in fubordination to the favour of this fupreme allperfect Being.

As he is one, fo his will is uniform-not, like the will' of man, devious from, and inconfiftent with itself. He is of one mind; who can turnhim? Let us then be conftant in his fervice, doing his will from the heart, guiding our actions by his commands as our only rule, and feeking his favour as our only happiness.

As we believe there is one Saviour, let us come to God through him, do all things in his name, rely on his righteousness as the only ground of our hopes, and truft in his interceffion as the only effectual recommendation of our unworthy prayers.

Thirdly. We fee that fincere religion in the heart is a great attainment-greater than many perhaps imagine.

Religion confifts in a heart uniformly and unrefervedly devoted to God; or in a fupreme love to him, governing all our affections, and directing all our actions. Men may do much in religion from worldly motives. The perfons mentioned in our text did fo. The people of Ifrael, in a time of famine, affembled themselves for corn and wine, but rebelled against God. Some, in our Saviour's day, fought him with diligence, and fpared no pains to find him, not because they loved his doctrines, but because they had eaten of his loaves. This was a worldly religion. God was not its immediate object.

Men may do much in external duties, and yet be deftitute of a holy temper. They may act in fome good things with zeal and engagedness, and yet retain their favourite fins. The Samaritans took much pains to learn how they must fear the Lord; but ftill they held faft their idolatry. The young man mentioned in the gospel had a ftrong VOL. V.

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defire to enter into life; but he chofe to hazard the lofs of it, rather than abandon his worldly pursuits.

Whatever we do in religion, if we indulge any known fin, our religion will not carry us to heaven. Whatever works we perform, if we glory in them as the foundation of our claim to heaven, and forget our dependence on the righteousness of the Saviour, our works are vain.

Fourthly. Our fubject may lead us to reflect on the heinous nature of fin. The excellency of religion confifts in its being directed to God; and the great evil of fin confifts in its being committed against him. Religion is a conformity; fin is an oppofition to the divine nature. Religion is a love of God's commands and a fubmiffion to his will; fin is a hatred of his laws and a rebellion against his authority. Religion is refigning ourfelves to God's government, and yielding ourfelves to his difpofal; fin is rifing up against God, and setting ourselves above him.

In this view, how horrible muft fin appear! How amazing is the guilt of those who thus have treated, and thus continue to treat the Almighty!

Do you wonder that rational men fhould be fo ftupid as to fet up idols for objects of adoration, in oppofition to, or in conjunction with the fu preme Jehovah? Why not alfo wonder at yourfelves, that you fhould fet up the interefts and pleasures of the world, as the objects of your fupreme affection?

Fifthly. What abundant caufe of rejoicing have we, that there is an allfufficient Saviour to whom we may repair?

Had we nothing, but our own righteousness, to reft upon, we must fink in despair. Such finful creatures as we are, have nothing to recommend

them in the presence of a holy God. But Jefus has brought in everlafting righteousness, and the greatest finner may have the benefit of it. Did finners realize their own condition, they would apply to this Saviour; they would feek him earneftly and conftantly; they would cry to him day and night, and not hold their peace, till his righteousness came to them as brightness, and his falvation as a lamp that burneth.

To conclude: Since there is one God, the great object of religion, and one Mediator by whom we muft draw near to God, and fince the religion which he requires is pure and fimple; let us prove what is true and acceptable religion, take it as he has prescribed it, adopt it in its fimplicity without human additions, direct all our fervices to him, and do all things in the name of Christ through whom alone we have acceptance.

Folly confpicuous in a Virtuous Character.

ECCLESIASTES x. 1.

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to fend forth a flinking favour; fo doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor.

THE

HE preacher here teaches us a very useful leffon; that the wifer and better a man is reputed to be, the greater caution he needs to use in his language and behavior, left he viciate the reputation which he has acquired. For as dead flies, though but small infects, falling into a pot of sweet ointment, will render it rancid and difguftful; fo errors and follies, fmall in themselves, will appear as great blemishes in the character of a man, who is highly valued for his fuperior virtue and wisdom; and faults fcarcely noticed in other men, will be imputed to him as intolerable crimes. "The cafe of men eminent for virtue," fays one," is peculiarly difficult, because their errors, though ever fo fmall, are not easily pardoned. As in a diamond of great luftre, the eye is offended by the least speck, or the smallest cloud, which in a groffer ftone would not be observed; fo in men of fingular abilities, the least infirmities are quickly difcerned and made matter of converfation, when in pefons of meaner character they would be wholly unnoticed, or eafily forgiven. A little folly in a wife man, a small fin in a ftrictly honeft man,a flight indecency in a very polite man, much derogates from his fame and reputation; when the fame things in men of different characters

would pafs uncenfured, and perhaps unobferved."

In the writings of Solomon, wisdom and folly ufually fignify virtue and vice. We may therefore, by the man in reputation for wisdom, understand the man eminent for virtue; and, by a little folly, we may understand the infirmities and indifcretions incident to fuch a man.

The truth, then, fuggefted in our text will be this; that small offences are eafily obferved, and freely cenfuredin men of diftinguished reputation for religion.

This we often fee to be a fact. Thofe very things, which pass for indifferent in the men of the world, are condemned as criminal in men of reputed piety. Virtue and vicearethe fame in their na ture; but we judge of them differently according to the character of the perfons in whom they are found.

There are many who appear to live without any governing regard to religion. They take no care to educate their children in fentiments of piety, or to keep up the worship of God in their families. They are much addicted to pleasure, company and amusement. Their language is fometimes profane, and often loose and unguarded. They neglect the stated means of religion and treat with indifference the instituted ordinances of God. Thus they pass along in the world, and few take any unfavorable notice of them. If one reprove them, they are ready to vindicate themselves; and perhaps there are fome, befides themselves, who will plead in their excuse, and palliate their neglects and tranfgreffions. But if a man who profeffes religion, or fuftains an office in the church, fhould for once appear to be guilty of the fame exceptionable conduct, will it thus pafs off unobferved? Or will it meet the fame excufes? No: one rafh expreffion from this good man will be more feverely condemned, than a hundred profane aths from the customary fwearer. A fingle instance