resolutions, and to whisper to ourselves, that we are going out to labour in the world of one, whofe eye will be upon us, and who expects a faithful account of all our actions. SHORT acts of this kind are in every one's power at least, no one can be faid to have the smallest care about his life, who attends not the revolutions of religious seasons, the fabbaths, festivals, and facraments. Whofoever employs thefe to quicken old impreffions, and to review his former life and regulate it by the exprefs will of GOD, cannot miscarry or greatly err. So much man can do for the attainment of faith-the reft depends upon the Holy Spirit, from whom faith, among other good and perfect gifts, ultimately proceeds. V. BUT do we not, it is objected, often fee people living in the groffeft immoralities, under the profeffion of gospel faith? : faith? We do but these men have not faith their faith is but a traditional prejudice. True faith founded as it ought to be in ferious enquiry and juft reflection, is a certain means of conquering all worldly temptations. THIS is the laft head of confideration I proposed to myself, namely the happy fruits and advantages of chriftian faith. As the stream cannot rife higher than its fource, worldly motives will never lift us above the world. Human motives indeed may carry us to a certain length. We may practise feveral virtues from complexion and habit; from the obligations of honour, or the terrors of the magiftrate. But these reach not all cafes and circumstances. Faith is an univerfal reftraint. It reaches the first springs of action, and operates in all fituations of life. IT guards the heart, from whence are the iffues of life: do wicked defires arife? Faith tells the chriftian, that his his God is privy to the inmoft fecrets of the heart. Does privacy tempt? Faith whispers, that he always attends our steps. Does power prompt to acts of oppreffion? Faith prefents a mightier power above, the avenger of all injustice. Are we amidst the temptations of wealth? Faith tells us, riches are the gift of Gop, and that he expects an account of their ufe. Are we poor or distreffed? Faith propofes an all-sufficient Maker to reward virtuous patience. THERE are no allurements, which faith cannot refift, no evils or calamities which it cannot difarm. OUR ideas of greatnefs are relative. They depend upon the capacity and knowledge of the obferver. The rude peasant conceives, that nothing can be greater in kind than the neighbouring town, that bounds his travels, The playful URBEM, quam dicunt Romam, Melibæe, putavi, Stultus ego, buic noftræ fimilem-Virg, Ecl. 1. 20. playful infant finds his highest happiness in the most trifling toy: grown a little older, he wonders he could be fo filly, despises his smaller play-things, builds his little houses, mounts his hobby horse, and apes the man. As knowledge enlarges, he fees the folly of these things too, and takes to fome more ferious occupations. BLIND creatures, that we are! how eafy is it for us to fee, that the time is coming, when we shall look back upon all pursuits merely worldly- as we do now upon the follies of earlier lifewith contempt, as concerns beneath a rational creature's notice! FAITH helps us to anticipate this improving view, and, under its inftruction, to balance between time and eternity, between the interests of a perishing life and the falvation of an immortal foul. Temporal Temporal things, upon this comparison, lofe all their importance. Worldly goods are ftripped of all their T glare, glare, and evils of all their terrors. Life finks into a poor infignificant scene. Virtue becomes the fole bufinefs of man. All other things a fecondary mean concern. "O SOVEREIGN difpofer of things! "Give me this powerful grace of faith; "let me live in the fpirit as well as "profeffion of it! Then, while I pursue "heaven as my inheritance, I shall not "live useless in the earth: I fhall ferve "the world; and not add to its confufion. "Ifhall ferve it by virtuous induftry; and "not disturb it by fraud or violence. I "fhall not feek riches with the furious rage of avarice; but, where they flow as the gift of thy Providence, I fhall "receive them with modeft gratitude, "and spread them with useful liberali ty. I fhall not fly poverty by any "vicious methods; but when it comes, "it fhall come without guilt, as thy "appointment, and thy grace shall fanctify it. Thou knoweft what |