blish us in the truth, fill our hearts with peace and comfort in this life, and give us everlasting happiness in the next. If then you have any concern, either for the honour of that church to which you belong, for the welfare of your country, or the falvation of your fouls, let your converfation be as becometh the gospel of Chrift*. Pity and pray for them who are in error, that God would give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth†; and building up yourselves, as St. Fude exhorts, on your most holy faith, keep yourselves in the love of God; looking for the murcy of our Lord Jefus Chrift unto eternal life.

Now, unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to prefent you faulilefs before the prefence of his glory, with exceeding joy, to the only wife God our Saviour be glory and majefty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen §.

Phil. i. 27. † 2 Tim. ii, 25. ‡ Jude, ver. 20, 21. § Jude, ver. 24, 25.

SERMON CIII.

THE GREAT IMPORTANCE IN LIFE OF FREQUENT REFLECTION AND SELF-EXAMINATION.

HAGGAI, i. 5.

Now therefore, thus faith the Lord of Hofts, Confider your

ways.

THE faculty of reviewing our paft lives, and the present ftate of our hearts, in order to approve what is right, or condemn what is wrong in either, carries with it an evident obligation upon all men, to exercise it conftantly and uprightly. It is a principle, that implies in its very nature an authority over the whole of our conduct; and we every one feel ourselves most intimately bound to obey its dictates. Even when we doubt in particular how we are to act, we muft know in general, that we are to act as truth and conscience direct; and not to examine what they direct, or whether we are following it, or tranfgreffing the first fundamental law of moral agents. So that indeed God our Maker faith to each of us continually, by the inward voice of our own breafts, Confider your ways. A precept univerfally acknowledged, and highly honoured, even by Heathens; but peculiarly enforced on Christians, as it is not only often and solemnly enjoined in fcripture, but, to fecure all poffible regard to it, felf-examination is incorporated into the most facred rite of our holy religion (participation of the bleffed facrament,) as its vaft importance well deferved.

For in the midst of so many paffions and appetites as compofe our frame; fo many disorders in it as we are born with; fo many more as we have fuperadded; fuch powerful temptations as furround us on every fide; we cannot hope, that

the

the carefulleft attention to ourselves will keep us entirely free from faults; but without fuch care, we fhall fall into many more and worfe; we shall go much greater lengths in them; we fhall continue the wrong conduct we have once begun. blind to its guilt and peril, or only quit one error to adopt another, till we fix ourfelves down in a confirmed ftate of fin and mifery. Ey a little neglect of culture, a foil so fruitful of ill weeds, will foon be covered with them; befides, that the best inclinations of the beft minds, if left to themselves, will run wild and degenerate. And proportionally as perfons are more exempted from the free admonition of others, the more certainly and dangerously they muft err, unless preferved by a moft vigorous ufe of their own felf-reflections.

A duty, thus plain and thus neceffary, God will doubtless expect us to perform very faithfully. And what the Almighty commands, we shall always find it our interest to do, never to omit. When we have acted amifs, indeed, we muft feel pain in thinking of it. But it is pain in order to a cure, which health and eafe will follow; whereas, the cowardice of not fearching our wounds will inevitably make them fatal. In fome of the most trifling affairs of life, we should think it frangely abfurd, not to obferve what we are doing. But how vaftly more is it fo in the management of the whole of life; on which our happiness or mifery depends, in time and to eternity!

We cannot bear, perhaps, to be fo ferious. But if we refufe it, fooner or later we shall affuredly be driven to it. And never have there been in the world poor creatures fo dreadfully ferious, as they who have refolved to be always gay and thoughtless. Terrors of mind, pains of body, perplexity of affairs, have come to be their hourly companions, till, very often, life itself hath grown infupportable to them, and they have desperately broken out of it, and even that in vain. Here, or hereafter every one muft think; will we then do it, while it may avail us; or, when it can only aggravate our fufferings? Befides, perfons of the greatest levity are serious in fome points; as earneft as they are capable of being, about matters that very little deferve it; and why not about the one thing needful?

But, poffibly we are not convinced that our behaviour is of fuch infinite and eternal importance. However, at leaft, it is of importance to examine, whether it be or not." That inquiry can do us no harm; and it may do us good beyond conception.

But, perhaps, we have inquired, and think there is reafon to doubt of what we are commonly taught concerning these matters. But when did we begin to think fo? Was it before we had grofsly finned; or, however, were pretty much refolved to fin, and wanted to be made eafy in it? Or was it not in confequence of imagining, that an infidel way of thinking. would give us a diftinguished and fafhionable air? If fo, what chance was there, that our inquiry fhould be a fair one? It is not picking up from others, or inventing curfelves a few jefts and cavils, or even real objections against religion, that en-s titles us to say we have examined it; but an impartial tho-· rough search into every thing, within our reach, favourable to it, as well as contrary. What authors then have we read, with what men of learning and abilities have we converfed on the religious fide of the queftion? And with what fort of spirit have we done it? We have been caught, it may be, with fomewhat that appears ridiculous. But may not every thing almost be made to appear fo to a light mind? We have been fhocked, perhaps, by more folid difficulties. But are there not fuch in all parts of knowledge? Are there not much greater in what infidels believe, than what Chriftians believe? Whoever looks clofely into the matter, will find that their credulity, beyond comparifon, exceeds ours. Or, fuppofing, after fome honeft inquiry, we still doubt; have we not often doubted long, of what at laft we found true? Would we tamely give up our title to an cflate, or an honour, because a few suspicions were ftarted about it, that we could not immediately confute? And doth not our whole title, to no less than eternal felicity, ftand and fall with our religion?

But further; what do we doubt of? Not furely of all the articles of faith, and all the obligations of life. Have we then confidered well, what the undoubted ones are, and how far they ought to influence our conduct? Whenever we do, we fhall certainly find, that no one part of it can fafely be vicious; and, indeed, that there is not the leaft firm ground to

ftand

ftand on, between uniform piety and morals, and uniform profligateness and villainy. If God and virtue are realities, we are bound to every thing which they require in every cafe. If they are not, we are bound to nothing in any cafe. Whoever then is fhocked at the latter fuppofition, must take refuge in the former, and confequently fee it his duty, to weigh all his behaviour deliberately and impartially.

We find it but too eafy, if we will, to judge very favourably of almost the worst actions we have ever done. At leaft, between difguifing them with false colours, and hurrying on to do and think of somewhat else, we can for the most part quiet, if not applaud ourselves, especially if others, above all, others of our own rank, are guilty of them without fcruple. And even fins that we thought heinous ones, when they were just committed, after some time we grow to imagine scarce worth notice; as if distance leffened the reality of objects, as well as the appearance. But God fees every thing in its true light and magnitude, and surely then it is our concern to fee it fo too. For what can it avail us, to imagine pleafing falfehoods, when we are to stand so foon, indeed ftand always, before a judge, who difcerns the very bottom of our fouls, and to whom a thousand years are but as one day?

Have we then examined, as in his prefence, our lives and hearts? And by what standard have we tried their innocence or guilt? The practice of others can no more justify us, than ours can them. Mere fancy and inclination is no rule at all. And reason, if biaffed, is next to none. Have we then really done our utmost to diveft it of felf partiality, to enlighten it by the instruction of pious and judicious friends and books, and, above all, to direct it by the unerring word of God? The written laws of that, cannot be moulded into what we please, like the variable arguings of our own minds; but will unmoveably oppose our most darling paffions, if they be wrong. And fince our final state must be judged by it, furely our present ought too.

If then there be any perfons, (and God grant there be not many here) who have never duly obeyed his great command of confidering their ways; To-day, if ye will bear his voice,

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