pleasing, being fruitful in every good work. It should engage us to fear God the more; complying with the admonition of the Prophet-Fear the Lord and his goodness. It should humble, shame, and grieve us, for having offended such goodness and such mercy. It should breed and nourish in us faith and hope in God: for how can we distrust such goodness; that he will refuse to help us in our need; that he will fail in the fulfilment of his promises; that he will withhold what is proper and convenient for us? It should preserve us from despair for, how can we despair of mercy, if we heartily repent of our misdoings, and sincerely endeavour to please him? It should render us submissive, patient, and contented under God's correction as knowing that it cannot be without a just cause, that such goodness is displeased with us. Wherefore doth a living man complain for the punishment of his sins? since it is our sins that have withholden good things from us. In gratitude towards God, and in imitation of him, it should also engage us to be kind and bountiful, pitiful and affectionate towards our brethren-to be kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven us. Lastly, we ought to take the most especial care lest we pervert this excellent truth by mistakes and vain presumptions-that we do not turn the grace of God into lasciviousness. Though God is good and merciful, we must not conceive that he will

indulge us in sin, or connive at the presumptuous transgression of his laws. No-God, as he is good, cannot but detest what is opposite to goodness; he cannot, he will not permit us to dishonour him, to wrong our neighbour, or to spoil ourselves. As he is infinitely benignant, so also he is perfectly holy, and of purer eyes than to behold iniquity. He is not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness, neither shall evil dwell with him. The foolish shall not stand in his sight; he hateth all workers of iniquity. His face is against them that do evil. Finally, as God is gracious to all such as are capable of his love, and qualified for his mercy; so he is an impartial and upright judge, who will deal with men according to their deserts; according to the tenor of his laws and ordinances; according to his immutable decree and word. As, therefore, we have every reason to trust and hope in him, so we have no true ground to presume upon, or to trifle

with him

SERMON XXIII.

FROM BARROW.

1 COR. iv. 16.

I beseech you be ye followers of me.

ST. PAUL, by impartially reflecting on his heart. and life, being well assured that he was plenteously endued with the divine grace, and enlightened by the Holy Spirit with a certain knowledge of all necessary truth; being conscious of the sincerity of his zeal towards God and man; being satisfied, that his conversation was conformable to the dictates of a sound conscience, to the sure rule of God's law, and to the perfect example of his Lord; that his intentions were pure and upright ;-(not from arrogance or ostentation, but from an earnest desire to glorify God, and edify his disciples) describes and sets forth his own practice; proposing it as a rule, and pressing it upon them as an encouragement, an obligation to the performance of the several duties of a Christian. Thus, he directs and urges

the Ephesians to a charitable compliance, a gentle and inoffensive demeanour-Give no offence, says he, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church of God; even as I please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the pro

fit of many,

that they may be saved; be ye fol

lowers of me. Thus he guides and stimulates the Philippians to proficiency in grace, and the study of Christian perfection. Nevertheless whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together with me, and mark such as walk so, as ye have us for an ensample. By a similar argument he encourages the Thessalonians to sobriety and industry, to self-denial and a generous disregard of private interest.-For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travel, night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

Thus also he recommends the practice of virtue and goodness by the same rule and obligation.Those things, which ye have learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do, and the God of peace shall be with you. And thus, in our text, he urges his disciples at Corinth, to fidelity and diligence, to humility, charity, and patience;

of which he represents himself to have set before them an encouraging example. I shall endeavour, therefore, to show that it is our duty to consider the life and conversation of the good, and steadily to follow their example.

To provide us with these examples, the goodness of God has, in all ages, raised up men of superior character, furnishing them with rare endowments, and assisting them with the continual influence of his grace, that they might not only instruct us with wholesome doctrine, but be our guides in the paths of righteousness. For what St. Paul says of the sins and punishment of the wicked, is no less applicable to the virtues and example of the goodAll these things happened unto them for ensamples, and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

Examples direct our practice more easily than precepts. Precepts are delivered in a universal and abstract manner, without the assistance or intervention of the senses, and consequently can have little operation upon the fancy, and soon escape the memory; but good example, with less trouble and greater efficacy, causes us to comprehend the whole, and represents it to us like a picture with all the parts harmoniously disposed, and perceptible at a single glance. In it you see described at once the thing done, the quality of the actor, the manner and measure of the action: and this is the most easy as well as delightful method of instruc

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