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of God? Do you feel warmly interested in the fuccefs of the Gospel? Do you feel the cause of Christ 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 holiness; 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 Christ is not an office peculiar to the ministers of religion. To them it is more efpecially committed. By them it is to be exercised in a manner different from that which becomes those, who are not ordained to the ministry. But in an appropriate measure and degree, watchfulness and exertion to impart religious knowledge and affistance 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?

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Finally in examining yourselves by the fcriptural characters of Goodnefs, 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 Goodness. It is a part of Goodness which, if it ftands alone, is nothing. 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 deftitute of Goodnefs. St. Paul avers that, although you bestow all your poffeffions to feed the poor, the deed will profit you nothing if you have not charity: if 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

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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 fervice to God, but that which is done from love to God. Does either reafon or the Gospel authorise you to expect that God should reward a deed which is not intended as service to Him? Let me leave before you this practical truth; and may divine grace impress it upon your bofoms: that nothing is Goodness, which does not proceed from love to God; and that no one is a good man, unless the love of God be habitually the ruling principle of his life.

SERMON VII.

On Pride.

PROV. xvi. 5.

Every one that is proud in Heart is an Abomination to the Lord.

N the maladies which affault the human

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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 fasten. Others, deeply rooted in the conftitution, 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

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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 sway, 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 control. Body and mind, virtues and vices, it preffes into its fervice. The heart may ficken, the understanding may recoil, at the profpect. 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 frugality; 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 covetousness 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

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