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enlighten them who were in darkness, and to SER M. turn the difobedient to the wisdom of the just; to strengthen fincere but weak converts to true religion, unto all obedience and long-suffering patience; to enable them to refift temptation; to abound in the fruits of righteousness, and perfect bolinefs in the fear of God.

Thus it is plain, that it was the defign of the christian Religion to give all men, and all intelligent beings who fhould come to the knowledge of it, a convincing proof of the holinefs of God; that is, to confirm this most important and neceffary truth, (which the light of nature also teaches,) that he is a being of the most perfect purity; who is difpleased with all moral turpitude, and has an inviolable regard to virtue in his reasonable creatures. And of this we have ftill a farther evidence in the account which the fcriptures give us of the divine judgment, or diftribution of rewards and punishments, which fhall be impartially rendered to all men according to their works. As the creatures who are reprefented as furrounding his throne, continually miniftring to him and standing before him that is, his chief favourites, and who have the nearest admiffion to his blifsful prefence, are perfectly innocent, free from all finful ftains and defects; fo mankind in their lower sphere and

more

SERM. more diftant fituation, are regarded by him

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not according to outward confiderations, (fuch as their nations, their tribes and families, their worldly condition,) for he regardeth the rich no more than the poor, the external appearance of their persons; nor yet according to their forms of devotion, and fhew of religious profeffion; (outward privileges may aggravate fins, they can attone for none,) but they are only regarded by the righteous God according to the integrity of their hearts, and the goodness of their actions. In this he acts with a steady impartiality, as the apostle Peter excellently speaks, and agreeably to the whole tenor of the facred writings, * Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of perfons, but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. And not only does the unbiafs'd rectitude of their judge determine their condition according to their general moral character, and the general tenor of their moral actions; but the degrees of his favour and displeasure, and the effects of both, are in exact proportion to the degrees of their moral goodness or evil. The righteous are his delight, he takes pleasure in them that fear him; his eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to fhew himSelf ftrong in the behalf of them whofe heart is

* A&ts x. 34, 35.

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perfect towards him*. And he as reservedS E R M. for them a great happiness to be enjoyed hereafter, a crown of righteousness and glory. But that happiness shall be unequal, bearing exact proportion to the degrees of their virtue and useful service in a state of trial; for he which foweth bountifully fhall reap bountifully, and he that foweth fparingly fhall reap sparingly. On the other hand, the punishment of finners in the future state shall also be unequal. For that fervant who knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, fhall be beaten with many stripes; but be that knew not, and did commit things worthy of ftripes, fhall be beaten with few stripes ‡.

Thus I have fhewn what evidence we have from reafon of God's moral rectitude, particularly as exercised and conftantly manifefting itself towards his creatures in his approbation of virtue and goodness wherever it is found, and his disapprobation of the contrary. And I have also fhewn, that the general strain of the scripture declarations upon the fame fubject is exactly agreeable to this, when they reprefent holiness as the true, effential, diftinguishing character of the fupreme Being, the very fum of all his adoraable and lovely perfections, confifting in an VOL. II.

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ime

* Chron. xvi. 9. +2 Cor. ix. 6. Luke xii. 47, 48,

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SER M. impartial and invariable diflike of, and oppofition to all moral impurity, and his perfect complacency in the righteousness and goodness of all moral agents, and their good actions; diftinguishing them by his favour, according to the measure of their real goodness. Upon which this reflection naturally arifes; that as there is no doctrine of greater importance to the ends of religion and virtue; none which the human mind, upon calm and ferious confideration, can more fully reft fatisfied in, as in all refpects worthy of the best and most excellent of all beings, the just object of their highest love and adoration; none which has a more direct tendency to excite pious and devout affections in our minds, to be the foundation of true and rational religion, and thereby promote the utmost perfection and happiness of the human nature; this, which is the peculiar glory of Christianity above all other pretended revelations, juftly recommends it to our esteem, and strongly supports its pretences to a divine original. It remains now that we confider,

3dly, To what useful purposes this doctrine may be applied for the forming of our tempers, and governing our practice. First, the moral rectitude of the Deity intitles him to our highest esteem and veneration. The human

mind is so constituted as neceffarily to difcern SERM. the difference between right and wrong, good I. and evil, in the difpofitions and the conduct of intelligent beings, and to diftinguish them in its regards, according to that difference. If a good moral character is reprefented to us, abstractly, so that our private interest is not affected by it in any degree, (as in a distant part of the world, or even another order of beings with whom we are not fuppofed to have any manner of communication,) yet it will immediately appear to us amiable; nay, tho' there be an oppofition of interest, and danger apprehended from it to our felves, the heart will feel a fecret veneration arife for inflexible integrity, and an unbias'd impartial aversion to all moral deformity. In the imperfect measure in which this good temper discovers itself among men, it is acknowledged to merit our approbation and our praise. Superior natures are held more venerable, because of their greater moral perfection, not because of their greater power and knowledge, which, fuppofing them deftitute of good moral qualities, would render them more detestable; and for this reafon evil Dæmons are the moft abhorred of all beings. What admiration then, and honour should we have in our hearts for original moral excellence, that abfo

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