ful. On the contrary, the fincerely virtuous SER M. man only tasteth, and experimentally know- III. eth true rational liberty, for he hath actually attained the end of it, which is felf-approbation. The good Author of our being hath endued us with this power, not to make us miferable, but to make us happy; and the frame of our nature, together with conftant experience, fheweth us what the happiness is, which it is productive of, namely, an inward tranquillity and felf-enjoyment, arising from a consciousness of our having freely chofen to do, what to our own understanding appeared beft and fittest to be done: Now virtue is neceffarily the object of human approbation; it is impoffible for any man who confidereth it calmy and attentively, as fet in oppofition to moral evil, not to discern an excellence and dignity in the one, and an inseparable turpitude in the other, and not to judge that the former is fitteft to be chofen by him, and the other to be avoided; therefore the man who conftantly and uniformly practiseth virtue with the full consent of his heart, enjoyeth an inward serenity and self-applause, which, the more he revieweth it, increaseth ftill the more; no jarring paffions disturb his quiet, no stinging remorfe breaketh the composure of his

foul,

SERM. foul, nor filleth it with forboding fears ; a III. perfect harmony within is preserved; all the

parts of his inward frame, all its powers and affections, the fuperior and fubordinate, hold the rank which was appointed for them, and the beautiful œconomy of nature is regularly carried on to answer the end of rational happiness which its gracious Author originally defigned it for.

It appeareth from this confideration, that liberty hath a neceffary connection with virtue, and confequently is of the greatest importance to the principal ends of our being; for virtue is our highest perfection and chief good. The leaft reflection will fatisfy us, that there can be no virtue without free choice; and it is as evident that the laws of the human conftitution direct the proper exercise of liberty to the choice of virtue. And as by the kind appointment of our bountiful Maker, the regular use of every power in our nature hath pleasure annexed to it, fo hath liberty; a certain noble enjoyment arifeth in the mind from the freedom of its virtuous elections, especially when conscious, as it is in this imperfect probationary state of contrary tendencies, which, poffeffing a juft and rational felf-dominion, it hath conquered; and the more this felf

govern

government is exerted in repeated acts, ftill SERM. the eafier it groweth, and the more fatif- III. fying. Therefore when I fay, that liberty is the privilege of mankind, I do not mean that this fort of liberty laft mentioned is actually in the poffeffion of every man, with the fenfe and enjoyment of it: There is a foundation laid for it in the frame of our nature, or a capacity; but, like all other intellectual and moral endowments, the attainment dependeth on the proper proper improve

ment and exercife of our own faculties. No man is born with knowledge or virtue, but with a capacity of both, by a due exertion of his own powers, with a diligent ufe of the means which are afforded him; and the cafe is the fame with refpect to moral liberty.

This is a glorious part of that liberty wherewith Chrift hath made his difciples free. I do not fay it is what the apostle particularly intended in the text, for it appeareth from the context, that he fpeaketh of deliverance from the ceremonial law; but this is the firft, the fundamental liberty of chriftians, for which they are indebted to their great Master, and without which no other privilege will be available to them, for the purposes of religion or happiness. When

4

SERM. When mankind were in a very degenerate III. condition, the generality of them in a

wretched fervitude to fin, even dead in it, it pleafed God to fend his Son into the world for their redemption, by his fpirit anointing him to preach the gospel to the poor, deliverance to the captives, and liberty to them that were bruifed. This is the account our Saviour himself giveth of the defign of his miffion, and of his doctrine, in the eighth chapter of St. John's gospel and 31, 32 verfes, Then faid Jefus to thofe Jews that believed on him, if ye continue in my word, then are ye my difciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. And when they misunderstood his words, apprehending that he referred to an outward fervitude to men, which they had never been under, but had a right to the privileges of freemen, from their early ancestors, for they were the children of Abraham, he explaineth himself in the 34th verfe, Verily I fay unto you, whosoever committeth fin is the fervant of fin. The condition of a finner who habitually trenfgreffeth against the divine law, and the light of his own understanding, is infinitely worse, more ignominious, and more miferable, than that of a flave to the most cruel and tyrannical of mankind;

for

for the body only can be fubject to human SE RM. power, and its fufferings end with this fhort III. uncertain life, but the fervants of corruption, as St. Peter calleth them, who are brought in bondage to their lufts, have fubjected the fuperior powers of their nature, their reason itself, the diftinguishing glory of man, to the brutal part, and, without speedy and effectual repentance, funk themselves into endless degradation and mifery by the righteous fentence of him who hath power to caft into hell. This is the wretched ftate from which Jefus Chrift came to rescue finners, and these are the captives to whom he proclaimeth liberty, a liberty of mind, of will, and confcience, whereby men are not under a foreign yoke, but reftored to themfelves, to rule over their own fpirits, the inferior affections being fubjected to the fovereignty of reafon and confcience.

Agreeably to this doctrine of our Saviour, the apostle James giveth the chriftian inftitution that glorious character, the law of liberty, James ii. 12. The connection of which words standeth thus: The apostle had cenfured the Jews, to whom he writeth, for their partiality in making diftinctions among their brethren according to their outward condition, treating the poor with contempt, VOL. IV. F and