which much more voluminous and more la. boured compofitions may not be able to ac 割 quire; juft as we fee that the loweft and humbleft, and most numerous bodies of men, not the opulent and fplendid few, are those that conftitute the real ftrength and wealth of the community. A It has been frequently afferted, that it is philofophy, modern philofophy, which has enlightened and improved mankind. But whom has it enlightened and improved? A small knot, perhaps, of wits and philofophers, and learned men, but how have the multitude, the bulk of the people, thofe who really conftitute the world, been enlightened and improved? Do they read the works of Bolingbroke, of D'Alembert, of Hume, or of Raynal? Thanks be to God those elaborate and bulky compofitions are equally beyond their underftandings to comprehend, their leisure to perufe, and their ability to purchase. And even the smaller pieces above-mentioned of Voltaire and others, are not calculated for the lowest claffes of mankind, but for men of fome education and some talents. And their object is not to inform, but to perplex and mislead; not to convince convince by argument, but to entertain with ftrokes of wit and buffoonery. Most fortunately for mankind, the mischief of fuch writings is confined (comparatively speaking) to a very narrow circle, which their admirers, however, are pleafed to dignify with the name of the world. The vulgar, the vile populace, fo far are thofe great philofophers from defiring to instruct and reform, that they think them utterly unworthy of a reafonable religion. This the most eminent of their fraternity has declared in exprefs terms *. On the other hand, the Author of our Religion declares, that he came "to preach the Gospel to the poor." Here, then, you fee opposed to each other the fpirit of CHRISTIANITY and the spirit of PHILOSOPHY. Judge ye, for yourselves, which is most worthy of God and beneficial to man, and make your choice accordingly. If you take * Mr. Voltaire, speaking of certain superstitious fects in China, has thefe very remarkable words: "Ces fectes font "tolerées a la Chine pour l'ufage du Vulgaire, comme des ali"mens groffiers faits pour le nourrir; tandis que les magi"ftrats & les lettrés, feparés en tout du peuple, fe nouriffent « d'une substance plus pure. Il femble en effet que la populace ne "merite pas une religion raisonnable." Effai fur l'Hiftoire Generale, tom. i. p. 33, 34. PHILOSOPHY for your guide, you will defpife the humble employment of diffufing religious knowledge among the common people; but if you chufe CHRIST for you mafter, you will give a proof of it this day, by patronizing a Society that forms itself on his model, and profeffes to carry on the great work of reformation which He begun, in the very way which he pointed out, "by preaching the Gospel to "the poor." SERMON SERMON XIII. 1 Cor. ix. 25. EVERY MAN THAT STRIVETH FOR THE MASTERY IS TEMPERATE IN ALL THINGS: NOW THEY DO IT TO OBTAIN A CORRUPTIBLE CROWN, BUT WE AN TH HE defign of this paffage is plainly to recommend the great Christian duty of being "temperate in all things;" that is, of obtaining an entire command over our paffions; or, as it is expreffed a few verses after, of "keeping under our bodies, and bringing them "into subjection." This felf-government is indifpenfably neceffary, both to the real enjoyment of the prefent life, and to the poffeffion of everlasting happiness in the next. But, then, like every thing else that is valuable, it is as difficult to acquire, as it is useful and excellent; and it ftands in need of the most powerful arguments to recommend and enforce it. One of the strongest is here urged by St. Paul. To raife the courage and invigorate the refolution of the Corinthians, to whom the Epiftle is addreffed, and of all others engaged in the fame ftate of warfare with their corrupt inclinations, he reminds them of the immortal prize they are contending for, that crown of glory which is to recompence their virtuous conflict. And to give this still greater weight, he compares their rewards with those proposed to the competitors in the wellknown games or sports which were celebrated near Corinth. In thefe, all that was contended for, was nothing more than "a corruptible "crown," a wreath compofed of perishable leaves; whereas, the prize of the Christian is an incorruptible one, a crown of glory that fadeth not away, an eternity of real and substantial happiness in Heaven. And yet, poor and contemptible as the reward was in those games, they who ftrove for the mastery in them, were temperate in all things, were content to exercise the stricteft difcipline and ab ftemioufnefs, |