of God? Do you feel warmly interested in the fuccefs of the Gospel? Do you feel the caufe of Chrift as your caufe? Is the cause of Chrift that caufe which beyond all others you have at heart? When a finner is reclaimed, when a righteous man makes a progrefs in holinefs; do you delight in the reflection that it is your God, your Redeemer, your greatest Benefactor, who is glorified? Are you, like Barnabas, vigilant and earnest to embrace" every fit opportunity of encouraging others to cleave unto the Lord with purpose of heart? To bring others unto the love and obedience of Chrift is not an office peculiar to the minifters of religion. To them it is more especially committed. By them it is to be exercised in a manner different from that which becomes thofe, who are not ordained to the miniftry. But in an appropriate measure and degree, watchfulness and exertion to impart religious knowledge and affiftance belong to every man. They are teftimonies of love to God and man required from every one. They are testimonies which every one who loves God and man cannot but be folicitous to render. Are they teftimonies which in your families, families, among your friends, 'among your acquaintance, among your neighbours, you are anxious properly to render? Finally in examining yourselves by the fcriptural characters of Goodness, take all of them together. Venture not to think of putting asunder qualifications which God has infeparably joined. More efpecially beware of being enfnared into the prevailing and very fatal delufion, of imagining that Goodness confifts in benevolence. Benevolence can be at the utmost but one part of Goodnefs. It is a part of Goodnefs which, if it ftands alone, is no thing. What could it avail you to love your neighbour as yourfelf; if you do not love the Lord your God with all your heart? Nay the greatest acts of kindness to your fellow-creatures may be entirely def titue of Goodness. St. Paul avers that, although you bestow all your poffeffions to feed the poor, the deed will profit you nothing if have not charity: if you you have not a cordial love to man founded on love to God. You may lay down your life, if you are a parent, from affection to your children; and yet be no more ferving God by the facrifice, no more be acting under the influence of religion, than the brute brute animal which encounters death in defence of its young. The quality of a deed is ftamped by the motive. On every occafion examine not only what you do, but why you do it. Nothing is service to God, but that which is done from love to God. Does either reafon or the Gospel authorize you to expect that God should reward a deed which is not intended as fervice to Him? Let me leave before you divine grace this practical truth; and may imprefs it upon your bofoms: that nothing is Goodness, which does not proceed from Tove to God; and that no one is a good man, unless the love of God be habitually the ruling principle of his life. Every one that is proud in Heart is an Abomi nation to the Lord. N the maladies which affault the human IN body, a marked diftinction prevails as to the relative extensiveness of their influence.. Of fome the force is nearly exhausted upon the organ or the limb on which they faften. Others, deeply rooted in the constitution, pervade the general fyftem: and in every different state of the frame, and in every different mode of life, advance their machinations, and prepare their final triumph. Fulness of blood ftimulates the internal foe debility meets it with languid refiftance exertion accelerates its progress: fedentary habits facilitate its inroads. A kindred kindred analogy difcriminates the dif tempers of the mind. Some, as hatred and terror, firmly fixing upon particular objects, are little excited on ordinary occafions. Others, afpiring to general fway, find, under all circumftances and at every period, opportunities of gratification. Of paffions of this character the most eminent is Pride. Juftly does it claim the denomination of an univerfal paffion. Age or fex or fituation exempts not from its controul. Body and mind, virtues and vices, it preffes into its fervice. The heart may ficken, the understanding may recoil, at the prospect. But on every fide the fcene is the fame. We behold men proud in health, proud in the chamber of difeafe; proud in public, proud in retirement; proud of their fru gality, proud of their profufion; proud of their fobriety, proud of their intemperance; proud of their pride; proud of their humility. Liften to the character afcribed by diffe rent families to each other. How general is that of pride! To fome households covetoufness is attributed as an hereditary failing; to fome, irafcibility; to fome, fufpicion. How much larger is the number to which pride is imputed! How few are |