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give their perfonal countenance, even to "the form of godlinefs,” for which they profess to contend?

"There is a great variety of characters amongst us. But I fay it confidently, that there is in the prefent time a more marked difrefpect to the ordinances of religion, more of the pursuit of pleafure in defiance of the authority of religion, and more open profanations of the Lord's Day, (which becomes more and more a day both of pleasure and of business) than has ever before been obferved in this place,

"It is obvious that I do not speak of those who have in any degree imbibed the fpirit of irreligion*. But I refer to multitudes of men who have of late been the moft clamorous against the effects of infidelity, and who, from political motives, have expreffed much folicitude to preferve our religious inftitutions.

"If they have ever been in earnest in the attachment they have profeffed to the ordinances of Chrift, they have at least proved themselves" to be lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God." They have at leaft proved, that in whatever light they regard "the form," they explicitly "deny the power of godlinefs;" fince they do not permit the awe of God ether to fet bounds to their pleasures, or to determine their conduct.

"What can come more directly home to the apoftle's defcription of the perilous times? Men give themselves to pleasures and not to God. Though they contend for "the forms" of external religion as a political fyftem, "they deny" or difavow

the power of godlinefs," in as far as it is hoftile to their manners, and forbids the pleafures which they will not aban don." P. 123.

The vth fermon "on chriftian faith and morality," has many paflages in it which we could wish to transcribe, but the following are fo immediately oppofed to the errors of those who are for feparating the morality of the gospel from its doctrines, that we think them particularly deferving of attention.

"There are many ways in which unbelievers difguife their averfion to the Chriftian doctrine, when they are unwilling to avow it, and in which the falfe pretenders to Chriftianity conceal their indifference. But there is no expedient which they more frequently adopt, or in which they are more generally united, than that by which they endeavour to fet the morality of the gofpel in oppofition to its doctrines: when they reprefent the diftinguishing doctrines of Chriftianity, either as matters of no intrinfic importance, or as subjects" of doubtful difputation;" while they affect to extol its morality, as containing within it

* It is printed religion, but the author's meaning is manifest.

felf

felf every thing which is valuable in religion, or which ought to be interefting to mankind.

"The morality of the gofpel is indeed of the last importance; and is pure as the fource from which it comes. It embraces the full extent of human obligations. It is the clear and indifpenfible rule by which the believers of Chriftianity are required to prove the fincerity and the ftedfaftnefs of their faith; the decifive rule by which their characters are to be estimated in this world, and by which their fidelity shall at laft be tried at the tribunal of God. I fhall be able to fhew, under the second branch of the fubject, how effential to Chriftianity its morality is, and of how much importance it must always be, that the believers fhould be united in maintaining its authority.

"But, in the mean time, let us not be perverted by words or founds, fo as to believe it poffible, that the morality of the gofpel can, in any inftance, be fubftituted in place of its doctrines, or on any pretence fet in oppofition to them.

"On this fubject, I beseech you to confider,

" (1.) That Chriftianity has given no new or peculiar deli. neation of moral duties, different from that which was given under the ancient difpenfation; and that it has added nothing to the fyftem of morality, excepting the peculiar principles or authority by which it has enforced it.

The love of God, and the love of our neighbour, were the fummary of moral duties under the law of Mofes, as well as by the law of Chrift; and the particular duties belonging to each of thefe departments, were as clearly reprefented by the one as by the other. The fubftance of the fame morality was even taught to the Heathens as well as to the Jews; though not only without the advantage of a pure religion to illuftrate or enforce it, but intermixed with incalculable fources of perverfion, refulting from the falfe and pernicious maxims which the wifeft Heathens adopted, as well as from the influence of barbarous fuperftitions and idolatries.

"The gospel is certainly far fuperior to every other doctrine or fyftem of moral instruction: but it claims its pre-eminence, not because it lays down moral duties, which were not taught or known before its promulgation, but on account of the peculiar motives or functions by which it enforces its morality. For it is impoffible not to admit, that Chriftian morals are brought home to the confciences of mankind, by confiderations, of which it was not poffible that either Jews or Heathens couid avail themselves.

"On the other hand, it must be obvious, that as soon as we take this view of the fubject, we admit the importance of the dif tinguishing doctrines of the gofpel; for in them, and in them alone, are to be found the peculiar principles by which Chriftia nity professes to enforce the obligation of moral duties. It re. prefents to us, no doubt, every confideration arifing from our prefent condition which can have any influence in perfuading us.

But

But its chief and most impreffive arguments for a holy life are fuch as the following: That "the grace of God, which bringeth falvation, hath appeared to all men, teaching us, that denying ungodlinefs and worldly lufts, we fhould live foberly, righteously, and godly, in this prefent world; looking for that bleffed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jefus Chrift; who gave himfelf for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works*:" That "if God fo loved us, we ought also to love one another+:""That Chrift died for all, that they who live fhould not henceforth live to themselves, but unto him who died for them and rofe again:" That" to every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Chrift§;" and that "the fmall and the great" shall stand at last before the judgment-feat of Chrift, to receive fentence, "every man according as his works have been."

"It is impoffible to think of morality, as the morality of the gofpel, without referring it directly to thefe, or to fimilar confiderations, by which it is the peculiar office and object of the New Teftament to enforce it. Referred to these principles, the morality of Chriftianity is incorporated with its effential doctrines; and it cannot be separated from them, without ceafing to be Chriftian morality.

"The faith of the gofpel" not only fuggefts to us found or ufeful motives to holinefs of life, but it is, in every inftance, the beft fecurity both of our ardour and fidelity in our perfonal duties. The apostle Paul, after enumerating to Titus | the leading doctrines of grace and fanctification reprefented in the gospel, fubjoins to his enumeration these remarkable words: "This is a faithful faying (or, this is faithful and found doctrine), and thefe things (or, thefe doctrines) I will that thou affirm conftantly, to the end that** they who have believed in God may be careful to maintain good works: These things are good and profitable unto men." He fuppofes, not only that the most effectual mode of teaching Chriftian morality confifts in the faithful ap plication of the doctrines of redemption, to inculcate or to enforce moral duties; but that the peculiar doctrines of Christ are to be conftantly taught or affirmed, with the exprefs purpose and defign of purfuading the believers to be ftedfaft in maintain ing good works." He who departs from the doctrines of the gofpel, under the pretence of extolling its morality, relinquishes the fubftance of Chriftian morals, as effectually as he abandons the foundations of a Chriftian's hope.

"I beseech you to confider,

"(2.) What the morality is, which is induftriously separated

"* Titus ii. 11-14." 7.15." "§ Ephes, iv. 7.”

"+1 John iv. 11."

+ 2 Cor. Titus iii. 3-8.” « ** ira,'

"

from

from the doctrines of Chriftianity, or is inculcated independent of its relation to them.

"When I fay that morality is feparated from Chriftianity, I do not mean to affirm, that this is always directly done. It happens more frequently, that the doctrines of the gofpel are paffed over in filence, or are treated as fubjects which a very wife or enlightened man does not think it neceflary minutely to confider while moral duties are stated with few exceptions, as if they had no reference to them.

"Is the morality which is thus inculcated, the pure, the univerfal, the watchful, or the uniform morality reprefented in the gofpel? On the contrary, it is a morality which has feldom any relation to God, or to the duties which we owe to him; a morality which applies chiefly, or entirely, to our present interests; the morality which the fashion, or the general manners of the world, require; the morality which derives its chief motives from prefent fituations, and from prefent events; the morality of eafy, pliant, and conciliating manners, which neither bears hard on the vices, nor goes deep into the confciences of mankind; the morality by which men learn to declaim againt religious zeal, and against every thing which has the afpect either of fcrupulous holinets, or of earneft religion; but which can teach them to look, without any diffatisfaction or murmur, on the diffipations of the world, on the profane, and on the fenfual, and on the oppreffors, and on the hardened.

"Men of found understanding ought to be able to determine for themselves, whether this is the morality of the gofpel which is inculcated with fcarcely any relation to it, and from every mo. tive rather than the motives of religion; in which the leffons of moral duty, feparated from the language of Chriftianity, are every day brought nearer to the maxims and to the manners of the world; and from which men learn, or are taught to believe, that wretched as their progrefs is in moral duties, they muft derive from it their only hope of falvation.

"The unbeliever, and the falfe profeffor of Chriftianity, infenfibly adopt the fame language. Under the pretence of setting morality and Christianity at variance, they unite their endeavours to fap the foundations of both. They firft banifh from their thoughts the fubftance, or the peculiar tenets of the gofpel, as a metaphyfical fyftem which may well be fpared. When they have effected this, their work is almoft done: for the morality which they profefs to retain, is cafily reconciled to the vices of the world; and though it were pure, foon becomes a dead letter, feparated from the principles or motives which can alone fupport it.

"It is impoffible not to remark, befides, that the fupple and accommodating morality, which bends to every fashion, and accords with every new opinion; which startles at every approach of zeal for religion, but which fears nothing from the lips of ungodlinefs or of infidelity; is in its most favourable afpect, at leaft

far

far removed from the holinefs of heart and life, by which the found believers of the gofpel are reprefented in the New Teftament, as becoming "the temple of God," and as "having the fpirit of God dwelling in them*." P. 142.

"It is impoffible not to be fenfible of the fuperior advantage of that morality, which can effectually perfuade a faithful man that he poffeffes, by the fpirit of Chrift, a ftrength above his own, which is fufficient to qualify him for every duty, which is equal to every difficulty, and which must be fuperior to all temptations. He who truly believes this in his own cafe, will not foon be fhaken in his refolution" to keep himfelf unfpotted from the world." Depending on himself, he is often made fenfible of his weakness. Relying on the promife of Chrift," he takes to himself the whole armour of God;" and "the God of hope fills him with all peace and joy in believing." "All things are thus made poffible to him who believeth ;" and he will not shrink from his duty when the day of trial comes." P. 162.

We fhould not have inferted fo long an extract but with a view to particular publications of the prefent day, which require an antidote of this nature. The length of this quotation however will oblige us to be more concife in regard to the rest of these interesting difcourfes. They all deferve our commendation notwithstanding fome peculiarities of flyle, and idiomatical expreffions. The V11th fermon, "on the inheritance of a good man's children," has many interefting paffages; the following fhort one we fhall felect, as it feems to relemble in fome degree the ftyle of Bishop Taylor.

"The teftimony of ages fhews that this law has its full effect, and warrants the confidence with which devout men commit their children to God. The hiftory of human life is the record of Providence; and it is not the leaft interefting volume of this record, which contains the events by which Providence has raifed ap the children of the faithful beyond all the hopes of their fathers.

"One man fends forth his children into the world without wealth and without friends, with no advantages but the inftruction he has given them, and his bleffing, and his prayers and the hand of the Lord is with them; and they profper in their honourable labours; and they gain the esteem and confidence of ftrangers; and God raifes up a friend when they need his help; and the course of unforeseen events opens to them a fucceffion of new refources; and they reach a condition to which they were not born; and they return with wealth and honour into the bofom of their father's houfe; and he lives ftill, to give thanks

I Cor. iii. 16."

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