our profeffions and our practice, are juftly induced to fufpect that we ourselves believe not the doctrines we inculcate; and, therefore, may with reason hold fast that form of faith, which their more virtuous anceftors have established in their land.

The obligation to adorn a christian profeffion by a christian practice, rises with the increafing profligacy of these degenerate times.

There are, indeed, moments of diftrefs and danger, in which even the heart of the most licentious infidel is chilled by the severity of his own reflections. But, how unlike to the effects of true religion are the impreffions thus produced in a mind like this! His foul is aftonished and overwhelmed by the horrors of a fuperftition which fill degrades it more; but, as his danger disappears, his apprehenfions of futurity vanish; and his infidel manners, and diffolute profanenefs return with his returning health. Thus religion becomes, in his idea, another name for weakness and the reflections, which the ought to raise within the breast, upon every view of our mortality, are referred to the

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could not have been attended with a fimilar fuccefs.

Religion had fo freqently been rendered fubfervient to political interests, and selfish purposes, that men juftly called for fome lefs equivocal evidence of the truth of a system, which claimed to itself a right of directing the conduct of mankind. That evidence was afforded in its fulleft luftre, when the foftened manners, and the heavenly temper of chriftian people, were propofed as the demonstration of the truth, and purity of chriftian faith.

By the fruits of the gofpel, manifested in each part of the irreproachable demeanour of its true difciples, their adversaries were invited to judge of the tree from which they fprang. They were invited to contemplate the mighty powers of a religion, which could difarm the mind of anger, in the moment of its fierceft refentment; and finally prevail over every incentive to thofe crimes, which, as appeared from fad experience, human laws were found unable to restrain. At a time when every unworthy inclination reigned in the place of thofe affections, to

which we owe the comforts of domeftic life, men were invited to behold the power of this religion, in triumphing over every lawlefs indulgence, every licentious practice, which the violence of diftorted imagination, aided by the strength of inveterate custom, had established in the world. They were invited to behold the influence of this religion in infpiring that breaft with pious fentiments, which was formerly the feat of irreligion, and profanenefs; in generating the principles of an upright, honeft, friendly, and beneficent deportment in that heart, which was deformed by every paffion which could render us odious to our neighbour, and miferable to ourselves.

Thefe fruits of the faith, produced an animated attention to the christian cause. Upon examination into the principles of conduct recommended in the gospel, they appeared to be fuch as might reasonably be fuppofed to form the most effectual inducements to every worthy action; they derived an influence, permanent, as well as tranfcendent, from that glorious hope of immortality, which, in preference to thofe opi

nions that have fo long unworthily divided the difciples of Jefus, forms the grand, and fundamental article of the christian creed; and the effects produced in confequence of this belief were themselves a teftimony, that the evidence, by which this important truth was fupported, refted on the folid basis of unquestionable fact.

To a deflection from the purity and fimplicity of manners, which were so eminently confpicuous in the earlier ages of christianity, we are to afcribe the inconfiderable progress of the gospel in fucceeding times. Hence, at this day, the pious difciple of the benevolent Jefus, mourns that the religion of his master is bounded by the limits of kingdoms, and of nations; and, that in so many portions of the habitable earth, its profeffion, or its influence, is even ftill unknown. We bear the name of chriftian indeed, to every region of the globe; but, at the same time, we bear along with it thofe horrid forms of vice, by which that name is dishonoured, and defiled. The inhabitants of many a distant clime, astonished at the contrariety between

our

our profeffions and our practice, are juftly induced to fufpect that we ourselves believe not the doctrines we inculcate; and, therefore, may with reafon hold faft that form of faith, which their more virtuous anceftors have established in their land.

The obligation to adorn a christian profession by a christian practice, rifes with the increafing profligacy of thefe degenerate times.

There are, indeed, moments of diftrefs and danger, in which even the heart of the most licentious infidel is chilled by the severity of his own reflections. But, how unlike to the effects of true religion are the impreffions thus produced in a mind like this! His foul is aftonished and overwhelmed by the horrors of a superstition which still degrades it more; but, as his danger disappears, his apprehenfions of futurity vanish; and his infidel manners, and diffolute profanenefs return with his returning health. Thus religion becomes, in his idea, another name for weakness and the reflections, which the ought to raise within the breaft, upon every view of our mortality, are referred to the

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