong a pencil, 
 that even your own partial eyes perceive the 
 likcnefs. When your fouls are ravifhed with 
 the “ great and precious promifes” of this 
 word, aik yourfelves, whether from the de- 
 feriptions of the fervant of God which are 
 always conjoined with his promifes, you can 
 take courage to clafs yourfelves amongft the 
 liumber of thofe to whom God fpeaks peace. 
 
 When 
 
ipo On the advantages of Ser. lo. 
 
 When your heart {lands in awe of his threat- 
 nings, think if there is any part of your con- 
 du6l, by which you are fetting up yourfelves as 
 a mark to receive the arrows of the Almighty, 
 When you read the prayers of good men in 
 Scripture, and fee the felf-abafement, the ear- 
 neflnefs, and repetitions with which they ap¬ 
 proached a throne of grace, recollecH: your own 
 condition, the feeblenefs of your refolutions,the 
 temptations to which your virtue is expofed, 
 the dangers which encompafs your life, your 
 property, your family, your good name, and 
 think what need you have to exercife the fame 
 humility and dependence upon Heaven which 
 their devotions exemplify. When you read 
 their fongs of praife, think of the bleflings 
 which have followed you, the perils out of 
 which you have been refcued, the mercy which 
 has fuftained you in the time of trouble ; and 
 mark how God feems to put into your mouth 
 every word, by which they endeavoured to ex- 
 prefs the gratitude that glowed in their breads. 
 Your {ituation in life, and the particular oc¬ 
 currences of your lot, have Imperceptibly for¬ 
 med your fentiments concerning the ways of 
 Providence, the value of this world, the ex¬ 
 cellence and the happinefs of man. Try your 
 fentiments by comparing them with the many 
 ftriking views of thofe important fubjecls which 
 the Scriptures open; and be afTured, that there 
 is fome defeat in the date of your mind, un- 
 lefs you are able to regulate your opinions and 
 principles by that dandard which is the truth. 
 Do not dedroy, in regard to yourfelves, the 
 
 ufefulnefs 
 
fearching the Scriptures. 191 
 
 ufefulners of the Scriptures, by feeking to fliel- 
 ter your vices under the maxims or cuftoms 
 of the world ; beware of keeping at a diftance 
 from the light, left you begin to hate it, be- 
 caufe it reproves your deeds; but let the word 
 of God be, with you, the teft of every gain, 
 every indulgence, every purfuit; and by this 
 readinefs with which you come to the light, 
 let it be made manifeft that your deeds are 
 wrought in God. 
 
 “ Thefe words that I command thee this 
 ‘‘ day,” faid the Lord by Mofes, “ fhall be in 
 thine heart; and thou ftialt teach them di- 
 “ ligently unto thy children, and thou (halt 
 talk of them when thou fitteft in thine 
 “ houfe, and when thou walkeft by the way, 
 and when thou lieft down, and when thou 
 “ rifeft up.” The expreffions by which the 
 Almighty condefeends thus earneftly to recom¬ 
 mend the fearch of the Scriptures, fuggeft that 
 the application of them fhould begin early in 
 life. “ Thou flialt talk of them to thy chil- 
 “ di*en when thou fitteft in thine houfe.” 
 What an edifying fubjeft of domeftic con- 
 verfation ! You have often obferved that no 
 pieces of hiftory take fo ftrong a hold of the 
 mind of the young as thofe recorded in Scrip¬ 
 ture. Try then to form the minds of thofe 
 who are dcareft to you, by teaching them, as 
 they are able to bear it, to apply to themfelves 
 diftcrent parts of Scripture. Accuftom them, 
 as their underftandings open, to receive and 
 
 to 
 
192 
 
 On the advantages of - Ser. to, 
 
 to digeft that wholefoine food of the foul, 
 Avhich will nourldi them to every virtuous ex¬ 
 ertion, which will furnifli them with ftrength 
 to relift temptation, with an antidote againft 
 the words of the fcorner, with a cordial a- 
 niidfl: the difappointments and forrows w'hich 
 Providence may ordain for them. “ Where- 
 with fliall a young man cleanfe his w'ay ? 
 by taking heed thereto according to thy 
 word.” “ My fon,” let every father fay 
 with Solomon, “ bow thine ear to the fayings 
 ** of this book ; let them not depart from 
 ** thine eyes, and keep them in the midft of 
 “ thine heart, for they are life unto thofe that 
 find them. When thou goefi:, they fhall 
 lead thee; when thou fleepeft, they fhall 
 keep thee •, when thou awakeft, they fliall 
 “ talk with thee : For the commandment is a 
 lamp, and reproofs of inftrudlion are the 
 way of life.” 
 
 4. In order to proft by fearching the Scrip- 
 tureSy it is necejfary to read them vuith Prayer. 
 
 The word of God contains his counfel to 
 his children : Prayer opens their minds to re¬ 
 ceive that counfel. The one is a memorial 
 left us by a Being who is not prefent to our 
 fenfes; the other is that method of corre- 
 fponding with him, which, while we are at a 
 diftance, we are permitted to maintain. The 
 memorial will foon lofe its efTedt m recalling 
 divine things to our minds, if the correfpon- 
 dcace be wholly laid afide. But the two fup- 
 
 port 
 
fearchlng the Scriptures^ 
 
 193 
 
 port one another, and confpire In bringing 
 us near to God. “ When the faints of God 
 ht at his feet, every one receives of his 
 “ words : when they cry to him for know- 
 ** ledge, then they find the fear of the Lord.” 
 
 The blefled Jefus, in the days of his flefli, 
 opened the underftandings of his difciples, 
 that they might underftand the Scriptures; 
 After his afcenfion, he fent forth his Spirit 
 into the hearts of his apoftles, to guide them 
 into all truth ; and he commanded Philip to 
 go near, and to join himfelf to the devout 
 Ethiopian, who had come up to Jerufalem to 
 worfhip, and who, in his return, was read¬ 
 ing Ifaiah the Prophet, without underftand- 
 ing what he read. The lame Jefus, in every 
 age, marks the earneftnefs and humility of 
 thofe who fearch the Scriptures : The Spirit, 
 under whofe infpiration the Scriptures were 
 written, continues to proceed from him ; and 
 by the internal illumination of the Holy Ghofi:, 
 or by various inllruments which he is able co 
 raife up, he ani'wers the prayers which, amidft 
 their darknels and doubts, his fervants offer 
 in his name to the Father of lights. “ Did 
 not our hearts burn within us,” faid the 
 difciples, “ when he talked to us by the way, 
 and opened unto us the Scriptures ?” And 
 do not the hearts of his difciples fiill burn 
 within them, when he removes the veil from 
 their eyes in reading the Scriptures, and en¬ 
 ables them to perceive the things that are fpi- 
 ritually difeerned .? “ The fec.et of the Lord 
 VOL. IV, 1 
 
 is 
 
I:p 4 advantages of Ser. lo. 
 
 “ is with them that fear him, and to them will 
 “ he manifeft his covenant.” 
 
 Even David, the man who felt fo ftrongly, 
 and who has defcribed fo copioufly the advan¬ 
 tages of fearching the Scriptures, does not fay 
 that he difcovered thefe advantages, but he 
 prays that tliey may be fliewn to him. “ O- 
 “ pen thou mine eyes, that I may behold won- 
 “ drous things out of thy law. I am a ftran- 
 
 ger upon the earth ; hide not thy com- 
 ** mandments from me.” Mark the fpirit of 
 ihefe words; follow the example of this de¬ 
 vout man ; when you lack wifdom, afk of 
 
 God, and it lhall be given you.” Let prayer 
 enliven and fan(!tify your fearch of the Scrip¬ 
 tures. It will render the Word of God to you 
 quick and powerful, and will give it an influ¬ 
 ence over your minds very much fuperior to 
 that of any other ftudy. The Almighty will 
 jnftruft you, and guide you with his eye ; he 
 will make you wife through the knowledge of 
 his w^ord, and he will enlarge your heart to 
 run the way of his commandments. 
 
 The view which has been taken of the pre¬ 
 cept of our Lord, has appeared, in the pro- 
 grefs of this difeourfe, to reflect great honour 
 upon the Society before whom 1 now fpeak. 
 To their pui'e minds it will fuggeft much en¬ 
 couragement to perfevere : and to the public, 
 it may fuggeft the ftrongeft reafons for grant¬ 
 ing them that countenance and aid which are 
 peceflary to render the benefit of their pious 
 
 labours 
 
parching the Scriptures, 
 
 labours fl-ill more efFeflual, and more exten- 
 five. 
 
 It is our happinefs to live in times when 
 government appears folicitous to improve the 
 internal refources of the country, when the 
 attention of men of rank, of fortune, and of 
 influence, is turned to corners which had long 
 been negleaed, and the moft refpeaable af- 
 fociations are formed for enabling the inha¬ 
 bitants of the coafts to avail themfelves of 
 their natural advantages. May it not be ex- 
 peaed that this liberal and enlightened policy 
 will embrace the important objeas of this So¬ 
 ciety as congenial with itfelf; that thofe who 
 feek to extend the wealth of the community, 
 will, from the lame benevolent principles, en¬ 
 courage every rational attempt to cherilh the 
 virtues of the community; and that, amidll 
 the patriotic efforts to refeue our brethren in 
 the Highlands and iflands from poverty and 
 flavifh dependence, and to reconcile them to 
 their native land, by rendering their fituation 
 more comfortable, the exertions of this So¬ 
 ciety to form their minds by Chriftian know¬ 
 ledge, will appear praife-worthy in the eyes 
 of every Briton ? Idle profanity and profli¬ 
 gacy of the lower ranks are felt and lamented 
 in the more populous and wealthy diftii(ifs of 
 the empire ; and even thofe who, in other re- 
 fpefls, do not dilcover much zeal about the 
 interefts of religion and morality, have been 
 made to fee and know that the inflrudfion and 
 reformation of the people form a moff defi- 
 
 ^ ^ Table 
 
On the advantages of 
 
 Table object to the ftate. Is it not equally de- 
 firable-to prepare a remedy for the evil where 
 it has not yet become inveterate, to complete 
 the provifion for the profperity and improve¬ 
 ment of the remoter parts of the ifland, by 
 adminiftering to the uncorrupted inhabitants 
 the wholefome counfel of this book, at a time 
 when they are eager to receive it. Their har¬ 
 dy valour has often maintained the honour, 
 and repelled the dangers of their country; 
 Their morals, eftablifhed upon Chriftian prin¬ 
 ciples, may reprove the impiety and licentiouf- 
 nefs of the age ; and, as they and their de- 
 fcendants fpread through the different parts 
 of the empire, they may thus carry with them 
 an antidote againft the general infe^lion. 
 
 Let not then our princes, our rulers, and 
 cur nobles, think it beneath their dignity, or 
 a diverfion from their generous purfuit of the 
 public good, to encourage, by their counte¬ 
 nance and fupport, the labours of the mini- 
 ffers of the gofpel in their feveral depart¬ 
 ments, and the more extenlive plans which 
 this Society has formed. The moft enlight¬ 
 ened writers upon political oeconomy cannot 
 point out a treafure of fuch value to the ftate, 
 as a hock of ufeful fubjects trained by early 
 culture and familiar inftrudfion, to honefty, 
 induftry, and temperance : And the efforts of 
 the mod able and upright ftatefmen to lift 
 this country above its misfortunes, will prove 
 abortive, unlefs thofe under their adminiflra- 
 tion have knowledge and virtue. “ Righ- 
 
 ‘‘ teoufnefs 
 
fearchlng the Scriptures. 197 
 
 tcoiifnefs exalteth a nation: but fin is the 
 reproach of a people.” “ I am the Lord 
 “ thy Gad,” faith the" "Almighty, “ which 
 “ teacheth thee to profit, which leadeth thee 
 ** by the way that thou fiiouldfi: go. O that 
 “ thou wouldft hearken to my command- 
 “ ments ! Then fliould thy peace be as the 
 “ river, and thy feed fhould be multiplied as 
 “ the fand ; thy fons fhould be as plants 
 “ grown up in their youth ; thy garners flaould 
 “ be full, affording all manner of flore, and 
 “ there fhould be no complaining in thy 
 “ ftreets. Happy is the people that is In 
 “ fuch a cafe j yea, happy is that people 
 “ whofe God is the Lord.” 
 
 I 3 S E 
 
 
SERMON XL 
 
 The End of Preaching, and the Way to. 
 attain it. 
 
 By John Scotland, Minifter of Linlithgow.. 
 
 Preached at the opening of the Synod of Lothian 
 and Tweeddale, in the High-Church of Edin-- 
 hurgh, May 2. 1780# 
 
 Eccles. xii. 9. 
 
 And moreovery becaufe the preacher was wifey 
 he Jlill taught the people knowledge. 
 
 text affords occafion for difeourfing- 
 of the duties of a Chriftian preacher.. 
 The tafk is arduous : And I cannot propofe, 
 though I had otherwife the ability, to do ju- 
 Aice to the fubjedl in a fhort difeourfe. It is 
 only a flight view of one corner of it that I 
 can now take. And, in the few hints which 
 may be offered, it will not furely be thought 
 that I prefume to didlate to my reverend fa¬ 
 thers and brethren, of whom it would much 
 
 better 
 
The End of Preachings tc. 
 
 better become me to learn. I mean only, as 
 my place requires, to Jlir up your minds by way 
 tf remembrance; to fuggeft lome things, of 
 which, though we may know them already, 
 it cannot be improper that we fltouIJ be re¬ 
 minded from time to time. What I have to 
 advance will appear, I hope, to be juft, anti in 
 nothing materially different from the fenti- 
 ments of men of greater improvement, or bet¬ 
 ter experience; But, if otherwife, and I fhould 
 exprefs myfelf without hefitation, the decifive 
 manner, allowed and expetfted in a fermon, 
 rauft be my apology. 
 
 Give me leave, then, briefly to point out the 
 purpofe of preaching, and the manner of pro- 
 fecuting that purpofe. 
 
 I. The purpofe of preaching is, faith the 
 text, to teach the people knowledge. Know¬ 
 ledge hath been called “ the food of the 
 “ mind becaufe to this it gives nourifh- 
 ment and ftrength, fimilar to that which com¬ 
 mon ^food gives to the body. And if this po- 
 lition be, in fome meafure, true of all real 
 knowledge, it holds peculiarly of that which 
 is moral and religious. This fpecies of know¬ 
 ledge gives fubfiftence ; All other kinds ferve 
 chiefly to give a relifh *, while, to an unde¬ 
 bauched mind, the pureft, moft grateful, and 
 abiding relifh, arifes likewife from the former: 
 Juft as in a found conftitution of body, the 
 plaineft and moft neceftary food gives a more 
 
 I 4 lafting. 
 
200 The End of Preachingy Ser. i r. 
 
 lafting gratification, than ^that which Is given 
 by delicacies. 
 
 Knowledge, or the perception of truth, real 
 Or fuppofed, lies at the bottom of ajl that we 
 contrive or do. This arifes from our nature 
 as intelligent beings, in whom every exercife 
 of thought, and every thing they do with con- 
 fclournels, implies forming a notion or opi¬ 
 nion. The more important the obje£t of our 
 minds, the more neceflary is our knov/ledge 
 ccncerning it; and, therefore, as religion is 
 our highefi: concern, knowledge of its fadls 
 and dodlrines is indifpenfable. To this its fe- 
 \cral modes of adminiftration and addrefscon- 
 flantly refer. Admonitions and exhortations, 
 in which all addrefies from this place do ter¬ 
 minate, always fuppofe fome truths, fome 
 points of knowledge, as their ground : And 
 the clearei', the jufler, and the more compre- 
 henfive, the views which we communicate of 
 religious truths, the more will the religious 
 pradlice, which is founded in them, become, 
 as the Apoftle exhorts, a reafonable fervlce. 
 
 But how will the wife preacher propofe 
 thefe truths ? In a way that is eafy and intelli¬ 
 gible to all. For it is not learning, but the 
 * refult of learning, the fruits of well digefted 
 knowledge, in a difplay of fentlments adapted 
 to common capacities, that mark not only the 
 ufeful, but the wife and able preacher. And 
 as fuch a preacher will be careful, on one 
 hand, not to be fuperficial or fparing; fo he 
 
 I 5 will 
 
and the Way ts attain it,- 
 
 201 
 
 will avoid, on the other hand, being impro* 
 perly profufe'. Better it is to fay what we fay 
 with effect, than to fay every thing that may 
 be faid. In a country where the gofpel hath 
 been long taught and profefTed, much may be 
 fafely left, on almoft every fubje£t, to the ge¬ 
 neral anticipations of the people. And true 
 knowledge arifes from a clear united view of 
 a fubje<ft, where the mind can eafily furvey the 
 feveral parts, and comprehend the whole at 
 once, rather than from the broken profpe^l of 
 feparate parts, extended without limit. On 
 which account, what is called exhaullinsf a 
 fubjecf, is often nothing more than a learned 
 kind of trifling; where, becaufe each divine 
 truth is connecSted nearly or more remotely 
 with every other, men fet themielves to fay 
 every thing upon every fubjeft; at leaf:, to run 
 different fubjedfs into one another, till the 
 mind of the hearer, inftead of being enligh¬ 
 tened, is left incumbered and perplexed. 
 
 But we are not yet arrived at the great end 
 of preaching. ^Speculative knowledge is no- 
 more than the means, pradlical knowledge is 
 the end V or, the former is the foil, the latter 
 is the fiuit, which if the other fail to produce,, 
 it becomes unprofitable, or w'orfe ; it may a- 
 bound in noxious weeds> In religion, true 
 knowledge is att.iined more by the heart than 
 by the head. / ’will give them an heart to 
 know me^ faith Ood by the prophet.- Tlie 
 feripture fpeaksof believing with the hearty tin- 
 derjianding with the hearty and being of quick 
 
 ^ S underjiandinff^ 
 
20-2 The End of Preachings Ser. ii<,. 
 
 ariderjianding in the fear of the Lord. The 
 pi'a6tice of religion is, in the account of fcrip- 
 ture, the only wifdom, and vice the only folly 
 deferving our notice. Nay more, as religion 
 is a practical fcience, though Tome degrees of 
 fpeculative knowledge are neceflary as a foun¬ 
 dation, and, where they take place, may or- 
 may not give rife to good practice j a good dif- 
 pofition and pra^lice, on the other hand, are’ 
 the certain inlets to all valuable improvements- 
 in fpeculation.. Doing the will of God, is re- 
 prefented by our Saviour as the great requifite- 
 fcr difcovering whether any doctrine be di¬ 
 vine * ; and to the fame purpofe the Apoftle 
 John : Te have an nndiion from the Holy Oney, 
 and know all things. It is a maxim which 
 holds univerfally, that thofe things which 
 when we learn we ought to do, we learn by 
 doing them. A fcorner feeketh wijdom^ and 
 findeth it not ; But knowledge is eafy to him that 
 iinderfiandeth. From all which it follows, that 
 the knowledge which the wife preacher will 
 teach the people, is that which tends to make 
 them wife to falvation ; or, in other words, 
 which refolves itielf into pra£lice. Happy the 
 preacher who, whatever he fails in, fucceeds in 
 this. For he who is thus taught, is to be ac¬ 
 counted the only wife Chriftian. As the end 
 of Chriftianity is to influence the heart and 
 aclions, not he who is able to talk much and 
 difpute about it, but Jxe whofe charader and 
 
 • John vii. 17, 
 
 condufk 
 
and the Way to attain it. 
 
 Z63 
 
 condudb is formed'upon it, underftands It a- 
 right. And, were any to objed againft fuch a 
 perfon, that he is a Ghriftian without know¬ 
 ledge, becaufe he may othcrwife difcover but“ 
 a {lender capacity, they fhould be alked 
 Whethel' they would think it to the purpofe 
 to obje£l: againh one of like capacity, that he 
 is prudent without knowledge, when, as is of¬ 
 ten the cafe, he is oblerved to manage his 
 worldly affairs with diferetiou. It is tuerefore* 
 the people’s attaining of this pradical under- 
 ftanding of religious truths, that will be the 
 great object of a preacher’s care. 
 
 All principles are for the lake of pratflice. 
 And as there are many high and important the¬ 
 ories in the go/pel, fo that preacher is to be deem¬ 
 ed more or lei's able and wife, who is moreorlefs 
 Ikiiful in illullrating then- practical influence. 
 It is not always neceflary that doctrines fhould 
 have an elaborate expofition and proof. The 
 exercile of common fenle, and early and ge¬ 
 neral belief, will render a Ihort account of the 
 meaning and the g« ounds of ordinary dodrines 
 fuificient. It is therefore more eligible, in ge¬ 
 neral, that they be Ihown chiefly in their efli- 
 cacy. The minds of men, at the lame time 
 that they entertain no doubts of their truth, 
 will be hereby withdrawn from relling ia 
 them as matters of mere Ipeculation, and will 
 
 * Bilhop Butler, 
 
 I 6 
 
 have 
 
204 
 
 7he End of Preachingt Ser. rr,. 
 
 have a more fatisfa<ftory convi£tion of their 
 truth, from being led to feel their influ¬ 
 ence. 
 
 But what method promifes fairefl: for pro¬ 
 moting this influence i This is the other 
 branch of our inquiry, to which I now pro¬ 
 ceed. 
 
 II. Eternal virtue ; the divine perfetflions 
 and authority; the moral government of God;, 
 and the fcheme of redemption difcourfed of 
 by itfelf, and interfperfed with all other truths; 
 comprehend the whole fubjeft of preaching. 
 But to make thefe momentous truths of real 
 ufe, they muft be Ikilfully applied to human 
 nature, and to the charatflers of men. From 
 the manner of applying them arifes the na¬ 
 ture, and the degree of their influence ; and 
 to have proper influence, the application muft 
 refer to the precife ftate of a man’s character 
 and condutfl. To promote the purpofe of 
 preaching, that I may adopt here the words 
 of one who was thoroughly acquainted with 
 the avenues to the human heart, ‘‘ We mull 
 “ hold,” as it were, “ the mirror up to na- 
 “ ture ; fhow virtue her own feature, vice 
 her own image, and the very age and body 
 of the time its form and preflure.” Gene¬ 
 ral declamation will be unavailing. But in 
 divcrflfying our fubjedf, by delineating the 
 particular movements of the paflions, fo as to 
 hit the cafes of individuals, though no parti¬ 
 cular; 
 
and the Way to attain if. 2 c j 
 
 cular perfon be either named, or aimed at, 
 confcience will be powerfully led to apply the 
 picture. 
 
 It is obvious what a wonderful variety this 
 mode of preaching muft give to our difeourfes. 
 The fubjedts of preaching are always the fame; 
 but the mode of applying them ought to vary 
 with the varying manners of different timea 
 and places. And it is this continual prefent- 
 ing of frelh views, correfponding to the con¬ 
 tinual fluctuation of human manners, that 
 feems to be afligned in the text as the evidence 
 of a wife preacher : Becauje the preacher was 
 wife^ he ftill taught the people knowledge. 
 
 But two things of much greater importance 
 than mere variety, occur to be obferved here. 
 One is, that the charaCtcriftic mode of preach¬ 
 ing is the beft proof of ability : the other, that 
 it is the beft means of perfuallon. 
 
 It is eafy, in a general way, to praife virtue 
 and to cenfure vice ; to exhort to purfue the 
 one, and to avoid the other ; and to throvw 
 out on thefe heads a great deal of idle talk, 
 full of florid exprefllons, and of well rounded 
 and fwelling periods. But to delineate with 
 preciflonthe particular movements of the heart-;^ 
 to point out the different influence of motives 
 upon the paflions of different perfons, to dil- 
 tinguilli the different features in charaClers 
 that come under the fame general denomin?.- 
 tion ; this requires Ikill and pains. There is 
 aaendlefs variety of attitudes in the human 
 
 mind j 
 
2 o 6 - The End of Preachingf Ser. i r. 
 
 mind; and to hit the nice difcriminations % 
 in charaiter and adtion, fo as to force a man, 
 beyond an aflent to what is faid as tiuth, to 
 reccgnife his own image, mufl: be allowed to 
 be no common attainment. This, however, 
 the prcucher who afpires to a mafterly exe¬ 
 cution will labour afliduoufly to acquire f. 
 
 But 
 
 * It is pleafant to obferve how a declaration of ig¬ 
 norance, even when it is by no means underftood to 
 arife from modelty, can obtain credit for tingular pe¬ 
 netration. The ‘ Jenef<pai qiioi,’ a fiivourite phrafe 
 with air crude writers, is employed to fuggelt, that 
 there is fomething in their meaning too refined for 
 words to exprefs. It is, accordingly, fuppofed by fu- 
 perficial readers to indicate a fuperior reach ; Not cor— 
 fidering that the more perfectly an author underftands 
 his fubje(ft, the feldomer he will need to ufe it. It is 
 not, then, the refinement, but, on the contrary, the 
 confuiion, or the want of thought, that for the moft 
 part occafions the ufe of this phrafe. 
 
 f A certain clafs of preachers fpeak with great 
 fcorn of general declamation, which they afFecft to 
 call haranguing; and their fcorn would be juft, if 
 they themfelves had any thing better to fubllitute 
 in its place. But their own way is, by a multitude 
 of unmeaning diftindlions, to throw a dtfeourfe, ac¬ 
 cording to the rules of an artificial fyftem, into endlefs 
 divifions and fubdivifions; which, inftead of entering 
 into the merits of a fubjeeft, or exhibiting a clear com- 
 prehenfive united view of it, only fritter it down in¬ 
 to a fet of particulars that go about it and about it. 
 Yet the man who excells in this way, they call a great 
 preacher or an able divine. Let thefe epithets be al¬ 
 lowed him, providing it be granted, that in a per¬ 
 formance of this kind, the fame things are perpetually 
 
 returning 
 
and the Way to attain it. 
 
 2(yf: 
 
 But how much this mode of preaching, is a 
 proof of ability, will farther appear, if we con- 
 fider it as the bell means of perl'uafion. No¬ 
 thing can perfuade that is not particular. In. 
 general declamation, every body may be plea- 
 fed, but no body is enlightened or properly 
 affected. The reafon is, all men finding them- 
 lelves in a manner equally concerned, no one 
 takes a perfonal concern.. To fpeak, fo as to 
 make a man recolledl with feme furprife, and 
 fay, “ I have feen it at another time, to 
 make him call his thoughts inwards, and fay, 
 
 I have felt it in myfelf:” This is fpeaking to 
 purpofe, becaufe it is fpeaking to conviction ; 
 not a general conviction that the thing is true, 
 but a particular conviction, that it is the cafe 
 of an individual.:—The glowing colours of the 
 imagination, and vehemence of addrefs, which 
 have been fometimes fpoken of, as though 
 they were the only requifites, are,, even when 
 jult, no more than the drapery j charaCteriltic 
 fentiments form the body of eloquence. 
 
 There are two great obftacles to peiTuafion 
 in the mind of man ; indolence and felf-de- 
 
 returning upon us under different heads ; that the 
 difeourfe, under the appearance of proceeding, ftanda 
 ftill ; and that we hardly advance one ftep in the real 
 knowledge of the fiibjecl. “ The moft effcdual way of 
 “ becoming fooliOi,” fays a celebrated author, “ is by 
 “ a fyftem : For, the liker any thing is to wifdom, if 
 “ it be not plainly the thing itfelf,. the more diredly 
 ‘‘ it becomes its oppolite.’^ 
 
2o8 ’The End of Preachings Ser. 11» 
 
 \ 
 
 ceit. The effufions of a warm and lively fan¬ 
 cy, joined to a fpirited exertion, may (hake 
 the mind out of its indolence, command the 
 attention, and produce a ftrong agitation. But 
 if the mind have no determinate objed, the 
 effeil is momentary, and without meaning 5 
 or if it laft, will iflue in wild and irregular 
 conduct. In the mean time, fclf-deceit pro¬ 
 ceeds in her operations with more fecurity and 
 fuccefs than before. But chara<fterifl:ic fenti- 
 ments, reaching the heart through the under- 
 Ilanding, detedt felf-conceit in her lurking pla* 
 ces, and tear off the veil with which fhe co¬ 
 ver’s the deformity of vice. 
 
 General views, to have proper efficacy, re- 
 quii'e a degree, both of refledtion and of fair- 
 nefs of mind, that is by no means to be ex¬ 
 pelled from the bulk of hearers. Particular 
 views, to fee their drift, require us only to 
 open our eyes ; and then do not require, but 
 create candour, and fecure their effefk before 
 men are aware. 
 
 General views may raife good emotions. 
 But as virtuous emotions are not virtue, fo 
 thofe views of a fubjedf which ferve merely 
 to excite the former come far fhort of the 
 purpofe of preaching. Many are fufceptible 
 of warm emotions of virtue, who are ftran- 
 gers to virtue in their chara6ler. And it is 
 not to call forth inftindl, but to influence 
 choice *, it is not paflive impreflion, but a^live 
 exertion, that is ultimately in the aim of the 
 preacher. The noted flory of Alexander of 
 
 Pheres 
 
and the Way to attain it, 205 
 
 Pheres is much to our purpofe. That dc- 
 teftible tyrant, at the reprefentation of feigned 
 diftrefs upon the ftage, burfl: into tears, at the 
 very time that he was butchering numbers of 
 his own fubje^ls with the moft unrelenting 
 cruelty. Here is a bad man who feels emo¬ 
 tions of virtue ; and his emotions are fervent, 
 as his crimes are enormous. How lhall we 
 account for fo glaring an inconliftency ? Pla¬ 
 ced as an uninterefted fpedlator, where he felt 
 no interference with his ruling paffions, thfe law 
 of virtue, written in the heart, awoke within 
 him, and exerted its power. Taking his part 
 in the affairs of the world, the rage of his in- 
 terefted paffions drove him into a courfe di¬ 
 rectly oppofite, and at the fame time, as all the 
 paffions juffify themfelves, hid the atrocity of 
 his conduct in giving way to them. Thefe, 
 lulling the confcience, kept the man from fee¬ 
 ing, and pronouncing upon his real character: 
 So that, with feemingly equal fatisfaCtion, he 
 indulged the moft criminal paffions, and gave 
 way to the emotions of virtue, and both took 
 place in him by turns, without obftruCting 
 one another. It is true, a little calm reflec¬ 
 tion might have fhowed him the inconliftency. 
 But how few are found to defeend into them¬ 
 felves ? For the fame, it is to be obferved, is 
 the cafejn all common inftances, where men are 
 fenfible to the attractions of goodnefs, and aCl 
 a part in life perfedly the reverfe \ they indu- 
 ftrioufly ffiun looking into themfelves, and com¬ 
 paring the feveral parts of their own character. 
 
 la 
 
210 The End of Preachings Ser. 11. 
 
 In the abfencc of temptation, the heart is 
 in the intereft of virtue. This is no more 
 than the impreflion of the hand of God in 
 the formation of the human foul. But is this 
 fufficient to fulfil the demands of religion ? 
 Surely not. Fqr as it is the defign of religion, 
 to make a man a6t as well as feel, and to feel 
 only in order to a6t j fo it is the purpofe of 
 religious difcipline, to give virtue a command¬ 
 ing influence in ti-ying fituations ; and fuch, 
 more or lefs, is every fituation in this world 
 in which a man is called to adV. How will his 
 virtuous feelings exert themfelves then ? This 
 is the important queftion. It will be readily 
 owned, I fuppofe, that thefe feelings will be fre¬ 
 quently fupprefled,or overpowered by the pre¬ 
 valence of vicious paflions. And whence arifes 
 this prevalence of vicious paflions ? From the 
 depravity of our nature. But does this depra¬ 
 vity leave a man without confcience ? No. But 
 confcience is tyrannifed over by vice.—While 
 it is awake ?—Not fo generally ; but to keep 
 it from awaking it is hoodwinked.. Whence 
 then hath Vice this power to blind the con¬ 
 fcience ? Plainly from the<larknefs divdeceit 
 with which Ihe covers herlelf. Vice, t^be 
 hated, needs only to be feen : She is a force- 
 refs, who hath more ways than a few to charm 
 down refiftance : but in all her arts of defence, 
 her great fecurity lies in difguife ; and many 
 are the fubterfuges, and much the falfe co¬ 
 lourings ihc employs, iu order to pafs upon 
 
 the 
 
Mnd the Way to attain it, 2 n 
 
 the imaginations of iinful men under another 
 name than her own. To all which, chara^eri- 
 ilic preaching oppofes the moft powerful means 
 of detciflion. But to be feeninthe group is her 
 chief dirguife; and to drag her forth to con¬ 
 viction, {he muft be Ihown in her Individual 
 form, fo to fpeak, not as a multitude ‘t a mul¬ 
 titude, either as collected in the perfon of one, 
 or as difperfed among many. Men may be 
 told of their fins by the bulk, or of particular 
 fins, but in a general manner, and the im- 
 preflion, if any, is momentary, and without 
 effect; or they may be told of fins, in which 
 they only fee therafelves fharers with many a- 
 round them, and fo feeing^ they fee not. The 
 reprefentation, therefore, to come home to 
 ** a man’s bufinefs and bofom,” muft be fpe- 
 cial, not general, and muft be fuch as to make 
 him fee it not to be a cafe wherein he is inte- 
 refted in common with others,, but a cafe 
 which he feels to be his own. Nor, by the 
 way, is it necefiary in order to this, that we 
 chufe for the fubjeCts of our difcourfes only 
 fuch as are very particular. The moft gene¬ 
 ral fubjeCts in the hands of the fkilful may be 
 treated charaCteriftically. 
 
 “ General views,” faith one, “ are like 
 ** large profpeCts, where the eye takes fo wide 
 “ a compafs, and fees fo many things at once, 
 that it fees nothing diftinCtly.” Particular 
 views prefent feparate objeCts In a palpable 
 form, and each in its own fhape and fize. It 
 is eafy to conceive hence which are Icaft liable 
 
 to 
 
212 'The End of Vrcachings Ser. 11. 
 
 to be miftaken, which are beft adapted to pre¬ 
 vent or to defeat the evafions of felf-partiali- 
 ty, and to urge naked truth upon the heart. 
 Tell men, for inftance, that they are great fin- 
 ners, and that they fin daily in thought, word, 
 and deed, they will readily aflent j they may 
 liften to you with pleafure ; and there the mat¬ 
 ter ends. But delineate vicious pafllons, pro¬ 
 perly circumftantiated, fo as to bring to mens 
 confcioufnefs the workings of their own 
 hearts, and they will be affected very diflerent- 
 ly. They will not, it may be, go from church 
 thinking of and applauding the fpeaker; but, 
 which is a nobler end of preaching, they will 
 go away thinking of themfelves *. 
 
 And 
 
 * It is extremely unhappy, when the preacher of 
 nghtcoufnefs, who is engaged in the delicate and diffi¬ 
 cult undertaking of combating finful paffions, finds hira- 
 felf oppofed by religious opinions. The perfons allu¬ 
 ded to in a former note, p. 206. who fpeak with con¬ 
 tempt of general declamation, if the difcourfe be more 
 particular and applicatory, view it with more ferious 
 difguft, and call it legal dodrine, or moral harangue ; 
 no matter what thefe words precifely mean, provided 
 they are underftood to denote fomething very bad. 
 Hence people, carelefs of the purity and uprightnefs 
 of their conduit, are able to folace their confciences, 
 and to fortify their hearts againft all attempts to dif- 
 lodge their vices. When you fpeak to them in a bo¬ 
 dy, of their being great finners, they will figh and 
 fhake their head, and readily confefs it to be true. 
 But fpeak, as it were, to each man’s heart, of the par¬ 
 ticular inftances of conduit by which be becomes a 
 finner, and he is ftartled and difgufled j it is moral 
 
 dodrine. 
 
and the Way to attain it. 
 
 213 
 
 And though, after all our endeavours, it is 
 the divine influence alone that can render them 
 truly efieiflual; yet this we are entitled to ex¬ 
 pert, only in proportion to our ufing proper 
 means. And though, in ufing the properefl: 
 means, we muft often fail of reclaiming the 
 obftinately vicious; nay, may raife their indig¬ 
 nation, and incur their cenfure ; yet even this 
 is a proof of no inconfiderable fuccefs. It is a 
 proof that we have reached their confciences. 
 Reaching the confcience will certainly give 
 fome check, at lead to the trjjamphant infults 
 of barefaced vice. And though an upbraid¬ 
 ing confcience may feek, through the influence 
 of a vicious felf-love, to fliift off blame from 
 itfelf, and to vent its vexation on the inftru- 
 ment that awakens its remorfe; yet, as the ef¬ 
 fort is forced and inflneere, by no means at¬ 
 tended with an honeft confeioufnefs and calm 
 fatisfaclion, truth may come, at lafl:, fully to 
 prevail. The "words of the "wife are as goads^ 
 and as nails fajiened .—The diferetion and ad- 
 drefs requifite to preferve our doctrine from 
 
 dodtrine, and he rejedts what you fay with fcorn. It 
 is true, the abfurdity here is too grofs to need many 
 words to expofe it ; for, if a man be not a finner in 
 particular inftances, how is he a finner at all i But, 
 “ men that are knaves by retail,” fays Montefquieu, 
 “ are extremely honeft in the grofs and felf-deceit, 
 which is able to ferve itfelf of the pooreft pretences, 
 finds no fmall acceffion of ftrength from the language 
 w'hich, unhappily, the people are taught to hold on 
 this occafion, 
 
 any 
 
214 
 
 Hie End. of Preaching, Ser. ir. 
 
 any tendency to exafperate, while it Is efFedlual 
 to perfuade, is only a yet higher proof of 
 wifdom and ability in the preacher. 
 
 But is it thus, It may be alked, that we can 
 fulfil the demands of eloquence ? Is it thus that 
 we can roufe and agitate the paffions, the great 
 fprings of adlion ? General ideas are belt 
 adapted, it may be thought, to excite ad¬ 
 miration, terror, and all the great paffions; 
 becaufe, thefe ideas being more or lefs ob- 
 fcure and uncertain, the mind, in a ftate 
 of uncertainty,^^never fails, when the ideas 
 are otherwife of a ftriking nature, to fend 
 out the imagination in queft of the vaft and 
 the awful. A clear and certain conception of 
 an object, on the contrary, leads us to con¬ 
 template it with eafe and familiarity ; confe- 
 quently leaves the mind in a date too collec¬ 
 ted, too much mafter of Itfelf, to admit the 
 boundlefs excurfions of imagination, and 
 the violent agitations of paffion. Muft it, 
 therefore, be faid, that particular views are 
 not fufceptible of eloquence ? Here let us di- 
 ftinguilh. When the mind Is merely to be 
 raviffied with wonder, or ftruck with con- 
 fternatlon, obfcurity is requifite. But when 
 the agitation of the mind hath an ulterior aim, 
 when the defign is to influence condudf, the 
 more diflin^l and precife the object, the more 
 clearly the mind difcerns the ground on which 
 it hands; and as it proceeds to addon with 
 greater certainty of not being iniflaken, fo 
 confequently with greater cheerfulnefs and 
 
 fpirit. 
 
And the Way to attain it. 1 1 ^ 
 
 fpirit, and afTurance of fuccefs. It hath, in 
 this cafe, an aim and a motive which^t wants 
 in the other. This therefore is the cafe which 
 alone is fitted to perfuade. 
 
 Indeed, when a man is to be engaged in any 
 great enterprife without himfelf, that is, fo¬ 
 reign to the regulation of his own heart, ge¬ 
 neral views may not only be the moft proper, 
 but the only ones adequate to the occafion; 
 becaule that ai'dour of mind which prompts 
 to fuch an enterprife, and may be necelTary to 
 accomplifla it, is apt to be checked by minute 
 attentions, but is upheld by enlarged and com- 
 prehenfive views. It is otherwife in the dif- 
 cipline of the inward man; for while the mind 
 expands upon important obje^s without, it 
 diaws its force into a point in furveying all 
 objeas within itfelf. Nor is the incitement 
 to aaion that is afforded by this internal fur- 
 vey, to be accounted mean or inefibaual. The 
 appeal is brought to the confcience ; and the 
 moral fenfibility of confcience, which involves 
 too in its operation the workings of the paf- 
 fions, is yet, confidered apart, a much furer 
 and fteadier, as well as worthier principle of 
 aaion than the paflions alone. 
 
 Now, to imprefs the confcience, two cir- 
 cumftances are requifite ; that the idea pre- 
 fented to the mind be clear and precife, and 
 that it be realifed by faa. They arc particu¬ 
 lars only that are precife, and which there¬ 
 fore are fitted to make a proper impreffion. 
 Even when the imagination merely is to be 
 
 addreffed, 
 
2i 6 The End of Preaching, Ser. ii. 
 
 addreiTed, without being confounded, it is done 
 moft fuccefsfully by particulars. It is not the 
 flowers, but the lilies of the field, that are 
 befl; adapted to imprefs the mind with a fenfe 
 of the care of Providence. It is not a great 
 king, but Solomon, whofe glory, on a com- 
 parifon, can be precifely difcerned *. Even 
 in works of imagination, where the whole aim 
 is to pleafe, the author finds it often necefiary, 
 in order to efFe£l his purpofe, to fpecify or 
 particularife. The reafon is, in all cafes, the 
 fame: We have a clearer and livelier appre- 
 henfion of particulars than we can have of 
 generals. 
 
 But the eloquence of the pulpit hath a 
 higher aim than merely to aid the apprehen- 
 fion. Its aim is to gain the heart, fo as to go¬ 
 vern the conduct and form the charafler. But 
 this can be done only by placing fadls before 
 the confcience, and fadts realized in the per- 
 fons we addrefs. When the immediate end of a 
 difcourfe is amufement, the view of the fpeak- 
 er is completed in exciting the emotions of ad¬ 
 miration, pity, complacency, or horror-, and 
 to efi’eft this, the imagination may fairly occu¬ 
 py the whole ground, and hath no limits but 
 thofe of probability. But, when the immedi¬ 
 ate end of a difcourfe is the regulation of the 
 temper and condudt, imagination muft give 
 place to reality. It is not a fuppofeable cafe, 
 but a certain fadf, that is in the view of the 
 
 • Matth. vi. 28. 29. 
 
 fpeaker 5 
 
s.nd the Ifay to'attain it, 2i*j 
 
 fpcaker; and imagination hath no fcope, far¬ 
 ther than in giving force to an objedi feen and 
 felt as adlually exirting, or which we know 
 will exift. We may not be confcious at the 
 time of an objedl as a ficlion, even when the 
 cafe is fidlitious; but the moment we ceafe be¬ 
 ing diredtiy confcious of an objedl as a reality, 
 the imagination may be afFedted, but perfuafion 
 is at an end. Now, the more fpecific the ob- 
 jedt, the ftrongcr and more fatisfying is our 
 confcioufnefs of its reality 5 as the ftrongcr 
 our confeioufnefs of its reality, the greater is its 
 power to perfuade. It is no exception from 
 this, that, in a work of imagination, a fiaiti- 
 ous cafe may be drawn fo exadlly parallel to 
 the real cafe of the auditor, as to aftedl his 
 confciencej and, though he fliould afterwards 
 recolledl that the cafe is fidlitious, yet, confci¬ 
 ous of its being realized in himfelf, he may be 
 influenced by the iinpreflion to a change of 
 condudf. Here every one perceives that it is 
 the cafe realized, not the fidlion, that is the 
 caufe of the change ; the fidbion being only 
 the occafion of bringing the reality to his 
 knowledge. The great thing required in per- 
 fuaflon is, that amidft the play of the imagina¬ 
 tion and the paftlons, the heart do not lofe 
 fight of its own particular intereft in the cafe 
 reprefented. Briefly; it is the aim of elo¬ 
 quence, not merely to awaken the virtuous 
 energies of the mind, but to give them an ob- 
 jedt, and fet them on work ; and the bettei’ wc 
 <an diftinguifla the objedt as belonging to our- 
 VoL. IV, K felve% 
 
21.8 The End of Preaching, Ser. ii. 
 
 felves, the more clofely it prefles upon the 
 mind. It may not inflame the imagination, 
 but it pierces the confcience. And what is 
 .eloquence, if this be not • ? 
 
 After all, it muft be allowed, that, to com¬ 
 plete the purpofes of eloquence, general and 
 particular views ought to be combined. Par¬ 
 ticular views give efficacy to a difeourfe, and 
 are the diredl: road to perfuafion. A proper 
 mixture of general views gives an expanfion to 
 particular ientiments, reflects a fplendour on 
 the road to perfuafion, and makes us pleafed 
 to walk in it. Nay more; fuch general views 
 as ferve to agitate the paflions, may, by render¬ 
 ing the mind more readily fufceptihle of im- 
 preflion, bp highly favourable to the fuccefs of 
 
 A certain drain of preaching prevailed in the laft 
 century, which was called cafuiftical dodtrine, confid¬ 
 ing in the folution of particular cafes of confcience. 
 Sometimes great acutenefs and accuracy were difplayed 
 on ihefe occafions ; and the principal defedt of this 
 manner feems to have been, that preachers framed 
 their difeourfes upon ideas of abftradl reafon, indead of 
 .the fuggeftions of fentiment. Yet fo much good efFe< 9 : 
 was produced in this way, that ferious and thoughtful 
 inen imagined they faw their own cafes deferibed in 
 thefe difeourfes, and thought, and often juftly thought, 
 themfelves greatly edified. Dr Sarderfon, a learned 
 and worthy man, and one of the chaplains to Charles I, 
 was an able divine of this fort. The King was wont 
 to fay, that “ he carried his ears to hear other preach- 
 ers ; but he carried his confcience to hear Dr San- 
 f* derfon.’^ 
 
 particular 
 
and the Way to attain it, 2i§ 
 
 particular views *. And ftill more favourable 
 may be the putting of moving cafes, which, 
 making no direft attack on felf-love, and 
 thereby over-reaching felf-deceit, bear at the 
 fame time a natural application to the cafe be* 
 fore us. Witnefs Nathan’s parable to David. 
 But the whole merit of general views lies in 
 their being fubfervient to particular ones, or in 
 being a proper vehicle for carrying thefe more 
 forcibly to the heart. Without this fubfervi- 
 ency, the hearer may be pleafed, and applaud 
 the fpeaker; may be pleafed and applaud him- 
 fclf j while the interefts of felf-deceit are only 
 the more ftrengthened by his miftaking his 
 love of virtue and hatred of vice, which have 
 been occafionally raifed by general declama¬ 
 tion, for a virtuous difpofition and charac¬ 
 ter. 
 
 Next to its being the moft effe< 5 tual way of 
 teaching men their duty, the principal advan¬ 
 tage of chara^leriftic preaching is, that it 
 guards them againft the allurements of en- 
 thufiafm. As all error lies in generals, fo 
 generals being more or lefs obfcure, are ever 
 
 * The union of general and particular views in a 
 feriTion, is firndar to the junction of mufic and poetry 
 in works of amufement. Mufical drains, when alone, 
 give a frivolous, unmeaning, momentary pleafure ; but 
 they acquire a body and form by being joined with the 
 ideas of poetical compofition ; and then pay back what 
 they borrow, by carrying thefe ideas more forcibly to 
 the heart. 
 
 K 2 
 
 fruitful 
 
a20 The End of Preachivgy Ser. ii. 
 
 fiuitful of error. This holds particularly 
 with refpe^l to enthufiafm, which proceeds al¬ 
 ways on general views, and to the operations 
 of which a confiderable degree of obfcurity is 
 abfolutely requihte ; For its courfe is, the ima¬ 
 gination kindles at certain favourite phrafes or 
 founds, or at certain unaccountable impref- 
 lions immediately formed within the mind. 
 Thefe phrafes, founds, and impreffions, have 
 no precife meaning; On thefe, however, are 
 formed fome indiftinff, undefinable notions, 
 which ferve to fupport the exercife of the ima¬ 
 gination *, and the more indiftinff the notions, 
 the more the imagination is inflamed. Thus, 
 while judgement fleeps, fancy is awake, and 
 men live in a world of their own creating. 
 But a clear apprehenfion of things dilTolves the 
 charm, the rovings of imagination fubfide; the 
 heart is effected only through the underftand- 
 ing, and men are moved no farther than real 
 knowledge of the fubje£l carries them. 
 
 This then is a Angular advantage. Charac- 
 teriflic preaching is the great prefervative a- 
 gainft the influence of a fpirit which clouds 
 the underftanding, diftorts our fenfe «jf right 
 and wrong, and corrupts the befi: aflc<ftions of 
 our nature.—In (hort, charafleriflic preach¬ 
 ing is, in this, and in every refpedf, the great 
 means, under the blefling of God, of reftoring 
 the fading honours of pure and undejiled re¬ 
 ligion > 
 
 I rauft not difmifs this head, concerning the 
 
 way 
 
and the Way to attain it. 221 
 
 way to attain the end of Preaching, without 
 adding, that it will behove us to attend not 
 only to the quality of the fentiments we con¬ 
 ceive, but likewife to the manner of convey¬ 
 ing them. The manner of conveying them 
 ought no doubt to vary both according to the 
 particular nature of the fentiments, and ac¬ 
 cording to the flate of mind in the hearers.. 
 But amidft all fuch variations, there is one 
 thing which we fhould condantly have in 
 view ; and that is, that our manner (I fpeak 
 chiefly of the ftyle, not merely of the manner 
 of delivery), be Ample and natural. PeiTpi- 
 cuuy, united with concifenefs, a capital at¬ 
 tainment in good compofition, is the refult of 
 a juft fimplicity. But what is of the greatefl: 
 importance, fimplicity feems to be elTentially 
 connedled with the power of perfuafion. 
 
 It may be a bold opinion, but I confefs T 
 have long thought, that were our tafte arrived 
 at mafculine ftrength, a great part of what are 
 called elegancies and ornaments would be ac¬ 
 counted puerilities, ill adapted to the end of 
 pulpit eloquence. They pleafe. But do they 
 enter thoroughly into the affections, and work 
 perfuaffon into the heart ? Perhaps they are 
 the farther from this for the way in which 
 they pleafe us. They give the mind the gaiety 
 of amufement: But as interefting views, and 
 amuffng ones, are two things, fo the ferious 
 and thoughtful tone of mind, which fuits the 
 bufinefs of this place, and that which rcliffies 
 amufement, feem to be wide afunder. If an 
 
 ^ 3 intC’lligenfc 
 
222 ^he End of Preachings Ser. r i 
 
 intelligent hearer, imprefled with the fubje^^', 
 be ready to anticipate the figures employed by 
 thefpeaker, this affords a good criterion for dc'- 
 termining their legitimate ufe j an ufc never to 
 be accounted legitimate, till we ceafe regard¬ 
 ing them as ornaments, and feel their force 
 only as means of perfuafion. 1 grant, that 
 fometimes, though not fo often as is imagi¬ 
 ned, juft and lively figures may give a clearer 
 and ftronger view of an object than can be 
 given in plain language ; and then they are 
 proper, becaufe they ferve the purpofe of per¬ 
 fuafion ; But when they give merely a brilli¬ 
 ancy, they ars to be rejeifed as below the dig* 
 nity of eloquence. In fhort, the ftyle employ¬ 
 ed in the pulpit, if it be neither languid nor 
 grovelling, can never be too fimple. Nor, if 
 we regard the end of preaching, can this be 
 too much in our view. The hiftory of Jofeph 
 and his brethren, in the book of Genefis, fhowe 
 that an image may be conveyed more natural¬ 
 ly to the mind, and beyond queftion, make a 
 ftronger imprefllon upon the heart, prefented 
 in plain language, than when it is prefented in 
 figurative. The fimple, the pathetic, and the 
 fublime, are in natural alliance. 
 
 Simplicity hath a further recommendation. 
 It hath been an old and conftantly renewed 
 complaint, that men are often abufed by mere 
 words and founds. Under this cover fome- 
 times pernicious notions have been infinuated 
 into their minds, and, not unfrequently, things 
 that have very little meaning, perhaps no mean¬ 
 ing 
 
and the Way to attain if. 125’ 
 
 ing at all. The cure of this evil is, by a 
 tural exhibition, without artifical colouring, 
 to make the matter of our difcourfe the pro¬ 
 minent part of it. True eloquence required 
 that the fpeaker fubdue the expreffion to the' 
 fentiment, and the pronunciation to both. 
 And as this is dealing fairly with our hearers, 
 fo it is the true way of fhowing our own merit, 
 if we have any. For, however paradoxical if 
 may appear, it is a certain fadf, that man/ 
 have the power of talking prettily or pom» 
 poufly, who have very little power of thinking. 
 
 Let it appear that we have fomething to fay, 
 rather than that we are anxious how to fay ii.- 
 I obferved, that it behoves the preacher to at¬ 
 tend to the manner of conveying his feuu- 
 ments ; but by no means to let that attention 
 appear to the hearers. It is the perfection of 
 manner, when it fhows the matter, without? 
 fliowing itfelf, and when a hearer, of plain 
 natural underftanding, imagines, that were he 
 to utter the fame fentiment, he would ufe the 
 fame expreffions. And it is a proof of a de¬ 
 praved tafte in the hearer, to which the dig¬ 
 nity of eloquence will never fubmit, if the 
 juftnefs and weight of the fentiment, clearly 
 and naturally exprelTed, do not more than' 
 make amends for the want of ambitious or¬ 
 naments. 
 
 Let it not be objected, that the tendency of 
 what hath been now faid is to deprive our cora- 
 pofitlons of all beauty. It may have this ten¬ 
 dency through our own want of tafte and capa- 
 
 K4 city 5^ 
 
224 The End of Preaching.^ Ser. iir 
 
 city V then all the beauties we may be o- 
 therwife able to reach will be frivolous or 
 falfe, and fuch as eloquence muft fcorn. But, 
 Gonfidered in themfelves, fimplieity and beauty 
 are fo far from being incompatible, that, on 
 the contrary, the moft refined and delicate, 
 and the moft durable beauties, fuch as have 
 flood the teft of all ages, have been unani- 
 moufly allowed to many of thofe compolitions 
 that are charaiflerired by their fimplieity. Sim¬ 
 plicity is diftinguilhed by that graceful eafe 
 W'hich is the foundation of elegance ; and 
 without which all other beauties become auk- 
 ward, and lofe their name *. 
 
 To conclude. In a difeourfe concerning the 
 qualifications of a preacher of righteotifnefs^ it 
 would be highly blameable to omit mentioning 
 one, without which all other qualifications will 
 be fruitlefs, and even difgufting ; and that is, 
 goodnefs of heart, and a thorough integrity of 
 inward character. The wile preacher will not 
 content himfelf with an external decorum: He 
 will afpire after the beauties,^ and cultivate the 
 graces which adorn the mind. It is this that 
 muft give him comfortable hopes of fuccefs in 
 his labours ; for it is this that wilf .make his 
 duty his delight ; that will lead him to enter 
 
 * Some, as Lord Shaftfljury, who in their own 
 writings have run into a turgid manner, have yet 
 in quality of critics, dropping that vanity and af- 
 fedlalion which adhered to them as authors, been moft 
 carneft in the praife and recommendation of fimpli- 
 city. 
 
and the Way to attain it, 225; 
 
 with feeling into the fpiritual concerns of his 
 people, and to pour inftruftlon and confola- 
 tion into their hearts, warm and living from 
 his inmoft foul. It is the people-s convidtion 
 of this that will carry his miniftrations beyond' 
 the low end of being merely entertaining. The 
 delires of their fouls will rife to meet them j 
 and by t\\e bleffing of God, inftrudlion, re¬ 
 proof, or confolation, defcending with a Iweet, 
 yet irrefiftible influence, will flnk to the bot¬ 
 tom of their hearts. His do&rine will drop as 
 the rainy his fpeech dijiil as the dew : As the 
 /mail rain upon the tender herby and' as the 
 Jhowers upon the grafs. 
 
 But after all, much, my Brethren, the hear¬ 
 ers of the gofpel, will depend upon you. Doubt- 
 lefs ye may, if ye refolve it, defeat the belt 
 and moft promifing endeavours for reftrain- 
 ing your vices. Ye may drown your convic¬ 
 tions in bufinefs, or debauchery, or amufe* 
 ment •, or ye may diffipate them in company,, 
 and laugh, or join in the laugh, at your be¬ 
 ing furprifed into ferioufnefs. But is this to- 
 a6t the part of reafonable creatures ? And for 
 what purpofe, I pray, fhould ye defire this ^ 
 At beft, ye are able to cheat yourfelves but 
 poorly ; for endeavour it as ye will, your fuc- 
 ccfs can never be accompanied with that en¬ 
 tire, thorough-felt fatisfailion and joy which> 
 attends the confeioufnefs of truth and right.. 
 Or though ye could deceive yourfelves ever 
 fo completely, yet fince ye cannot deceive 
 God, what would it avail you ? Would not 
 
 5 your. 
 
226 
 
 The End of Preachingy he. Ser. i 
 
 your ruin be rendered thereby the more irre-- 
 trievable ? Surely then your concern is to adi 
 like men who fee k to be their intereft not to 
 fliut but open their eyes, and to know the 
 truth. Ther£ are fome, God grant they may 
 be few ! who polTefs the unhappy art of clo¬ 
 thing vice in the mantle of virtue. But there 
 are many, very many, who are well able to turn 
 away their eyes from viewing its native defor¬ 
 mity. Ye may manage with yourfelves, fo as 
 to be like the man that beholdeth his natural 
 face in a glafs : Who beholdeth his facCy and 
 goeth. his vjayy and Jiraight’way forgetteth 
 what manner of man he was. But tell me, 
 will your forgetting this change the nature of 
 things ? will it make wrong to become right, 
 or falfehood to become truth ? IVhereforey be 
 ye not unwife, but underjianding what the will 
 tf the Lord is. Laying afide all malicey and all 
 guile and hypocrify^y not only towards men, but 
 towards God and your own confcienccs, as 
 new born babes, define the fincere milk of the 
 word, that ye may grow thereby. 
 
 SER. 
 
S E R M a N xir. 
 
 The Gofpel adapted to the State and Cir-- 
 cumftances of Man. 
 
 By the Reverend John Kemp, one of the Mi-- 
 nifters of Edinburgh, and a Director of the’ 
 Society in Scotland for propagating Ghri-- 
 ftian Knowledge. 
 
 Preached before the Society, at their Anniver- 
 fary Meeting in the High Church of Edinburgh, ) 
 on Thurfday, June 5. 1788. 
 
 To which are added, Fadls ferving to illuftrate the Charadlcr' 
 of the Right Honourable Thomas, late Earl of Kinnoull^, 
 as deliveied to the Society, 
 
 I Cor. i. 24. 
 
 - Chrijl the Wifdom of Cod. ■ 
 
 ^^HE religion of Jefus has, in every age,? 
 
 been expofed either to the open attacks of 
 avowed foes, or the infidious attempts of pre¬ 
 tended friends. The controverfy of the pre- 
 fent limes is not with profeiTed enemies. The' 
 faifs contained in the gofpel have been proved' 
 
 K 6' hy/ 
 
228 
 
 T’he Gofpel adapted to the- Ser. 12. 
 
 by fuch variety of convincing evidence, and 
 every objeffion to their truth has been fo often 
 and fo completely refuted, that men of fenfe 
 and literature, though inimical to Chriftiani- 
 ty, have at length become tired of the fruit- 
 lefs difpute.. Their invention can fuggeft no¬ 
 thing new ; and though not perhaps convin¬ 
 ced, they chufe to remain filent. 
 
 Oppofition to the gofpel, however, has not 
 ceafed : It has only aflumed a different form, 
 the more dangerous, perhaps, that it is difgui- 
 fed. Even among its profeffed advocates and 
 defenders, there are not wanting fome moft 
 unfriendly to thofe fublime and important 
 truths, by which,, as a fyftem of religion, it is 
 peculiarly diftinguiflred. 
 
 Such men, affuming it as a principle, that 
 human reafon is the foie judge of all obje£t& 
 of faith, make it their endeavour to bend 
 Chriflianity into a compliance with the diilates- 
 of their own underftanding. They prefuma 
 to fix 'the limits even of a divine revelation % 
 and whatever exceeds the boundaries which 
 they have marked out, they fcruple not to rc- 
 3 e£t as incredible, and impoffible to have come 
 from God. 
 
 Much learning and excellent criticifm have 
 been employed in defence of the ancient and. 
 received fyftem of evangelical truth,, and to 
 prove that it is no lefs really than apparently^ 
 contained in the word of God. 
 
 But, independent of the plain and direfl te- 
 uiicony of fcripture,^d juft reafoning found¬ 
 ed 
 
State and Circumjlances of Man* 229 
 
 cd upon it, there is a teft, by which doctrines 
 claiming to be evangelical, may, and ought to 
 be tried,—a criterion to which the advocates 
 for human reafon fliould not objefl, becaufe it 
 accords, at leaft to a certain extent, with their 
 own plan, and that is the Handard of human 
 nature; not indeed as it is exhibited in the 
 fancied portraits of poets and philofophers, 
 but as it is feen and felt in obfervation and ex¬ 
 perience. 
 
 Is the gofpel, in the full extent and connec¬ 
 tion of its doOrines, adapted to the ftate and 
 circuinftances of man ? Is it fitted, with exqui- 
 fite llcill, to afford a fupply to his fpiritual 
 wants, and a remedy to fiis intelleaual difor- 
 ders ? Is its native tendency to elevate our 
 fpecies to a rank in the fcale of moral excel** 
 lence, far beyond what any other fyftem ever 
 propofed or attempted ? Then, from its own 
 nature arifes an argument for its Divine Ori** 
 ginal, amounting almoft to demonftration; and 
 every ferious and candid inquirer will ac» 
 knowledge with the Apoftle, in the words of 
 my text, that “ Chriji is. the vjifdom of Godf 
 or, in other words, that thofe dodlrincs and 
 iliat fyftem which have Chrifl for their author 
 and obje^l, by their ftrudlure and tendency af¬ 
 ford evidence of wifdom more than human, 
 and could have proceeded only from God. 
 
 This is the fubje^l to which I wifli to direfi 
 the attention of my much refpeaed hearers, 
 ypon the prefent occafion. It is evidently an 
 important theme. It places the fcheme of the 
 
 gofpel, 
 
230 The Cofpel adapted to the Ser. i r. • 
 
 gofpel, not perhaps in a new, yet certainly in a 
 moft interefting point of light, and feems well 
 adapted to the intention^of our prefent aflem* 
 bly. 
 
 And if, upon a fair and candid examination,, 
 it lhall appear, that the gofpel is admirably ad¬ 
 apted to the ftate and circumftances Jof man, 
 to remove his diforders, to fupply his defefts, 
 and to carry him forward to the higheft im¬ 
 provement of which his faculties render him 
 fufceptible; then it follows, that, to convey 
 the knowledge of that fyftem to thofe of oup 
 fellow-creatures, who either enjoy it not at 
 all, or but in a very iraperfe£l degree, is an un* 
 dertaking benevolent and laudable; and that a 
 Society which have this for their objedf, are 
 entitled to the approbation and countenance of 
 their fellow-citizens. 
 
 In the proiecution of this fubje£l, I wllh not 
 to attempt a laboured argument addrefled to 
 the mere intellefl; my appeal is to feeling and 
 experience as well as to reafon. I wilh my^ 
 hearers to retire into their own bofoms, to 
 attend to what pafles there,—and there to fuf* 
 fer a plea in behalf of “ Chrift, as the xvijdom 
 •* of Gody' to reach them. 
 
 Upon an attentive furvey of the natural 
 (fate and circumftances of man, the following 
 propofitions, it is imagined, will be found un¬ 
 deniably true. 
 
 Firft, That marly although endued 'with the cai - 
 pacity of receiving information^ yet by his o’wn 
 
 majfified' 
 
State AndCircimjlances erf Man*^ 231 
 
 nnajfijied effortis totally unable to acquire the 
 kntmledge of thofe truths loith luhich it chiefly 
 imports him to be acquainted. 
 
 Secondly, That upon his being enlightened 
 nuith the true knowledge of God and of his duty^ 
 he TTtufl neeeffarily be imprefl'ed with a deep fenje 
 of his own depravity and guilt. 
 
 ■Thirdly, That he has a confeioufnefs of moral 
 obligation j and . ideas of moral excellence, which 
 experience tells him he cannot by bts own efforts 
 fulfil and realize. 
 
 fourthly, That he is fubjelied to many afflic¬ 
 tions ^ for whichy upon the principles of reafon^ 
 he cannot account^ nor difeover to what good 
 purpofe they^ tend. 
 
 Tartly, That although he feels both prefages 
 (fy and defines after a future fiate of beings 
 yety from the light of nature, he neither derives 
 affurance of its exifience, nor any certain in-- 
 formation concerning it. 
 
 Let us confidcr thefe propofitions, and in-« 
 quire how far they are founded. If it fhall 
 appear that they are ftriaiy true, then let us 
 examine in what manner the gofpel provides 
 a remedy for the dii'oi ders, and a fupply to 
 the defers which they imply. The fubjeirt, I 
 am ienfible, is far too extenfive for the limits 
 of a Angle difeourfe ; but it was the lubje^t 
 recommended for this occafioii by a peiTon to 
 xvhem both the Society and the Preacher lie 
 under many obligations,—a perfon whofe ex- 
 tenrtve knowledge and deep lenfe ol religion, 
 vindicated by a cotrelponding practice, gave- 
 t peculiar. 
 
234 The Gofpil adapted'to the Ser. 12. 
 
 / 
 
 peculiar weight to his opinions and recona-. 
 mendations in mattefs where religion was cpn* 
 cerned; I mean our late noble and excellent. 
 Prefident *. Refpedl for the memory of this 
 good man is my apology for entering upon fa 
 large a field. It is indeed but a fmall part of 
 it over which I can hope to travel; but I may 
 be able perhaps to point out to my hearers 
 fome paths by which, with much pleafure and 
 advantage, it may be explored. ;. ..v ^ 
 
 The firft propofition is. That man^ though en» 
 dued 'with a natural capacity of receiving infor* 
 matioUi yet by his O'wn unafjijied efforts^ is totally 
 unable to acquire certain kno'wledge concerning^ 
 ihofe truths and objects ^ •with "which it is of chief 
 importance for him to be acquainted. . 
 
 The caufe of human reaioa has-been plead¬ 
 ed with ability and zeal j ingenuity and fkill 
 have been exhibited in the conftru^fion of 
 beautiful fyftems of natural religion ; the love¬ 
 line fs and obligation of virtue have been dif- 
 played in all the glowing colours of imagina¬ 
 tion and language. But* thefe elaborate ef¬ 
 forts in defence of the human underftanding, 
 it is to be obferved, are almoft all of them 
 pofterior, not only to the Chriftian sera, but 
 to the period of the Reformation. What na¬ 
 ture could, or could not have done, it is per¬ 
 haps impolfible for us, by an abftrafl invelii- 
 gation of the queftion, to determine. But 
 what^Z?^ has done, and in the moft favourable 
 
 • The late Bail of KinnotlU, See his Charadler Aihjbln- 
 ed to this Sermor. 
 
 circuraRances^ 
 
State and Circumjlances of Man* 233 
 
 circumftances, we certainly know, and the re- 
 fult affords no great room for boafting to her 
 advocates. 
 
 Let us look into the hate of religious know¬ 
 ledge among nations unacquainted with a di¬ 
 vine revelation, not among the rude and bar¬ 
 barous, they might be deemed unfair exam¬ 
 ples ; but in the philofophical and claffical 
 ages of Greece and Rome, when all the pow¬ 
 ers of the human mind were cultivated to a 
 degree of perfection which the efforts of mo¬ 
 dern times can never furpafs. And yet in 
 ihofe refined ages, when fcience and art Ihone 
 forth with a luftre which does honour to hu¬ 
 manity, how grofs and deplorable was the 
 darknels of even the wifeft of men with re¬ 
 gard to the moff important of all fubjcCts, 
 the nature and perfections of the Deity, the 
 relations which man bears to God, and the 
 duties which thefe relations infer ? It were 
 indeed highly unbecoming in us, who enjoy 
 fuch fuperior advantages, to affeCt to undervalue 
 the ancients. In compofition and reafoning, 
 as well as in the fine arts, they will ever be re- 
 gai’ded as models even to modern genius. And 
 as to religion and morals, what labour, and 
 learning, and ingenuity could do, they have 
 done ; yet how miferably they have failed is 
 known to all who are converfant in their wri¬ 
 tings. Their ideas of God were vague, con- 
 fufed, contradictory ; To the rational homage 
 due to him as the Creator, Preferver, and 
 Governor of the univerfe, they were ftrangers; 
 
 Their 
 
234 7 heGofpel adapted to the Ser. 12. 
 
 Their fyftems of morals were confined and 
 defective, being calculated rather for the forms 
 of republican government, than for mankind 
 at large i their profpedts of futurity were dark 
 and uncertain. 
 
 Thefe things if were cafy to prove, by en¬ 
 tering into a particular detail j they have been 
 often proved to a demondration ; what then 
 fhall we think of the modefty of modern ad¬ 
 vocates for reafon, who, while they pretend 
 to reject the aid of divine revelation, lay claim 
 to a knowledge in divine things, more accu¬ 
 rate and profound than was ever poflefied by 
 a Socrates or a Plato, a Cicero or an Epic¬ 
 tetus ? This alTumed fupcriorlty is an infult 
 offered not to revelation only but to reafon 
 itfelf. 
 
 But if men of profound intelle<Tual abili¬ 
 ties, whofe whole time and attention were 
 devoted to abftra^l fpeculations, were igno¬ 
 rant of the leading fundamental principles of 
 religion, what rnulf have been the lltuation 
 of the great body of the people ? Them the 
 philofophers profelfed not to teach, them they 
 regarded and treated with the moft fovereign 
 contempt. The religion of the people was 
 accordingly a motely compofition of fable and 
 fupeiftitious abfurdity. Their manners cor- 
 relponded ; and what hopes could be enter¬ 
 tained of their reformation, while, in their 
 moft flagitious enormities, they were vindi¬ 
 cated by the example of the gods, or rather 
 
 the 
 
Stats and Circumjfances of Man, 235 
 
 the fi£litious monfters of vice and impiety 
 which they adored ? 
 
 What then in refpe^f of religious informa¬ 
 tion conftitutes the aftonifhing difterence be¬ 
 tween them and us ? Nothing, it is obvious, but 
 that written revelation with which God has 
 bleiTed mankind in the fcriptures : A fyftetn 
 calculated for the inftrudlion and moral im¬ 
 provement, not of the wife and learned only, 
 but of the people at large ; of mankind in 
 all ages and nations, in every fphcre and con¬ 
 dition of life, and in every ftage of intelle«flual 
 improvement. 
 
 Our bleffed Saviour and his apoftles held 
 no fecret doctrines with myftcrious caution 
 imparted to their immediate difciples, and 
 other dodlrines which they promulgated to 
 the people. They addreffed their whole fy- 
 ftem to the public, and in terms, which, while 
 level to the meaneft capacity, were calculated 
 to enlighten the moft profound. Hence we 
 account for a fa< 5 l the moft extraordinary in 
 the hiftory of our fpecies, that a Chriftian 
 of the meaneft ftation, and humbleft intel¬ 
 lectual endowments, knows more of God and 
 things divine, than all the wife and learned of 
 Pagan antiquity. While they difputed con¬ 
 cerning the being, perfections, and govern¬ 
 ment of the Deity, and could agree upon no¬ 
 thing i the Chriftian mechanic knows and 
 firmly believes in the one only living and true 
 God, the Creator, Preferver, and moral Ga- 
 vcrnor of the world. 
 
 While 
 
236 The Gofpel adapted ta the Ser. 1 2, 
 
 While they doubted whether any^ or what 
 adls of devotion were proper, he approacheth 
 with humble joy and confidence to the God 
 and Father of the Lord Jefus in thefe exer- 
 cifes of his worfhip, which God himfelf hath 
 prefcribed.—While they removed God to an 
 infinite diftance from them, and refolved all 
 events into an unintelligent blind fate, or into 
 general undiftinguifhing laws of nature ori¬ 
 ginally eftablhhcd j he believes and confides in 
 the conftant prefence and influence of a kind 
 over-ruling and particular Providence.—While 
 ancient philofophers debated concerning a flate 
 of future exiftence, leaning fometimes to the 
 fide of hope, but oftener far to that of fear 
 and doubt, and on the whole confidered death 
 rather as an eternal deep, than an introduc¬ 
 tion to another mode of being ; the Chri- 
 ftian, learned in the feriptures alone, regards 
 this life but as the commencement of his 
 exiftence, and death as the gate through 
 which he lhall enter into manfions of im¬ 
 mortal felicity and perfe^lion.—While the dif- 
 ciples of nature could never conceive an i- 
 dea fo ftrange as that of the refurreftion of 
 the body, or fo aftonifhingly grand as that of 
 a general judgement j every real Chriftian’s 
 mind is eftabliftied in the belief, that a day is 
 approaching, when the whole human race in 
 one vaft alTembly, and in both parts of their 
 frame reftored to union, fltall ftand before 
 the tribunal of him who made them, lhall 
 each receive from his righteous fentence ^ 
 portion fuited to his real character, and be 
 
 immediately 
 
State and Circiimjlances cf Man, 237 
 
 immediately fent 'into realms of eternal hap» 
 pinefs, or regions of darknefs and defpair. 
 What magnificent, what fublime ideas are 
 thefe ! How far beyond the reach of human 
 difcovery ; and how powerful mufl: be their 
 influence upon every mind which fincerely 
 believes them ! 
 
 But it is not in thele grand and leading 
 principles alone, that ^the dark and benighted 
 mind is illuminated by the gofpel; no truth 
 in religion or morals is leftundifcovered which 
 it is necelTary or proper for man to know, and 
 none, perhaps, which, in the prefent ftate of 
 his faculties, it is poflible for him to compre* 
 hend. Every thing is ■ revealed which can 
 ferve to enlighten his underftanding, with re- 
 rpeft to the great principles of faith and duty, 
 form his heart to the love of God and good- 
 nefs, and train him up in a courfe of progref- 
 flve moral improvement, to a fltnefs for be¬ 
 ing finally united with the Author of his 
 exiftence. 
 
 Thefe truths, permit me to obferve as a 
 matter deferving particular attention, the 
 Chriftian receives, not as probable conclufions 
 from a train of reafoning, in which it is poffi- 
 ble his own mind may have deceived him ; he 
 alTents to them not with a faith, wavering at 
 beft, and always fubjea to the encroachments 
 ot doubt; he receives them upon the teflimo- 
 ny and authority of God ; he confides in them 
 as truths, certain as his own exiftence, and 
 v/hich, even in his wideft deviations from the 
 
 plan 
 
238 The Gofpel adapted to the Ser. 12* 
 
 plan of condudl they prefcribe, it is impoffible 
 for him to rejedl. The experienced Chriftian, 
 in giving credit to this divine fyftem, reds up¬ 
 on evidence which, though h^ cannot com¬ 
 municate it to other men, is to him demon- 
 ftration ; by the irrefiftible energy and happy 
 influence of its dodbrines. upon his own heart 
 and life, he knows and feels that it is the power 
 and the wifdom of Gcd for falvation. 
 
 Thus it appears evident, from the ignorance 
 that prevailed in the moft cultivated ages, that 
 reafon alone is a mod: infufficient guide to 
 thofe truths which are of chief importance for 
 man to know, that fupernatural difeoveries 
 were abfolutely neceflary, and that in this re- 
 fpe£l the gofpel revelation is admirably adap¬ 
 ted to the circumdances and neceflicies of hu¬ 
 man nature. 
 
 This will appear no lefs evident from con- 
 fidering the 
 
 Second propofition, That the human mindy up^ 
 §n being enlightened with the true knowledge of 
 Cod and of duty, muft necejfarily be impreffed 
 with a confeioufnefs of guilty and dread of pu^ 
 nijhmenty for which reafon and nature have 
 provided no remedy. 
 
 That mankind in all ages, and under even 
 the mod imperfed notions and forms of reli¬ 
 gion, were aSe<ded with a fenfe of their own 
 ill defert from a fuperior being or beings, ap¬ 
 pears evident from the whole train of their hi¬ 
 de ry. 
 
State and Circumjlances of Man. a 
 
 ftory. The great Author of nature never left 
 himfelf without a witnefs in the human breaft. 
 The voice of confcience, “ accufmg or excu- 
 
 fng’* too much accorded with the decifions 
 of the underftanding, to be wholly filenced 
 by bad education, or corrupt fyftems of reli¬ 
 gion. 
 
 Yet it is certain that our ideas and our feel¬ 
 ings of moral turpitude muft always, in a great 
 degree, depend upon the notions of duty which 
 we have formed or received. It follows, there- 
 fore, that they whofe minds, inftead of being 
 improved, were debaied and corrupted by pre¬ 
 vailing fyftems, muft have felt comparatively 
 but little uneafinefs, in confequence of their 
 deviations from the laws of genuine religion 
 and of pure morality. Hence the idea of mo¬ 
 ral obligation with the ancient Heathens, was 
 the refult of feeling rather than of reafon; and 
 their religious fei'vices, the extorted drudgery 
 of mercenary dread, rather than the volunta¬ 
 ry tribute of reverence and love. It was chief¬ 
 ly their experience of phyfical evil which gave 
 birth to their confcioufnefs of moral guilt} it 
 was when lightnings flaflied and thunders rol¬ 
 led, when war and famine and peftilence fpread 
 devaluation around, that they were terrified in¬ 
 to the belief of having deviated from the will, 
 and tranfgrefted the laws of the God of na¬ 
 ture. Hence their omens, their augurs and 
 oracles, their priefts and temples, and the 
 whole coftly train of their religious rites} 
 hence in a particular manner, their victims of¬ 
 fered 
 
^4® Cofpel adapted to the Ser. 12. 
 
 fered up In facrifice to obtain the favour, or 
 expiate the wrath of offended Deity. 
 
 Sacrifices, as has been often obferved, affoid 
 the moft unequivocal proof, not only that a 
 fenfe of guilt and of deferved punilhment, but 
 alfo of the neceffity of an atonement, were 
 univerfal among mankind. At the fame time, 
 it muff be admitted, that reafon, in vain, feeks 
 to find out a connexion between the fliedding 
 of the blood of an animal, and the remiflion 
 of human iranfgreflion. With much proba¬ 
 bility, therefore, it has been concluded, that 
 the idea of facrifices originated, not from the 
 natural deductions of reafon, but from a divine 
 revelation handed down by tradition. Yet 
 ftill the univerfality of the pra(Slice, while other 
 truths and ordinances of religion w’ere totally 
 obliterated and forgotten, amounts to a proof, 
 that a fenfe both of guilt, and of the neceffity 
 of an atonement is congenial to the human 
 mind. 
 
 If luch was the general convieffion of man¬ 
 kind, when guided by nature alone, and with 
 fuch imperfe£f notions of God and duty as (he 
 afforded, what muff be the ideas and feelings 
 of men enlightened in the true knowledge of 
 the Supreme Being, the extent and perfection 
 of his laws, and the awful fanClions by which 
 they are enforced ? Many, it is admitted, ac¬ 
 knowledge thefe truths, who are but little af- 
 feCted by their practical influence. When fti- 
 mulated by the impulfe of paffion, reafon, and 
 argument, and even obvious intereff, plead 
 
 with 
 
State iind ClrcumJlanccs of Mxn. 2-41' 
 
 vrkh them in vain. It is not in the feafon of 
 health and profperity chat we can expecl from 
 a man of the world ferious attention to the 
 reprefentations of another, or even to the 
 convictions of his own mind, concerning the 
 depravity of his character. But vifit him in 
 the day of his calamity, when pain of body 
 and anguiQa of fpirit have taken hold of 
 him. See him efpecially in the near views of 
 death, roufed to confideration of his fpiritual 
 and eternal ftate, forced to look back upon his 
 paft life, and forward to an awful futurity j 
 afk him then, how he is to appear before God, 
 what- account he can give of his life, and 
 upon what foundation his hopes are placed ? 
 
 The delufive expectations which ignorant 
 foperftition received from defigning pricftcrai^r, 
 k is not necelTary in this country and in the 
 prelent age to expofe. Excepting that of the 
 gofpel, then, there are but two pleas to which 
 with any probability of fuccefs man can have 
 recourfe •, his own attainments in virtucyZnd the 
 mercy of God. As to the lirfl: of thefe, the pica 
 of merit \ who, that is poflefled of a found 
 mind, will for a moment reft upon it as his 
 t-itle to eternal life ? Examine the beft of your 
 actions, analyfe the principles from wdaich they 
 proceeded, and on which, they were conduct¬ 
 ed ; bring them to the ftandard of confcience, 
 compare them with the pure and fpotlels 
 precepts of the gofpel, you will find that they 
 come far fhort, that they are full of imper* 
 fsCtion.—But had the cafe been otherwile, 
 
 ■VoL. IV. L and 
 
242 T'he Gofpel adapted to the Ser. i2. 
 
 and had a few aftlons of your life been per¬ 
 fectly pure and virtuous, ftill you are but itn-- 
 profitable fervants, and even in thefe have 
 done no more than your duty. Surely then, 
 thefe can make no atonement for the innu¬ 
 merable tranfgreffions which you muft con- 
 ' fefs. The plea of merit, indeed, from a crea¬ 
 ture to his Creator, efpecially from a crea¬ 
 ture fo guilty and depraved as man, is at once 
 fo arrogant and abfurd, that ftupidity and ig¬ 
 norance alone can urge it. 
 
 The other plea to which the finner may 
 have recourfe ,—mercy of Cody —is far more 
 plaufible ; yet neither will this avail him, if 
 raifed on any foundation fave that which God 
 himfelf hath eftablifhed in the gofpel. In any 
 other way it muft be rejeCVed as invalid, both 
 by reafon and by confcience. For the ftern 
 demand of reafon is abfolute, unlimited obe¬ 
 dience j and the accuiing voice of confcience 
 tills the heart, not with the hopes of pardon 
 and acceptance, but with the fad forebo¬ 
 dings of impending judgment. What then 
 is the ground upon which the light of nature 
 can direct the finner to build his hopes of the 
 ilivine favour ? It is at leaft but a faint pro¬ 
 bability, a prefumptive hope, that in compaf- 
 fion to his weaknefs, God may be pleafed to 
 pardon his tranfgreflaons, and to accept of 
 his fervices, imperfeCf and unworthy as they 
 have been. But this plea, it is evident, may 
 be urged, and thefe hopes be alTumed, by 
 every olFender, however enormous, againft 
 
 every 
 
State and Circumjlances of Man. 243 
 
 every law both humaa and divine, which is 
 at once to annihilate all diftindlion between 
 right and wrong, virtue and vice. If the ex¬ 
 tent of the divin-e favour is to be meafured by 
 the unbounded hopes of the finner, then how 
 are the perfeflions of Deity, and the equity of 
 his moral government to be vindicated ? How 
 is a diferimination to be made between the 
 righteous and the wicked, between thofe 
 ** who ferve God and thofe who ferve him 
 « not 
 
 Both reafon and confcience concur in con« 
 demning the (inner’s claim to the mercy of 
 God : A claim fuggefted by audacious hope, 
 and founded upon principles too fallible to 
 bring peace to a mind anxious about futuidty, 
 and apprehenfive of juft retribution. 
 
 Now, if this Tandy foundation be the only 
 one upon which the religion of nature fup- 
 ports the hopes of her votaries, let us inquire, 
 whether the wilhes of the human heart be 
 placed upon firmer ground, by the go/pel it» 
 felf, according to a laic fafjionable Jyjiem : A 
 fyftem, of which the chief obje^l is to exclude 
 from revelation the atonement of Chrift, that 
 grand and capital dodlrine which hitherto, in 
 the general fenfe of the church, was not only 
 its chara£ieriftical diftin(flion, but the great 
 pillar on which all its other parts depend. 
 To the abettors of this fyftem, the dodrine 
 of falvation by the crofs, inftead of the wif- 
 dom of Gcd, appears, as much as ever it did 
 
 L 2 to 
 
^44 
 
 The Gofpel adapted to the Ser. 12 . 
 
 to the ancient Jews and Greeks, “ a Jliimbling 
 “ block andfoolijlmefs 
 
 To enter into the field of controverfy upon 
 this fubjecl belongs not to my defign: Nor is 
 it necelTary : Ability, and learning, and elo¬ 
 quence have been employed in its defence, at 
 leaft in an equal meafure to any which have 
 been cppofed to it, and with this fingular ad¬ 
 vantage, that in the plain fenfe and common 
 acceptation of words, the uniform language of 
 Scripture is decidedly in its favour. So much, 
 indeed, is this the cafe, that great ingenuity 
 and Ikill in criticifm alone can torture them 
 into a different meaning. “ That Chrifl fuf- 
 ‘‘ fered and died as an atonement for the fins 
 “ of mankind,” fays a late polite and ingeni¬ 
 ous lay-writer *, “ is a dc£frine fo firongly 
 and fo confiantly enforced, through every 
 “ part of the New Teflament, that whoever 
 “ will ferioufly perufe thefe writings, and de- 
 “ ny that it is there, may with as much reafon 
 “ and truth, after reading the works of Thu- 
 “ cvdides and Livy, aifert, that in^ them no 
 “ mention is made of any fadfs relative to the 
 
 “ hiftories of Greece and R.ome.” 
 
 \ 
 
 In behalf of this mofi interefiing docfrine, 
 I would appeal, not merely to found criticifm 
 and fair interpretation of Scripture ; I wifh it 
 to be tried not by the undei ftancling and the 
 realoning powers of the mind only, but a!fo by 
 the feelings of the heart, and paiticularly by 
 
 * Soatne Jenyns’s View of the Internal Evidence of 
 the Chriftian Relijjion, edit. p. 29. 
 
 the 
 
State and Circumjlances of Man. 245 
 
 the confcicnce of a finner awakened to a fenfe 
 of guilt, and alarmed by the thoughts of a 
 judgment to come. Defcribe to a man of re- 
 fleclion, in that ftate of mind, the plan of 
 the gofpel when ftripped of this doflrine ; tell 
 him of the fublimity of its dodtrines, the puri¬ 
 ty and excellence of its precepts, and the aw- 
 fulnefs of its fandlions ; delineate to him the 
 unexampled innocence and beneficence of the 
 life of its blelTed Author, the aftonlfhing 
 magnanimity and fortitude of his death, not 
 as a facrifice for ftHy but as a tefimony to the 
 truth of his doUrine and 7niJfon : Explain to 
 him, if he will liften to you, the laboured and 
 ingenious criticifms by which you remove the 
 common acceptation of words, and prove that 
 the dodlrine of the atonement has no place ia 
 the facred page. But what, may not the alar¬ 
 med finner juftly reply, does all this’eontribute 
 to the eafe and comfort of my troubled mind 1 . 
 The purity and extent of the fyftem of duty 
 enjoined by the goJpel, its dreadful fandlions, 
 and the fublime charafler of its Author as an 
 example, only tend to exhibit, in more glaring 
 colours, the imperfedlion of my obedience, the 
 greatnefs of my fins, my juft defert of punifti- 
 ment, and my total incapacity of making any 
 fatisfaiTtion to divine juftice. Ton tell me, that 
 even upon plan, the gofpel contains the* 
 ftrongeft alEurances of mercy and pardon to 
 the lincerely penitent. But does not the fame 
 gofpel, in folemn terms, declare, “ That God 
 “ is of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, 
 
 L 3 “ that 
 
2^6 
 
 The Cofpel adapted to the Ser. 12. 
 
 “ that he will not acquit the guilty ; that the 
 “ unrighteous Ihall not inherit the kingdom 
 “ of God; that he will x'ender to every man 
 “ according to his deeds, indignation and 
 “ wrath, tribulation and anguifli upon every 
 “ foul of man that doth evil.” Some way 
 there muft be, if the gofpel be indeed from 
 God, of reconciling thofe contradiflory alTer- 
 tions. Your hypothefis does it not. From it 
 I derive no folid fatisfa6lion to my mind. In 
 it I perceive no foundation upon which I can 
 build my hopes of pardon and acceptance with 
 God in any confiftency with his truth and ju- 
 fiice, with the harmony of his pcrfedVions, and 
 the equity of his government. On the contra¬ 
 ry, by pointing out the purity and extent of 
 the divine commandments, and the terrible 
 punilliments prepared for tranfgreffors, it only 
 I'erves to render my condition more hopelefs 
 and defperate. 
 
 To a peiTon in this ftate of mind, what 
 founds can be fo cheering, fo full of confola- 
 tion and peace, as thofe which convey the true 
 and diftinguifhing dodlrine of the gofpel 
 “ God fo loved the world, that he gave his. 
 
 only begotten Son, that whofoever belie- 
 “ veth on him fhould not perifli but have 
 “ everlafting life —Herein is love, not that 
 “ we loved God, but that he loved us, and 
 “ fent his Son to be the propitiation for our 
 ** fins f. There is now therefore no condem* 
 
 John ui. 16. t I Jolin 
 
 “ natioa 
 
Stats and Circumjlanccs of Man, '247 
 
 nation to them that are in Chrift Jefus.—* 
 
 “ It is God that juftifietb, and who can con- 
 “ demn*?” 
 
 Where was there ever a doilrine or an idea 
 conceived or prcpofed, fo wonderfully calcu-‘ 
 lated to give eafe to the foul tx'embling under 
 a conrcioufuefs of guilt, as that which is con¬ 
 tained in thefe, and a thoufand other pafiages 
 equally explicit? Are the difficulties, which 
 the pride of human reafon fuggefts, unfur- 
 mountable obhacles to the reception of this 
 dojfti'ine ? Shall we renounce, with difdain, 
 that pardon of fin and that gift of eternal life, 
 which nature moft vehemently foliciis, becaufe 
 offered not in the way which our Ihallow un- 
 derftandings propofe, but in that which in¬ 
 finite wifdom hath chofen, as the purchafe 
 of the obedience and death of the Son of 
 God ? 
 
 In the page or field of controverfy, in the 
 warmth of angry theological debate, and eager 
 conteft for vi6fory, objedlions may appear for- 
 'midable. But what will be their afpedl to the 
 Chriftian, in his hours of retirement and feri- 
 ous reflexion, when meditating upon his own 
 character and defert, and looking forward to 
 his appearance in the prefence of his Maker ? 
 Then, be affured, thefe mountains created by 
 pride and contention will dwindle away into 
 nothing, and the mind will return to fentiments 
 morebecoming its condition. In thefe fcafonsy 
 
 * Rom. viii. i. 33. 34* 
 
 L 4 ^ 
 
The Cofpcl adapted tc the Ser. i 
 
 ■ 2^8 
 
 the ciieftions which appear of chief impor- 
 *ance are not, in what rnyficries and difFiculties 
 , is this doctrine involved ? but, are the fcriptures 
 the'wordof God? and is this doSlrine of the 
 aioneraent there plainly af cried and maintain^ 
 cd? 
 
 Myfterioufnefs undoubtedly attends it; but 
 niyileries inexplicable occur in every fa(ft which 
 \ve obferve in the natural world ; and why 
 il'.ould w^e prefume to think that in a plan fo 
 grand and fublinie as tliat of the recovery of a 
 loft and perilhing world, there fhould not be 
 circuraftances which our very limited under^ 
 ftandings cannot explrdn ? 
 
 If fatisfied that it is the dodfrine of the word 
 of God, the difficulties attending it wdll be 
 eafily overcome; and with a grateful joy pro¬ 
 portioned to its value, the humble Chrifliaa 
 will accept of it “ as the unfpeakable gift of 
 “ Cod" for falvation.. 
 
 One remark, which the feribus contempla,- 
 tion of this fubjedt fuggefts, is of fuch impor¬ 
 tance as to deferve your particular attention; 
 it is this: That the idea of God reconciling a 
 loh and guilty world to himfelf through the 
 medium of the obedience and. death of his 
 own Son, is in itfelf fo fublime and fo aftonifli- 
 ing, fo far removed from every thing which 
 ever had, or could be fuppofed to have enter¬ 
 ed into the human mind, that this of itfelf af¬ 
 fords a ftrong prefumption, that from human 
 invention it never originated. But now that it 
 
 13 . 
 
State and Clrciimjiances of Man* 249 
 
 is revealed from God, what doftrine r,an bring 
 along with it fuch peace and fecurity to the 
 heart ? In the obedience and expiatory facri- 
 fice of the Son of God, the tiue Chriftian 
 fees not only all ground of fear removed, but 
 the moftfublime and fatisfying profpedls open¬ 
 ed to his view, he beholds all the perfedlions 
 of the divinity harmonioufly engaged in his 
 behalf, and the God of nature bearing to hini 
 the relation of a Father, in the moft endearing 
 fenfe of that expreffion. Full of this idea, the 
 Chriftian rifes to an elevation of mind and cha- 
 rafler, of which otherwife human nature is 
 incapable. Secured in the divine favour and 
 prote«ftion, he feels himfslf excited to every 
 thing great and noble in fentiment and aftion *, 
 and refting upon this foundation, he calmly 
 but cheerfully looks forward to that folemn 
 day which will diffblve his connedlion with 
 the world, and admit him into the immediate 
 prefence and enjoyment of his. God. 
 
 • If fuch are the happy effe£tsof this doflrine,. 
 and fuch the confolation which, in circum- 
 ftances the moft alfedling, it brings to the hu¬ 
 man mind; if, in paflages without number, it 
 is moft exprefsly afterted in the Scriptures; 
 nay, if it be indeed, what it appears to be, the 
 cardinal point upon which the whole fchemre 
 of revelation turns ; and, dnally, if it not only 
 gives no encouragement to relaxation of mo¬ 
 rals, but brings along with it the ftrongeft and 
 moft afte(Sting motives to holinefs and purity 
 of heart and life; then, upon what principles 
 
 1a 5 cr. u 
 
7he Gofp el adapted'to the' Sen r 2 v 
 
 250 
 
 can we at'count for that zeal which, with in¬ 
 defatigable perfeverance, labours to baniih it 
 from the ftandards of our faith ? Let its ene¬ 
 mies prove that it is produdfive of any mif- 
 ehievous confequences either to fociety or to- 
 the individual, and we will excufe their ho- 
 ftile attempts. On this point we appeal in its 
 behalf to fadt and experience. Look around 
 you in life, my brethren, antf fay from your 
 own obfervation, whether they w’ho fincerel)^ 
 believe and confide in the merits of the Savi¬ 
 our for acceptance with God, are lefs peace¬ 
 able, induftrious, and ufeful than others, as 
 members of civil fociety,—lefs faithful, labori¬ 
 ous and refpedied as miniffers of religion,— 
 lefs confcientious and upright in bufinefs,— 
 lefs attentive and affVdfionate in fulfilling the 
 various duties of locial and domcftic life ? 
 You cannot fay fo ; you know that the very 
 revcrfe is the truth. It is impoflible in the 
 nature of things, but that it muff be fo ; for 
 the faith of tbis dodffine neceiTarily leads to 
 the hatred of fin, the love and pradficc of ho- 
 linefs. “ The grace God, that bringeth 
 faivation, hath appeared to all men ; teach- 
 ing us, that denying ungodlinefs, and 
 worldly luffs, we Ihould live foberly, righ- 
 '• teoufly, and godly in a prefent world *. 
 
 If 
 
 * Tit. ii. II. 12. See alfo Rom. vi. i. James ii. 14., 
 A multitude of other pafl'agcs to the fame pur- 
 pofe occurs ia the New TcftameDt. Indeed, one great 
 
 ^ohjeff 
 
State and Ctrcumjlimces of Man. 
 
 If this is the truth as fecn in faff and ob- 
 fervation, where is the benevolence or huma¬ 
 nity of attempting to deftroy the peace and 
 darken the profpecfs of thoufands of ferious 
 and good minds, founded upon this doftrine? 
 Could we fuppofe it even a dream, a mere phan¬ 
 tom of the imagination, yet if it is not only 
 harmlefs but beneficial, is there not cruelty in 
 difturbing it, and in endeavouring to awaken^ 
 the mind from: its fancied fecurity, to fear,- 
 and doubt, and perplexity ?—But let us not 
 be too much alarmed ; there is no room to 
 apprehend that thefe efibrts, however zea- 
 loufly conduffed, lhall operate to any great 
 extent, or that the now falhionable hypothe- 
 fis lhall nc of long duration^ Like many o- 
 ther opinions which have had their fucceffive 
 days of triumph in the Chrifiian world, it will 
 vanilh and be forgotten ; other Tyfiems of er¬ 
 ror may follow, and for a time obtain, but 
 truth is powerful, and lhall at length prevails 
 When wearied with controverfy and milrepre- 
 fcntation, men will have recourfe to the Scrip¬ 
 tures in their plain and obvious meaning, as- 
 the only ftandard of faith, and as containing, 
 the only fyliem of principles which is adapted- 
 lo the ftate and circumllances of fallen and 
 guilty man. Human pride will bend fubmif-- 
 
 objfit of the ApoRle Paul, in all his epiflles, is to lliew- 
 the necclTary and infeparable connexion between the 
 lincere belief of this doiflrine, and holinefs of-heart and- 
 life. 
 
252 ^he Gojpel adaptedto 4 he^tcz^. Ser. 12. 
 
 five before the oracles of divipe wifdom, and. 
 the doftrine of falvation by the crofs of Chrift, 
 be received, with joy a§ the ’ujifdom and the pGvj- 
 er of Cod», 
 
 SER 
 
 r 81 
 
SERMON Xni. 
 
 The fame Subject continued. 
 
 I Cor. i. 24. ^ 
 
 - ' - Chriji - the. Wijdom of God, 
 
 ]fN difcourfing from thefe words, I have ea- 
 deavoured to fliew, 
 
 Firjiy That man, although endued with the 
 capacity of receiving information, yet by his 
 own unaffifted efforts, is totally unable to ac¬ 
 quire the knowledge of thofe truths with 
 which it chiefly imports him to be acquainted'. 
 
 Secondly, That upon his being enlightened 
 with the true knowledge of God and of his 
 duty, he muft neceffarily be impreffed with a 
 deep fenfe of his own depravity and guilti 
 I now proceed to the illuflration of the 
 /A/r^Z-propolltion mentioned'iri order to fiiew 
 the peculiar aptitude of the gofpel difpen- 
 fation to the ftate and circumXfances of man, 
 viz;. 
 
 That he has a co^^fcioufnefs of moral obliga¬ 
 tion, and ideas of moral excellence, 'which ex¬ 
 perience 
 
254 C of pel adapted to the Ser. 13^ 
 
 perience- tells him he cannot by his own efforts 
 fidjil and realife-. 
 
 That hian cannot attain to that excellence 
 of charadVer of which his mind natural¬ 
 ly forms the idea, is evident from faff and 
 univerfal experience Moral and religious^ 
 fyftems formed under the light of nature 
 alone, we have already confidered, and found 
 them to be moft defective and erroneous. 
 The moral feelings of men, it is true, muft 
 correfpond with their ideas of duty and 
 moral obligation Yet limited and imperfect 
 as were ihofe of the ancients, we find many 
 of the beft and wifeft among them, acknow¬ 
 ledging the infufficiency of their own powers^ 
 and the abl'olute necefiaty of divine afiiitance,, 
 to carry them to the heights of even that vir¬ 
 tue of which they had formed the conception. 
 Nay, it is well known to have been a maxim 
 univerfally received among the Heathens, that 
 without the afflatus., or inlpiraiion of the Divi¬ 
 nity, nothing great in fentiraent or aiiion was 
 ever attained by man*. Such is the natural in- 
 ftindlive fcnfe of the human mind, of its own; 
 
 ^ Hymn of Cleanthes, Iranjlated by Gilbert We/l, Efq\ 
 
 For nor in earth, nor earth-encireling floods. 
 
 Nor yon ethereal pole, the feat of gods. 
 
 Is ought perform’d without thy aid divine ; 
 
 Strength, wifdom, virtue, mighty Jove, are thine. 
 
 WhST’s Works, Vol, II. p. 48'. 
 The heroes of Homer and Virgil, it is-well known,, 
 accoroplilhcd almoft nothing without the interpolition 
 ef fome deity. 
 
 weaknef?;. 
 
St^att and Circumjiances of 'Man. Jjrj- 
 
 weaknefs and conftant dependence upon Godf 
 But if fucb were the convictions of men whofis 
 ideas of moral obligation were fo' exceedingly 
 imperfect, what maft be thofe' which the know¬ 
 ledge of the grand and perfefl fyftem of duty 
 enjoined by the gofpel cannot but excite ? A 
 fyftem which, taking its rife from God, in¬ 
 cludes every relation in which man is placed, 
 and every duty which thefe relations infer ; 
 which extends even to the regulation of the 
 fecret movements of the heart. 
 
 Upon taking a ferious view of this great 
 plan of duty, and then comparing it with hiS’ 
 own powers and capacities, who will prefume 
 to fay that he is able to realife it in praClice ? 
 Folly alone can give birth to fo abfurd and 
 preftimptuous an expeClation*. Every man of 
 candour will feel and acknowledge the decla¬ 
 ration of the Apoftle Paul, to be far more con- 
 fonant to his own experience. / fee a Idv) in 
 my members^ 'ixiarring againji the Imv of my 
 mindy and bringing me into captivity to the law. 
 of fin ; fo that when I woidd do good, evil is pre^ 
 fent with me *. “ My reafon lees and ap- 
 
 ** proves that which is goodj and which the 
 ^ gofpel hath enjoined, but I feel its autho- 
 rity infinitely tpo weak to enforce its own 
 decifions. Paflion and temptation lead me 
 aftray, and I yield obedience to the law of 
 “ fin, at the very time that my conlcience 
 dictates \inlimited compliance with the law 
 
 * Rom. vu. *5, 
 
 «of 
 
2 $6 The Cofpel adapted to the Ser. 13. 
 
 “ of God. In oppofition to my better judg- 
 ment, I rejedt my lawful Sovereign, and o-* 
 bey a tyrant and an ufurper. Though an 
 “ admirer of virtue, I am a pitiful Have to 
 vice, and in every ftep of my condu£l my 
 “ own mind witnefleth againft me. Wretch- 
 “ ed man that I am, who or what can deliver 
 me from fo deplorable a fltuation ?” No- 
 thing, fays the voice of his experience, no* 
 thing fay the convi£lions of his underfland- 
 ing, but the power of that God who originally 
 gave him exiftence. 
 
 But however much the natural feelings of 
 its neceffity may didlate a wifli for fuch aid, 
 where, fave in the gofpel of Chrift,. is there a 
 fhadow of hope, far lefs-fecurlty, that it vvill 
 be afforded ? With what infinite fatisfa(Slion, 
 then, will the ferious mind liften to the gra? 
 cious declarations of the Son of God : “ That 
 “ he was manifefted not merely to expiate 
 \.h.& guilt of fin, but to deflroy its dominion 
 “ In the foul.; not only to procure for man a 
 “ title to the divine favour, but to qualify him 
 “ for its enjoyment. He came to deflroy the 
 “ work of the devil,”—-to undo the unhappy 
 effedls of the original apoflacy ; to remove that 
 depravity of human nature which it introdu¬ 
 ced ; to reflore to the foul thofe moral ex¬ 
 cellencies which conftituted the image of it-s 
 Maker ; and to train up the man in a pro- 
 greflive courfe of improving virtue, to a fit- 
 nefs for admiflion into a Hate of felicity con¬ 
 genial to his rational and qioral canacities. 
 
 ■“ ■ The 
 
State and Circumjlances of Man. 257 
 
 The immediate agent, by whom thefe grand 
 and noble objefls are accomplifhed, we are 
 taught by the gofpel, is the third of the facred 
 Three who bear record in heaven; that blefied 
 Spirit of grace, whom, under the character of 
 the Comforter,.Chrift promifed, to lupply the 
 want of his perfonal prefence, to convince of 
 fin^ of righteonjnefs, and judgment, and to 
 lead men to the knowledge, love, and obe¬ 
 dience of the truth. It is the general afler- 
 tion of our Lord, that “ except a man be 
 *' born of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the 
 “ kingdom of God *»” It is by the fecret but 
 effedlual energy of this divine Agent, that an 
 entire change is- produced' upon the natural 
 difpodtion, and a new charaifer formed, of 
 which the particular features are exhibited in 
 the gofpel, and often deferibed by its minifters 
 in the detail. 
 
 In general, the great work of the Spirit ia, 
 to enlighten the underftanding to difeern, and 
 incline the will to confent, to the pure and fpi- 
 ritual fyftem of the gofpel: to give to the 
 deciftons of the judgment authority and force, 
 and to fubjetSl the affedlions and paflions to 
 its controul t to preferve the powers of the 
 mind in their due rank and fubordination, 
 and direct them into the proper channel for 
 promoting the great ends for which they were 
 given,—the glory of God, and the eternal 
 happinefs of the foul. For this purpofe we 
 
 • John iii, 5. 
 
258 TheCofpeladapted to the Ser. 13. 
 
 are taught, that when received into our hearts, 
 he purifies them, and renders them a fit habi¬ 
 tation for himfelf; he affifts our defires and 
 endeavours after religious improvement, and 
 renders efFediual, for accomplifhing the ends 
 of their inftitution, all the ordinances of the 
 gofpel. He eftablifhes our minds in the true 
 knowledge and faith of divine truth ; gives 
 purity to our defires, fpirituality to our af- 
 fe^lions, and fervour to our devotion. He 
 affords dlre£fion in difficulties, comfort in af- 
 lli<flion, defence againft temptation : He gives 
 to the confcience that peace of God which 
 pafleth underftanding, and which even the 
 terrors of death cannot ffiake. His operations 
 are filent and invifible, yet their effects upon 
 the mind and charafter afford certain evi- 
 ,dence of their exiftence ; and what thefe arc 
 the Scriptures have told us, “ love, joy, peacc> 
 ** gentlenefs, meeknefs, goodnels,** and in a 
 word, all the mild and amiable virtues which 
 reftore in man the likenefs of his Maker, and 
 form the Chriftian to the life of heaven even 
 while on earth. 
 
 This doflrine has been objefted to, on ac¬ 
 count of its myfterious and inexplicable na¬ 
 ture. And in fo far as regards the manner of 
 the Spirit^s operations upon the human mind, 
 it is admitted to be inexplicable. This is al¬ 
 lowed by our Saviour himfelf in his conver- 
 fation with Nicodemus *. But the difficulty 
 
 * John iii. 8. 
 
 of 
 
State and Circiimjlances of Man. 
 
 of accounting for a fadl, is no argument a- 
 gainft its aftual exiftence otherwtfe there is 
 not one fad in the natural world which might 
 not be difputed. W^e often know that there 
 does exift a connedion between caufes and their 
 effeds, when the nature and manner of that 
 connedion, and the reafon why the one Ihould 
 immediately follow the other, we cannot ex¬ 
 plain. We know affuredly that in man, mind 
 ads upon body, but how it does fo, reafon 
 and philofophy will fcarcely pretend to tell us. 
 If this fad then, however dark and inexpli¬ 
 cable, muft be admitted, why dtould it be 
 thought incredible, that mind fhould ad up¬ 
 on mind ? And prefumptuoufly to deny, that 
 that Almighty Spirit who gave exiftence to 
 all other beings corporeal and incorporeal, 
 who upholds and governs, who aduates and 
 pervades the whole, cannot and does not ad 
 upon the human foul, is as little conformable 
 to the expedations of nature and the didates 
 of found philofophy, as it is to the conftant 
 uniform language of bcripiure. ' 
 
 It is farther objeded, that this dodrine h 
 inconliflent with the freedom of human agen* 
 cy : But, from conlidering the nature and 
 objects of the operations of the Spirit, the 
 very reverfe appears to be the truth. He nei¬ 
 ther deprives the foul of any of its natural 
 faculties, nor fuperfedes the ufe of them. He 
 only preferves them in their juft fubordina-- 
 tion, and gives to the underftanding that au¬ 
 thority and decifion which are neceflary to its 
 
 purfuing 
 
26o I'he Gofpel adapted to the Ser. ij. 
 
 puiTuing with freedom and effe<ff, its proper 
 objedls. “ If he worketh in us,” it is only 
 that “ 'we may both will and do that which 
 
 is well-pleafing to God,” and conducive to 
 our higheft and beft intereft. And who is fo 
 free as he who feels himfelf emancipated from 
 the lhameful bondage of fin, and volun- 
 tarily engaged in the fervice of his Maker ? 
 “ The man whom the Son of God hath made 
 “ free, mufl be free indeed.” 
 
 Impious wits and libertines have prefumed 
 to exhibit this do£lrine of the influences of the 
 Spirit, in forms as ridiculous as they are pro¬ 
 fane. But by fuch attempts, they only ex- 
 pofe the depravity of their own hearts, their 
 ignorance of human nature, and their fhock- 
 ing ingratitude to God, for thefe much-need¬ 
 ed interpofltions of his grace. 
 
 And now let me afk, what there is, in.the 
 flate and clrcumftances of man, which can 
 vindicate the rejection of this moft precious- 
 dodtrine ? Who can reflefl upon the hiftory 
 of ages that are paft, or look around hin> 
 into real life at prefent, and obferve the ge¬ 
 neral prevalence of depravity and vice among 
 mankind, together with the abfolute ineffici¬ 
 ency of ordinary teachers for their reforma¬ 
 tion, and not acknowledge the neceffity of an¬ 
 other and more powerful inftrudfor ? Or who 
 can attend to his own experience of the ex¬ 
 treme imbecility of his nature, as well as the 
 infenfibility and averfenefs of his mind to fpi- 
 ritual and divine things, and not confefs his- 
 
 entire 
 
State and CircumJIanccs of Man. 261 
 
 entire dependence upon the grace of God, 
 rejoice in the offers of it made in the gofpel, 
 and with earneftnefs proportioned to the value 
 of the gift, implore that it may be vouchfafed 
 to him t As to the rca/ Chrijiian^ he needs no 
 other argument than his own experience. By 
 the happy efte£ls which he hath produced up¬ 
 on his heart and life, the Spirit of Cod ivit- 
 iieJJ'eth to his fpirity the certainty of his divine 
 influences. They are the fource of his com¬ 
 fort, the foundation of his hope. Condudted 
 by this infallible guide, he trufls to be ena¬ 
 bled to advance in thofe paths of pleafant- 
 nefs and peace, which lead to the manfions of 
 eternal joy. 
 
 Thus, from the effeflual aid which it af¬ 
 fords, we difeover, how admirably in this re- 
 fpetff alfo the gofpel is adapted to the circum- 
 Itances and neceflities of human nature. 
 
 The fourth pfopofition mentioned in order 
 to fliew the aptitude of the gofpel to the (fate 
 and circumftances of man is. That he is fiibjcSl- 
 ed to many unavoidable evilsy for avhich, upon 
 the principles cf rcdfony he can neither accounty 
 nor difeover any important goodpurpofe to "which 
 they tend. 
 
 In no point of view, perhaps, does the gof- 
 pel wear a more pleaflng alpedf, or appear 
 more exquifltely fuited to the neceflities of our 
 nature, and in none does it manifeft a more 
 glorious fuperiority over all the fyftems of rea- 
 I’un and philofophy, than in the confolations 
 
 wliich 
 
262 The Gofpel adapted to the Ser. 13. 
 
 which it affords to the afflicted mind. Com¬ 
 fort in afflidlion was one great object of ancient 
 philofophy, to the attainment of which its moft 
 ftrenuous efforts were directed ; but never 
 did it more completely fail, or appear with a 
 more mortifying inferiority. It was impof- 
 fible that in this attempt it could fucceed. 
 While ignorant of the true caufe and origin 
 of evil, while a ftranger to the belief of a parti¬ 
 cular over-ruling Providence, but efpecially 
 while deftitute of all rational and well-founded 
 hopes in the rewards of futurity, upon what 
 balls could philofophy rear a folid fabric of 
 comfort? Its boafted confolations, accor¬ 
 dingly, we find to be little better, than either 
 unmeaning declamation, or the arrogant dic¬ 
 tates of a pride that was never made for man. 
 Bring them to the teft of real life and experi¬ 
 ence, and their emptinefs will immediately ap¬ 
 pear. Ti-y the influence of any, or all of them 
 united, to bring comfort to a man labouring 
 under the complicated ills of pain, poverty, and 
 grief j and judge by the effed. Tell him, with 
 one fe6t of philofophers, that thefe evils under 
 which he groans are in fa<ff 710 evilsy and arc 
 founded only in imagination ; that in every fi- 
 tuatlon of human life, however wretched and 
 mifei'able in appearance, and however defti¬ 
 tute of hope in a future ftate, ftill to the wife 
 and good man, virtue is its own fufficient re¬ 
 ward : Or, with another feft, tell him that the 
 evils of life are merely fortuitous, the effect of 
 blhid chancey or of an undiftinguilliing irrefif- 
 
 tiblc 
 
State and Circtmjiances of Man. 263 
 
 tible fatCy and that to repine is vain ; can you 
 think that aflertions like thefe will foothe the 
 anguifh of an affli£led mind ? Will not eve¬ 
 ry fufferer to whom they are addrefled, regard 
 them rather as infults added to his mifery ? 
 
 Compare with thefe fuggeftions of philofo- 
 phy, the clear and confident, the grand and 
 fublime confolations of the gofpel; and upon 
 the iflue even of that comparifon, I fliould wil¬ 
 lingly reft the argument for the truth and di¬ 
 vine original of our holy religion. In the dis¬ 
 coveries of Chrift and his apoftles, what is 
 there wanting, which the underftanding re¬ 
 quires, or the heart of man feels to be necef- 
 fary for his comfort under afHi£lion ? In the 
 gofpel, we are taught to believe, that not by 
 general laws originally eftabliftied, but by a 
 particular watchful adminiftration, the Al¬ 
 mighty prefides over the univerfej—that the 
 care of his Providence extends not to great 
 and important events alone, the interefts of 
 nations, or the rife and fall of ftates, but to 
 every the minuteft concern of the meaneft in¬ 
 dividual,—that all being his creatures, are the 
 objects of his care, and that the infinitude of 
 their number produces no anxiety or confufion 
 in the divine underftanding, “ Not a fpar- 
 “ row can fall to the ground without his 
 knowledge, and even the hairs upon our 
 head are all numbered by him 
 In the diredtion of human aftairs according 
 
 Matth. X. *9, 
 
 to 
 
2,64 The Cofpel adapted to the Ser. 13* 
 
 to our Saviour’s do6lrine, nothing is formi* 
 tous or contingent, and nothing left to the 
 uncontrouled operation of fecond caufes. 
 Means and their effe^Sls as well in the moral as 
 natural world are in the hands of the fove- 
 reign Ruler of the univerfe,' and arranged by 
 him in that precife manner which infinite Wif- 
 dom knows to be heft calculated for promo¬ 
 ting his own glory, and the general good of his 
 intelligent offspring. 
 
 Thefe are truths as fublime as they are im¬ 
 portant, to which the underffanding gives its 
 willing aflent, and on which it repofes with 
 confidence and fecurity. But our blefled Sa¬ 
 viour hath given a (fill more pleating view of 
 divine Providence, and a yet more comfor¬ 
 table direction to the faith of his difcip'es. 
 He taught them to regard God as bearing to 
 them the mofi: amiable and moft endearing 
 charafler in which he was ever reprefented to 
 man, even that of a Father tender and afiec- 
 tionate, taking a particular concern in all that 
 regards them, ordering every circumfiance in 
 their lot, and caufing even thofe difpenfations 
 of his Providence, which to them may appear 
 moft dark, or which they may feel moft di- 
 ftrefsful, efteflually to promote their higheft 
 moral improvement. “ Let not your hearts 
 be troubled,” faid he to his immediate 
 difciples in the hour of their forrow, and the 
 fame exhortation he is to be confidered as ad- 
 drelTing to his faithful followers in all ages, 
 ye believe in God, believe alio in me.” 
 
 Read, 
 
State and Circumjlances cf Man, 2 6^ 
 
 Head, my Brethren, the confolatory difeourfe 
 of which thele words are the introduftion, 
 attend to the various fublime fources of com¬ 
 fort which are therein opened up, and by 
 thefe fpecimens judge of the confolations which 
 the gofpel at large holds forth to the diftref- 
 fed. What fimplicity, what majefty, what 
 authority is confpicuous in every fentence of 
 that admirable difeourfe ! Who that is capable 
 of relifliing the beautiful and pathetic, or of 
 admiring the grand and fublime, can perufc 
 it, in a ferious, and efpecially in an afflidled 
 hour, without feeling the moft lively emo¬ 
 tions of hope and joy excited within him ? 
 Even tafte and ftnfabiliry, abftrafling from de¬ 
 votion, muft lead to the acknowledgement, 
 that this difeourfe could have proceeded from 
 none other than one who intimately knows 
 the recedes of the human heart, and is able 
 to afford a remedy to its heavieft woes ? 
 
 To fpecify in the detail the various fources 
 of confolation which the gofpel exhibits to 
 the Chriftian mourner, would require a fe- 
 parate difeourfe, or rather a feries of difeour- 
 fes. The gofpel indeed, to every one who fe- 
 rioufly examines its nature and tendency, will 
 appear to be what its name imports, good 
 nevjSy tidings of great joy to all people ; but 
 it is in an efpecial manner addrelTed to the 
 poor, the perfecuted, the afHifled; and to 
 give them confolation and hope is one of its 
 primal y objects. T.he ofiice affigned to its 
 divine Author in ancient prophetic deferip- 
 VoL, IV. M tioa 
 
1'66 The Gofpel adapted to the Ser. 13. 
 
 •tion of his chara£ler, and which he both ap¬ 
 plied to himfelf, and literally fulfilled, was 
 “ to preach good tidings to the ineek,—to 
 bind up the broken in heart,—to comfort 
 “ all that mourn “ Come unto me, all ye 
 that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will 
 “ give you reft f,” was his own kind and gra- 
 •cious invitation. And where can the tolTed, 
 perplexed, agitated foul find peace, but in the 
 blefied afylum which he hath opened in the 
 gofpel. 
 
 For the greateft miferles to which human 
 siature is fubjedted ,—confcious guilty 
 and moral imbecility^ we have already feen the 
 jioblc and effedlual remedies which it hath 
 provided. And as to afflidtion arifing from 
 other caufes, none can be fo fevere and op* 
 preflive, as that a balance, and more than a 
 balance to them is not afforded, by the doc¬ 
 trines, the promifcs, and fublime profpedls of 
 the gofpel. 
 
 To go through the melancholy catalogue 
 of human ills is needlefs; however varied and 
 however aggravated, in the confolations of the 
 gofpel a remedy is to be found for them all. 
 Of thefe confolations this is the fum.—Their 
 Father in heaven fends trials and afilidtions to 
 his people, becaufe he loves them: He pro¬ 
 portions the degree of their I'ufferings to what 
 he knows to be necefl'ary in order to carry 
 forward their fpiritual improvement: He en- 
 
 If. !xi. I. and Luke iv. id. Stc. f Matlh. xi, 38. 
 
 courages 
 
State and Clrcumjlanccs of Man. 267 
 
 courages them to fpread their wants before 
 him, and enjoy the exquifite fatisfaftion of 
 pouring out their complaints into his com- 
 paffionate bofom : He affords the fupporting 
 aids of his grace, in a meafure correfponding 
 to the feverity of their trials, and he gives 
 them aflurance, that, however affliftive and 
 diftrefling, “ they fhall yet work out for them 
 a far more exceeding, even an eternal weight 
 “ of glory.” 
 
 How cold and comfortlefs are the refined 
 confolations of philofophy, in comparifon of 
 thele noble and refrefliing truths ! It is im- 
 poffible not to feel for thofe who had no bet¬ 
 ter to produce. When we fee labour, inge¬ 
 nuity, and eloquence employed by the great 
 mafters of reafoning in ancient times, upon 
 this fubje(n: j when we behold them turning 
 on every fide for comfort, and laying hold of 
 every circumftance which reafon could fuggefi: 
 to reconcile them to the evils of life 5 and the 
 refult of their painful refearch to be only dark- 
 nefs, gloom, and uncertainty ; we can fcarce- 
 ly help dropping a tear of pity over their Un¬ 
 happy fituation. But » bleflcd are our eyes, 
 for they fee, and our ears, for they hear,” 
 what thefe great and wife men with tranfport 
 would have feen and heard, but were not fo 
 highly favoured. 
 
 Bleffed art thou, O fincere believer in 
 the gofpel, for to thee thy Saviour hath 
 “ revealed all that is neceffary to reconcile 
 thee to thy lot, however painful and di- 
 
 2 “ Arefilng, 
 
2 63 The C of pci adapted io the Ser. 13. 
 
 “ fireffing. Much thy heavenly Father may 
 call thee to fuft’er in the courfe of his righ- 
 teous adminiflration j thy worldly polTef- 
 fions may take wings, and leave thee poor 
 “ indeed ; thy good name may be vvrefted 
 ** from thee by envy and mifreprefentation ; 
 
 thy friends may prove cold and treache- 
 “ rous, and death may tear from thee thofe 
 “ on whom thy heart leaned with fondeft af- 
 ** fe<Stion ; but hill if thou rctaineft thy con- 
 “ fidence in the do£lrines and promifes of thy 
 “ Lord, thou canft never be bereaved of com- 
 “ fort.” Thefe are confolations addrelled not 
 to reafon and the pure intelle^ alone, but to 
 the ftrongeft afleftions of the heart. Support¬ 
 ed by thefe, feelings may be oppofed to feel¬ 
 ings ; fuch as are grateful and cheering, to 
 thofe that are difmal and fad.—The view of 
 futurity, in an efpecial manner, unfolded by 
 the gofpel, like the fun burfting from behind 
 a dark cloud, will diffipate the gloom, and 
 enliven the darked feenes of life. It will 
 fmooth the pillow of a fick-bed, and recon¬ 
 cile the mind even to ^poverty and pain. It 
 Avill bring compofure tO the Chriftian when 
 bidding farewel to a dear departing friend j 
 nay, amidft the laft pangs of the difTolving 
 frame, it will fudain his fainting fpirit. 
 
 And this naturally introduces the lad pro- 
 podtion dated in order to prove the fitnefs of 
 the gofpel to remedy the defects of nature, 
 viz. That reafon unaided^ affords no fixed prin¬ 
 ciples 
 
State and Circumjiances of Man* 26^ 
 
 ciples upon ’which the belief of immortality can 
 he efahlifoed. 
 
 There is unt]ueftionably in the human mind 
 a capacity of extending its views beyond a pre- 
 fent world, and the exercife of this faculty is 
 ever accompanied with fecret prefagcs and 
 hopes of future exiftence. Anxious wilhes 
 and foreboding fears, it is true, do of them- 
 felves afford no certain evidence of the pro¬ 
 longation of our being; yet it is an undoubted 
 fa^f, that the belief of immortality in one 
 form or other has prevailed among mankind 
 in all ages and nations, among the ignorant 
 and rude, as well as the informed and culti¬ 
 vated. 
 
 Whence hath it arifen ? From the conclu- 
 fions of reafon and the dedudlions of argu¬ 
 ment ? Such never was nor could be the 
 fource of any one general opinion or perfua- 
 lion.—For reafoning, the great body of man¬ 
 kind have neither leifure nor capacity. With 
 abftradl; arguments they are totally unacquaint¬ 
 ed, and when propofed to them, they have no 
 force or effefl upon their minds.—As to the 
 immortality of the foul, it is certain, that lb 
 far was the belief of it from originating from 
 learning and philofophy, that fcepticifm with 
 refpc^l: to it never prevailed, till it became 
 the fubjedt of reafoning and argumentation. 
 
 We are forced, therefore, to feek for an¬ 
 other and more probable fource of this uni- 
 verfal perfuafion. And no opinion on this 
 
 M 3 point 
 
2 yo The Gofpel adapted to the Ser. 13. 
 
 point feems to be fo well fupported as that of 
 thofe who maintain, that the doftiine of im¬ 
 mortality is co*eval with man himfelf, that it 
 was conveyed to him at his creation by the 
 Author of his bemg, and handed down by 
 tradition through fucceffive generations. 
 
 Certain it is, that the farther we trace back 
 the hiftory of the human race, the deeper and 
 firmer we find the belief to have been of this 
 great principle of religion and’morals. 
 
 But it is natural to fuppofe that all tradi¬ 
 tional knowledge, the farther it removes from 
 its fource, the more it will be corrupted in 
 its purity, and* impaired In its influence. 
 
 And fuch was the fare of the doffrine un* 
 der confideration. It degenerated from age 
 to age, till at length, about the time of our 
 Saviour’s appearance, it was clothed in fuch 
 extravagant forms, and fo disfigured by the 
 abfurdities of vulgar fuperffition or poetical 
 fi(ffion, that men of fenfe and refleffion were 
 afliamed to adopt it into their fyffems of be¬ 
 lief. Unwilling, however, to renounce en¬ 
 tirely the hopes of nature, philofophers inqui¬ 
 red with unremitting ftudy, what fupport and 
 encouragement they could derive from reafon 
 itfelf, in behalf of an opinion fo congenial to 
 the nobleft ambition of man. 
 
 To this moft intereffing fubjeff, they appear 
 to have given the whole force of their minds, 
 and all their great powers of reafoning. Eve¬ 
 ry argument which the nature and faculties 
 of the human foul, and their ideas of Deity 
 
 could 
 
State and Circumjlances of Man. 2ft 
 
 could fuggeft, were confidered and weighed 
 with all the attention and care which genius 
 and unwearied application could infpire and' 
 beftow. And what was the refult ? Greater 
 hefitation, doubtfulnefs, and perplexity, than 
 cxifted before. 
 
 Nor would this appear in the leaft furpri- 
 fing, did the limits of this difcourfe admit of 
 an inveftigation of the arguments, whether 
 phyfical or moral, upon which they refted‘ 
 the proof of immortality.- 
 
 Certain it is that they ferved not to bring 
 convidfion to the underftanding, or to eftabliflt 
 the minds of even thofe who employed them,- 
 in the belief of this great fundamental princi¬ 
 ple. This is admitted by an elegant modern 
 hlfforian, who will not be accufed of prejudice 
 againft them. “ The writings of Cicero,’* 
 fays he, reprefent in moft lively colours 
 “ the ignorance, the errors, and the uncer- 
 ** tainty of the ancient philofophers, with re- 
 fpedf to the immortality of the foul. When 
 ** they are defirous of arming their difeiples 
 againft the fears of death, they inculcate as 
 ** an obvious though melancholy pofition,. 
 that the fatal ftroke of our diftolution re- 
 leafes us from the calamities of life, and 
 ** that they can no longer fulFer who no long- 
 “ er exift 
 
 Compare this dark and difmal ftate of mind 
 
 * Gibbon’s Hiftory of the Decline and Fall of the 
 Roman Empire, Vol. I. p. jj6. 4 to edit. 
 
 M4 in» 
 
2)2 The Cofpeladapted ic the Ser. r^. 
 
 HI the moft enlightened of men guided by rea- 
 Ton alone, with the clear views, undaunted 
 fortitude, and afllired hopes of the firft Chri- 
 fiians in midft of the fufFerings, dreadful to 
 nature, to which they Were expofed. 
 
 We are troubled on every fide,” fays the 
 Apoftle Paul of himfelf and his fellow dif- 
 ciples, “ yet not diftrelTed ; we are perplexed, 
 “ but not in defpair; perfecuted, but not for- 
 Taken; caft down, but not defliroyed;—for 
 “ we know, that if the earthly houfe of this 
 “ tabernacle were diflblved, we have a build- 
 ing of God, an houfe not made with hands^ 
 “ eternal in the heavens 
 
 Contraft the fentiments of Socrates with 
 thofe of that Apoftle when placed in the fame 
 circumftances, and mark the difference. “ It 
 is time for us to depart,” faid Socrates to 
 his friends after he had fwallovred the poifon 
 “ for me to die, for you to live. Which of 
 the two is beft, the immortal gods know, 
 
 “ 1 fuppofe no man on earth can certainly 
 But hear the Apoftle Paul, alfo in the immedi¬ 
 ate profpeft of a violent death. “ I am now 
 “ ready to be offered up,^’ fays he to Timothy, 
 “ and the time of my departure is at hand. I 
 “ have fought a good fight, 1 have finiihed my 
 “ courfe, I have kept the faith. Henceforth 
 “ there is laid up for me a crown of righte- 
 oufnefs, which the Lord the righteous 
 “ Judge will give me at that day For me 
 
 * 4 Cor. Iv. 8. 9. and ch. v. i. fa Tim. iv. 6, See. 
 
 “ to 
 
State and Circumjlances of Man. 2 73: 
 
 “ to live is Chrift,” laid he in another place, 
 
 “ and to die is gain 
 
 And fee in what fublime and animating 
 ftrains he writes, not merely of the immorta¬ 
 lity of the foul, but of the refurredtion of the 
 body, and its exaltation to a pure and fpiritual 
 mode of exiftence, exempt from fuffering and 
 decay, and qualified for being the habitation of 
 the foul perfected in holinefs and glory. 
 This corruption,” fpeaking of the body,, 
 muft put on incorruption, and this mortal 
 fhall put on immortality,—then lhall be 
 “ brought to pafs the faying that is written,. 
 “ Death is fwallowed up in viflory.—O death, 
 where is thy fting, O grave, where is thy 
 “ vi(ftory !” But read the whole of the noble 
 difcourfe upon this grand and interefting fub-*- 
 jeft, contained in the fifteenth chapter of the 
 Firft Epiftle to the Corinthians, and then fay,, 
 whether fuch ideas concerning the invifible 
 world could ever have entered into the unal- 
 fifted mind of man. 
 
 The contraft might be carried on to a great 
 extent, but I lhall folicit your attention to- 
 two other palTages only, in which k is com-» 
 plete. 
 
 “ I have great hopes,” faid Socrates to his- 
 judges, “ that this fentence of condemnation 
 “ viay be to my advantage.—For either in 
 “ death all our fenfations are extinguiilied,, 
 and then it is like the repofe of a quiet fiesp. 
 
 ^ Phil.i. ai. 
 
 S 
 
 “ undifiurbed- 
 
274 The Gofpel adapted to the Ser^rj-r 
 
 Jm. 
 
 *“ undifturbed by dreams; or elfe it is a de- 
 parture into another ftate, whither they 
 “ .who have left the world are already gone. 
 “ And ij this be the cafe^ is it nothing, think 
 you, to talk with Orpheus, and JMufaeus, 
 and Homer, and Hefiod ? I could die ma'^ 
 “ ny times to enjoy the pleafure of fuch con- 
 “ verfations.” 
 
 Who can read this paffage and not feel 
 for this wife and excellent Heathen, thus 
 exprelEng the hopes of nature, and thus 
 vinceriain concerning their accomphfhment. 
 
 But attend to the animated reprel'entations 
 given by the Apoftle Paul of the fublime focie- 
 ty which heaven will afford to the Chriftian. 
 He fpeaks of it with equal' affurance, as if he 
 and they to whom he addreffed himlelf had 
 been alieady introduced into the bright affem- 
 bly. “Ye are come unto Mount Zion, and 
 " unto the city of the living God, the heaven- 
 ** ly Jerufalcni, and to an innumerable com- 
 pany of angels i to the general affemhly and 
 church ot the firft born which are written 
 “ in heaven, and to God the judge of all, 
 ** and to the fpirits of jull men made perfeff, 
 •* and to Jelus the mediator of the new cove- 
 “ nant 
 
 Such are the profpefts which the gofpel 
 opens, and inch the h pes which it holds 
 forth to animate the labours, to fbothe the af¬ 
 flictions, and to lupport the patient perfeve- 
 
 * Heb. xii. 22. &:c. 
 
 ranee 
 
State and Circumjlances of Mail* 2^5 
 
 ranee in well-doing, of all who receive it as a' 
 rule of faith. Profpefts thefe and hopes, de¬ 
 rived not from the fallible concluflons of rea- 
 fon, not from the fond willies of an afpiring. 
 mind, but founded on tho teftimony of the 
 iafpii-ed oracles of God. Upon this immove¬ 
 able balls refts the whole fabric of our belief- 
 concerning the exillencc of the foul after 
 death—the refurreflion of the body—a daj/ of 
 general judgment—the future torments of the 
 wicked, and the glorious immortal rev/ards of* 
 the righteous. 
 
 Thefe grand and moll affe£ling doftrines’ 
 are revealed, not in the language of mere affir¬ 
 mation only, but in fo great a variety of figu-- 
 rative animated reprefentations, as to convey to* 
 the imagination, as well as to the reafon and< 
 judgment, the livelieft and deepefl impreffions 
 of their truth and reality. They are conbrm-- 
 ed by the moll folemn authority which hea¬ 
 ven and earth: could afford—by the declara¬ 
 tions, by the death, and refurreilion and af- 
 cenlion of God’s eternal Son. And what can 
 operate fo powerfully, upon-the human mind- 
 as thefe views of the moral government of- 
 God ? What can ferve fo effectually to recal • 
 men from the grovelling puiTuit of objeCts un¬ 
 worthy of their nature, and excite their moftv 
 vigorous endeavours for the attainment of- 
 thofe moral qualities which will furvive the 
 ftroke of death, and conllitute the eternal fe-- 
 licity of intelligent beings ? 
 
 Who can refkCl, in particular, upon that’s 
 M-6' happy>' 
 
2^6 The Cofpel adapted to the Ser. ij. 
 
 happy Immortality which Chrift and his Apo- 
 flles have defcribed as prepared for real Chri- 
 ftians, and not inftantly difcern its wonderful 
 aptitude to the defires and nobleft ambition of 
 our nature ? In fine, who can ferioufly at¬ 
 tend to that glorious fyftem of which this is 
 the grand objedl: and final confummation, and 
 not acknowledge from the warmeft feelings of 
 his heart, as well as the fulleft convidlion of 
 his underft'anding, that it is the great truth of 
 God for the improvement and comfort of 
 man ? 
 
 Having thus offered a very general illuftra- 
 tion of the feveral propofitions ftated, permit 
 me to give the fum of what has been faid, in 
 a very fhort abftradt. 
 
 Is the mind of man naturally ignorant, and 
 by its own unaffifted powers totally incapable 
 of difcovering truths in themfelves the moft 
 important, and of the moft eflential confe- 
 quence for man to know ? Behold the gof- 
 pel, like the benign rays of the morning fun 
 on the benighted world, illuminating his dark 
 underftanding, inftrudllng him in every branch 
 of knowledge neceffary to inform his judg¬ 
 ment, to improve his heart, and elevate hi& 
 foul to that rank in the fcale of moral exift- 
 ence for which it was originally defigned. 
 
 Is man guilty and depraved, condemned by 
 his own mind, and terrified with juft appre- 
 henfions of future and deferved puniftiment ? 
 Hear the foul-reviving language in which the 
 
 gofpel 
 
State and Circiimftances of Man, 277 
 
 gofpel addrefles him. “ Believe in the Lord 
 “ Jefus Chrift, and thou flialt be faved’*^. 
 “ There is no condemnation to them who are 
 “ in Chrift Jefus.—It is God that juftifieth: 
 
 who is he that condemneth f 
 
 Is man not criminal only, and obnoxious to 
 deferved puniftiment, but to every moral and 
 good purfuit weak and impotent, incapable of 
 loving, and ferving, and enjoying God ? See 
 the gofpel holding forth to his acceptance 
 the fecret but efFe^ual energy of the divine 
 Spirit, to change his difpofition, renew his na¬ 
 ture, and by his bleffing upon means adapted 
 to the end, to train him up in a progreflive 
 courfe of moral improvement into a fitnefs 
 for the eternal enjoyment of his Maker. 
 
 Is man by nature the child of fuffering and 
 the heir of forrow, is he fubjedled to a con- 
 ftant fucceffion of affliaions for which he can¬ 
 not account, and under which he finds no ef- 
 fe^ua! confolation ? Liften to the gofpel af- 
 furing and convincing him, that thefe trials 
 are not only no real evils, but bleffings in dif- 
 guife, the medicine of the foul, and means in 
 the hand of God for purifying it from the 
 drofs of corruption, and preparing it for ad- 
 miffion into the regions of eternal purity and 
 peace. 
 
 Lajily^ are man’s natural profpeas beyond 
 the grave covered with darknefs which reafon 
 in vain attempts to penetrate, and is his mind, 
 
 » Afts xvi. 3x. J Rom. viii. 3.-33.34. 
 
 m 
 
2^8 T’he Gofpel adapted to the Ser. 13; 
 
 in confequence, filled with, fear and perplexi¬ 
 ty? See life and immortality unveiled by the 
 gofpel, every thing difcovered concerning a 
 future and unfeen world which it is neceffary 
 for man to know, or which it is probable he 
 can comprehend ; every thing at lead: which 
 can ferve to allay his fears, conhrm his hopes, 
 and eftablifh his mind in fecurity and peace.. 
 
 Confider, then, this grand and wonderful 
 fyftem of divine wifdom and grace. Think of 
 it with the ferioufnefs which is due to the im¬ 
 portance of the fubjefl:; view it in its full ex¬ 
 tent and beautiful conneflion of parts ;—then 
 turn your attention upon your own lituation< 
 and character, lay your hands upon your 
 hearts, and fay if you can, that this is not the 
 fyftem which your nature required ; or rather 
 fay, whether it is poffible for the human mind- 
 to form the conception of a fcheme of reli¬ 
 gion, fo admirably calculated to fupply its de- 
 fedls, to heal its difeafes, to reftore it to its 
 primitive dignity and excellence. Indeed, my. 
 friends, to the ftatc and circumftances of man 
 it is adapted with fuch perfeff and peculiar 
 fkill, that to the mind which ferioufty attends 
 to both^ and compares them together, this con- 
 clulion is irrefiftible, “ the author of our na- 
 “ ture, and the author of our relisfon is,- 
 .< one." 
 
 Let us now attend for a little to the im¬ 
 provement to be made of this difcourfe. 
 
 And, in the JirJl place, let me_aik, whether 
 
 this 
 
State and Gircumjiances of Man* 2791 
 
 tills ceconomy of religion is not worthy of aH 
 acceptation, as the nobleft and beft gift which 
 Heaven in mercy could belfow upon man i If 
 ib, how enormous is the guilt of thof'e men* 
 who, in rpite of evidence the moft fatisfying, 
 and too often, it is to be feared, in oppofition 
 to the convidlions of their underftandings*. 
 and the feelings of their hearts, not only re- 
 je£l this, divine fyftem, but traduce its exceh 
 lence, hinder its progrefs, and ftrive to deftroy 
 its influence ? Let them beware : Their guile 
 is great, their danger is extreme. “ Ihere 
 •* is a fin which is unto death * ; a fin which. 
 
 fliall not be forgiven, either in this world,, 
 ** or in that which is to come -f.” 
 
 In the fecond place, from the Iketch that haa 
 been given of a few of its leading features, it 
 appears, that the gofpet contains an uniform, 
 regular, and harmonious plan, fo intimately 
 and eflentially connected in all its parts, that 
 not one can be taken away without a mate-' 
 rial injury to the whole. The grand objedl of 
 the gofpel, as we have feen, is to raife man 
 fallen and apoftate, from Ignorance, guilt, and 
 mifery, to glory and Immortality, The means 
 employed are worthy of the end, they are 
 like from God, and their fuccefs is infallibly, 
 certain : for what infinite Wifdom hath devi¬ 
 led, omnipotent power is able to accomplifh. 
 To alter or innovate upon this plan, and e- 
 fpecially to remove any one link of this, great 
 
 * I John V. td. I Mattb. xii. 3*. 
 
 chain. 
 
28 o 
 
 The Gofpel adapted to the Ser. ij. 
 
 chain. Is dangerous in the extreme. Strip the 
 gofpel, for example, of the dodlrine of the a- 
 tonement, and what foundation remains to 
 the (Inner, on which to build his hopes of par- 
 ' don and eternal life ? Remove the influences 
 of the Spirit, and how is it poflible, that a be¬ 
 ing fo depraved, fo unlike to God, and fo 
 feeble in his moral and religious faculties, can 
 become qualified for the prefence and enjoy¬ 
 ment of his Maker \ Take away any one doc¬ 
 trine peculiar to the gofpel, and you deftroy 
 the unity and harmony of the whole fyflem. 
 It becomes broken and disjointed in its mem¬ 
 bers, the means ceafe to be equal to the end, 
 the foul is deprived of the great fources of its 
 fecurity, and relapfes into fearfulnefs and 
 doubt. In a word, it is no longer the plan of 
 divine Wifdom, but of human invention, nor 
 is the honour of the divine perfections con¬ 
 cerned to crown it with fuccefs. 
 
 Do you wifh then, my friends, to have 
 your minds eftabliflaed in the true knowledge 
 and faith of the gofpel-fyftem ? Seek it not, 
 I befeech you, in the partial, infidious I'epre- 
 fentations of defigning men, but in the Scrip¬ 
 tures themfelves. There you will fee it in all, 
 its excellence, you will admire its aptitude to 
 your condition, you will feel its vaft impor¬ 
 tance and value; and with joy you will acqui- 
 efce in it as the 'wi/dom and the power of God 
 for falvation. 
 
 In the laji place. If the plan of the gofpel, 
 in its true extent, be indeed fo admirably ad- 
 
 ^ apted 
 
28$ 
 
 State and Circumflances cf Man. 
 
 apted to the ftate and circumftances of man j 
 if it provides a remedy for his ignorance, guilt, 
 and imbecility, if it affords to him the only 
 effe^ual confolation under the various trou¬ 
 bles and forrows of a prefent life, and the on¬ 
 ly fure foundation upon which his hopes of 
 another and better can reft ; then it follows, 
 that to extend the knowledge, and to promote 
 the influence of this divine fyftem, are the no- 
 bleft ob}e<fts of human benevolence. 
 
 To a dark and benighted world at large, 
 our efforts cannot extend. New arrange¬ 
 ments of Providence alone, can pave the way 
 for its converfion. But while we feel for the 
 unhappy fttuation of the vaft multitudes of our 
 fellow creatures remaining in ignorance and 
 idolatry, and lament our incapacity to bring 
 them relief, let us humbly and earneftly re¬ 
 commend them to the compaffionate regards 
 of the great univerfal Parent; let us plead 
 with him as arguments, his iefpe£l: to his own 
 glory, and to the beft interefts of his rational 
 offspring: Let us plead with him his own 
 truth and faithfulnefs in fulfilling hispromifes, 
 that, by methods known to his infinite wifdom, 
 he would enlighten the dark places of the 
 earth with the pure light of evangelical truth, 
 and haften the happy time foretold, “ 'when 
 the dominion of Chrift Jhall extend from fea 
 “ to fea^ and from the river even unto the ends 
 “ of the earth 
 
 * Zech.ix. 10, 
 
 But 
 
aSz 7 he Gofpel adapted to the Ser. I j. 
 
 Bur although, by good wiflies and prayers 
 alone, we can exprefs our Cbriftian benevo¬ 
 lence to the Infidel world at large ; yet in be¬ 
 half of certain corners of it, we may certainly 
 employ more a£five and immediate exertions. 
 To the remote, uncultivated, untutored di- 
 ftrifts of our own country, in particular, wc 
 may, and every principle of religion, and eve¬ 
 ry feeling of humanity call upon us, to fend 
 relief by fuch means as are within our power. 
 This is the well known ohjeEt of that Society on 
 whofe account we have met togethevy and at 
 whofe defre / have addrejfed you. Their pane¬ 
 gyric would come with an ill grace from one 
 of their own body, and who for feme years 
 has had a fliare in the direction of their bu- 
 linefs. 
 
 A more particular account than would be¬ 
 come this place, of our procedure, of the fpe- 
 cial objects of our attention, and of the fuccefs 
 which has attended our labours, will foon, ac¬ 
 cording to ufual pradlice, be fubmitted to the 
 infpedlion of the public.—In general, I have 
 the fatisfadfion to inform you, that at no pe¬ 
 riod were the affairs of the Society in a more 
 flourilhing fituation than at prefent,—at no 
 period did they exhibit a fairer profpedl of 
 increafing benefit to our country. With the 
 moll lively gratitude, we acknowledge the 
 continuing generofity of the public, and the 
 munificence of individual benefadlors, in coa- 
 fequence of which, froth fmall beginnings, our 
 funds have arifen to their prefent magnitude. 
 
 Of 
 
State and Circumjlancss tf Man. 283 
 
 Of the confidence of the public in the inte- 
 grity with which this facred and important 
 truft has been condudled, we have received, 
 and particularly of late, the moft flatteiing 
 and fubftantial proofs. Men of the firft rank 
 In the kingdom, whofe names are an ornament 
 to their high ftation, and others, both of this 
 and the neighbouring country, diftinguiflacd 
 by the eminence of their talents, and their in¬ 
 fluence in public affairs, have not difdained 
 to enrol their names with ours, as members 
 of an affociation for promoting religious know¬ 
 ledge and ufeful induftry. They have not 
 been afhamed to appear in an open, avowed 
 manner, as its patrons and benefactors, and 
 with an aCtive and liberal fpirit, to labour for 
 promoting its great and beneficent ptfrpofes. 
 In the confeioufnefs of their own benevolence, 
 in the bleflings of them who were ready to 
 perifli for lack of knowledge, and above all,' 
 in the approbation of the great univerfal Pa¬ 
 rent of mankind, may they find their noble 
 reward ! 
 
 To a variety of perfbns, whom their fituatioii 
 in life precluded from perfonal fervices, we have 
 lately been indebted for generous donations, 
 to affift in carrying on the good caufe in which 
 we are engaged. With gratitude they have 
 been received, and with fidelity they lhall be 
 employed. 
 
 But one donation received fince we had laft 
 an opportunity of meeting together upon this 
 occafion, is of too great magnitude to be paffed 
 
 over 
 
284 The Gofpcl adapted to the Ser. 13. 
 
 over with this general acknowledgement. I 
 mean the princely benefacVion of a Lady 
 whofe name will long be precious to the real 
 friends of religion and their country—a Lady 
 whofe rank and high conneflions, whofe un¬ 
 common natural abilities and acquired accom- 
 plifhments, would have attracted the notice 
 and commanded the refpect of the politeft 
 circles, but whofe chief diftin£fion arofe from 
 a warm and uniform fenfe of piety, a heart¬ 
 felt zeal for the beft interefls of religion and 
 her fellow-creatures, and unwearied, unin- 
 terrupted exertions in promoting them. To 
 thefe important purpofes flie devoted her e- 
 minent talents and her beneficent life. To 
 thefe objects, at her death, fhe confecrated her 
 ample fortune : To promote the ends of this 
 Society in particular, flie bequeathed a fum f 
 fo confiderable, as greatly to enlarge our fphere 
 of ufefulnefs. 
 
 While we gratefully acknowledge this and 
 other benefadlions, while we give thanks to 
 God for putting it into the hearts of thofe to 
 whom he had given the power to beftow them; 
 we at the fame time profefs ourfelves to be 
 only flewards for the public in employing 
 them. For public purpofes they were given, 
 and to the public, we pledge ourfelves, they 
 fhall faithfully be devoted. Be ours the pains 
 and the labour, be theirs the advantage. We 
 folicit the countenance and aid of our fellow- 
 
 * Lady Vifeountefs Glenorchy. f L.5000 Sterling. 
 
 citizens^ 
 
State and Circiimjianccs of Man, 285 
 
 citizens, only in fo far as our fidelity to our 
 truft fiiall appear to deferve them. The real 
 friends of religion and their country muft be 
 friends to our caufe. They who have feen 
 the excellence and felt the power of the gof- 
 pel of Chriftj muft be anxious for its exten- 
 fion i their hearts will didate a benevolent, 
 fervent prayer to the Father of Lights, that 
 the glorious Sun of Righteoufnefs may fpeedi- 
 ly arife upon the dark places of the earth ; 
 that upon the remote corners of our own coun¬ 
 try, in particular, where as yet he is feen but 
 obfcurely, his light may break forth in all its 
 luftre, to difpel the gloom of fpiritual dark- 
 nefs, and to alleviate the wretchednefs of pe¬ 
 nury and toil. 
 
 Real Chriftians cannot fail to regard with 
 approbation attempts to open up proipeds of 
 prefent comfort and of future joy to our 
 atnhappy fellow-fubjeds, hitherto left in ig¬ 
 norance and poverty, to convey to them that 
 peace and animating hope, which the benign 
 influence of the gofpel never fails to infpire. 
 To fuch benevolent efforts, in their feveral 
 Rations, and according to their refpedive abi¬ 
 lities, they will lend their countenance and 
 aid, and to all they will join their earneft pray¬ 
 ers for that blelling which alone can give fuc- 
 cefs. 
 
 Pray, Brethren, for us, and for all who are 
 immediately engaged in promoting the great 
 
 objeds 
 
The Gofpel adaptedj ^e. Ser. 13. 
 
 obje£\s of this inftitution, that our zeal and 
 abilities may correfpond to the importance of 
 our work, that the efFedlual energy of the 
 Spirit of God may accompany our endeavours, 
 and that however mean and unworthy, 
 may be honoured as fellow labourers together 
 'With God, to bring many fouls from darknefs 
 and ignorance, to knowledge, 'and light, and 
 life in the Lord. Amen. 
 
The CharaHer of the Right Honourable Thomas 
 
 late Earl of KiyitiOX!'Ll.*. 
 
 The Society in Scotland for propagating Chrl- 
 flian Knowledge, deeply fenfible of the lofs which 
 they have fuftained by the death of the Rt Hon, 
 Thomas Earl of Kinnoull, their late worthy Pre- 
 fident, confiderit as a duty incumbent upon them 
 to teftlfy to the world their refpe< 5 l for his memo~ 
 ry, and their gratitude for his beneficent attention 
 to the objefts of their inftitution. As a Society, 
 founded for the purpofe of promoting the caufe of 
 religion, they think theinfelves called upon to ex¬ 
 hibit to public view a charadler formed upon reli¬ 
 gious principles, and affording a bright example 
 of their influence. General panegyric is often the 
 creation of fancy.—The objeft which they have in 
 view, they imagine will be beft attained by a 
 plain unornamented detail of a few faffs in the 
 conduff of this Angularly good man—From thefe 
 his real charaffer will beft: appear. 
 
 The late Earl of Kinnoull was born in 1710, 
 married, 1741, to Conftantia, daughter of John 
 Kirle-Earnley, Efq; f by whom he had iffue one 
 fon,' who died an infant. He was chofen Member 
 of Parliament for Cambridge in 1741, and repre- 
 fcnted that corporation till he fucceeded his father 
 in the Peerage in 1758. He was alfo chofen Re- 
 
 • The following Charaffer of the late Earl of Kinnoull 
 written at the delire of the Dircff ors of the Society In Scot¬ 
 land for propagating Cluiftian Knowledge, was by them 
 adopted, inferted in their Records, and ordered to be pw- 
 bhlhed in their name along with the preceding Sermon. 
 
 f She died in 1753. 
 
 corder 
 
283 Chara^cr of the Earl of KtnnouU. 
 
 corder cf Cambridge, and held that office till his 
 death. He was for many years Chairman of the 
 Committee of Piivileges. In 1741 he was appoint¬ 
 ed one of the Commidloners of the Revenue in 
 Ireland,—in 1746, a Lord of Trade and Planta¬ 
 tions,—in 1754, ^ Lord of the Treafury,—in 
 17 J5, Paymafter-General of his Majefty’s Forces, 
 —in 1758, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lanca- 
 ■fier, and Member of the Privy Council,—and, in 
 1759, Ambaffador Extraordinary to the Court of, 
 Portugal. 
 
 A reprefentation of his condu(fI in public life is 
 not intended by the Society, this they leave to be 
 fought for In the annals of his country. Suffice 
 it in general to fay, that, guided by the piireft 
 principles of the conftitution, he ui.ifcrmly ex¬ 
 erted himfelf to preferve inviolate the jull rights 
 and privileges of each part of the Britifh legifla- 
 ture, to maintain the laws and liberties of his 
 country, and to promote, as far as lay in his pow¬ 
 er, the fafety, the honour, and the welfare of the 
 Hate. 
 
 His unremitting attention to public bufinefs for 
 fo long a period, and in fo many different offices, 
 having greatly impaired his health, in 1762 he 
 refigned all his employments under the Crown, 
 and refolved to dedicate the remainder of his life 
 to retirement at the feat of his anceffors.—A re- 
 folution from which the mod urgent folicitations 
 and fplendid offers were irever able to divert 
 him. 
 
 In January 1768, this Society, with one voice, 
 -invited him to be their Prefident; an office for 
 which he was eminently qualified, and which, 
 with much credit to himfelf and benefit to the in- 
 ffitution, he fuftained till his death. 
 
 A 
 
ChiXraFtcr of the Earl of KlmtouIL , 
 
 A liberal annual donation was but one of man7 
 favours which he conferred upon the Society. 
 From the time of his election he entered with fpi- 
 rit and zeal into their objefts, and uniformly ex¬ 
 erted himfelf to promote them. When prefent, 
 he prcfided with ability and moderation in their 
 councils ; and when abfent, replied with fcrupu- 
 lous punctuality to their letters, and favoured them 
 with his advice and aihftance whenever they were 
 -requifite.—To his talents and influence, as well 
 as to his extenfive knowledge and long practice 
 in bufmefs, the Society were often fuigularly in¬ 
 debted. 
 
 But his coiiduCt, as prefident of this Society, 
 exhibits only a partial and very limited view of 
 this worthy Nobleman. 
 
 His character was uniform and confident In all 
 its features, for it was formed by principles which 
 admit of no variation The Society can trace ic 
 only in a few of its outlines ; but what they ad¬ 
 vance refts either upon faCts of public notoriety, 
 or the perfonal knowledge of fome of their owa 
 members whofe teftimouy is beyond fufpicion. 
 
 Pi.ox>arm but rational piety was the great lead¬ 
 ing principle of his character, it directed and per¬ 
 vaded every part of his conduCt in public and 
 private life. 
 
 He made no oftentatious dlfplay of religion, but 
 he was not afliamed to praCtife the duties, and a- 
 vow the feelings W'hich belong to a Chriflian. The 
 apprehenfion of cenfure or of ridicule from the 
 faihionable world, deterred him not from giving 
 regular attendance upon the public ordinances of 
 divine worfliip. This part of his conduCt flowed 
 .from noble and jult principles. 
 
 Public homage, he confidered to be indifpen- 
 VoL.IV. N fably 
 
zpo CharaUer of the Earl of Kinroull. 
 
 fably due from every member of fociety to tlie 
 great Author of all public as well as private good, 
 lie firmly believed in the efiabliflied religion of 
 his country. He felt the reverence which a good 
 citizen owes to its inftitutions. He knew the in¬ 
 fluence of the example of men of his rank upon 
 the manners of the inferior, and great body of 
 the community. His attendance, therefore, upon 
 public worfliip was not occafional but regular, 
 and extended to the whole of its ufual and flated 
 fervices. 
 
 Altho’ while refident in England, and in a pub¬ 
 lic ftation abroad, he was of the communion of the 
 Church of England, (naturally led to this by his 
 education and the pratflice of his family), yet when 
 he came to live in this country, he conformed to 
 the ufages of the Church of Scotland. He well 
 knew, that in articles of faith and doctrine the 
 two filler churches are united, and that matters 
 of form conftitute the chief, if not the only dif¬ 
 ference between them. 
 
 This good man’s deep-felt fenfe of religion was 
 exprefl'ed in a manner Hill more fingular, and 
 avorthy of admiration. 
 
 When, from the abfence or ficknefs of the ml- 
 nifter, or any other caufe, there was no public 
 worfliip in his parifli-church, it was his regular 
 practice on the Lord’s days to call together his 
 family and domeftics, to read to them a portion 
 of the Scriptures, and fuch books of religion as 
 he judged bell adapted to their improvement, and 
 to prefide among them in immediate ads of de¬ 
 votion.—And this laft he uniformly did every Sun¬ 
 day evening through the year. 
 
 It was his opinion, that no elevation of rank 
 
 can 
 
Charafter of the Earl of Kinncull, 291 
 
 can be an apology for the negledl of the duties 
 which man owes to his Maker ; and befides, that 
 no man can ever appear in a more dignified or 
 graceful attitude, than when at the head of his 
 family acknowledging the bounties, and folici- 
 ting the continuing proteflion of their common 
 Parent. The corapofitions which he ufed in thefe 
 ads of family-devotion were his own, and Angu¬ 
 larly excellent,—in reciting them, which he did 
 from memory, the animation and fervour of his 
 manner at once dernonftrated the warmth of his 
 own devotional feelings, and excited a congenial 
 fpirit in the breafts of all w'ho heard him. 
 
 When no clergyman was prefent, he always 
 officiated as chaplain at his own table, both be¬ 
 fore and after meals,—not by the Ihort form com¬ 
 monly, and too often irreverently repeated, but 
 by a few fuitable exprefiions pronounced with the 
 decent folemnity w'hich becomes an immediate 
 addrefs to the Deity. 
 
 He regularly joined in the celebration of the 
 Lord’s Supper in his parilh church, and attend¬ 
 ed upon all the religious fervices preparatory to, 
 and confequent upon that ordinance, as ufually 
 obferved in the Church of Scotland. The clofe- 
 nefs of his attention, and the fcrioufnefs of his 
 mind upon thefe occafions, vifibly appeared in his 
 countenance and, manner. He had a fingular de¬ 
 light in that ordinance, and it always feeraed to 
 produce the happieft effe< 5 l upon his mind,—to 
 give a brifker flow to his fpirits, and a new de¬ 
 gree of vivacity to his converfition. 
 
 The duties ot the clolet he obferv'ed with no 
 lefs care than thofe of the family and church. To 
 fecret devotion a confiderable part of his time w'as 
 daily allotted ; during the time confecrated to this 
 
 N 2 purpofe. 
 
■ap'i Chara&er of the Earl of Kinnoull. 
 
 purpofe, no engagements in bufmefs, nor hurr}’ 
 of company were I'uflFered to intrude. The Scrip¬ 
 tures were the guide and conftant companion of 
 lus devotions. Few had ftudied them with clofer 
 attention, and few had more thoroughly imbibed 
 their fpirit. 
 
 His belief of Chriftianity was fincere, the refult 
 of ferious and careful inveftigation. Aimofl: eve¬ 
 ry book of charader upon the nature and evi¬ 
 dences of the gofpel he had read with care, and 
 as his memory was retentive to an uncommon de¬ 
 gree, he was never obferved to be at a lofs when 
 any branch of that fubjed was introduced into 
 converfation. 
 
 Sincere in his profeflion of religion, every thing 
 immediately conneded with its interefl engaged 
 his attention. He was, of confequence, a friend 
 to its minifters. They were acceptable guefts at 
 his very hofpitable table, and with the worthy 
 and learned among them he cult^t'ated habits of 
 familiar intercourfe. 
 
 Some of the brighteft ornaments of the Church 
 of England he numbered among his particular 
 frieqds ; and of the Scottilh clergy there were not 
 a few whom he honoured with dillinguilliing marks 
 of his confidence and efteem. To the minilfers in 
 his immediate neighbourhood, he gave a general 
 invitation to his houfe, and to the ufe of his li¬ 
 brary ; and encouraged them upon every occafion 
 of moment, to folicit, and repofe upon his advice 
 and affiftance^ 
 
 In all thofe pariflies where he was an heritor, 
 he promoted the augmentation of the livings, and 
 gave liberal aflillance to every plan propofed for 
 the accommodation of the minifters. 
 
 As 
 
Chamber of the Earl of KmtXoidl. 293:- 
 
 As he invited the clergy to his fociety and table, 
 fo there was not only nothing to deter, but every 
 thing to induce them to comply. In his prefence 
 nothing was ever permitted which had the remo- 
 tcft afpecft of indecorum ; and fuch was the re¬ 
 verence which his well-known charader infpired, 
 that even men of rank, though free in their prin¬ 
 ciples, and in other companies licentious in their 
 converfaiion, beiore him were moft guarded and 
 attentive to propriety. 
 
 But the Earl of Kinnoull’s converfation was not 
 innocent only, it was inftiudive in no common 
 degree. Few men had treafured up fo great a 
 ftore of various and important knowledge. He 
 ■was an excellent claffical fcholar, and while a- 
 mong literary men, his frequent and apt quota¬ 
 tions (hewed his himiliarity with the beft writers, 
 of antiquity, particularly the Roman poets. 
 
 With the hidory and (late of modern literature 
 alfo, his acquaintance was extenfive and accurate. 
 The bed new publications were regularly fent to- 
 him, and added to his ample colledion; tliey were 
 frequently the fubjeds of his converfation, and up¬ 
 on none did his memory, tade, and judgment,, 
 appear to greater advantage. 
 
 Another line of converfation in which he ex¬ 
 celled, and for which he had an inexhaudible fund 
 of materials, was in giving curious and intered- 
 ing anecdotes concerning the didinguiftied perfon- 
 ages of his time, the political tranfaftions of that 
 period, and the fecret fprings which produced 
 them. 
 
 The high ofRces of date which he had long 
 ■filled, and the habits of intimacy in which he had 
 lived with people of high rank and confequence, 
 gave him opportunities of knowing and entertain- 
 
 N 3 ing 
 
2^4 Chara^er of the Earl of Kinnoull. 
 
 ing his friends with many facts and clrcumftances 
 which they could derive from no other fource of 
 information. 
 
 His near relation to Robert the great Earl of 
 Oxford, fufficiently accounts for his early intro¬ 
 duction into the political world ; his own ability, 
 integrity, and unremitting attention to bufincfs 
 fecured and increafed that influence which natu¬ 
 rally arofe to him from his high connections. With 
 the fil'd men of his time, both in the political and 
 literary world, he lived in habits of familiar in- 
 tercourfe. Lord Hardwicke, Mr Pelham, the Earl 
 of Mansfield, Archbifhop Seeker, and Mr Pope, 
 were of the number, and may ferve as a fpecimen 
 of thofe with whom he chiefly affociated, 
 
 A confiderable part'of a lifetime fpent in fuch 
 fociety, in I'cenes of national bufinefs, and in li-. 
 terary purfuits, could not but afford ample dore 
 of Valuable information, nor, with his franknefs 
 of communication, fail to render his converfation 
 as entertaining as it was indruCtive. 
 
 But the Earl of KinnouU was not fitted only to 
 fhine in converfation,—he was dill more didin- 
 guifhed by his aCtive, diffufive benevolence. His 
 retirement from public bufinefs was not devoted 
 to indolence and inaCfion. The remainder of his 
 life, though in a more contracted fphere, was 
 adiduoufly employed in the fervice of his fellow- 
 creatures. 
 
 Many evidences of his public fpirit and benefi¬ 
 cence he has left behind him. That noble and 
 ufeful work the bridge over the Tay at Perth, it 
 is well known, owes to him its exidence,—under 
 his aufpices, and at the rifk of his private for¬ 
 tune, it was reared, and will, it is to be hoped, 
 
 remain 
 
Charader of the Earl of Kinnoull. 
 
 remain to fucceeding ages a monument to his 
 honour. 
 
 At the meetings of the noblemen and gentle¬ 
 men of that part of the country where he refided, 
 he gave conlfant attendance when his health per¬ 
 mitted, and the importance of the objedf requi¬ 
 red his prefence. In their deliberations, the ge- 
 nerofity and difmtereftednefs of his views, united 
 to his talents and experience in bufinefs, never 
 failed to command univerfal relped. 
 
 -The benevolent and worthy part which he afted 
 towards the Society in Scotland for Propagating 
 Chriftian Knowledge, has been already mention¬ 
 ed. To various charitable inftitutions in England 
 he was a regular and liberal contributor. 
 
 But in no part of his conduct did the excellence 
 of this good man’s heart more amiably difcover 
 itfelf, than In his behaviour to young people. An 
 old man furrounded by young men (Irongly at¬ 
 tached to him, affords a pleafmg fpedlacle. It 
 was the picture frequently exhibited by the Earl 
 of Kinnoull. He delighted in their fociety. Fie 
 encouraged them to come to his houfe—fuperin- 
 tended their education—examined Into their pro- 
 grefs, and gave them inftruftion. He llrove, by 
 every winning art and proper indulgence, to make 
 himfelf agreeable to them, and to gain their con¬ 
 fidence, that he might improve their minds by 
 ufeful knowledge, and form them to the love of 
 religion and virtue. 
 
 With thefe difpofitions, it is not to be wonder¬ 
 ed, that he accepted with plealure of the office 
 of Chancillor of the Univerftty of St Andrenu'sy to 
 which, upon the death of the late Duke of Cum¬ 
 berland, the former Chancellor, he was unani- 
 moufly eledted in the year 1765. 
 
 Havlug, 
 
2 g 6 CharaHer of the Earl of KinnouE. 
 
 Having made himfelf mafter of the hiftory and’ 
 conftitution of that ancient fcrainary, he was ena¬ 
 bled with knowledge and eiFect to interpofe in its 
 affairs ; and to every reafonable propofition for 
 its advancement, he always gave the moft decided 
 fupport. 
 
 The profcfTors, encouraged by his engaging 
 manners, regarded him as their friend, as well as 
 patron, and were accudomed in all their affairs 
 of confequence to repofe upon his advice. 
 
 Foi the encouragement of genius and literature 
 among the ftudents, he inftituted, at his own ex¬ 
 pence, annual premiums for thofe who fliould ex¬ 
 cel in the different claffes, and various branches-- 
 of fcience. At the diftribullon of the prizes he- 
 attended in perfon. 
 
 Upon a particular and ftated day, he went an“- 
 nually to St Andrew’s, in his public character as 
 Chancellor, and was received by the whole mem¬ 
 bers of the univeifity, as -w'ell as many of the 
 neighbouring gentry and clergy.’ In a full af- 
 fembly, the young men, to whom the fuffrages of 
 the profcfTors had adjudged the preference, reci¬ 
 ted their feveral exercifes, and received from the 
 Noble Chancellor the applaufe, together wdth the 
 premium, to w’hich merit had intitled them. To 
 this employment, as grateful to his own feelings, 
 as well intended for the benefit of the public, he 
 commonly devoted a week at a time. 
 
 During this annual vifit to St Andrew’s, he 
 never failed to witnefs, and to prefide in a public 
 examination of the grammar-fchool. The warm 
 applaufe which he bellowed upon the ability and 
 fuccefs of the redlor *, the animating encourage- 
 
 * Mr Halket. 
 
 raent& 
 
C/mra&er of the Earl of Kinnonll 297 
 
 cients which he held forth to the boys, and the 
 fatisfaaion which glowed in his^ countenance on 
 difcovering from year to year the.r rapid unprove- 
 ment, marked the fincerlty and ardour of his zeai 
 for the good education of youth, and their pro- 
 grefs in ufeful and polite literature. 
 
 But his attention to literary merit was not 
 confined to honorary marks of his approbation. 
 To genius and defect he always gave encourage¬ 
 ment fuited to the fituation in which he found 
 them; to young men of fortune his countenance 
 and praife to thofe bleffed w'ith talents, but 
 ftruggling with poverty, the means of carrying 
 forward their education. And this he did, fome- 
 times by procuring for them Burfariest (corre- 
 fponding to what in the Englifii univerfities are 
 called Exhibitions)— iovnztx'cats by occaficnal pre- 
 fents of money and books, and fometimes by an¬ 
 nual penfions. Even when their education was 
 completed, he defected not thofe whom he had 
 alTifted, or of whom he had conceived a favourable 
 opinion—he exerted himfelf to obtain for them a 
 comfortable fettlement for life. For fuch of them 
 as had turned their views towards the church, he 
 had opportunities of providing, by the number ot 
 ecciefiaftical benefices in his gift. And in tnis ra- 
 pacity of patron of church-preferments, the piety and 
 benevolence of his charader receive a new and- 
 ftriking illuftration. 
 
 The Earl of Kinnoull was too well acquainted 
 with human nature, not to be convinced that a 
 favourable opinion of the teacher, upon the part 
 of thofe whom he is appointed to teach, is as el- 
 fential to his ufefulnels among them, as it is to. 
 his own perfonal comfort. He had ftudied the ge- 
 
 N 5 
 
2 p3 ChdfaBer of the Earl of KinnoulL 
 
 nius of the people of Scotland, of that part of it 
 in particular where his intereft lay, and he knew 
 how much of their happinefs depends upon their 
 having minifters pofleffing their confidence and 
 refpe<ft eftablilhed among them. He confidered, 
 moreover, the power of appointing the public 
 teachers of religion as a facred truft, which with 
 confcientious fidelity it behoved him to fulfil.—To 
 condudf himfelf upon thefe principles, was his u- 
 niform endeavour, and his fuccefs correfponded 
 to the purity of his intentions. 
 
 Peace to the parilh, and ufefulnefs to the mini- 
 fler, were his great objecls; yet he never fuffered 
 himfelf to become the dupe of either unmerited 
 popular favour, or caufelefs popular refentment. 
 
 The maxim by which he conduced himfelf in 
 this part of his duty, will beft appear in his own 
 words, W'hich he often repeated to his friends, “ I 
 “ will never,” faid he, “ promote a clergyman 
 “ of whom I have not a good opinion, however 
 “ earneftly the people may delire, it, nor will I 
 “ force even a good man into a parifli, againfl 
 “ whom the parifliioners feem to have conceived 
 “ invincible prejudices.” 
 
 In compliance with this principle, he fcmetimes 
 found it necelfary to give way to a general oppofi- 
 tion from a parifh, to the man of his choice; but 
 this was an exercife of moderation and prudence 
 which he had feldom occalion to employ. Tem¬ 
 porary difgulls againft deferving candidates, and 
 the fadlous oppofition of popular demagogues, he 
 knew how to overlook, or, by the weight of his 
 .authority and influence, to crufli. And fo fuccefs- 
 ful was this plan of procedure, that during the 
 whole courie of his refldence in this country, and 
 
 among 
 
Charaner of the Earl of KlnnouU: 2991 
 
 among many vacant pariflies fupplied either by his 
 immediate patronage, or influence, there wis not 
 one which did not eventually prove comloruble, 
 mofl of them from the beginning were acceptable 
 and harmonious. 
 
 As the Earl of Kinnoull was a friend to the 
 clergy, and to the religions interefls of the com¬ 
 munity, fo hs ‘was a liberal benefaflor to the poor,. 
 His private charities were many, foine of them 
 fplendid ; but over this part of his conduifl he was 
 fo careful to fpread a veil, that few of thefe his. 
 good deeds comparatively, were known, even by. 
 his friends. 
 
 With refpedl to the fupply of the poor in gene¬ 
 ral, he proceeded upon fixed and excellent princi¬ 
 ples. He judged it a better fpecles of charity, to. 
 prevent, as far as it could be done, than to relieve 
 necefllties ; he gave encouragement, therefore, to 
 every fpecies of ufeful induftry among the poor,, 
 and to numbers of them, employment and bread. 
 
 To common begging he was a decided enemy; 
 and to prevent the neceffity of it, always declared., 
 that every parifh fought to maintain its poor iii 
 their own houfes. To affift the feveral parifhes, 
 in which his eftates lay, in accomplifhing this ob¬ 
 ject, he fent to each of them annually a dated 
 fum, correfponding to the number of its poor, and. 
 the extent of his property. He thought it unreal- 
 fonable and unjult, to carry his rents out of a pa- 
 rilh, and leave the whole burden of fupporting, 
 the poor upon the tenants; a praftice too com¬ 
 mon in Scotland, where the poor are, in many 
 parilhes, left to be maintained by the contribu¬ 
 tions ol their neighbours, fometinies only lefs poor 
 than themfelves, Were Lord KinnouU’s principles 
 
 N 6 
 
300 Charadher of the Earl of Kinnoulf. 
 
 40 be adopted, and his example to be followed, 
 begging would be unknown, poors rates unnecef- 
 fary, and the poor equitably and fufficiently pro* 
 vided for. 
 
 If we view this good man in the capacity of a 
 landholder^ connected with a numerous body of 
 tenants, his judgment and prudence will appear 
 no Icfs confpicuous, than his benevolence and hu¬ 
 manity. He proceeded upon the maxim, that to 
 confult the comfort and profperity of his tenants, 
 was the fureft means of promoting his own inte- 
 reft. He caufed proper plans of agriculture to be 
 fuggefted to them, by perfons in whofe Ikill he 
 had confidence;—gave them leafes of a proper 
 length and at moderate rents, and built houfesfcv 
 them in a ftile far fuperior to any that had been 
 ufually given to farmers in that part of the coun¬ 
 try. He taught them to refpedl themfelves as 
 free-born Britons, and to repofe, with unlimited 
 confidence upon their mafter’s honour and regard 
 to their interefl. 
 
 Under his judicious management, his eftate 
 fpeedily afllimed a new face ; improvements ra¬ 
 pidly advanced, and his tenants profpered. In- 
 ftead of concealing, they were happy to avow to 
 their kind mafter, their improving circumftances, 
 for they knew that no undue advantage would be 
 taken of the knowledge of them. They regarded 
 him as their common father, ever attentive to 
 their fituation, anxious to redrefs their grievances 
 and to promote their profperity. 
 
 A more particular account of his condinft as a 
 landholder, might afford much plcafing, as well 
 as ufeful information, but befides that this is lefs 
 immediately theobjeff of the Society, it would lead 
 
 to 
 
CharaBer of the Earl of Kinnoull. 301 
 
 to too great prolixity. Suffice it therefore in gc* 
 neral to add, that he left to his fuccefTor an ellate 
 highly improved, and a moft refpe<^table fet of te¬ 
 nants, all thriving, and many of them wealthy. ^ 
 Their tears, an^ the deep concern vifible m their 
 countenance,’ while in filent procelfion they fol- 
 Jowed him to the tomb, afforded ta beholders a 
 ftriking, though melancholy proof, of the place 
 which he had held in their hearts. 
 
 To landholders in general, but particularly to 
 proprietors of extenfive eftates, the Earl of Kin¬ 
 noull has furnifhed, by his example, decided evi¬ 
 dence, that to fee with their own eyes the fituation 
 of their tenants, to hear in perfon their complaints, 
 to redrefs them when well-founded, and in all 
 things to confult their intereft, are the moft infal¬ 
 lible means of bringing real and permanent im¬ 
 provement to their property. 
 
 If we follow this good man into the private 
 fcenes of domeftic life, his charadler affumes a ftlll 
 more amiably engaging form. 
 
 Having no children of his own body, (his only 
 child having died an infant),, his paternal affec¬ 
 tion flowed out in conftant ftreams of tendernefs to 
 his near relations, and the numerous branches of 
 his family. To all of them his manners were 
 affedionate, for the fenfibility of his heart was 
 great. 
 
 In the ficknefs or peculiarly dijirefsful fituation 
 of fuch of them as lived in his houfe, his unweari¬ 
 ed attentions to their comfort, marked the delicacy 
 of his mind, commanded the warmeft returns of 
 grateful affedtion from them, and excited the ad¬ 
 miration of all who had accefs to obferve this part 
 cf his condudi. It is not to be wondered, there- 
 
302 CharaUer of the Earl of KinnoulU 
 
 fore, that his family and immediate connections in 
 general, looked up to him v/ith mingled reverence 
 and love. 
 
 But his behaviour to Kle nephew, the heir of 
 his title and fortune, (the preleut Earl of Kin- 
 noull), claims a more particular notice. Far from 
 regarding him with that jealous eye, with which 
 men advanced in life too often behold their fuccef- 
 fors, the late Earl uniformly felt and expreft for 
 hisy the ftrongeft attachment; and as the conduct 
 of his education in early life had been the objeCt 
 of his uncle’s anxious attention, fo, when grown 
 up to manhood, he admitted him into habits of the ' 
 ftriCtell intimacy and friendlhip; explained to him 
 all his p*j«ns of alteration or improvement, and the 
 principles on which they were founded ; confulted 
 with him concerning their propriety, and the modes 
 of carrying them into execution. Anxious, at the 
 fame time, about the future welfare of his tenants, 
 while he introduced to them his nephew as their 
 future mader, and explained to him their various 
 characters and circumftances, he warmly recom¬ 
 mended to him that mild and generous plan of 
 conduct towards them which he himfelf had uni¬ 
 formly obferved. In the latter part of his life, he 
 wilhed his nephew to take the entire direction of 
 his affairs. 
 
 Conduct fo truly generous and parental, obtain¬ 
 ed its natural and juft reward, in the warmeft 
 filial affection and reverence upon the part of his 
 nephew. As no perfon more cordially loved and 
 valued this good man while in life, fo none more 
 unaffectedly mourned his death, than he who fuc- 
 ceeded to his rank and fortune. In the future con¬ 
 duct of that young Nobleman, it is hoped, that his 
 friends and the public will difcern the happy ef¬ 
 fects. 
 
CharaSier of the Earl of Kinnoulh 303 
 
 feas of thofe excellent principles in which he was 
 inaruaed, and of that worthy example by which 
 they were enforced. 
 
 As ^friend, the late Earl of Kinnoull was warm 
 and fteady.—Though bred a courtier, he profef- 
 fed no affeaion which he did not feel, and though 
 his language was glowing, it was fincere. Con- 
 ftant in all his attachments, even in old age he 
 fpoke of his friends with an enthufiafm which 
 would have done credit to the generous feelings of 
 youth. Nothing fave grofs mllbehaviour could 
 alienate his regards from thofe on whom he had 
 bellowed them. The ftrifteft integrity, and moll 
 delicate fenfe of honour, appeared in the whole of 
 his intercourfe with all to whom he flood related 
 in any of the connedtions of life. 
 
 To his fervants he was a kind mailer, ever at¬ 
 tentive to their comfort both in health and ficknels. 
 He felt the obligation of faithful fervices, and no¬ 
 bly rewarded them. He knew to whom confidence 
 was due, and never indulged fufpicion. And fuch 
 was the general mildnefs and generofity of his 
 condudl to his doraellics, that to be difmifled his 
 fervice was ever regarded by them as the fevereft 
 punilhment. 
 
 From the variety of important or interelling ob- 
 jedls which'conllantly folicited and engaged his at¬ 
 tention, it was impofiible that time could hang 
 heavy on his hands. To liftleflhels and languor, 
 the common attendants of wealth and greatnefs, 
 he was a flranger. His mind, naturally adlive, and 
 habituated to employment, was ever diredted to 
 fomething requiring thought or exertion ; to eve¬ 
 ry hour was alfigned its proper employment, and 
 in confequence of perfeverance and a ftridl arrange¬ 
 ment, he difpaiched much bufinefs, and yet found 
 
 leifure 
 
304 CharaBer of the Earl of Kinnoult^ 
 
 lelfure for the purfults of literature, and the en» 
 joyment of his friends. Though liberal of hij 
 money, he was a rigid ceconomift of his time. 
 
 Advanced age and growing infirmities interrup¬ 
 ted not in him the duties of the man and the 
 Chriftian; unavoidable evils he fuftained with 
 pious refignation ; and as it pleafed God to con¬ 
 tinue with him his intelleftual powers unimpaired 
 to the very conclufion of life, his courfe of adive 
 benevolence fcarcely fuffered an interruption. 
 The laft adts of his life were thofe of friendlhip 
 and charity. 
 
 From thefe imperfed flcetches may be formed 
 an idea of the charader of this truly good man. 
 To fum it up in a few words,—his piety was ex¬ 
 alted, his benevolence large, hi& charity extenfive, 
 his converfation chafte and edifying, his manners 
 exemplary. In his whole deportment were feen^ 
 the dignity of the Nobleman, the learning of the 
 Scholar, and the virtue of the Chriftian. 
 
 The approaches of death, long forefeen and fa¬ 
 miliar to his mind, he beheld with ferenity and 
 fortitude, for his confidence refted upon that foun¬ 
 dation which he knew death itfelf could not (hake. 
 No words can do fo much juftice to his fentiments 
 upon this fubjed as his own. They were expreft to 
 the author of the preceding fermon, in courfe of a 
 long and ferious converfation upon the fubjed of 
 it, a fhort while before his death. As the general 
 theme Vv’as of his recommendation, fo he fpecified 
 fome of the particular topics which he wifhed to 
 be introduced in it, particularly the dodrine of the 
 atonement *. 
 
 “ I 
 
 * Thefe were his words, as nearly as they can he fuppo- 
 fed to be quoted in the reliearfal of a converfation—they 
 
Chamber of the Earl of Kinnouil 3^05: 
 
 “ I have always confidered the atonement of 
 •’ Chrift,” faid he, “ to be'charadteriftical of the 
 “ gofpel as a fydem of religion. Strip it of that 
 “ doarine, and you reduce it to a fcheme of mo- 
 “ rality, excellent Indeed, and fuch as the ■world 
 never faw, but to man, in the prefent ftate of 
 his faculties, abfolutely impraaicable. The a- 
 “ tonement of Chrift, and the truths immediately 
 “ conneaed with that fundamental principle, pro- 
 “ vide a remedy for all the wants and 'vveatineftes 
 of our nature. They ■who ftrive to remove 
 “ thefe precious doadnes from the word of God, 
 
 “ do an irreparable injury to the grand and beau- 
 “ tiful fyftem of religion which it contains, as well 
 “ as to the comfort and hopes of man. for my 
 “ oau« parti I am now an old man, and have ex- 
 “ perienced the infirmities of advanced years. Of 
 ** fate, in the courfe of fevere and dangerous ill- 
 “ nefs, I have been repeatedly brought to the 
 
 gates of death. My time in this world cannot 
 “ now be long. But with truth I can declare, 
 
 “ that in midft of all my paft affli<5lions, my heart 
 “ was fupported and comforted, by a firm reli- 
 “ ance upon the merits and atonement of my Sa- 
 “ viour; and now in the near profped of enter- 
 “ ing upon an eternal world, this is the founda* 
 ** tion, and the only foundation, of my confidence 
 “ and hope.” 
 
 In thefe fentiments he fteadily perfevered till 
 the conclufion of the fcene. His laft illnefs con- 
 
 are remarkable, and made a deep impreffion.—Since the ori¬ 
 ginal publication of thefe fads, fcveral of the Earl’s friends, 
 of great refpedabillty, have informed the author, of the 
 Earl’s having exprelfed the fame fentiments to them in fimi- 
 lar terms. . , 
 
3o6 CharaEler of the Earl of Kinnoull. 
 
 tinned but a few days, it was a wafting and de¬ 
 cline of nature, unattended w’ith pain. On the 
 27th December 1787, without aftruggle, or groan, 
 or change of countenance, he expired. 
 
 “mark the perfect man,and sehold the 
 
 “ UPRIGHT : FOR THE END OF THAT MAN IS 
 “ PEACE.” 
 
SERMON XIV. 
 
 A View of National Felicity, the Caufe of 
 Gratitude to God. 
 
 By John Adamson, D. D. one of the Mini- 
 fters of St Andrew’s. 
 
 Preached on the yth day of November 1788, be¬ 
 ing the Secular Annivcrfary of the Revolution. 
 
 PsAL. xlviii. II, 12, 13, 14. 
 
 Let Mount Zion rejoice; let the Daughters of 
 Judah he glad, becaufe of thy judgements. 
 Walk about Zion, and go round about her; 
 tell the towers thereof: Mark ye well her 
 bulwarks; confider her palaces, that ye may 
 tell it to the generation following: For this 
 God is our God for ever and ever i he will 
 be our guide even unto death. 
 
 tN this pfalm a devout Jew fings the glory of 
 Jerufalem, for which he adores Jehovah 
 “ in the mountain of his holinefs.” Juftly 
 partial to his own city, he praifes “ the beau- 
 ty of its fituation,” the ftatelinefs of its 
 ftruilures, the flrength of its walls, and the 
 peculiar honour and felicity which it derived 
 from the prefence of the Divine Being; which 
 
 made 
 
308 A View oj^ National Felicity. Ser. 14. 
 
 ma 4 e tliis city “ the joy” of its Inhabitants, 
 the wonder of ftrangers, and the terror of its 
 enemies, who “ aiTembled and pafled by tO' 
 
 gether; they faw it, and fo they marvelled; 
 “ they were troubled and hafted away And 
 while he celebrates “ the loving-kindnefs of 
 ** God in the midll of his temple,” he calls on 
 his fellow-citizens to recolle£f, with gratitude, 
 what Almighty God had done for Jerufalem 5 
 to mark and record the wealth and fplendour 
 which fiione in every quarter, and the fecuri- 
 ty and confidence which they enjoyed under a 
 righteous government, with the peculiar ad¬ 
 vantages of their condition, under a protec¬ 
 ting and befriending Providence; and to com¬ 
 mit themfelves, their defcendents, and their 
 country, to an unchangeable God for the fta- 
 bility and perpetuity of their bleffings. 
 
 In the verfes now read, I have found a very 
 fuitable introduction to a difeourfe, on this 
 day, when we are celebrating the memorial 
 of our national happinefs and God’s mercies. 
 The Jewilh patriot has pointed out a train of 
 fentiments ; and however unfit I am to detail 
 them, I trufl: to your indulgence and candour, 
 while I fpeak briefly. Of the natural advan¬ 
 tages of our fituation ; Of the excellence of 
 our government; and, Of the favour of Pro¬ 
 vidence. 
 
 I. Of the natural advantages of our fitua¬ 
 tion,—Our country is an ifle of the fea, fepa- 
 
 rated 
 
3^9 
 
 the caufe of Grutltude to Cod. 
 
 rated by mighty waters from the reft of the 
 world. This reparation fares us from the fud- 
 den invafion of enemies, and from that din 
 of arms which fo often fills the ears of conti¬ 
 nental nations, having quick and eafy accefs 
 to each other. If we are at any time engaged 
 in wars, the battle reaehes not our gates; our 
 plains are not covered with carnage j our 
 fields are not defolated *, the hufbandman 
 and the mechanic are not driven from their 
 labour •, the fervices of religion are not 
 interrupted ; our dwellings are fecurc and 
 tranquil. We need not lofty towers and 
 ftrong battlements, as a proteaion from hafty 
 inroads, or as a retreat from the plunderer. 
 Nature has drawn around us a wall of defence 
 in “ the munition of rocks.” 
 
 Our flaores do not gliften with gold, nor 
 fparkle with gems, thefe imaginary riches; but 
 they abound with more valuable trealures, with 
 pleafant and falutary food: And our extend¬ 
 ed coafts do, in every part, give employment 
 to numerous feamen ; they nourifh and train 
 a hardy fucceffion, for the fervice of the war¬ 
 rior and the merchant. 
 
 Our foil is fertile, liberally rewarding the 
 hufbandman with “ grafs for cattle, and herb 
 “ for the ufe of man with all the necefla- 
 ries and many of the luxuries of life, and with 
 the materials of manufadui'es and commerce 
 —the very bowels of the earth teeming with 
 fuch metals and minerals as are moft ufeful 
 for the purpofes of man. 
 
 No 
 
310 A View of National Felicity^ Scr. 14. 
 
 No country in the world is more fufficient 
 for itfelf, or more independent of every other: 
 while from innumerable ports we difperfe our 
 fuperfluities, and the fruits of our induftry, to 
 every nation under heaven \ from whence we 
 bring back thofe wares which ferve for the 
 elegance of life, and which are eafily diftri- 
 buted through all parts of our ifland.—Na¬ 
 ture, indeed, has given us nothing without in¬ 
 duftry : But this is no ground of complaint. 
 It was a falutary law and appointment of the 
 Creator, when he gave the earth to man— 
 “ Replenifh the earth, and fubdue it j in the 
 “ fweat of thy face fhalt thou eat bread.” 
 
 Our climate is mild, temperate, and falubri- 
 ous. We are neither fcorched by excefs of 
 heat, nor made torpid by intenfe cold. Sum¬ 
 mer and winter fucceed each other by gradual 
 viciffitudcs. Inundations, peftilence, whirl¬ 
 winds, earthquakes, thefe fcourges of other 
 countries, are known to us only by report. 
 
 Our people are hardy and vigorous; pa¬ 
 tient of toil *, docile, generous, and open ; at¬ 
 tached to their country ; intrepid in war, in- 
 duftrious at home ; ingenious and enterprifing 
 in arts, and famed, if not for making new 
 difcoveries, yet for greatly Improving thofe 
 which are elfewhere made ; well affe<fted to 
 religion, and to the virtues of focial life; fond 
 of liberty, and jealous of every encroachment 
 on it. 
 
 Thus has God diftinguifhed us by advan¬ 
 tages of natural fituation ; for thefe we look 
 
 up 
 
the caiife of Gratitude to Cod. 311 
 
 lip with gratitude to our Father In heaven, 
 who formed the heart of man, who of one 
 “ blood hath made all nations of men to dwell 
 “ on all the face of the earth, and hath fixed 
 “ the bounds of every one’s habitation.” Yet 
 all thefe advantages might have been poflefled, 
 without being enjoyed, if we had been left in 
 darknefs, or opprefied with tyranny. But, 
 while we have the light of the glorious gofpel, 
 that tru^ religion of God, which cliears, ani¬ 
 mates, enlarges, and elevates the foul; while 
 Chrift, “ the light and the life of men,” who 
 is ordained for falvation unto all the ends 
 “ of the earth,” hath‘ been pleafed to call us, 
 with other nations, into his marvellous king- 
 “ dom,” we are further blefied with, 
 
 ir. The beft and moft excellent Civil Go¬ 
 vernment.—Such as the moft virtuous and 
 wife legiflators of ancient times laboured to 
 form, but could not accomplifti—government 
 on a model which fpeculaiive ftatefmen rather 
 amufed themfelves with delineating in idea, 
 than expefled to fee carried into execution— 
 A monarchy and a republic united together-*— 
 The vigour of the one with the freedom of 
 the other The collefled patnotifm of ages 
 ripened into maturity. I wifti not to enter in¬ 
 to a detail of the Britifh conftitution, of its 
 component parts, of the arrangement and fub- 
 ordination of its powers : This, to one part 
 of my audience, would convey no informa¬ 
 tion, and to the other would be uninterefting. 
 
 But 
 
3^2 A Vienx) of National Felicityj Ser. 14. 
 
 But I will bring forward to your attention, niy 
 fellow-citizens, fome of the many privileges ye 
 enjoy under the Britilh government. 
 
 Ye feel yourfelves fecure in your perfons, 
 and your property, as far as good laws, and 
 an equal adminiftration of thefe laws, can give 
 fecurity. Ye are not indeed abfolutely fafe 
 agalnft the violence or fraud of your neigh¬ 
 bour. No human laws can fupprefs the paf- 
 fions of men, neither can human police pre¬ 
 vent the machinations of the cheat, nor tie up 
 the hand of rapine : But if ye do no injuftice, 
 if ye difeharge your duty, and fulfil your en¬ 
 gagements, no man, however elevated his Aa- 
 tion, can, without tranfgrefling the laws of his 
 country, and becoming obnoxious to punifli- 
 nient, abridge your perfonal liberty, or take 
 away your fubftance. 
 
 Ye feel yourfelves at liberty not to do what¬ 
 ever folly, or wantonnefs, or malice, or ava¬ 
 rice may incline; not to trcfpafs on your neigh¬ 
 bour’s rights, not to encroach on his freedom, 
 nor to difturb the peace of fociety ; but to do 
 whatever is confiftent with virtue and good 
 manners ; to fpend your time in whatever in¬ 
 nocent way ye pleafe ; to apply your fortunes 
 as ye will *, to profecute your lawful buflnefs 
 without inteiTuption ; to devote your labour 
 and your talents to whatever honeft occupa¬ 
 tion may fuit them. 
 
 Ye feel yourfelves afifolute proprietors of 
 whatever hath defeended to you from your 
 anceftors, of whatever ye have juftly acquired 
 
 by 
 
tfic caufc of Gratitude to God, 31 ^ 
 
 by your own exertions, and of whatever ye 
 
 have received from the goodwill of others_all 
 
 of which ye may again devife to vour chil¬ 
 dren, or to whomfoever ye wifh to enjoy it._ 
 
 All the fruit of your labour is your own, ex 
 cepting only that portion which the public 
 fervice requires. And this is determined not 
 by the will of the monarch, but by the wifdora 
 of the ftate : It is levied, not by arbitrary al¬ 
 location, but in proportion to every man’s 
 wealth ; and it is applied, not at the humour 
 of the prince, but by the diredion of the fe- 
 nate, for the general purpofes of government, 
 from which every one derives his proteftion. 
 
 Ye feel yourfelves governed by laws, not 
 partial and arbitrary, precarious and mutable, 
 but fixed and permanent, equally binding on 
 all ranks, and fufpended or changed only by 
 the colleaive power which enaaed them ; 
 while every member of the legiflative body is 
 as much affedled by every law, and by every 
 change of it, as is the meanefi: fubjefl. There 
 may occafionally be, among our rulers, men 
 of felfifla, fadious, or tyrannical fpirits—men 
 of weakuefs, timidity, and irrefolution—men 
 of ambition or fervility : but the fovereignty 
 of this empire is fo divided among different 
 claffes, that their different interefis and caprice 
 ferve to check and balance each other; and 
 the reprefentatives of the people are fo nu¬ 
 merous, and fo often changed, that nothing 
 lefs than univerfal corruption among the peo¬ 
 ple can introduce oppreffion into our laws, or 
 ■ y®'- IV. O permit 
 
314 ^ View of National Felicityy Ser. 14. 
 
 permit the continuance of it. Some general 
 laws do indeed bear hard on individuals ; be- 
 caufe no human Ikill or forefight can provide 
 for all circumftances, or contrive for millions 
 fuch regulations as fliall never be inconvenient 
 for the few : but this inconvenience does not 
 affe£l you or me only; it does not reft always 
 on the fame perfons ; it is met with in certain 
 circumftances, to which every one is in his 
 turn liable, and every man fees that, in his » 
 neighbour’s cafe, it is either fubfervient to, or 
 at leaft defigned for a greater good. To which 
 objedl, viz. That of a greater good to the 
 whole, each muft neceflarily facrifice fome- 
 thing, when he enters into artificial fociety, 
 and claims or enjoys the benefit of it. 
 
 This kind of liberty then, which ye feel, 
 gives you every encouragement to improve 
 your natural advantages of talents, opportu¬ 
 nities, and Gtuation. 
 
 Ye have perfonal liberty, which, as it can¬ 
 not be taken from you without a crime, fo 
 neither can ye alienate it of yourfelves but for 
 a time, and upon fuch terms as ftill keep you 
 under the protedlion of the laws, to guard you 
 from abufe, and to fecure your hire. Ye 
 muft be treated as innocent and faithful citi¬ 
 zens, unlefs ye are formally accufed of a 
 crime, or have, by your own mifconduft, 
 brought yourfelves under ftrong fufpicions \ 
 and ye cannot be punilhed but after a regular 
 trial, andconvidion, by the judgement of thofe 
 who have no profit in your lofs. 
 
the catife of Gratituac to God. 31 j 
 
 Ye have political liberty, not precifely fuch 
 as in fome ancient ftates poflcffing bnt one city, 
 and a narrow diftricl around it; where all mat¬ 
 ters were confultcd and determined in an af- 
 fembly of all the people It is perfect fana- 
 ticifm to attempt the revival of fuch a confti- 
 tution in an extenfive empire. Ye have as 
 much political liberty as ye need wifh for. 
 Every man is not a legiflator ; yet every one 
 feels himfelf, in fome refpedls, a member of 
 the ftate. No man is neceffarily precluded 
 from having an aflive fhare in the govern¬ 
 ment, if his talents and virtues recommend 
 him to the choice of his countrymen. Everv 
 man is allowed to declare his fentiments con¬ 
 cerning the meafures of government, and to 
 animadvert on them in the mofl- public man¬ 
 ner. This, which is called the liberty of the 
 prefs, is one of the moft genuine and unequi¬ 
 vocal marks of a free people, and one of the 
 moft eftedtual means of preferring national 
 freedom. It is what no arbitrary government 
 ever does or can admit of, becaufe the intro- 
 dudlion of it neceflarily undermines the pillars 
 of defpotifm. 
 
 Ye have religious liberty in a very eminent 
 degree. Every man is allowed to hold his 
 own creed, and to worfhip God in his owil 
 way ; if he a^s with prudence and difcretion, 
 if he is a peaceable fubjea, and does not pub¬ 
 licly infult that form of religion which the 
 community have adopted and eftabliftied by 
 law. He is alfo allowed to publifh his fenti- 
 
 ^ ^ ments 
 
316 A Vieiv of National Felicity f Ser. 14. 
 
 merits on religious fubje^ls, if he does not at¬ 
 tack the fundamental principles of all religion, 
 which every government efteems the fureft 
 bond of fociety. There is indeed in this cafe, 
 more indulgeace than fome men, even ot li¬ 
 beral minds, approve of. This indulgence 
 feems to be juflifiable only on one or other 
 of the two following grounds, viz. i. Liberty is 
 of fo nice and.delicate a texture, that it cannot 
 bear a wound in any part, without endanger¬ 
 ing the whole fabric ; and if the appearance of 
 perfecution for religion’s fake were once au* 
 thorifed, it is hard to fay how widely the fire 
 of bigotry might blaze. 2. The foundations 
 of religion are fo deeply laid, that every at¬ 
 tack ferves only to manifell their ftrength and 
 firmnefs, and to fliow the impotence of the 
 aflailants. The more that has been faid and 
 written againft Chriftianity (and more has been 
 laid and written againft it in this century than 
 for 1700 years before, and with more inge¬ 
 nuity, and artifice, and energy), has but contri¬ 
 buted the more to bring it forward into a full¬ 
 er light as the truth of God, againft which the 
 powers of darknefs cannot prevail.” Some 
 men of vain minds have aftedted Angularity in 
 oppofing the faith of the multitude; and a 
 few others, of weak and diftipated minds, ill- 
 aftedled to religion, having little knowledge 
 and lefs thought, have been pleafed in finding 
 that fomething has been faid in favour of in¬ 
 fidelity, which fomething, however, they nei- 
 pher underftand nor iiujuire into, This feems 
 
 to 
 
the cavfe of Gratitude to God. 7 
 
 lo be all the extent of the evil; to compenfate’ 
 tvhich, the wife and thinking part of the world 
 have been moi*e confirmed in their faith by 
 ftudying it more accurately, and have furnifh- 
 ed the ferious with more clear and explicit 
 anfwers to “ every one that afketh a reafort 
 “ of the hope that is in them.” Ye have the 
 liberty of reading and ** fearching the fcrip* 
 tures, that ye may Judge for yourfelves ; 
 that ye may always have an intimate and faith- 
 ful counfellor in all duty ; that ye may have 
 an unbialTed and infallible inlbrudlor in the 
 method of God’s grace ; and that, from thefe 
 “ wells of falvation,” ye may, as often as ye 
 will, draw that water which nouriflies the 
 foul, in faith, and truft, and comfort, into 
 everlafting life. Ye have the liberty of chu- 
 ling your own teachers, and of worlhipping 
 where and with whom your confcience leads 
 you. Ye have that form of chuCch-govern- 
 ment which is moft acceptable to this nation. 
 Ye have the profeflion and exercife of your 
 religion on the eafieft terms. Ye have the 
 ordinances of the New Teftament difpenfed in 
 their original fimplicity, without any human 
 additions, without the diftincfion of day?, and 
 times, and rites, which have always proved a 
 burden and a fnare in the houfe of God. 
 And all this is no temporary provifion in the 
 hui'ry of an unfettled government; no occa- 
 fional accommodation for trial and experi¬ 
 ment • It is the conffitution of your country, 
 inherited from your fathers, fixed and pec- 
 
 O 3 manent;. 
 
3i8 a View of National Felicity f Ser<..i4i. 
 
 inanent, as far as laws and covenants can give 
 permanency. 
 
 Of thefe privileges, civil and facred, many 
 of you perhaps have no very high efteem. 
 They have never attra^led your attention. Ye 
 find all things now as ye found them in the 
 beginning of life. Ye have formed no other 
 ideas of men’s fituation •, and therefore ye dif* 
 cern not your advantage over others. No 
 bleffing of any kind can be rightly valued, or 
 even underftood, if we have neither experi¬ 
 enced a reveiTe, nor feen others deftitute of 
 k. To thofe who remain at home, and find 
 every neighbour in the fame fituation with 
 themfelves, the Britifh government and con- 
 Aitution feems natural to man, and excites no 
 wonder. But by a very little exertion of your 
 minds, you may figure a reverfe of circum- 
 fiances which would render your fituation ve¬ 
 ry comfortlefs. You may figure a flate of 
 government, where the people fhall not dare 
 to look into their Bibles *, where they fhall 
 have no Bibles but in a firange tongue, nor 
 folemniiies of religion but in that fame ftrangc 
 tongue j where they fhall know nothing of the 
 inflrudlions or confolations of Chriftianity but 
 in the meafure and the form which the priefi: 
 is pleafed to di£late ; where their faith fhall 
 Hand not on the word of God, but on the 
 authority of the church, and on the traditions 
 of men ; where doflrines the mofl: abfurd, 
 and contrary to common fenfe, fliall be for¬ 
 ced on their alfent, under the pain of death 
 
 andi 
 
the caufe of Gratitude to God. 319 
 
 and eternal damnation ; where a yoke more 
 grievous than that of Mofes fliall be bound 
 on the necks of Chrlftians, a yoke of trifles 
 and fooleries, and heathenifh fuperftitions, 
 where chains, and racks, and faggots, fhall 
 be prepared for every man who ventures to 
 think for himfelf, or to hefltate concerning 
 the decrees- of him who oppofeth and ex- 
 alteth himfelf above all that is called Gody 
 and is worlhipped •, fo that he, as God, fit- 
 ** teth in the temple of God, Ihewing him- 
 “ felf that he is God.” You may figure a 
 llate of government, where the mandate of 
 the prince fliall be the only record of law, 
 or lhall fuperfede all other laws ; where every 
 man’s perfon and pofTeffion, and all the fruit 
 of his labour, fhall be at the abfolute difpofal 
 of the monarch ; where the highefl: and the 
 lowcfl, without crime or accufer, on the flight- 
 eft fufpicion, or from motives of jealoufy, pri¬ 
 vate refentment, or fear, fhall be equally li¬ 
 able to be dragged, without premonition, to 
 dungeons, from whence there is no exit, and 
 fcldom any report. You may figure a ftate, 
 where the greateft criminality fhall confift in 
 being rich, or profperous, or good, or belo¬ 
 ved. You may figure a ftate, where millions 
 are faid and believed to be created and or¬ 
 dained by God and Nature, for the only pur- 
 pofe of miniftering to the wantonnefs, the 
 pride,, or the rapacity of one. And when you 
 have figured government perverted to tyran- 
 ny, opprefiion, and dcfpotifm, and to every 
 thing averfe from the ends of its inftitution, 
 
 O 4 ws 
 
$20 'A View of National Felicityt Ser. 
 
 we can tell you, fuch is the ftate of many na¬ 
 tions, not in the wild extremities of the earth, 
 but on the continent of Europe, and in your 
 neighbourhood. 
 
 BlelTed ai’e the people who know thefe 
 things, only by the hearing of the ear ! What 
 hath made Britain to differ ? YTas it fo from the 
 beginning ? Is liberty the native plant of this 
 our ifle, cherilhed in all our borders with un¬ 
 remitting care, its leaves never trampled by 
 any obfcene foot, nor its bloffoms tainted by 
 any impure blall ? No., V/hat we enjoy ii 
 the gift of God in recent times. He, who 
 “ rules the nations,” has diilinguiflied us by> 
 
 III. A favoui'able Providence.—The time 
 was, when all our ifland was covered with the 
 darknefs of Heathenifm ; and fucceeding ChrU 
 Bianity was disfigured by the abfurdities of 
 Popery. The time was, when every chieftain 
 was abfolute and arbitrary on his own do¬ 
 mains j when every man’s hand was againB 
 his brother ; when there was no law but that 
 of the fvvord ; when the country every where 
 blazed with fire, or ftreamed with blood. The 
 time was, when England and Scotland, fepa- 
 rate and independent kingdoms, with mutual 
 jealoufies, and connecting themfelves fepai'ate- 
 ly with rival powers on the continent, harafi- 
 fed each other with inceffant wars, and ra¬ 
 vages, and deaths ; and every year were the 
 borders drenched with the blood of princes 
 and, nobles.. Not much above two hundred 
 
 years. 
 
the caufe of Gratitude ti God. 
 
 yeai's ago, a wifei' policy began to operate. 
 The revival of learning gave a new polifh to 
 mens minds, and a foftening to their hearts. 
 The reformation of religion united the two 
 ends of the illand in better habitudes ; and 
 general concord Teemed to be eftabliflied be¬ 
 tween the two nations by the acceffion of our 
 Scottifh King James to the throne of England, 
 as the common fovereign of both kingdoms 
 Yet what a miferable fcenc was prefented 
 through a great part of the lad century ! What 
 wars, and lightings, and jealoufies, and fears ! - 
 AVhat exadlions and rapine ! Every man dread¬ 
 ed, hated, TuTpedfed, reviled, and criminated 
 his brother. We fliudderat the remembrance 
 of the civil war, attended with horrors un¬ 
 known before. The church alfo was torn, 
 with contentions, not about the elTentials of 
 religion, but about political creeds. Innu¬ 
 merable fedls indeed Tprung up ; as in Judea, 
 at the end of their polity, there was a cry 
 from every corner, “ Here is Chrift !” Fana- 
 ticilm> enthufiafm, and folly, Teem to have 
 reached their greateft height; but thefe Tedfs 
 dwindled away, and their names are not now 
 recollcdfed. Very unhappy was our part of 
 the realm in the frequent changes of church- 
 government; every change producing a new 
 hoft of perfecutors; and we mud confefs that 
 the Prelbyterians were no lefs violent than 
 the Hierarchy, excepting only that they Hied 
 not much blood. In the days of their power, 
 they extended the fword, as far as-they could,. 
 
 ^5 tO; 
 
^22 A View of National Felicliy.y Ser. i4-». 
 
 to excommunications, deprivations, fines, andt 
 imprifonments. 
 
 Let us take a nearer view of the ftate of af¬ 
 fairs after the middle of the laft century^ The 
 whole nation, wearied with the calamities of 
 ■what has been called the Great Rebellion ; 
 perhaps not unjulfly fo called, fince, as ap¬ 
 peared from the event, the leaders were not 
 patriots fighting for the liberties of their coun¬ 
 try, but ambitious men, taking advantage of 
 the general ferment, to wade to fovereignty 
 through the blood of Charles I. The whole 
 nation, wearied with the calamities of the ci¬ 
 vil war, and of the ulurpation and anarchy 
 which fucceeded, joined in one wifii for re¬ 
 calling the exiled Prince Charles IL His re¬ 
 turn to his father’s throne fpread univerfal 
 joy •, all part misfortunes were forgotten ; & 
 general infatuation took place ; the people 
 were as “ thofe that dreamed they idolifed 
 the Prince, and prefTed forward to furrender 
 ihemlelves as his flaves. The change was fud- 
 den, and it was extreme.. The change of man¬ 
 ners was rapid : Former ftri< 5 lnels gave way to 
 what was called politenefs and gallantry: The 
 t^ourtiers were alhamed, or afraid, to wear the 
 fmalleft appearance of Puritanifm, which was 
 fuppofed nearly allied to rebellion : They pre¬ 
 tended only to firip religion of its gloom and 
 hypocrify ; but in fa^l they expelled all that 
 was facred and virtuous, which they exchan¬ 
 ged for infidelity and debauchery.. The man¬ 
 ners of the court were generally followed j 
 
 ths 
 
the caufe of Gratitude to God. 3 23- 
 
 the nation gave up itfelf to the diirolutenefs 
 of a repi’obate mind ; and God feemed to have 
 given it up, “ to fill the rneafure of iniquity.’^ 
 Thofe who had firmnefs enough to make re¬ 
 ligion a ferious object, luftered many infults, 
 paiticulaily in Scotland, where religion has 
 always been an interefting objecf. The Pref- 
 byterian form of church-government has. ever 
 fince the Reformation, been mofi: acceptable 
 here: Our fathers wifhed. for and expedfed 
 its eftablilhment at the reftoration of Charles t 
 They thought that they were cheated by the 
 betrayed by thole whom they had 
 trufted. Epifcopacy, more favourable to the 
 views of men in power, received the royal au¬ 
 thority : The protection of it was committed 
 to men, the purity of whofe principles has 
 fallen under much fulpicion ; who, at any- 
 rate, appear to have been as imprudent as they 
 were haughty, fanguinary, and cruel. Liber¬ 
 ty of conlcience was trampled on in the moll: 
 ludignant manner ; and it has been computed 
 that in about eighteen years,- of thofe who 
 could not, or would not, conform to the mea- 
 fures of the court, no lefs than eighteen thou- 
 iand were, by various perfecutions, loll to this 
 country. During that period, it was not e- 
 uough for a man’s fafety, that he lived peace¬ 
 ably, that he purfued his bullnefs in quiet 
 and abdained from forbidden alTemblies ; if 
 he dm not worlhip where and how he was 
 ordered ; if he did not avow the opinions of 
 thofe who bare rule; if he or his family 
 
 ^ ^ feeaiedi 
 
524 A View of National Felicity f S'er^i 4v 
 
 feemed but indifferent about modes of govern¬ 
 ment ; if be did not enter into all the relenN 
 nients of the party ; he was held to be difaf- 
 fe<fled, he was watched, his words, his looks, 
 were conftrued into rebellion. Thefe were 
 “ days of wrath, and trouble, and diftrels v 
 “ days of waflenefs and defolation ; days of 
 “ darknefs and gloominefs ; of clouds and of 
 thick darknefs.” Our fathers groaned in, 
 bitternefs of foul, and faid, “ AVhere is our 
 “ God now gone ? Thou haft brought us into 
 “ the net, and laden affliftion upon our loins; 
 ** Thou haft caufed men ride over our heads; 
 “ thou haft fent us through the water, and 
 ** through the fire ; thou haft driven us to 
 •* the deferts, and to the motintains, to the 
 dens and caves of the earth.”—Thou, O 
 “ Lord, didft prove them, thou didft try 
 “ them as nlver is tried.” 
 
 Meanwhile, arbitrary power was every where 
 making large ftrides, with little oppofition. The 
 laws were fufpended, and property invaded, at 
 the pleafure of the monarch ; many of the 
 judges were venal, and forward in injuftice 
 the afiizes were often hafty to condemn the in¬ 
 nocent j all the inftruments of defpotifm a- 
 bounded ; and James LI. the laft Prince of the 
 name of Stuart, had nearly overturned every 
 thing valuable in the Britifh conftilution. By 
 one error, he ruined his own purpofe. Hi 
 was a zealous Catholic., In the profeflion of 
 his own religion he was indulged. In his par¬ 
 tiality to Papift-s, he might in all likelihood 
 
 have 
 
t} 3 e caufe cf Gratitude to God. 
 
 have been indulged, until fuperftition had gra¬ 
 dually prevailed, and bad brought back Bri¬ 
 tain to bondage, civil and fpiritual. But this 
 Indulgence, and the flownefs of its operation,, 
 fuited not the bigotry of his fpirit. He would 
 have his kingdom formally reconciled to the 
 Romiih Pontiff: He would have Popery, iii 
 all its extent, re eftablilhed by law ; and for 
 aiding this purpofe, he entered into fecret ne- 
 gociations with the nioft powerful prince of 
 that perfuafion ! This error was, in the wifi. 
 Join, of God, merciful to our land, made the 
 occafion of our deUverance : The King’s ob- 
 jefl was raanifeft i his foreiga connedlions were 
 difeovered *, a general alarm fpread through 
 the nation ; tlaey were roufed from their ne¬ 
 gligence a few noble fpirits took the lead ; 
 God gave them fortitude ; public virtue and 
 private paffions, brought them aid ; for “ the 
 “ wrath of man” is often made to praife the 
 “ Loidj” a fphit of wifdom and unanimity 
 was poured forth. All eyes were turned ta 
 William Prince of Orange, nearly allied to the 
 crown, who pofTeffed the virtues neceffary for 
 undertaking a nation’s deliverance, and who, 
 at that time, occupied a ftation peculiarly fa¬ 
 vourable to the defign. He was invited to 
 Britain ; and while the deluded James was ca¬ 
 balling with Priefts and Jefuits, the afferter of 
 our liberties landed in England, with a force 
 not fufficient to have conquered the country, 
 but enough to encourage thole who wilhed to 
 fave it^ The nobles and the people flecked to 
 
 his 
 
yiS A View of National Felicityt Ser^i4.. 
 
 his ftandard j he Toon reached the capital, from, 
 whence James had fled inglorious, deferting 
 that crown which William now received from 
 the nation, and received on terms moll fuk- 
 able to the delign of his coming. 
 
 This was the great aera of Britifla liberty, 
 which we this day, at the diftiance of one hun¬ 
 dred years, recoileft with joy and thankfgi- 
 ving; we recolle£l a national deliverance which 
 was not temporary, but is permanent, reach¬ 
 ing down to our times, with innumerable blef- 
 fings. We flill enjoy thofe fruits which our 
 fathers gathered. We recolhdt it, on this 
 day, the fecular anniverfary of King Wil¬ 
 liam’s landing.—jth November 1688. Thefe 
 dates and numbers will to many recal the re¬ 
 membrance of other fignal mercies to the Bri- 
 tifli ifle. But what we now celebrate is the 
 Revolution, i. e. the Abdication of King 
 James, the extinction of Popilh and arbitrary 
 government, the acceflion of King William, 
 and the Proteftant fettlement of the crown. 
 
 This was the fplendid tera of Britifli liber¬ 
 ty. It marks the fpirit of the people, which, 
 though deprefled for a time, could not be 
 extinguilhed. The love of liberty produced 
 it: It fettled liberty on a firm bafis. It ex¬ 
 plained and afcertained that liberty, and 
 wrought it into every part of the conflitution, 
 and fixed the boundaries of the royal prero¬ 
 gative, and of the people’s rights. It gave the. 
 fcveral eftates of the realm their proper inde¬ 
 pendence 5.: 
 
the cdiife of Gratitude ti God. 327 
 
 pendence ; yet fo united them as to dire<Ei: all 
 their exertions to the public good. It left to 
 the fovereign the nobleft exercife of power* 
 that of doing as much good as he would ; and 
 it gave to the fubje^ts the fulleft I'ccurity for 
 all the privileges they claimed or wilhed for. 
 This fettlement inlpu’ed a perfedf confidence 
 between the throne and the people, and ella- 
 blilhed public credit on the lureft foundation. 
 From this period Britifli minds have had their 
 native Ipring and vigour refiored ; learning,, 
 and the arts, in all their branches, have beea 
 cultivated to the higheft advantage ; the in¬ 
 ternal improvement of our country hath ra¬ 
 pidly advanced j our commerce has been ex¬ 
 tended to all parts of the world -y and Britain 
 hath ihined forth with unequalled glory. 
 
 The Ipirit of the Revolution Settlement has 
 been uniformly adopted by the Princes of the 
 Houfe of Hanover, on whom the fucceffion 
 to the crown devolved. It is our happinefs 
 to have received conftitutional liberty unim¬ 
 paired, and to live at a time when a native 
 Sovereign, educated, we may fay, under Bri¬ 
 tish Prejudices, covets the glory of reign¬ 
 ing over a free people ; heartily approving the 
 fentiments which glow in their breafts. It is 
 our Iiappinefs to live under a Sovereign, who, 
 being the amiable pattern of every public, pri¬ 
 vate, apd dornefiic virtue, is alfo the generous 
 patron of whatever is eifeemed good and ufe- 
 ful, and conducive to the welfare of his fub- 
 jeits j who-hath added, what alone might Teem 
 
 wanting 
 
 w 
 
3 ^ ^ A View of National Felicityj Ser. 14. 
 
 wanting to make their fecurity complete, and 
 what, as far as IrecoUe£l, no parliament ventu" 
 red to alk of any preceding King, neither had 
 any preceding King magnanimity enough to of¬ 
 fer. It was referved for George III. (whom God 
 long preferve as the Guardian and Father of 
 his people !) voluntarily to ftrip his crown of 
 the only remaining lltadow of defpotifm, viz. 
 The power of difraifling the judges of the land 
 at pleafure. This power, which might have 
 defeated all the Revolution-fyftem, he thought 
 it dangerous for any man to pofTefs : He,, with 
 unequalled patriotifra, not only refigned it for 
 himfelf, but alfb took care that it fhould ne.- 
 ver return to any fucceeding monarch : He 
 had it eftablhhed by the fupreme legiflature of 
 the realm, that thefe minillers of juftice, and- 
 interpreters of the laws, fhall depend only oa 
 the rectitude of their condu^f, and the appro¬ 
 bation of thejr country. It is your happinefs 
 to live under a Sovereign whofe throne is fur- 
 rounded by men of wifdom and firmnefs, to 
 contrive and profecute the moft beneficial mea- 
 fures; men who have been able to improve our 
 commerce, fo as to compenfate the lofs of A- 
 merica, and to increafe the national wealth ; to 
 maintain the dignity of our own country j to 
 preferve the liberty of neighbouring ftates ; 
 to overawe the mightieft nations on the con¬ 
 tinent 5 and to repair the exhauftion of long 
 and expenfive wars, without increafing the 
 burdens of the fubjetffs: Men, whofe welL. 
 
 conducted 
 
the Caufe of Gfatitude io Cod. 329 
 
 conJu£led exertions have been crowned with 
 that fuccefs which makes Britain now the ad¬ 
 miration of the world. From Britain other 
 nations fee what are the blefled fruits of free¬ 
 dom and fecurity ; they begin to cherifh a 
 fpirit which they have caught from hence: 
 They who, for ages paft, have been account¬ 
 ed your natural enemies, now revere and love 
 you, bccaufe you are free : The deai'eft wilh 
 of their hearts is to be as you are, becaufc 
 you poflefs the rights and the happinefs o*f 
 Men ! 
 
 Thefe things we wifh you to know and to 
 remember—and thePrefbyterian church,which, 
 at the delire of the nation, was eftablilhed in 
 its prefent form at the happy Revolution— 
 the General Aflembly of the Church of Scot¬ 
 land, deeply imprelTed with a fenfe of the 
 bleflings, civil and lacred, which we have en¬ 
 joyed for thefe hundred years, and which are 
 fecured to us and to our pofterity in the ain- 
 pleft manner, hath commanded us, in our 
 feveral congregations, this day, to celebrate 
 the memorial of that important event in our 
 hiftory, that we may “ publilh with the voice 
 “ of thankfgiving, and declare the works of 
 “ the Lord, and tell to the generation that 
 lhall arile the praifes of Almighty God, 
 by whom kings reign and princes decree 
 “ juftice.” 
 
 Let us then, in the fpirit of this day’s pro- 
 feffion, devoutly acknov/ledge Jehovah as the 
 
 Author 
 
330 AVtevj of National Felicityy Ser. 14. 
 
 Author of our deliverance, and the Preferver 
 of our Liberties. There is wifdom in attend¬ 
 ing to fecond caufes, and to their operation ; 
 becaufe, thereby we acquire experience and 
 direction for our conduct on future emergen¬ 
 cies. There is duty in giving fuitable praife 
 to thofe who Ikilfully planned, and nobly da¬ 
 red for their country; their names are con- 
 Cgned to remembrance in the page of the hi- 
 ftorian j and while either the enjoyment or 
 the love of liberty remains in our ifland, the 
 people (hall call them blefled. But there is 
 folly and impiety in looking only to fecond 
 caufes and human exertions, and in forgetting 
 that God who ” doth according to his will 
 “ in the armies of heaven, and among the in- 
 habitants of the earth \ who builds and 
 ** plucks up empires, and appoints the times 
 “ and the feafons.” It is a fentiment of truth 
 and juftice, of reafon as well as of revelation. 
 That “ from the Father of Lights, who form- 
 ed the heart of man,” that fr'm him only 
 comes knowledge to men of underltanding, 
 and firmnefs to men of courage ; that thofe 
 counfels only can profper which have the ap¬ 
 probation or permiffion of him “ who is 
 “ above all, and in all, and through all;” that 
 “ uhlefs the Lord do keep the city, the watch- 
 “ man vvaketh in vain and that, when he 
 vifits in mercy or in judgement, the means and 
 the method are chofen by, and derive their ef¬ 
 ficacy from him. Thofe who lived at the time 
 of the Revolution, who were moft aflive in ma¬ 
 king 
 
the caufe of Gratitude of God. 33^1 
 
 king the change, and who were heft acquainted 
 with all the circumftances attending it, they 
 united in giving God the glory, and in fay¬ 
 ing, “ Our arm hath not done this ; had not 
 “ the Lord of hofts been on our fide, we had 
 ** been fwallowed up quick, the waters had 
 ** overwhelmed us, the proud waters had gone 
 “ over our fouls” Let us, under the fame 
 pious impreffion, proftrate ourfelves before 
 the Lord, who made heaven and earth j” 
 who faw and removed the miferies impending 
 over our country ; who prepared our deliver¬ 
 er, and accompanied and profpered him ; who 
 hath hitherto protected the caufe which the 
 Revolution began ; who infpired King William 
 with wifdom to manage the various contend¬ 
 ing parties which early appeared under the 
 new government j who guarded his precious 
 life when in the mofi: critical hazard ; who 
 crowned him with vidlory at a juniRure the 
 moft important ; who gave him patience to 
 endure the obfiinacy and rudenefs of his new 
 fiibjeds, which had almoft determined him to 
 leave them to anarchy, or to the mercy of 
 James reftored : Before the Lord, who blafted 
 the machinations, in Queen Anne’s reign, for 
 the return of a Popifli king in . all the fpirit 
 of defpotifm ; who difappointed the counfels 
 of France, fomenting a firft and a fecond re- 
 belliun in thefe kingdoms; and who hath nov/ 
 united men of all deferiptions, of all parties^, 
 of all perluafions, Jn loyalty to our beloved 
 Sovereign,, and to the government fo happily 
 
 adminifteyed 
 
332 View of National Felicity^ Ser. 14. 
 
 adminiftered by him.—O Lord, thou haft 
 “ been favourable to thy chofen land ^ as we^ 
 have heard, fo we have feen in the city of 
 “ the Lord of hofts; God is known in her 
 palaces for a refuge. Let Mount Zion re- 
 “ joice, let the daughters of Judah be glad, 
 ** becaufe of thy judgments ; thy right hand 
 ** is full of righteoufnefs.” While, my fellow- 
 citizens, ye “ walk about Zion, and go round 
 “ about her, and tell the towers thereof j” 
 while ye “ mark her bulwarks, and confid'er 
 “ her palaces adore the God of your fa¬ 
 thers ; “ Thine hand hath made all thefe 
 ‘‘ things ; thou upholdeft them by the word 
 of thy powei'*.” 
 
 Walk worthy of your mercies.—Whatever 
 conflict was necelTary for attaining and fecu- 
 ring Britilh Liberty, was fuftained by your fa¬ 
 thers j of their labours ye now enjoy the 
 fruits in peace ; prize them highly as the beft 
 bleflangs of life ; remember that the privileges 
 which ye inherit are a facred depofite in your 
 hands, not to be given up, not to be exhauft- 
 ed, but to be tranfmitted to your children’s 
 children *, defraud not them of their birth¬ 
 right. Let all ranks in church and ftate, 
 whether in public office, or in the retirements 
 of private life, confpire to maintain what has 
 been wrought for us, and to inftil into the ri- 
 fing generation the love of liberty, of their 
 country, and of that conftitution which, thro’ 
 an hundred years, has been tried and proved, 
 and found to be the beft which human im- 
 
 perfedtioa 
 
the caiife of Gratitude to Gcd. 
 
 333 
 
 perfection will allow of. Hearken not to thofc 
 who are given to change: “ Ufe not liberty 
 “ as an occafion to the flelh j” the natural 
 corruption of liberty is licentioufnefs ; and the 
 neceflary correction thereof opens the way to 
 defpotifm : This progrefs has been univerfally 
 obferved. If ye dread the ilTlie, guard againft 
 the abufe of liberty ; avoid faCtion, difcord, 
 tumult, petulance. Be loyal to your King, 
 who is intitled to your confidence. Be obe- 
 .<iient to the laws of your country, which are 
 •every man’s fecurity ; and give all necefTary 
 aid to the due execution of the laws; and 
 fubmit chearfully to the burdens requifite for 
 the fupport of the ftate, /. e, for your own 
 prefervation. Improve the blellings of your 
 lituation, by that induftry which enriches your- 
 felves, while it adds to the wealth of the com¬ 
 munity ; and in all your induftry and com¬ 
 merce, obferve juftice, honour, and truth, 
 with citizens, and with ftrangers : Fraud may 
 bring money ; but honeft gain is blefled. Be¬ 
 ware of opprefling your neighbours, or of 
 feeming to opprefs them : It is difhonourable 
 and inhuman ; It may provoke refiftancej 
 which is the beginning of civil war : It may 
 teach others to opprefs you : It may gradual¬ 
 ly extinguifh the love of liberty, with which, 
 freedom itfelf muft expire. Have a facred 
 regard to the rights of other men; their rights 
 of nature, of fociety, of confcience. Be in¬ 
 dulgent to thole who diffei’ from you in reli¬ 
 gious fentiincats: Peny theiii not that liberty 
 
 which 
 
334 A View of National Felicity^ Ser. 14, 
 
 which God hath given to you as the confo* 
 lation of your lives. Live “ foberly, righte- 
 ** eoufly, and godly,” otherwife ye defecratc 
 all thefe Chriftian privileges which ye fo fully 
 enjoy. When God blefTes and favours a na¬ 
 tion, it is for this end, that they may ferve 
 him more chearfully, more fervently, more 
 conftantly j - and when men really feel the 
 goodnefs of God, they exprefs their gratitude 
 by obedience. Intemperance, ineligion, ne¬ 
 glect of duty, unfi'ukfulnefs under mercies, 
 render a people unworthy of the Divine pro¬ 
 tection : They have reduced many ftates, once 
 free and happy, to barbarifm and flavery. And 
 furely it is meet for us to fay, “ O Lord, we, 
 “ with our fathers, have finned : And feeing 
 “ that thou, our God, haft,” in thy former 
 corrections, “ punifhed us lets than our ini- 
 ** quities deferve ; and has given us fuch a 
 “ deliverance as this j fhould we again break 
 “ thy commandments, and join in affinity with 
 ** the people of abominations ; wouldeft not 
 thou be angry with us until thou hadft con- 
 “ fumed us, fo that there fhould be no rem- 
 nant nor efcaping ?” A virtuous people 
 only are worthy of liberty, or capable of en¬ 
 joying it i and “ righteoufnefs” only “ ex- 
 “ alteth a nation.” If we are unanimous and 
 ftedfaft in fearing God, and honouring the 
 “ the King,” in “ doing juftly, loving mercy, 
 ** and walking humbly with our God in 
 difcharging our duty each of us in hds place ; 
 
the caufe of Gratitude to God. . 335 
 
 in feparating ourfelves “ from our own ini- 
 quities,” and “ keeping the ways of the 
 Lot d j theri) and then only, may we truffy 
 that ** this God will be our God for ever and 
 “ ever,” that he will blefs us, and blefs our 
 countiy, and fliew favour to our children's 
 children. Amen. 
 
SERMON XV. 
 
 The Study of the Scriptures recommended. 
 
 By Andrew Hunter, D. D. Sc S. S. Th. P. 
 
 Preached before the Society In Scotland for Pro¬ 
 pagating Chriftlan Knowledge, June 9. I775» ' 
 
 Acts, xvii. 11. 
 
 lljefc ruere more nohle than thofe in Thejfahnica^ 
 in that they received the word with all rea- 
 dinefs of mmdy and fearched the Scriptures 
 daily, whether thofe things were fo. 
 
 TN this inflrudlive hlftory of the firft teachers 
 of Chriftlanity, nothing is more Interefting 
 than the reception which the gofpel met with, 
 and the means by which its fuccefs was pro¬ 
 moted. That our holy religion fhould tri¬ 
 umph over the deep-rooted prejudices and vi¬ 
 cious attachments of mankind ; that it fliould 
 be propagated wuth amazing rapidity and fuc- 
 cefs through the world, by no other means 
 than the force of argument, the evidence of 
 miracles, the holy lives and comfortablfrdeaths 
 of its profeflbrs j that a few illiterate perfons 
 fhould communicate a fylfem of doOrines and 
 
 precepts, 
 
*The Study of the^ ijc<. 
 
 •precepts, much more excellent and powerful in 
 their influence on the perfeiflion and happi- 
 nefs of men, than the collefted wifdom of 
 former ages, and of the moft: poliflaed nations, 
 had produced ; that they fliould adhere to 
 their teflimony of the truth as it is in Jefus, 
 with unfhaken conftancy, in the midfl: of the 
 fierceft: perfecutions, and perfuade multitudes 
 in every part of the world to believe in a cru¬ 
 cified Saviour, and to hazard their all in this 
 life for his fake : thefe are the mofl fatisfac- 
 tory proofs of the divine original and excel¬ 
 lence of our religion, as well as of the inte¬ 
 grity of its teachers, which can be defired. 
 Such are the interefting feenes that prefent 
 themfelves to our view, through the whole 
 hiftory of the tranfadlions of our Lord’s a- 
 poftles, and which may juflly fill every be¬ 
 holder with wonder at the hand of God fo 
 vifibly difplayed in the confirmation of the 
 Chriftian faith. 
 
 In the preceding part of this chapter we are 
 informed of the diligent labours of St Paul 
 and his companion in travail; who, like their 
 Divine Mafter, went about continually doing 
 good. Having come to Theflalonica, Paul 
 went, according to his cuffom, into the fyna- 
 gogue of the Jews, “ and three Sabbath days 
 " reafoned with them out of the Scriptures ; 
 “ opening and alledging, that Chrift mufl; 
 needs have fuffered, and rifen again from 
 the dead ; and that this Jefus, whom he 
 preached unto them, was Chrift.” Thefe 
 VoL.IV. P difeourfes 
 
33 ^ 
 
 The Study of the 
 
 Ser. 15. 
 
 jdifcouiTes had powerful efficacy; for a great 
 multitude of devout Greeks, and others, be¬ 
 lieved the gofpel-report, and expreffied their 
 cordial regard for their fpiritual inftruftors, 
 3ut their fafety being endangered by an out¬ 
 rageous mob, we are told, that the brethren 
 who were attached to them, fent away Papl 
 ^nd Silas by night unto Berea, another city of 
 Macedonia; where, on their arrival, they went 
 jnto the fynagogue of the Jews. What a noble 
 fpecimen do they exhibit of unwearied dili¬ 
 gence and intrepidity in the difeharge of their 
 .duty I Though they were juft efcaped from 
 ..the jaws of death, and though at no great di- 
 ftance from the place where a popular tumult 
 had been raifed againft them, they boldly ven¬ 
 tured again to communicate to their country¬ 
 men the glad tidings of falvation through Je- 
 fus Chrift. It is obfervable, that they went 
 into a fynagogue of the Jews, although fome 
 of that nation had been fo violent in their 
 oppofition to them at Theffialonica. Neither 
 fear nor refentment prevented them from go¬ 
 ing to the lo-ft fheep of the houfe of Ifrael, 
 before they imparted the gofpel to the Gen¬ 
 tiles. 
 
 Of the reception they met with at Berea, 
 and the charafler of their hearers, we are in¬ 
 formed in my text: “ Thefe were more noble 
 ■“ than thofe in Theffialonica, in that they re- 
 ceived the word with all readinefs of mind, 
 and fearched the Scriptures daily, whether 
 thofe things were fo.” 
 
 “ More 
 
Scriptures recommended. 
 
 359 
 
 More nobleIt is a jud: obfervation 
 of a judicious critic, that the original word 
 tvytviripoi is happily chofen, as the Jews valued 
 iheinfelves on their freedom, and defcent from 
 Abraham and the other patriarchs. Now, 
 fays the infpired hiftorian, the Jews at Berea 
 fliewed themfelves to be more worthy defcen- 
 dents of Abraham, and more animated by his 
 excellent fpirit, than their countrymen at Thef- 
 falonica, in that they received the wmrd 
 “ with all readinefs of mind, and fearched 
 the Scriptures daily, whether thofe things 
 “ were fo.” No encomium can be more ho¬ 
 nourable, and worthy of being defired. It is 
 not meant, however, that all the Jews at Thef- 
 falonica were of an oppohte charadler to the 
 Bereans ; for it appears from the context, that 
 a confiderable number of the former gave a 
 proper reception to the teachers of Chriftia- 
 
 nity, and their melTage ; and Paul, in his £- 
 piftle to the Theflalonians, commends the faith 
 and ftedfaftnefs of many of them, to whom 
 the gofpel came, “ not in word only, but in 
 power, in demonftration of the Spirit, and 
 with much aflhrance.” But there was a 
 more general attention to religious inhruc'fiou 
 among the Bereans; a more univerfal, and 
 probably a more liberal, fpirit of inquiry! * 
 
 As it is the defign of the refpeaable Society 
 before whom I fpeak, to diffufe the knowledge 
 and praaice of the Chriftian religion, in its 
 native fimplicity and purity, through the world 
 and particularly in the Highlands and iflands 
 
 ^ 2 Of 
 
340 
 
 The Stilly of the 
 
 Ser. 15 . 
 
 of Scotland ; no fubjefl appeared more fuit- 
 able for promoting this end, than recom- 
 inending the fludy of this beft of all books, 
 emphatically ftyled the Scriptures, and the due 
 exercife of the rights of private judgement. 
 This will naturally lead me to expofe the un¬ 
 warrantable and pernicious conduct of the 
 Church of Rome, in with-holding the Bible 
 from the laity, and requiring from its mem¬ 
 bers a blind fubmillion to the authority of 
 ecclefiaftical decrees. 
 
 With this view, it (hall be my endeavour, 
 through the divine affiftance. 
 
 Hr/?, To illuftrate the charafler of the Be- 
 reans, on which the facred hiftorian hath be- 
 ftowed fo high an encomium ;—and then, To 
 recommend, by feveral confiderations, the imi¬ 
 tation of their conduct, or a diligent and im¬ 
 partial examination of the Scriptures. 
 
 I. I begin with illuftrating the charadler of 
 the Bereans. 
 
 I. They are diftinguiflied by their laudable 
 fpirit of inquiry into religious truths : “ Thefe 
 
 were more noble than thofe in Theffalonica, 
 “ in that they daily fearched the Scriptures, 
 
 whether thofe things were fo.” 
 
 An inquihtive difpofition is indeed on fome 
 occafions not deferving of praife. When per- 
 fons pry into the concerns of their neigh¬ 
 bours, and are induflrious in obferving their 
 imperfeilions and mifeondu^t, while they are 
 
 inattentive 
 
Scriptures recommended. '34$ 
 
 inattentive to their ow'n, this is a curiofity of 
 a malicious and hurtful kind. When the fub- 
 jefts of inveftigation are trifling, or of no ef- 
 fential importance when known ; or when we 
 dive into “ thofe fecret things which belong 
 to the Lord,” and which are evidently not 
 adapted to the prefent limited ftate of our fa¬ 
 culties ; then are our refearches improper' and 
 Llameable. Lut the curiofity of the I3ereans 
 was not of an idle or impertinent nature. 
 They were animated by a defire of the moft ufe- 
 ful knowledge. Their attention was employed' 
 on truths that were of the higheft moment to 
 their everlafting happinefs. It was not the 
 news of the day, or the occurrences of the 
 world, that engrofled their thoughts and time, 
 as is the cafe witli too many in every age j but 
 they had juft views of the luperior import¬ 
 ance of their fouls to their bodies, and were 
 bent on becoming wife unto fdvation.. On the 
 arrival of Paul and Silas, they received them 
 couiteoufly ; and not only indulged them in 
 the liberty of teaching the Chriftian religion 
 unmolefted in their fynagogue, but embraced 
 the opportunity of hearing them, and liftened 
 to their inftriKftions with fixed attention. Re- 
 fpeftful, however, as their condudt was to- 
 thefe public inftru<ftors, they ftiowed a fupe- 
 rior regard to truth itfelf, by examining care¬ 
 fully the doflrines they taught, and the proofs 
 by which they were confirmed. They built 
 not their faith on the authority of men ; but 
 cxercifed their own judgement, in a diligent 
 
 3 inquiry 
 
342 
 
 The Study of the 
 
 Ser. 15 . 
 
 inquiry into the fcheme of religion propofed to 
 them : and, when convinced of its truth, on 
 fuch an accurate examination, they yielded a 
 ready alTent to it : as we are informed at the 
 lithverfet “ Therefore many of them be- 
 lieved : alfo of honourable women which 
 “ were Greeks, and of men not a few.” 
 
 2 . Another amiable part of the charadler 
 of the Bereans, is their attachment to the 
 Scriptures, and the diligence with which they 
 itudfed thefe infpired oracles of truth. They 
 are declared by the divine Spirit to have been 
 more noble than ihofe of Theffalonica, for 
 this very realon, “ That they fearched the 
 “ Scriptures daily.” The Thtflalonians, even 
 fome of them that were favourably difpofed 
 to the apoftolical dodfrines, it would Teem, 
 were more luperhcial in their religious inqui¬ 
 ries, more apt to rell; on human authority, 
 and more negligent of invefligating the ac¬ 
 knowledged infallible fources of information 
 in divine things, than they ought to have 
 been.. But the Bereans were accurate inqui¬ 
 rers, and diligent ftudents of the Scriptures ; 
 peiTuaded of the infpiration of that facred vo¬ 
 lume, they had recoui I’e to the law, and to 
 the tellimony, for trying the opinions or af- 
 i'ertions of their teachers ; knowing, that if 
 they fpoke not according to this word, there 
 was no light in them. It was not the mere 
 plaulibility of any tenets : it was not their be¬ 
 ing commonly received or faihionable ; it was 
 not their fultablenefs to their wifhes, or lub- 
 
 ferviency 
 
Scriptures reccmmended. 
 
 34J 
 
 fervlency to their worldly prorpecHis, that in¬ 
 fluenced their fentiments, or regulated their 
 external conduct: but it was their conformity 
 to truth, which they fearched for as for hid¬ 
 den treafures ; it was their agreeablenefs to 
 the Scriptures, the only unerring flandard of 
 faith and of manners : “ They fearched the 
 Scriptures daily, whether thofe things were 
 —Fheir delight was in the law of the 
 “ Lord, and in his law did they meditate day 
 “ and night.” Their Bible was their daily 
 fludy ; the writings of Mofes, and the pro¬ 
 phets, which contained all the di'vine revela¬ 
 tion that was then enjoyed, were familiar to 
 thefe intelligent and devout Jews. Both in 
 their private retirements, and public aflem'* 
 blies, they I'ead and confidcred them with at¬ 
 tention. They examined the juflnefs of the 
 expofitions of their law ; they weighed care¬ 
 fully the proofs by which the dodfrines of 
 their • teachers were vouched or defended j 
 they did not content themfclves with a fuper- 
 flcial view of the facred text, but inquired in¬ 
 to its fcope and meaning. B^y this ftandard 
 they tried they doarines of Paul and his fel¬ 
 low-labourer in the work of the miniflry, who 
 had been fhewing to them the way of lalva- 
 tion. The important theme, on which thefe 
 teachers expatiated with delight, was, That 
 Jefus is the Chrift, the promifed Meffiah, and 
 Saviour of the world. As they were addref¬ 
 ling a congregation of Jews, and Jewifh profe- 
 lytes, they drew arguments chiefly from the Old 
 
 I* 4 Teftamenty 
 
344 
 
 The Study of the 
 
 Ser. 15 . 
 
 Tellament, which was acknowledged by theii’ 
 hearers to be the v/ord of God ; and evinced 
 the conformity of the charafter of their Ma- 
 fter with the fciiptural types and predictions 
 of the Meffiah. I fay ‘‘ chiefly *,’’ for there 
 can be little or no doubt, that the internal 
 excellence of the principles of the Chriftian 
 religion, and the miracles by which it was 
 confirmed, would not pafs unnoticed by its 
 teachers, or unobferved by their attentive au¬ 
 dience. All thefe proofs were well weighed 
 by the Bereans ; and by the divine bleffing, 
 produced a thorough belief of the truths they 
 had heard. This leads me to remark, 
 
 3. In the laft place on this head. The can¬ 
 dour v/ith which their inquiries were con¬ 
 duced, and their opennefs to conviCion : 
 
 They received the word with all readinefs 
 “ of mind.” They difeovered an enlargement 
 ef mind and freedom from the prejudices which 
 their countrymen had fo deeply imbibed. In 
 other places the crofs of Chrift had been to 
 the Jews a ftumbling-block, and to the Greeks 
 foolifhnefs the apoftles had been infulted 
 and abufed, their doCrines and charaCer mif- 
 reprefented, and their inftruCions vilified, as 
 the foolifhnefs of preaching.” Ideas of a 
 temporal Meffiah, and profpeCs of worldly 
 enjoyments under his reign, were almofl uni- 
 verfally entertained. When a few obfeure and 
 illiterate perfons went about teaching, That 
 Chrift had come in the flefh, and appeared in 
 the form of a fervant 5 that he was a man of 
 
 forrows, 
 
Scriptures recommended. 
 
 345V 
 
 forrows, and acquainted with grief; and had 
 fubmitted to the painful and ignominious 
 death of the crofs ; it is eafy to conceive with 
 what contempt they and their doctrines would 
 be treated.. The whole hiftory of the apoftles 
 exhibits the malign influence of vicious pre¬ 
 judices ; and particularly the verfes preceding 
 my text, ver. 5. 6. 7. Even in Berea itfelf 
 were feme worthlefs people ftirred up by their 
 aaivc brethren at Theflalonica, to difturb the 
 miniftrations of thefe faithful fervants of the 
 Prince of Peace. Very different from this, 
 however, was the charaaer of the Bereans in 
 general. They did not turn a deaf ear to the 
 voice of inftruaion, or attend on the fyna- 
 gogue with a determined purpofe to find fault 
 with the preacher, and oppofe whatever he 
 Ihould fay ; but they came there with mode- 
 fty, and meeknefs of fpirit, defirous of inftruc- 
 tion, and refolved to receive the truth from 
 whatever mouth it fhould proceed. While 
 Paul and Silas were perfecuted by many, they 
 gave them a welcome reception, and attentive 
 hearing. “ Like new-born babes, they defi- 
 “ red the fincere or pure milk of the word, 
 “ that they might grow thereby ; and recei- 
 “ ved with readinefs and meeknefs the in- 
 “ grafted word, which was able to fave their 
 “ louls. They lifteried without prejudice to 
 the inftrudlions of PcUil ; examined with care 
 every argument in fupport of them, as well 
 as every objection againft, them j and when 
 
 5. conviacedi 
 
34^ The Study of the Ser. 15. 
 
 convin-ced of their truth, exprefled their aflent 
 with cordiality and headinefs.. 
 
 The divine Spirit, whole aid our Lord pro- 
 roifed to lead his people into all neceflary 
 truth, countenanced the refearches of thefe: 
 honeft inquirers, and crx)wned them with fuc— 
 ccfs. 
 
 Such was the excellent fpirit that dwelt in. 
 the Bereans, and which hath drawn from an. 
 infpired penman fo ftrong a teftimony of ap¬ 
 probation. That the encomium is moft juft, 
 every perfon fenftble of true worth muft ac¬ 
 knowledge. Such an ardent love to truth,, 
 and delight in the facred writings ; fuch mo- 
 defty, candour, and diligence, in refearches. 
 after ufeful knowledge ; fuch an opennefs to 
 conviclion of truths that, were adverfe to their 
 prejudices of education, and apparently fub- 
 verlive of their prefent intereft,—are qualities 
 intitled to our higheft efteem, and afford a 
 folid foundation for this fignificant eulogium %. 
 “ Thele were more noble than thofe in Thef- 
 “ falonica, in that they received the word 
 
 with all readinefs of mind, and fearched 
 “ the Scriptures daily, whether thofe things 
 “ were fo.”—But it is not lufficient to ad¬ 
 mire •, it muft alfo be our habitual endeavour 
 to refemble this amiable character. 
 
 II. I ftiall therefore now proceed, in the fe- 
 co! d place, To urge and recommend the imi¬ 
 tation of the conduct of the Bereans, or a di¬ 
 ligent 
 
Scriptures recommended. 
 
 347 
 
 Hgent and impartial examination of the Scrip¬ 
 tures. 
 
 I. It is our duty and right, as reafonable* 
 creatures, to inquire and judge for ourfelves- 
 concerning the truths of religion. 
 
 This appears from the very frame of our' 
 nature. The Supreme Being, who does no¬ 
 thing in vain, hath endued us with faculties 
 fit for inveftigating evidence, and dilcovering 
 truth. He hath planted in our brealfs a prin¬ 
 ciple of curiofity, or defire of knowledge ; and' 
 hath annexed a high degree of plealure to our 
 intelletffual i-efearches and difcoveries. It is our 
 capacity ofdilcerning between truth and falfe- 
 hood, right and wrong, that gives man a pre¬ 
 eminence above the brute creation, and di- 
 ftinguilhes his a6lions and purfuits from their 
 inftin^five exertions. It is on this conlfitution 
 of our nature, that the whole fyftem of mo¬ 
 ral obligations, and our accountablenels for 
 our fentiments and condued:, are eftabluhed. 
 Even in the ordinary concerns of life, reflec¬ 
 tion and inquiry are acknowledged by all to 
 be requifite.- No wife man will rulh blindly 
 into any enterprife, without conlidering what 
 he fhould do, and what are likely to be the- 
 confequences of his conduft. All the arts of 
 life depend on fixed principles j which mull: 
 be fludied with attention by thofe who would 
 attain excellence, or profecute them with fuc- 
 cefs j inattention, and erroneous apprehenlions 
 of them, are frequently produdlive of difitp- 
 pointmeut and ruin in worldly purfuits : how 
 
 ^ ^ much* 
 
34^ 
 
 The Study of the Ser. i 
 
 much more neceflary and important arc deli¬ 
 berate inquiry, and due confideration, in the 
 concerns of our fouls and eternity ? In thefe, 
 miftakes may be of the moft dangerous and 
 fatal confequence. Juft principles are effen- 
 tial to conftitute the goodnefs of any aflion, 
 and are the proper fpring of right conduct. 
 The moft fplendid a£ls of munificence, or cha¬ 
 rity, cannot be approved by the Searcher of 
 Hearts, when they proceed from oftentation^ 
 or other felfifti motives, however laudable they 
 may appear in the eyes of men. Diligent inquiry 
 into truth, and due pains to come to the know¬ 
 ledge of our duty, are therefore indifpenfably 
 requifite. When we have any important worldly 
 end in view, we I’pare no pains to attain it j and 
 iurely greater attention and induftry are rea- 
 fonable in the concerns of our immortal fouls.. 
 We fhould receive no doflrine of religion up¬ 
 on human authority, or the affirmation of fal¬ 
 lible men like ourfelves. Though refpeft and 
 attention are due to teachers, they are not in- 
 titled to implicit faith. The Bereans are com¬ 
 mended for fearching the Scriptures, and try¬ 
 ing the doctrine even of the apoftles by the 
 word of God. Ignorance can never be the 
 mother of devotion, or the parent of true re¬ 
 ligion : for the worftiip of God is the homage 
 of the heart, and his fervice is “ a reafonable 
 
 fervice.” 
 
 The noble powers of our nature cannot be 
 employed in a way more fuitable to their dig¬ 
 nity and excellence, than in forming juft ap- 
 
 prehenfions 
 
Scriptures recommended. 
 
 349 
 
 prehenfions of the charafter and will of God. 
 As every man has an undei’ftanding of his 
 own, fo it is his duty and right to ufe it, and 
 to regulate his principles by his own inquiries 
 and convidtions, and not by the untried max¬ 
 ims of others. That fcheme of religion may 
 juftly be fufpedled of being an impofition on 
 mankind, that declines the teft of a free and 
 accurate examination, and requires belief with¬ 
 out inveftigation ; for thofe who are confcious 
 of the excellence of their dodlrines, will not 
 be afraid of bringing them to light, and of 
 expofing them to the infpedlion of the moft 
 attentive obferver. They know, that the more 
 carefully they are viewed, their truth and 
 beauty will be more apparent. Truth can bear 
 the light, and loves to be feen ; but Falfehood 
 and Vice feek darknefs, and dread inveftiga¬ 
 tion. What lhall we think then of the church 
 of Piome, which requires from its members 
 implicit faith, and with-holds from them the 
 Scriptures in the vulgar tongue, which are the 
 means of religious information and knowledge? 
 Never was there fo daring an encroachment 
 on the rights of confcience, and the under- 
 ftandings of men. It is fo extraordinary an 
 ufurpation, that no flender evidence luffi- 
 ces for believing, that any fociety of profef- 
 ling Chriftians would attempt it. But there 
 is no reafun to doubt the fadt. This ftrong 
 ftep was not ventured on, till many other 
 corruptions had been introduced, and the 
 minds of men were fettered with the moft 
 
 me^n 
 
The Study of the 
 
 Ser. ij.- 
 
 350 
 
 mean and unworthy 'prejudices. The fynod 
 of Thouloufe, A. D. 1228, feems to have been 
 the firll ecclefiaftical aflembly that deprived 
 the laity of the ufe of the Scriptures. This 
 prohibition was occafioned by the pdeaching^ 
 of the Waldenfes, who expofed the prevailing 
 errors of that period, and taught, that what- 
 foever was not agreeable to the word of God 
 fhould be rejected. The Church of Rome, 
 eonfeious that many of their tenets wotild not 
 bear fuch an examination as was claimed by 
 thofe manly defenders of the rights of private 
 judgement, impofed this moft unwarrantable- 
 prohibition, to exclude inquiry into their er¬ 
 rors, and prevent the deftnuStion of that fa¬ 
 bric of deceit and tyranny which they had 
 been rearing for ages. Even in the prefent age 
 of inquiry and learning, this continues ffill in 
 a great meafure to be the cafe in Pdplfli coun¬ 
 tries. In the Pope’s and King of Spain’s do¬ 
 minions, no vulgar tranflation of the Bible is 
 permitted. In,thofe countries where this in¬ 
 dulgence is fometimes granted, no man is al¬ 
 lowed to read the Scriptures without a licence 
 from a bifhop or inquifitor, who muft be pre- 
 vioufly fatished by the prreft or confeflbr con¬ 
 cerning the fitnefs of the perfon to be intruff- 
 ed with inch a liberty. In Britain, where if 
 would be almoll impoffible to keep the Bible 
 from thofe who have a mind to read it, and 
 where the indulgence may lometimes be of po* 
 litical utility for gaining or keeping prol'elytes, 
 it is often granted,—though the Rheims Tc- 
 
 Rament, 
 
Scriptures recommended. 
 
 ftament, which is put into the hands of Eng- 
 lilh Papifts, is much corrupted, and abounds 
 with errors. But in Roman-Catholic coun¬ 
 tries, where the power of the ciiurch is more 
 abfolute, this liberty is feldom granted, and 
 only to thole who are moft bigatted to the 
 tenets of their church. 
 
 How oppohie is this condutfl to that of the 
 Bereans» who fearched the Scriptures daily, 
 whether thole things were fo. It deferves as 
 much cenfure and abhorrence, as theirs did 
 commendation. It is more oppreffive and dan¬ 
 gerous in its nature, than if a guide on a road 
 Ihould put out a traveller’s bodily eyes, under 
 the pretence of conducting him with more 
 fafety to the end of his journey. What can 
 be more abfurd and tyrannical, than to prohi¬ 
 bit men from feeing with their own eyes thofe 
 truths which God hath required them to be¬ 
 lieve, or thole duties which they are bound, 
 under the awful fandtions of future punifh- 
 ments, to perform ? 
 
 It is laid, 1 know, by the defenders of the 
 church of Rome, that fufficient information 
 is communicated in their fermons, and books 
 of devotion. But if thefe do contain a full 
 fummary of Chrillian do^ftine, why do they 
 deny the laity the liberty of fearching the 
 Scriptures, and knowing from their own inqui¬ 
 ry that they have dcchiicd the wnole c. unid of 
 God i If any neccfl'ary or profitable truth hath 
 been with-held, if any unrcriptural articles of 
 belief have been introduced, then we can fee 
 
 the 
 
352 
 
 7he Study of the Ser. ij. 
 
 the reafon for rcfufing the key of knowledge, 
 and locking up the proper repofitories of inftruc- 
 tion. But what a dreadful invafion is this of 
 the rights of reafonable and accountable beings! 
 How juftly may the confideration of it excite 
 an attachment to the important and unalien¬ 
 able rights of private judgement, and an ho- 
 neft indignation againft thofe who “ fhut up 
 “ the kingdom of heaven againft men, and 
 neither go in themfelves, nor fuffer them 
 that are entering to go in !” 
 
 2. Our obligation to imitate the conduct of 
 the Bereans will appear further from confi- 
 dering, that the bcriptures are addrefled to 
 all ranks of perfons, and require from them 
 an impartial and careful examination of the 
 truths they contain. 
 
 Every reader of the word of God may ea- 
 fily perceive, that the important rights for 
 which we are now contending, are agreeable 
 to our charter of privileges contained in the 
 infpired records. If the Scriptures had taught 
 that we were not to exercife freely our own 
 underftandings in our fpiritual and moft im¬ 
 portant concerns, but were to receive impli¬ 
 citly the dictates of one or more men of like 
 paffions with ourfelves ; if the Scriptures had 
 declared, that we were to believe virtue to be 
 vice, and vice virtue, when our ecclefiaftical 
 rulers Ihould fay fo *, fuch aftertions would 
 afford an unanfwerable argument againft their 
 infpiration. But they inculcate principles ve¬ 
 ry diSerent from thofe we have been expofing. 
 
 The 
 
Scriptures reccinmended. 
 
 353 
 
 The with-holding the Scriptures from the 
 vulgar, and a fuperficial examination of them, 
 are evidently contrary to their exprefs lan¬ 
 guage and fpirit. They were written in lan¬ 
 guages univerfally fpoken, and underftood by 
 thofe for whofe ufe they were firft intended j 
 and they were very early tranflated into the 
 languages of the different countries where our 
 holy religion was preached. This is an ex- 
 preflive intimation that the Scriptures were 
 intended by the divine Spirit for the ufe of 
 the vulgar. There can be no objection againft 
 the people^s reading them now, but what 
 would have held as well againft writing and 
 publifhing them at firft in a language com¬ 
 monly underftood. It appears from the in- 
 fcription or dedication of various portions of 
 the facred writings, that they are intended for 
 all ranks of perfons. The epiftles, for inftance, 
 are addrelled, not to the paftors only of the 
 different churches, but to all the faithful bre¬ 
 thren of whatever denomination, and to all 
 that in every place call upon the name of 
 Jefus Chrift, our Lord. The holy penmen 
 enjoin, that they fhould be read and attended 
 to by all. The excellency of the Scriptures, 
 and the advantages of the ftudy of them, 
 are beautifully reprefented in many paffages. 
 
 Thefe words which I command thee (faid 
 “ the Moft High to the Ifraelites of old) (hall 
 be in thine heart. Thou flialt teach them 
 “ diligently to thy children, and fhalt talk of 
 “ them when thou fitteft in thine houfe, and 
 
 “ when 
 
354 Study of the Ser. 15. 
 
 v^hen thou walkeft by the way, and when 
 “ thou lieft down, and when thou rifeft up. 
 “ Thou (halt bind them for a fign upon thine 
 hand, and they lhall be as frontlets between 
 thine eyes. Thou {halt write them upon 
 the pofts of thy houfe, and on thy gates," 
 Deut. vi, 6, 7, 8, 9. What was pradlifed by 
 the Bereans, was enjoined by our Lord him* 
 felf: Search the Scriptures; for in them ye 
 
 “ think ye have eternal life, and thefe are 
 “ they which teftify of me.” Frequently du¬ 
 ring his life, as well as after his refurreftion, 
 he referred them to the conlideration of Moles 
 and the prophets, and fliowed, that “ Chrift 
 “ ought to fuffer thefe things, and to enter 
 into his glory.” The exhortations of the 
 apoftles on this fubjedt are correfpondent to 
 thole of their mafter. They often quote the 
 Old Teflament, and recommend the fludy of 
 the infpired records. “ Let the word of Chrift 
 dwell in you richly in all wifdom. Take 
 “ unto you the fword of the Spirit, which is 
 “ the word of God. We have a naore fure 
 word of prophecy, to which ye do well to 
 take heed.” Paul mentions Timothy’s early 
 acquaintance with the Scriptures as a great 
 advantage : “ From a child thou haft known 
 
 “ the holy Scriptures, which are able to make 
 “ thee wife unto falvation, through faith which 
 is in Jefus Chrift.” 
 
 It is indeed aftonifliing, that in the face 
 of thefe, and other clear declarations of the 
 divine Spirit, any church or fociety of pro- 
 
 fefling 
 
Scriptures recommended. 355 
 
 feifing Chriftlans fhould have had the Impu¬ 
 dence to deny the Scriptures to the laity, or 
 even to difpenfe with inculcating the ftudy of 
 them. I know it hath been faid in apology 
 for this extraordinary eondu^f, (for the worft 
 caufe hath had fome advocates to plead for 
 it), that there are fome obfcure paflages in 
 divine revelation which are liable to be mif- 
 Interpreted by vulgar readers, and fome doc¬ 
 trines which they are apt to abufe to hurtful 
 purpofes. To give colour to this argument, 
 the words of the Apoftle, 2 Pet. iii. 15, i6. 
 are urged^ “ Even as our beloved brother 
 Paul alfo, according to the wifdom given 
 -unto him, hath written to you ; as alfo 
 “ in all his epiftles, fpeaking in them of thefc 
 “ things : in which are fome things hard to 
 “ be underftood, which they that are unlearn- 
 “ ed and unftable wreft, as they do alfo the 
 other Scriptures, unto their own deftruc- 
 tion.” We readily acknowledge, there are 
 fome obfcure paJlages : but this is rather an 
 argument for ftudying the Scriptures with 
 more care,, to obtain juft views of divine 
 truths ; at leaft, it can be no objetftion to the 
 giving due attention to the bulk of the facred 
 writings, which are adapted to any ordinary 
 underftanding. That the Scriptures have been, 
 and may be, milinterpreted, we do’not deny. 
 So have other books been milinterpreted ; but 
 we are not on that account to abftain from 
 reading. A traveller will not defift from his 
 journey, becaufe there is fome danger of mif- 
 
 taking 
 
35<5 
 
 The Study of the 
 
 Ser. 15 . 
 
 taking his way ; but will be at the more pains 
 to find the right road. Health, liberty, all 
 worldly bleffings, have been perverted and a- 
 bufed, as well as the Scriptures j but no man 
 in his fenfes thinks that they are therefore 
 not worth the uflng, or enjoying. Peter does 
 not mean to difluade men from reading Paul’s 
 writings, but to caution them againft error, 
 and to excite to the perufal of them with due 
 attention and care : for he adds in the follow¬ 
 ing verfe, “ Beware, left ye being led away 
 “ with the error of the wicked, fall from 
 “ your ftedfaftnefs. But grow in grace, and 
 ** in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour 
 ** Jefus Chrift.” The objection may be urged 
 with equal force againft reading or hearing 
 the dilcourfes of uninfpired teachers, which 
 are at leaft as capable of miflnterpretation and 
 abufe. When we infift on the rights of pri¬ 
 vate judgement, we do not mean, that every 
 doctrine of our religion may be fully under- 
 ftood on inveftigation. There are fome doc¬ 
 trines which are above our prefent comprehen- 
 lion, and which we muft believe on the divine 
 teftimony. Thefe baffle the inquiries of the 
 acute philofopher, as well as of the honeft 
 peafant. Yet this is no better reafon for ne- 
 gle6ling the ftudy of the Bible, than it would 
 be for abftaining from the ftudy of the works 
 of nature ; for there are myfterics in both. 
 It is our duty to fearch with modefty the 
 Scriptures, not only that we may know thofe 
 dotftrines and duties which are eafy and intel¬ 
 ligible. 
 
Scriptures recommended. 
 
 357 
 
 ligible, but alfo thofe truths which we are to 
 receive on the authority of God, and of which 
 we are to expedl a more full dilcovery in a 
 future ftate. 
 
 But though the Reformed churches have 
 juftly maintained the liberty of every man to 
 read the Scriptures, it hath been warmly con¬ 
 tended, by many declared friends of revealed 
 religion, that they have not aded up to their 
 own principles, and need further reformation, 
 as they have publilhed Confeffions of Faith, 
 and required the fubfcription of them from a 
 confiderable number of their members. This 
 is alledged to be an invafion of the preroga¬ 
 tive of confcience, and an undue reflraint in 
 complying with the injunaions of the Spirit 
 of God to fearch the Scriptures. The dif- 
 cuffion of this controverfy would require more 
 invefligatlon, and a greater detail of argu¬ 
 ments, than the ulual bounds of this exercile 
 will admit. Suffice it to obferve at prefent, 
 in vindication of the Proteftant churches, that 
 they all concur in maintaining the paramount 
 authority of the Scriptures, and in declaring 
 the fallability of all fynods and councils. They 
 fct forth their confeflions only as an abridge¬ 
 ment or fummary of the truths contained in 
 the word of God, and give full liberty to their 
 membei s to examine them by this only uner¬ 
 ring ftandard. Should the refult of their in- 
 veftigations be contrary to the declared tenets 
 of the fociety, they are indeed excluded from 
 public ecclefiaftical offices, and the emoluments 
 
 annexed 
 
358 *The Study of the Ser. 15. 
 
 annexed to 'tbefe employments ; but no other 
 bardfliip is impofed on them. There feems 
 little or no reafon to complain, that a fociety 
 Ihould not give their countenance and fupport 
 to teachers who hold doctrines oppolite to 
 their creed, and contradict what they deem 
 a form of found words. Members of our re¬ 
 ligious eftablifhment are not reftrained from 
 private inquiry, nor even from publilliing 
 their own fentiments, and refuting received 
 maxims. In this happy land of liberty we 
 may take full fcope in our refearches after 
 truth, profefs our faith, and worfhip God, 
 according to our confciences, without mole- 
 ftation. Though the door may be Ihut againft 
 fome to the ecclefiaftical preferments of the 
 ftate, there are a variety of openings to other 
 employments, and equal chance of fuccefs to 
 all who ufe the means of attaining it, and 
 who maintain no principles repugnant to the 
 foundations of civil fociety. It is when a 
 church pretends to infallibility, and ftifles pri¬ 
 vate inquiry into their tenets ; when they at¬ 
 tempt to compel men, by the terror or inflic¬ 
 tion of punifhments, to counteract their con¬ 
 victions, and fpeak as they do, that they are 
 chargeable with tyranny, and violation of the 
 rights of confcience. Such conduCt is not 
 more oppofite to the principles of reafon, 
 than to the dictates of the Scriptures of truth. 
 There we are taught “ to call no man mailer, 
 “ or lord of our confcience j one is our ma- 
 fter, even Chrift.” The minifters of reli¬ 
 gion 
 
Scriptures recommended. 
 
 glon are not to be “ lords over God’s heri- 
 tage, or to have dominion over the faith of 
 “ men; but to be helpers of their joy, and their 
 « fervants for ChrifFs fake.” The hearers of 
 the gofpel are cautioned againft the errors of 
 falie teachers, are furniflied with marks of true 
 doarine, and warned not to believe every 
 “ fpirit, but to try the fpirits, whether they be 
 of God.” They are enjoined “ to fearch 
 the Scriptures, and to be ready always to 
 give an anfwer to every man that alketh 
 them a reafon of the hope that is in them, 
 « with meeknefs and fear.” The apoftles com¬ 
 mend them, when diligent, and impartial in 
 their refearches, and appeal to their enlight¬ 
 ened underftandings for confirmation of their 
 doarine. » I fpeak (fays Paul) as unto wife 
 y men ; judge ye what I fay.” This is treat¬ 
 ing us as reafonable creatures j this is the li¬ 
 berty wherewith Chrifl hath made his people 
 free. No Chriftian fhould receive or acknow¬ 
 ledge any doarines in religion, till he is con¬ 
 vinced, on due inquiry, that they bear the 
 ftamp of the divine authority, though they 
 may be promulgated by the moft refpeaable 
 focieties on earth. Such a condua involves 
 in It the moft mean and criminal negligence. 
 In propagating the gofpel of peace, it is folid 
 argument, and fcripture-authority, not force, 
 which are to be employed t “ The weapons of 
 “ our warefare are not carnal, but fpiritual.” 
 Fire and fword were never intended by a God 
 of love for eftablifhing the truth. 
 
 3- The 
 
3^0 The Study of the Ser.ij, 
 
 3. The Scriptures appear to be moft worthy 
 of our diligent perufal, from the importance 
 of the truths contained in them, to the prefent 
 and eternal happinefs of mankind. SomCjliavc 
 affirmed, that it is of little or no moment what 
 doclrines are believed, if the life be good. 
 But this is a moft erroneous affiertion : for 
 though a good life is indifpenfably requilite, 
 it is uniformly reprefented by the facred wri¬ 
 ters as the fruit and evidence of true faith in 
 Chrift. From worldly confiderations, I ac¬ 
 knowledge, men may abftain from grofs vi¬ 
 cious indulgences, and maintain a decent and 
 refpe^lable charadler in the eyes of their fel¬ 
 low-creatures: but without juft principles of 
 religion, fixed in the heart, their reformation 
 will be only partial; they will continue enfla- 
 ved to fome favourite though perhaps fecret 
 luft, and will not have refpeft to all God’s 
 commandments. 
 
 Error and unbelief are the main fburce of 
 corruption of heart and conduit j but it is 
 by the powerful and benign influence of the 
 belief of the truth, that we are purified and 
 determined to the obedience of the divine 
 laws. Without faith, we are afllired, it is 
 impoffible to pleafe God. Juft apprehenfions 
 of the divine charaiter and will, are the pro¬ 
 per fpring of a religious conduit : aitions 
 which flow not from thence, may be ufeful, 
 and applauded by men ; but cannot receive 
 the approbation of the Searcher of Hearts. 
 It is the truth which makes men free 5 but 
 
 ignorance 
 
Scriptures recommended. -^r.. 
 
 iSnorance and error keep the foul enthralled 
 to VICIOUS attachments: « The viaory that 
 O'^ercometh the world is our faith. ' Now 
 faith cometh by hearing, and hearing bv the 
 
 h tVuth 
 
 r'’'"** means 
 
 employed by God •< for opening ,he eyes of 
 
 >he fpu-uuaHy blmd. and for turning men 
 
 from darknefs to light, and from the power 
 
 1 defer,bed to be hke fire, that enlightens, 
 aiins, and punfies; it is like a hammer that 
 breaks the roek m pieces, and bends the ftub. 
 born w, 1 of man to an acquiefcence in the 
 will of the Almighty 1 ■■ It is quick and pow. 
 er ul. and lharper than any two-edged fword, 
 piercing even to the dividing alunder of foul 
 __ and fpirit and of the joints and marrow, 
 and IS adilcerner of the thoughts and in¬ 
 tents of the heart.” How warm are the 
 encomiums of the royal pfalmift upon the im- 
 portance and peculiar excellencies of the di 
 vine law 1 Pfal stix. y. &c. .. -i-,., 
 
 .. oooverting the foul ; the 
 
 .1 '^"I’ooy of 'fto -Lord is lure, making wife 
 the fimple. The fiatutes of the l.ord are 
 fight, rtjoicing the hea.ti il.e comma.id- 
 ment of the I.oid ,s pure, tnlighteumg the 
 
 ;; yea. The fear of the L „d if chanSn! 
 
 uring 01 ever; the judgements ot the 1 oid 
 
 aiiogether. Iv-orc; 
 to be defired are they than gold, yea than 
 
 “ much fine gold • fweet rnKn . 
 
 VoL IV ^ honey, and 
 
 ^ “ the 
 
7hc Study of the 
 
 361 
 
 Ser. I 
 
 the honey-comb. Moreover, by them is 
 “ thy fervant warned: and in keeping of them 
 “ there is great reward.—The law of thy 
 mouth is better to me than thoufands of 
 “ gold and filver. I will meditate on thy pre- 
 “ cepts, and delight myfelf in thy flatutes : I 
 “ will not forget thy word. I have hid it in 
 “ my heart, that I might not fin againft thee.’* 
 Equally ftrong is the commendation which 
 Paul gives of the Scriptures in his fecond 
 epiftle to Timothy, iii. 16. 17. “ All Scrip- 
 
 “ ture is given by infpiration of God, and is 
 “ profitable for doflrine, for reproof, for cor- 
 “ retSfion, for inftru^lion in righteoufnefs ; 
 
 that the man of God may be perfect, tho- 
 •' roughly furniftied unto all good works.”— 
 “ Whatfoever things were written aforetime, 
 “ were written for our learning ; that we 
 “ through patience and comfort of the Scrip- 
 tures might have hope.” 
 
 Under the perfuafion of the importance and 
 excellence of divine truths, pious perfons have 
 made the facred records the fubje£f of their 
 mofl: diligent ftudy in every age and country 
 where religion hath been maintained in any 
 degree of purity. Jofephus informs us, that 
 “ if any man alked a Jew concerning the laws, 
 ‘‘ he could tell him every thing more readily 
 ‘‘ than his name.” And Maimonides affirms, 
 that “ it did not fuffice a Jew to read the 
 “ law, but he wrote it too. For though a 
 ‘‘ father had left his fon a copy of the law, 
 
 “ he 
 
Scriptures recommended. 
 
 he was neverthelefs obliged to write for him* 
 ** felf another copy with his own hand.” 
 
 In the purefl: ages of the Chriftian church, 
 no lefs ardent was the attachment of the 
 friends of religion to the. ftudy of the Scrip¬ 
 tures. In the firll age, this appears from the 
 paflages already recited, and from the com¬ 
 mendation beftowed on the Bereans in the 
 text. In the fecond a^e, Clement of Alex¬ 
 andria reprefents attention to the infpired 
 writings, and conferences on them, as a di- 
 ftinguifhing part of the chaiaaer of Chii- 
 ftians. In the third century, Origen mentions 
 his early acquaintance with the Scriptures^ 
 and recommends the perufal of them to all. 
 Think it not fufiicient, (fays St Auftin)* 
 that ye hear the Scriptures in the church ; 
 “ but alfo attend to them in your houfes at 
 home f either read them yourfelves, or get 
 ** one to read them to you.” Many other 
 authorities might be brought from writers in 
 feveral fubfequent centuries in proof of their 
 fenfe of the advantages of liudying the Scrip, 
 cures. It appears from the hiftory of the per¬ 
 secutions, that Chrilfians would rather part 
 with their live^than with their Biules ; and 
 that it was deemed an inftance of the higheft 
 weaknefs and fear, when foine of them were 
 perluaded to deliver their Bibles to their per- 
 fecutors. 
 
 Ihe denial then of the free ufe of the 
 Scriptures, is contrary to the fenfe of anti¬ 
 quity, or of the earlier periods of the church. 
 
 Indeed 
 
364 Study of the Ser. 15. 
 
 Indeed the learned writers in the church of 
 Rome cannot deny this charge of novelty. 
 
 Even thole who with-hold the Scriptures 
 from the laity, join with us in acknowledging 
 the excellency of the truths contained in them, 
 which is the beft argument for the diligent per- 
 ufal of any book. It is in this facred volume 
 that we have the moft clear and fatisfa£lory dif- 
 coveries of the nature, perfe£lions, and provi¬ 
 dence of God of the worlhip that is due to 
 him •, and of the eflential qualifications of his 
 w'orlliippeis. It is here that we have the moft 
 important and authentic information concern¬ 
 ing the original condition of mankind, our 
 apoftafy, and its fatal confequences, and the 
 method of our relloration to the friendfhip 
 of God, and happinefs, through the media¬ 
 tion of our Lord jefus Chrift in our nature. 
 In this divine repofitory of ufeful knowledge, 
 there is the puieh lyftem of morality that 
 was ever communicated to the world. In our 
 Saviour’s fermon on the mount, and in many 
 other portions of holy writ, every virtue per- 
 fe^live of our nature is recommended by the 
 moft powerful arguments, and every vicious 
 indulgence of heart and life is prohibited un¬ 
 der the moft awful fanctions. Here are ex¬ 
 hibited the moft admii'cib'e examples of reli¬ 
 gious and moral duties, in the charadfers of 
 the patriarchs, prophets, apoftles, and others; 
 but above all, in the perfedt life of the great 
 Author and finilher of our faith : “ in whom 
 there was no ftn, neither was guile found 
 
 “ in 
 
Scriptures recomrncnded. 365 
 
 “ In his lips.” Here every obedient fubjet^ of 
 the Redeemer’s kingdom may find, for his en¬ 
 couragement, the moll: precious promifes ; of 
 alfiftance in the difcharge of his duty ; o§ 
 ftrength to refill: and overcome temptation ; 
 of comfort under affliction ; and, finally, 
 “ that all things fhall woi’k together for his 
 “ good ; and that he lhall be kept by the 
 power of God through faith unto falva- 
 “ tion.” The unparallelled love of Chrift is 
 let forth in all its attractive lufire, to engage 
 our obedience, and reconcile us to all the dil- 
 pofals of the divine will. It is the difcovery 
 of the wonderful fcheme of our falvation 
 through him, which is the grand fubjeCl of 
 revelation, and which is indeed glad tidings 
 oF great joy to all people. It is here that the 
 typical inlfitutions and predictions of the Old 
 Teftament chiefly terminate. On this mofl: 
 important theme the apoftles enlarge with 
 pleafure, and place, in a variety of the mofl 
 ftriking lights, the riches of divine love, and 
 the practical influence of the grace of God, 
 that bringeth falvation. 
 
 The rewards and punifhments of a future 
 life are brought to the cleared light by the 
 gofpel. There we are afTured of the immor¬ 
 tality of the foul, the relurreCtion of the body, 
 and a future judgement. There we are in¬ 
 formed, that our Lord Jefus Chrid is to be 
 our Judge ; that all mankind are to appear 
 at his_ tribunal, and every one to receive ac¬ 
 cording to the things done in the body, vvlie- 
 
266 
 
 The Study of the 
 
 Ser. 15, 
 
 tlier they be good or evil; that in confequence 
 of his decifion, the righteous fhall be admit* 
 ted into a ftate of eternal happinefs, and the 
 M'icked go into everlafting punifhment. 
 
 Thefc are Tome of the interefting truths 
 that are contained la the word of God : they 
 are truths that are of the higheft utility for 
 our prefent improvement and future felicity. 
 In other writings there is a mixture of falfe- 
 hood with truth, and of unprofitable or hurt¬ 
 ful obfervations with ufeful knowledge : but 
 in this facred book there is no blot or error ; 
 every part of it is conducive to our inftruc- 
 tion in righteoufners. In no other book is 
 there to be found fuch important informa¬ 
 tion : for in it every truth is revealed, and 
 every duty inculcated, which can promote our 
 prefent ufefulnefs, and our everlafling hap¬ 
 pinefs. The Bible then appears to be worthy 
 of our moft diligent and lerious perufal. The 
 more we read it, in a humble dependence on 
 the Spirit of God, the more will we relifh its 
 fweetnefs, and feel its powerful energy. No* 
 thing therefore can be more abfurd and tyran¬ 
 nical, than v.'ith-holding from men fuch a 
 noble repofitory of divine truths and rules of 
 conduct; fuch a rich magazine of precious 
 promifes, and awful threatenings. 
 
 In any important bufinefs of this world, 
 we do not content ourfelves with hearfay-evi- 
 dence, and uncertain information, but feek 
 for all the fatisfa£lion which the nature of the 
 thing will admit. Such attention and dili¬ 
 gence 
 
Scriptures recommended. 
 
 gencc are much luore eflential in the concerns 
 of religion and eternity. Nothing can be 
 more unfit in itfelf, or derogatory to the au¬ 
 thority of the Scriptures, than to go no farther 
 than to the fermons or books of fallible men, 
 for information in divine things. It is fipping 
 at the ftreams, when we (hould drink at the 
 fountain of knowledge, and wells ol falvation. 
 Priefts may caufe the people to err either 
 from intention, or in conlequence of their 
 own miflakes. That mtny of the errors which 
 are palmed on the vulgar by the Popilh cler¬ 
 gy, are intentional, there is too much reafon 
 to fear, from their denying them the liberty 
 of inquiring and judging fur themfelves. We 
 cannot account for leaving out the fecond 
 commandment in many of their catechifnis, 
 and curtailing it in others, but from an appre- 
 henfion, that their idolatrous worlhip would 
 fland condemned by it in the eyes of the peo¬ 
 ple. But, at any rate, in matters of fo vail 
 moment, it is highly reafonable, that every 
 intelligent creature fhould ule his own un- 
 derlfanding, and employ the bed means for 
 his information. Such was the wife and juft- 
 ly-commended condufl of the Bereans, who 
 fearched the Scriptures daily, whether the 
 doffrines of the apoflles were conformable to 
 the Jewilh Scriptures. 
 
 4 * To excite you to the imitation of the 
 charafter of the Bereans, confider, in xht lajl 
 place, the melancholy confequences that flow 
 from the negletd of the ftudy of the Scrip- 
 
 tures. 
 
368 The Study of the Ser. 15. 
 
 tures, and a blind fubmiffion to the opinions 
 of men. 
 
 One of the confeqnences mofl naturally to 
 be expected, is ignorance, or imperfeift know¬ 
 ledge, of important truths. When the Scrip¬ 
 tures are with-held from the people, no more 
 information Is communicated to them than 
 their priefts chule to impart. What a fmall 
 portion this is, every one muft be fenlible, 
 who hath had accefs to converfe with the 
 vulgar on religious fubjedls, in PopKh coun¬ 
 tries, particularly in ihofe countries that are 
 moft bigotted to the fee of Home. Nothing 
 elfe can be expelled from thofc who abfurdly 
 reprefent ignorance as the mother of devo¬ 
 tion. The ferrnons of their clergy are com¬ 
 monly filled with legendary tales of pretended 
 faints and miracles, inhead of thofe juft re- 
 prefentations of the feheme of redemption, 
 and of the virtues of the Chiiftian life, which 
 would enlighten and purify the foul. They 
 find it their intereft to keep the people in ig¬ 
 norance, left they, fliould be excited, by an 
 increafe of knowledge, to withdraw from fo 
 corrupt a fociety. 
 
 The denying the free ufe of the Scriptures 
 to the laity, hath al(o opened a door for the 
 introduction of many errors into the Chriftiaa 
 church. Had they been allowed to fearch 
 the Scriptures, and judge for themfelves, it 
 cai^ot be fuppofed, that they would have ad¬ 
 mitted into their ci'eed fo many abfurd and 
 unfcriptural articles of faith. An underftand- 
 
 ing 
 
Scriptures recommended. 
 
 3<5'^ 
 
 ing that exerted itfelf with freedom, would 
 have rejefled with abhorrence the infallibilit/ 
 of the Pope and councils, tranfubftantiation, 
 the worlhip of faints and images, and various 
 other pernicious tenets. A i'mall degree of 
 attention and inquiry would have ferved for 
 dete( 5 ling their falfe glofles on the facred wri- 
 tings, and for difcovering their genuine and 
 rational meaning. 
 
 But when the beft means of information, 
 the Scriptures, were with-held from tne laity, 
 and when they were taught from their earlieft 
 years the duty and farety of placing the high- 
 eft confidence in their fpiritual guides, it be¬ 
 came not very difticult to obtain their tame 
 acquiefcence in the moft unfcriptural and un¬ 
 warrantable impolitions. If the members of 
 that communion could be prevailed on to read 
 the hcriptures carefully, and to exercife the 
 rights of pi ivate jutlgement, I am periuaded 
 that few of them would perfift in luch grofs 
 errors. The church of Rome is built on 
 worldly policy, in oppofition to the humble 
 felf denied charader of the founder of the 
 Chriitian religion, and the fpiritual nature of 
 his kingdom, that came not with pomp or 
 oblervation. livery attentive obferver will per¬ 
 ceive all their diftinguilhing tenets to be cal¬ 
 culated tor promoting the wealth, grandeur, 
 and influence of the clei leal order. I heir 
 prieits inculcate the meritoriourntls of impli- 
 cit faith j and are as much afraid of the de- 
 iliudtion of their hterarchy, as tfioie who 
 
 0.5 made 
 
37® 
 
 ^fhe Study- of the Ser. 15 ^ 
 
 made images for the temple of Diana were 
 left they Ihould be deprived of their gainful 
 employment. - 
 
 The abfurdity of a blind fubmiffion to hu¬ 
 man authority will appear to every unpreju¬ 
 diced perfon who confiders to what length 
 this principle is capable of being carried ; for 
 the Jews have as good a right as the Roman 
 Catholics to urge it in defence of their idola¬ 
 trous worfliip of the golden calf, and the re- 
 je<ftion and maltreatment of our Saviour and 
 his apoftles, which had tlte fan^lion of their 
 civil and ecclellaftical fuperiors. As this fa¬ 
 vourite principle of Popery laps the founda¬ 
 tions of truth, and extends to the juftifying 
 of infidelity, idolatry, and the grofleft errors^ 
 it ought evidently to be reje£led with abhor¬ 
 rence, and affords a moft unfavourable, tho*' 
 juft, view of a church which refts upon fuch 
 a foundation. It might eafily be fitown, and 
 indeed it hath been evinced by others, that 
 the Pope, or councils, have no better claim to 
 infallibility and implicit faith than the Jewifli, 
 high-prieft and fanhedrim. 
 
 Further, Superftition is a conftant attend-, 
 ant on ignorance and error. In all countries 
 men have been fenfible of their dependence 
 on a Deity, and exprefied it by a6ts of ho¬ 
 mage but when unjuft notions have been 
 entertained of his charadier, their worfhip 
 hath been fervile, and debafed by unmeaning 
 ceremonies, and fomeiimes by cruel rites. 
 That this defcription is applicable to the ri¬ 
 tual 
 
Scriptures recommended^ 
 
 27V 
 
 tual and penances of the church of Rome, 
 as well as to theVeligion of Heathen nations, 
 is but too apparent. But the devotions of 
 thofe who are enlightened with a proper 
 knowledge of the Scriptures are fpiritual and 
 rational; they do not worfhip an unknown 
 God, but draw near to the Father, through, 
 Jefus Chrift, in fpirit and in truth. 
 
 The laft and moft melancholy confequence 
 I (hall rnention of the negleff of the ftudy of 
 the Scriptures, is the prevalence of vice of 
 eveiy kind. In proportion to the degree of 
 diligence and impartiality with which the 
 Bible is lludied, fhall the man of God become 
 perfe^f, thoroughly furnilhed for every good 
 work j the excellence of the divine laws will, 
 be more clearly perceived, and their influence 
 in puiifying the heart, and reforming the life, 
 more powerfully felt. But when the facred 
 fountain of truth and purity is not duly re- 
 forted to, when our religious knowledge is 
 drawn from a corrupted fource, licentious, 
 paflions will gather flrength, and the hearts 
 of the children of men be fully fet in them, 
 to do evil. ^ “ Wherewith fliall a young man 
 cleanfe his way but by taking heed thefe- 
 “ to according to God’s, word ?” But if God’s 
 word is not attende^l to, lewdnels, intemper¬ 
 ance, fraud, and every vicious indulgence, 
 will obtain an afcendanc. 
 
 So dangerous is the negleci: of the fludy of 
 the ocnptuies, fo pernicious its influence oni 
 the purity and happinefs of mankind, lo un- 
 
 juiliflablsr- 
 
The Study of the 
 
 Ser. 15^ 
 
 juftifiable and finful the condu^l of that church 
 which denies the ufe of the Bible to its mem¬ 
 bers, rtiat they are at a lofs to devife any ‘plau- 
 iible argument in juftification of their con¬ 
 duct. It hath been alledged, That an impli¬ 
 cit fubmiflion of the laity to the authority of 
 their eccleliaftical fuperiors produces a beau¬ 
 tiful uniformity of worlhip and religious pro- 
 feffion : whereas when every man is allowed 
 to think for himfelf, it is likely there will be 
 as many fchemes of religion as there are 
 men. 
 
 But that uniformity of worfliip which is the 
 fruit of ignorance and fuperhition, is by no 
 means delirable. It is the difgrace of our na¬ 
 ture, and Ihows the noble powers of our fouls 
 to be in a miferable hate of inadlivity or pcr- 
 verfion. 
 
 I acknowledge, that there are different opi¬ 
 nions among Protelfants concerning fome re¬ 
 ligious truths *, and this is naturally to be ex¬ 
 pected, in this imperfcft hate, from the dif¬ 
 ferent degrees of mens capacities, attention, 
 diligence, and candour, or freedom from pre¬ 
 judice. Befides, in the church of Rome itlelF,, 
 there is in fome conliderable points a diver- 
 fity of judgement among learned men. Who¬ 
 ever looks into their commentaries on the 
 Scriptures will find various and dilcordant in¬ 
 terpretations and opinions on many paflages. 
 They are greatly divided in their fentiments 
 concerning the canon of Scriptures, the Pope's 
 power over princes, and in whom infallibility is 
 
 placed. 
 
Scriptures recommended. 
 
 373 
 
 placed. Different orders of ecclefiaftics have pe¬ 
 culiarities of their own, which have been -dil^ 
 claimed by others, and been fubjedts of con¬ 
 tention. It could eafily be fhown too, that 
 different popes and councils have iffued de¬ 
 crees and decifions in naatters of religion in- 
 condftent with each other. The dharge of 
 difcord, then, is not urged with fuch proprie¬ 
 ty from that quarter. BeGdes, there is really 
 more harmony of opinion among Proteftants 
 in important matters than is commonly fup- 
 poled. Some of the controverfies that have 
 been agitated have been rather about words 
 than things, and have arifen from men’s at¬ 
 tachment to their own manner of dating doc¬ 
 trinal propoiitions, though little different from 
 the commonly received explanations. The 
 molt frequent and eager difputes have been 
 about modes of worfhip, and forms of church- 
 government, which moderate peiToiis of all 
 denominations have acknowledged not to be 
 effential to falvation. i'hofe who examine the 
 Confeffions of Faith that have been fet forth 
 by the Beformed churches, will Ice a general 
 coincidence in their ideas of the dodlrines and 
 duties of religion. That individuals have de¬ 
 nied or called in quefiion fome of the religi., 
 ous principles of Protedant focieties, we own; 
 and do not vvilh their obj.Oions had been fup- 
 prcffed, as they have given occalion to a more 
 full inquiry and dilcuffion of Scripture-truths, 
 which .wi l always dand the ted of an accu¬ 
 rate examuiation. 
 
 Another 
 
374 
 
 The-Study of the 
 
 Ser. 
 
 Another argument urged by the church of 
 Rome for prohibiting the laity from reading 
 the Scriptures, and exercifing the rights of 
 private judgement, is, the danger of herefies» 
 Allowing this to be the cafe, it is no fuffi* 
 cient objection to our exercifing our natural 
 rights i for every enjoyment and bleffing is 
 liable to abufe. But the fadf is, that the ig¬ 
 norant, or the fuperficial and diflioneft inqui¬ 
 rer, is the perlon who is in moil danger of 
 error. This is what our Saviour intimated to 
 the S<dducees of old, who were unbelievers 
 in a future ftate, and had been propofing ob- 
 je£lions to this article of faith : “ Ye err, not 
 knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of 
 “ God.” But thofe who carefully ftudy the 
 Scriptures, with a fincere defire to know the 
 truth, and a determined purpofe to afl con¬ 
 formably to it, fliall not remain under any 
 fatal delufion or miftake : for we are aflured 
 by him who is the faithful and true witnefs, 
 that “ if the eye be fingle, the whole body 
 fhall be full of light. If any man will do 
 ** the will of God, he fhall know of the doc- 
 “ trine, whether it be of God. The meek 
 “ will God guide in judgement; the meek will 
 “ he teach his way.” 
 
 Upon inquiry into the rife of herefies it 
 will not be found, that the vulgar or laity 
 have been moft apt to raife them. It was In¬ 
 nocent I. who maintained, that the eucharlft 
 fliould be adminifiereJ to infants; the aflertors 
 of which opinion Pius iV. anathematifed. It was- 
 
Scripture: recommended, 375 
 
 by the councils of Simnium, of Milan, and 
 and Ariminum, that faniHiion was given to the 
 Arian herefy, which overfpread'for a time by 
 far the greateft part of the Chriftian church* 
 There is a learning, or afFcclation of de¬ 
 parting from the common road, and being 
 wifer than others, that puffeth up, and expo- 
 feth to deceit; but the accurate inveftigations 
 of a humble inquirer are the beft means of 
 attaining the knowledge of the truth. In 
 fliort, if the reading of the Scriptures lays 
 men open to herefies, or dangerous errors^ 
 the facred books Ihould be with-held from 
 the clergy as well as the laity, or never have 
 been communicated at all. 
 
 I have now, as I propofed, endeavoured to 
 illuftrate the excellent charadler of the Be- 
 reans,—and have Ihown the obligations we 
 are under to imitate their condudl, or to 
 fearch with diligence and impartiality the 
 Scriptures, and to exercife the rights of pri¬ 
 vate judgement. 
 
 'rhefe obfervations, I hope, have awakened 
 in every hearer lively lentiments of gratitude 
 to divine Providence for the bleflxngs of the 
 Reformation, and efpecially for the invaluable 
 privilege of the free ule of the Scriptures in 
 our native language. On comparing our pre- 
 fent happy circumftances with thofe of our 
 forefathers a few ages ago, and with the con¬ 
 dition of a great part of the profefTors of the 
 Chriftian faith, who are ftill living under the 
 
 tyranny 
 
37^ 
 
 The Study of the 
 
 Ser. 15 . 
 
 tyranny and fuperftition of the church of 
 Rome, we have the higheft reafon to acknow¬ 
 ledge, that our lines have fallen in pleafant 
 places, and that we have a goodly heritage. 
 But it is not fufficient to know our rights as 
 Proteftants ; let it be our care to employ them 
 to the bed advantage, under the perfuafion, 
 that to whom much is given, of them much 
 (hall be required. Let not our Bibles lie by 
 us unufed, or feldom and fuperficially I'ead, 
 as is fliamefully the cafe with too many in this 
 land of light and liberty , but, like the Be- 
 reans, let us learch the bcriptures daily, and 
 be dudious to grtfw in grace, and in the 
 knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jefus 
 Chrid, whom to know is life eternal. Let 
 us read them with humility, impartiality, and 
 a dngle eye to know and obey the truth *, and 
 let us accompany our refearches into the fa- 
 cred oracles with daily and earned fupplica- 
 tions at a throne of grace, “ that God may 
 ** open our underdandings to underdand the 
 Scriptures, and lead us in the paths of truth 
 and righteoufnefs for his name’s fake.” 
 
 I intreat you, my young friends in particu¬ 
 lar, who enjoy the advantages of a religious 
 education from the charitable inditutions of 
 this country, to cultivate an early and intimate 
 acquaintance with the holy Scriptures, which 
 are able to make you wife unto falvation, 
 through faith in Jefus Child. It is by an ha¬ 
 bitual attention to the dotflrines and precepts 
 of our religion that you will be mod effec¬ 
 tually 
 
Scriptures recommended, 377 
 
 tually preferved from the contagions influ¬ 
 ence of fenfual pleafure, and bad example, 
 and enabled afterwards to difeharge, with fi¬ 
 delity and fuccefs, the duties of your differ¬ 
 ent Ifations and employments. 
 
 If the knowledge of the Scriptures is of fo 
 eiTential importance to the prefent welfare and 
 the everlafting happinefs of mankind, no de- 
 fign can be more noble and patriotic than that 
 of the worthy Society in Scotland “ for pro- 
 “ pagating the gofpel, and promoting the arts 
 “ of civil life.” In profecution of this mofl: 
 uftful undertaking (befides fome miflionaries 
 employed by them in foreign parts, and main¬ 
 tained at their expence), a very great number 
 of fchools have been eftablifhed, and furnillied 
 with well-qualified teachers, in thofe parts of 
 Scotland where ignorance and Popery moft a- 
 bounded. By the lateft information, there are 
 about 6000 children educated in the fchools of 
 this Society. The youth, both of Popifh and 
 Proteftant parents, who refort to thefe fchools, 
 are early trained to the reading of the Scrip¬ 
 tures, that ineftimable treafure of religious 
 knowledge, and accuftomed to the duties of 
 devotion, and habits of induftry. 
 
 Amongft the many beneficent deeds of this 
 Society, none appears to me more worthy of 
 commendation, than their publifhing lately, 
 with much charge to their funds, a tranflation 
 of the New Teftament in the Erfe tongue, 
 and throwing off ten thoufand copies of it, 
 for the ufe of the inhabitants of the High¬ 
 lands and iflands of Scotland.* For though it 
 
 is 
 
2^8 ‘ The Study of the Ser. 15. 
 
 is defirable, that all in this ifland fliould fpeak 
 the fame language, and though thefe charity- 
 fchools have been very ufeful in fpreading the 
 knowledge of the Englifh language among the 
 Highlanders ; yet it cannot be fuppofed, that 
 many of them, efpecially thofe who are ad¬ 
 vanced in life, can attain to lb accurate an 
 acquaintance with it as with their mother- 
 tongue i and it is highly reafonable and fit, 
 that people of all nations to whom the Scrip¬ 
 tures are communicated, fliould have accefs to 
 read them in the languages that are mofl: uni* 
 verfally known and befl underftood by them. 
 When the apoftles were endued with the gift 
 of tongues, they fpoke or declared the won¬ 
 derful works of God to the people from dif¬ 
 ferent countries, who were aflembled at Je- 
 rufalem on the day of Pentecofl, in their re- 
 fpedlive tongues. Erfe tranflations of the 
 Scriptures feem to be the only rational way 
 of fupplying the want of that miraculous en¬ 
 dowment for the propagation of the gofpel, 
 and the mofl; expeditious method of diftuling 
 religious knowledge. 
 
 Indeed, my Honourable and Reverend hear¬ 
 ers, who are intrufted with the management 
 of this Society, every exertion of prudent zeal 
 and diligence is requifite, and is expelled from 
 you, to defeat the arts of the church of Rome, 
 which hath much zeal without knowledge, 
 and which, with unwearied induftry, compafl'es 
 fea and land to make profelytes. I need not 
 remind you of the number of emilTaries of 
 
 that 
 
Scriptures recommended. 37^ 
 
 that church, and of their activity and fuccefs, 
 in the more unenlightened parts of this country* 
 Thefe circumftances are well known to you> 
 and have excited many generous defigns : your 
 liberal hearts, 1 truft, will continue to devife 
 liberal things, for refeuing your countrymen 
 from Popilh ignorance, tyranny, and fuper- 
 ftition, and for promoting vital religion among 
 all ranks of perfons : for the renouncing of 
 Popery, without renouncing the fervice of Sa¬ 
 tan and fin, will be of fmall avail. Excufe 
 me when I ufe the liberty to recommend to 
 you the procuring of an Erfe tranflation of 
 the Old Tcflament, as a defign of mofl: pu¬ 
 blic utility ; though 1 know it cannot be accom- 
 plifhcd without great expence and labour. It 
 is my ardent wilh, that your funds may foon 
 be in condition to aid the execution of fo pa¬ 
 triotic an undertaking. Providence hath hi¬ 
 therto fmiled on the defigns of this Society, 
 and rendered them remarkably fubfervient 
 both to the religious and civil interefts of this 
 country, as hath been readily acknowledged 
 by every inquiring traveller of late. By the 
 divine bleffing on your endeavours, and fome 
 other means that have been wifely employed 
 by the ftate, much light and ufeful knowledge 
 have been communicated to the minds of the 
 inhabitants of the Highlands and illands of 
 Scotland ; induftry, and attention to trade, 
 fifheries, and manufadfures, have been promo¬ 
 ted ; juft ideas of fubjedlion to law, and an 
 attachment to our excellent civil conftitution, 
 
 have 
 
380 
 
 The Study of the 
 
 Ser. I z, 
 
 have been increafed. Many of thofe families 
 that formerly, under the undue influence of 
 trafficking priefts, and imperious heads of 
 clans, were eager for a Popifh pretender to 
 the crown of thefe realms, and repeatedly di- 
 flurbed the peace of the date, have been late¬ 
 ly engaged with renowned valour in defend¬ 
 ing the liberties, and extending the conquefts 
 of Britain, in various quarters of the globe. 
 
 Though much hath been done for enlight¬ 
 ening and civilizing fo great a part of our 
 native country, much hill remains to be done. 
 From the deficiency of funds, and from the 
 former falaries of teachers being inadequate 
 to the growing expence of the neceflaries of 
 life, the Society have been obliged of late to 
 fupprefs many of their fchools, and to remove 
 others of them from places where they were 
 confiderably needful and ufeful, to othef Na¬ 
 tions that were more important. Could they 
 obtain a fufficient increafe of revenue, they 
 propofe to eftablifh eigluy eight fchools addi¬ 
 tional to their prefent number, in parillies 
 where they are likely to be attended with great 
 advantage. To aid the accomplifhment of 
 this benevolent and important defign, the 
 General AfTembly, laft year, appointed a collec¬ 
 tion to be made in all the pariflies of Scotland. 
 
 Though a confiderable lum of money hath 
 been raifed by this collection, for which the 
 contributors have the hearty thanks of the 
 Society, and the bleffing of thofe who are 
 ready to perifh for lack of knowledge ; yet 
 the benefactions hitherto received are not ade¬ 
 quate 
 
Scriptures recommended. ■ 3S1 
 
 quate to the extent of the defign. We would 
 intreat therefore all the friends of religion, 
 and well-widiers to their country, to contri¬ 
 bute according to their abilities, for efFe£lua- 
 ting this important end. Would perfons in 
 high rank, and affluent circumftances, retrench - 
 fome of the luxuries of life, and employ a lar¬ 
 ger pi'oportion of their income in works of 
 piety and charity, inftead of wafting, it on the 
 amufements and fenftial pleafures of a diffi- 
 pated age'; a fufficient fund would foon be 
 procured for communicating Chriftian know¬ 
 ledge, and the neceftary arts of life, to every 
 part of Our native country, as well as for pro¬ 
 pagating the gofpel in foreign parts. Re¬ 
 member, that you are only the ftewards of 
 the bounties of Heaven, and muft ere long 
 render an account of yOur ftewardfliip. Con- 
 fider how worthy of a rational being is fuch 
 an employment of your fortune and influence: 
 To inftru^l the ignorant, and civilize the la¬ 
 vage ; to publilh the glad tidings of falvation 
 through Jefus Chrift, and to refeue men from 
 the bondage of error and of vice ; to confirm the 
 weak, and comfort the diftrtlTed,—are works 
 of the moft noble and important kind. How 
 vaftly fuperior is the faiisfa£tion that fprings 
 from the confeiournefs of having been inftru- 
 mental in promoting the lalvation of your 
 fellow-creatures, to that which arifes from the 
 increafe of corn, of wine, and of oil ! Think, 
 O ferioufly think ! on the unfpeakable pre- 
 cioufnefs of the fouls of men, that are foon to 
 
 enter 
 
3^2 T^he Study of ihe^ be, . ^ 
 
 ' 
 
 enter on an vinchangcable ftate of happinefs . ^ 
 
 or mifery, Confider, as the moft powerful 
 of all inducements to labours of love, the 
 wonderful difplays of the grace of our Lord 
 Jefus Chrift, who, though he was rich, for our 
 fakes became poor, that we, through his po¬ 
 verty, might be made rich ; remember, that 
 even the leaft inflance of friendlhip fhown to 
 a difciple, in the name of a difciple, ftiall not 
 lofe its reward. I know of no arguments 
 more powerful for exciting and cherilhing 
 your zeal, liberality, and diligence, in pro-^ 
 moting the knowledge and practice of the 
 truth, as it is in Jefus. I leave them to your 
 confideration, without further enlargement. 
 
 May God difpofe you to comply with them,— 
 for Chrift’s fake. Amen. 
 
 End of the Fourth Volume, 
 
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