enced this. Of myself I muft fay, that I have been far from being fo happy. Doubts, and difficulties have often perplexed me, and thrown a cloud over truths which, in, the general courfe of my life, are my fupport and confolation. There are, however, many truths, the conviction of which I never lofe.-ONE conviction in particular remains with me amidst all fluctuations of temper and spirits. I mean my belief of the maxim in my text, that he who walketh uprightly walketh furely. There has not been a moment in which I have found it poffible to doubt, whether the wifeft and beft courfe I can take is to practise virtue, and to avoid guilt. Low fpirits only give new force to this conviction, and caufe it to make a deeper impreffion. Uncertainty in other inftances creates certainty here; for the, more dark and doubtful our ftate under God's government is, the more prudent it must be to choose that course which is the

Safeft.

I will only farther defire you to confider on this fubject, with what ferenity of mind a good man may proceed through life. Whatever is true or falfe, he has the consciousness of being on the fafe fide; and there is, in all cafes, a particular fatisfaction attending fuch a confcioufnefs. A man who knows himself in a fafe way, goes on with compofure

compofure and boldnefs-Thus may you go on in a course of well-doing. You have none of thofe calamities to fear to which others are liable. If the doctrines of religion are true, you will be completely happy through the Saviour of mankind. But fhould they not prove true, you will not be worfe off than others. I have fhewn, on the contrary, that you will ftill be gainers.Your lofs, in fhort, can be nothing.

Your gain may be infinite.-Forfake, then, every thing to follow righteoufnefs. Never confent to do a wrong action, or to gratify an unlawful paffion. This will give you a fecurity that is worth more than all the treafures of the earth. You may also, on all principles, entertain the apprehension that the gospel has given right information concerning the abolition of death, and the happiness reserved for the faithful, in the future kingdom of Jefus Chrift. That perfon must have confidered the arguments for Christianity very fuperficially, who does not fee, that they amount to an evidence, which is at least fufficient to give a just ground for this apprehenfion; and confequently, for a hope the moft animating and glorious. Let us cherish this hope; and endeavour to keep the object of it always in fight. The flightest GLIMPSE of that ETERNAL LIFE which the New Teftament

promises,

promises, is enough to elevate above this world. The bare poffibility of lofing it, by finful practices, is enough to annihilate all temptations. Wherefore; let us bestedfaft and immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forafmuch as we know that our labour MAY end in a blissful eternity; but, happen what will, CANNOT be in vain.

SERMON IL

Of the Happiness of a virtuous Course.

HER WAYS

PROVERBS iii. 17.

ARE WAYS OF PLEASANTNESS, AND ALL HER PATHS ARE PEACE. SHE IS A TREE OF LIFE TO THEM THAT LAY HOLD OF HER; AND HAPPY IS EVERY ONE THAT RECEIVETH HER.

IN my laft difcourfe I reprefented to

you the fecurity of a virtuous courfe. In doing this, I was led to touch upon its tendency to make us moft happy, as well as moft fecure, under God's government.-I fhall now infift more particularly on this fubject; and endeavour to give you a diftinct account of the principal arguments and facts which prove the happiness of virtue; meaning, on this occafion chiefly, its prefent happinefs.

The

The ways of wisdom (my text fays) are ways of pleasantness; and happy is every one that receiveth her.-Previoufly to any examination of the actual state of mankind, we may perceive a high probability that this affertion must be true. Virtue is the image of God in the foul, and the nobleft thing in the creation; and, therefore, it must be the principal ground of true happiness. It is the rule by which God meant that we should act; and, therefore, must be the way to the blifs for which he intended us. That Being who gave us our fenfe of moral obligations, must have designed that we should conform to them; and he could not defign this, and at the fame time defign that we should find it most for our advantage not to conform to them. This would have been to establish an inconfistency in the frame of nature; and acting in a manner which cannot be fuppof ed of that Supreme power which, in every other part of nature, has difcovered higher wifdom than we are able to comprehend.

But waving fuch reafonings, let us apply durfelves to the confideration of the actual ftate of mankind in this refpect. And,

Firft, Let us confider, that by practising virtue we gratify the highest powers in our natures. Our highest powers are, undoubtedly, our fenfe of moral excellence, the prin-ciple of reafon and reflection, benevolence

to