which you are bleffed. Nature engages your parents; duty, honour, and intereft, your inftructors, to confult your wel fare; which they defire as much as yourselves, and underftand better. Reftrain therefore and apply yourselves as they direct; though you not only feel it painful, but see it not yet beneficial; and trust those, who have all imaginable claim to be trusted, that, by quick degrees, the pain will wear off, and the benefit be evident.

Their province, who are devoted to the service of religion, will be to appear, perhaps after a very short preparation, in an age ftrongly prejudiced against them and their function; fure objects, without merit, of contempt and hatred; but, with it, capable ftill of being esteemed and useful. This ûituation, you fee, requires in the first place, that you carefully acquaint yourselves with the proofs, the doctrines and precepts of the gospel revelation. Fear not therefore making free inquiry into every thing. Others inquire with bad intention; if you do it not with good, you will want true learning, to oppose against the falfe and half-learning of unbelievers. Only begin not your inquiry till you are qualified; and end it not till you have confidered matters thoroughly. Young minds, and often the moft generous of them, are apt to pursue truth with an impatience, that occafions their milling it. Nothing ought ever to ftand against full evidence well weighed; but many things may induce thofe, who have yet had little time. for thought, to think again, and be diffident in the mean while. For not only the world too commonly imputes to a man, all his life, the indigested notions of his early years; but perfons lift themfelves by positive talk, and then cannot retreat. With this caution, and with due method, diligence will go far in acquiring knowledge. But knowledge is only one part of what must be attended to. The unguarded conduct, even of perfons of younger days, will be treasured up in many a malicious memory to their future disadvantage; and, though an affectation of untimely gravity fits ill, yet innocence and piety are the duties of every age. They especially, whofe profeffion will make a ftricter abftinence from doubtful and imprudent pleasures expected of them hereafter, will find it much the fafeft and eaßeft to begin now; and, by an uni

form

form life, grow regularly up into that efteem, which their deftination will require.

And though neither the fame diligence of application, nor fuch accuracy of conduct, may appear neceffary in those of higher rank; yet an improved understanding must be an advantage, and the want of it a blemish, proportionably confpicuous, as the station, in which either appears, is public; and the choice, how life shall be spent, is always important in the fame degree, as the perfons are who make it. Such therefore, of all others, should not take it haftily for granted, than an immoral courfe is right. To begin with virtue, at least till fair inquiry rejects it, is evidently the fafe part. No one ever bitterly condemned himself, that he had spent his younger years foberly; many have, that they did not. Then fome degrees of vice are owned to produce mifery; and every vice deads on to worse degrees of itself, and variety of others. Or, though a vicious perfon could depend on fuffering no prefent harm; yet he cannot fail of doing a great deal; and a man would not choose, that the chief traces, which he leaves behind him, to mark out his paffage through life, fhould be fo many injuries done his fellow-creatures. At least no one would venture upon this, till he were fure there is no fuperior infpector of his conduct. Now there cannot be certainty against religion; and there are fuch evidences for it, as must require more than a few flight cavils, or bold jefts, to overturn them. A careful examination then it juftly demands. And if upon fuch examination it prove true, as undoubtedly it will; remember it is a moft serious truth, in which the foremost of mankind is equally concerned with the meanest. Therefore in a cafe of fuch moment, let no falfe fhame, nor favourite paffion prevail over you; but give your hearts early to the Lord that made you*. Lay the foundation of you lives here, on the firm ground of Chriftian faith; and build upon it whatever is just and good, worthy and noble, till the ftructure be complete in moral beauty. The world, into which you are entering, lies in wait with variety of temptations. Unfavourable fentiments of religion will foon be fuggested to you; and all the fnares of luxury, false honour, and intereft, 3 G 2

Ecclus xxxix. 3.

spread

fpread in your way; which with most of your rank are too fuccefsful, and to many fatal. Happy the few, that in any part of life become fenfible of their errors; and, with painful refolution, tread back the wrong fteps which they have taken! But happiest of men is he, who, by an even course of right conduct from the firft, as far as human frailty permits, hath at once avoided the miseries of fin, the forrows of repentance, and the difficulties of virtue; who not only can think of his prefent ftate with compofure, but reflect on his past behaviour with thankful approbation; and look forwards, with unmixed joy, to that important future hour, when he fhall appear before God, and humbly offer to him a whole life spent in his fervice!

SER

SERMON

CXXVII.

(Preached in the Parish Church of St. James, Westminster, January 30. 1733-4-)

ON REVERENCE OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE IN GOVERNING ALL THE AFFAIRS of Men.

ISA. xxvi. 9.

-When thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

THE

'HE gracious and wife Creator of this universe continually upholds it by the word of his power; and governs each part of it suitably to its nature. The motions of that inanimate world proceed entirely from him. The actions of intelligent beings are indeed their own. But, as God forefees from eternity what every agent, in every poffible fituation, will do or intend, he must be able to influence, direct, and temper their conduct, by many ways that are conceivable, and doubtlefs by many more, fo as not only to assist and protect perfons in doing what is lawful and right †, but also to make even the worst of wretches, in the worst of their crimes, undefigning inftruments of his righteous purposes. And it being evidently as worthy of him, as it is eafy for him, to act thus, the reafon of mankind hath ever difpofed them to believe, what revelation hath fully confirmed, that a never-failing Providence ordereth all things, both in heaven and earth. Whatever befalls us, therefore, prosperous or adverfe,

adverse, being what our Maker judges and determines to be, on one account or another, fit and proper, events of both forts may justly be called bis judgments. But as, through the wick. edness of the world, he hath much oftener occafion to decree punishments than rewards, this name generally denotes the feverer-exercises of his power; the sufferings that he inflicts on men; or, in other words, that they bring upon themfelves. For the strong connection, which we experience, of our follies and fins with diftrefs and mifery, is one thing that proceeds from the juft judgment of God; from that order and course of things which he hath established.

Amidst the vast variety of providential difpenfations, fome are, to human faculties, unfathomable depths. We can only fee in them the awful exertion of his authority, who is Lord of all; and learn the important leffon of humbling ourselves before him, and fubmitting meekly to his will; in firm expectation, that whatever may look diforderly and wrong at prefent, will prove in due time to be wifeft and beft. Other things there are capable of affording further iustruction; concerning which, however, it is easy for partiality or inattention to make dangerous mistakes. For the fame events being often permitted to befall very different perfons, for as different ends, whoever will judge according to the first appearance, will be far from judging righteous judgment *.

But ftill, multitudes of occurrences remain. which convey fuch obvious and clear informations and warnings, that Providence must intend we should apply them to our own benefit. For God doth not punish merely for the fake of punishment. Even his severities are the effects of goodness; and always directed to the advantage, either of those who feel them, or at least of others; that they may hear and fear, and do no more wickedness. Looking back on the transactions of past ages, without a moral intention in doing it, is only gratifying an ufelefs curiofity, or acquiring knowledge full as likely to be ill used as well. But it is a most serious and profitable employment, humbly to trace the footsteps of infinite wifdom, in the government, as well as creation of the world; and think over the various fcenes and wonderful vis ciffitudes