ful God, be without success, as our former efforts have been; if our future tears, like our former sorrows, be in vain, yet we will exclaim, "O Lord, how long! O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night, give thyself no rest, let not the apple of thine eye cease! O ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem a praise in the earth," Rev. vi. 10. Lament. ii. 18. and Isa. lvii. 6, 7.

It is not the limit prescribed to this sermon, that forbids my detailing the two remaining articles: but a reason of another kind. I fear, should I characterize the two kinds of doctrines, which are both built on the foundation, but which, however, are not of equal value, I myself should lay another foundation. The religion of Jesus Christ is founded on love. Jesus Christ is love. The virtue which he most of all recommended to his disciples, is love.

I appeal here to those, who have some idea of remnants of divisions yet amongst us. How can I, without rekindling a fire hid under embers, and which we have done all in our power entirely to extinguish, shew the vanity of different classes of divers doctrines of wood, hay, and stubble?

In a first class, it would be necessary to expose a ministry spent in questions of mere curiosity, and to contrast it with that which is employed only to give that clear knowledge and full demonstration of the great truths of religion, of which they are capable.

In a second class, it would be necessary to contrast discourses of simple speculation tending only to ex

ercise the mind with such practical discourses as tend to sanctify the heart, to regulate the life, to render the child obedient to his parent, and the parent kind and equitable to his child, the subject submissive to the laws of his rulers, and the ruler attentive to the happiness of the subjects, the rich charitable, and the poor humble and patient.

In a third class, I should be obliged to consider some productions of disordered minds, fancies attributed to the Spirit of God, charging religion with the tinsel of the marvellous, more proper to divert children than to satisfy inquisitive minds, and to contrast these with the productions of men who never set a step without the light of the gospel in their hands, and infallible truth for their guide.

In a fourth class, we ought to contrast those miserable sophisms which pretend to support truth with the arms of error, and include without scruple whatever favours, and whatever seems to favour the cause to be maintained, with clear ideas, close reasonings and natural conclusions, such as a preacher brings, who knows how to weigh in a just balance truth and falsehood, probability and proof, conjecture and demonstration.

In a fifth class, I should have to lay open the superficial ideas, sometimes low and vulgar, of a man without either elevation or penetration, and to contrast them with the discourses of such happy geniuses as soar up to God, even to the inaccessible God.

All these dissimilitudes it would be my duty to shew: but I will not proceed, and I make a sacrifice to charity of all the details which the subject would

bear. I will not even describe the miseries which are denounced against such as build hay and stubble on the foundation of the gospel, nor the unhappiness of those, who shall be found at last to have preferred such doctrines before the gold, silver, and precious stones, of which the apostle speaks. Let them weigh this expression of the holy man, he shall be saved, yet so, as by fire. Let the first think of the account they must give of their ministry, and the second of the use they have made of their time, and of their superstitious docility.

I would rather offer you objects more attracting, and urge motives more tender. We told you at the beginning of this discourse that your duties, Christian people, have a close connection with ours, and we may add, our destination is closely connected with yours.

What will be the destiny of such as shall have built on the foundations of Christianity gold, silver, and precious stones? What will be the destiny of those, who shall have exercised such a ministry? What will be the destiny of such as have incorporated themselves with it? Ah! my brethren, I place my happiness and glory in not being able fully to answer this question. I congratulate myself for not being able to find images lively enough to represent the pomp, with which I hope, my most beloved auditors, you will one day be adorned. Yet I love to contemplate that great day, in which the work of faithful ministers, and faithful Christians will be made manifest by fire. I love to fill my mind with the day, in which God will come to be glorified in his saints, and ad

mired in all them that believe, 2 Thess. i. 10. when he shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people, Psal. 1. 4. saying, Gather my saints together unto me, those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice, ver. 5. I love to satiate my soul with ideas of the redeemed of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation in company with "ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands of angels," Rev. v. 9, 11. At the head of this august body I see three chiefs.

The first is Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, Heb. xii. 2. I see this divine leader presenting himself before his Father with his wounds, his cross and his blood, and saying, "Father I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was," John xvii. 4, 5. Having glorified the head, glorify the members, save my people. Then will the eternal Father crown such just and holy petitions with success. Then will be accomplished in regard to Jesus Christ this magnificent promise, Ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession, Psal. ii. 8. Such as oppose thine empire govern with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel: but enter thou into thy kingdom with thy subjects, thy saints, thy well beloved, and share with them thy glorious inheritance.

The second leaders are prophets, evangelists, and apostles, appearing before God with the conquests they made, the nations they converted, the perse

cutions they endured for the love of God and his gospel. Then will the promises made to these holy men be accomplished, "they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever. When the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel," Dan. xii. 4. Matt. xix. 28.

The third will be such ministers as have been followers of the apostles even as they also were of Christ. I think I see these ministers humbled for their faults, convinced of their frailty, imploring the divine mercy for the blemishes of their ministry: but yet with that humble confidence which the compassion of God allows, and saying, behold us, the doctrine we have preached, the minds we have informed, the wanderers we have reclaimed, and with the hearts which we have had the honour of animating with thy love. What, in that great day, what will be your destiny, Christian people? Will yours be the hearts which we shall have animated with divine love, or those from which we never could banish the love of the world? Shall you be among the backsliders whom we shall have reclaimed, or among such as shall have persisted in sin? Shall yours be the minds we have enlightened, or among those who shall have lain in darkness and ignorance?

Ah! My brethren, the first of our wishes, the most affectionate of our prayers, our secret meditations, our public discourses, whatever we undertake, whatever we are, we consecrate to prepare you for that great day, "What is our hope, or joy, or crown of