SERM. no good end; they can neither fatisfy the
XII. demands of reafon and confcience, yield to

ourfelves any true enjoyment, nor please God.
The leaft attention to our natural fentiments
concerning right and good, and to our notions
of the Deity, of his nature and attributes,
will convince us, that the duty of thankf
giving is not fulfilled in what the prophet
calls the calves of our lips, nor are our words
of value at all farther than as they pro-
any
ceed from a fincere prevalent affection, in
which gratitude effentially confifts. Let us
therefore always carefully attend to the habi-
tual temper of our fpirits; try whether the
bent of them be to entertain a delightful
fenfe of the daily communications of the di-
vine goodnefs to us; and, whatever occurs
to us in the courfe of things, whether ordi-
nary, or in a peculiar fenfible manner affect-
ing our condition, to raise our thoughts to
the contemplation of God's interpofing as the
fovereign, wife and gracious disposer. And
let us conftantly endeavour to cultivate fuch
a temper, by often engaging our minds
to fuch defigned and deliberate meditation.
as fhall tend to raise and confirm it. The
natural operation of gratitude in the heart is
to think often and with pleasure on the
benefactor,

benefactor, and all the circumstances whereby SERM. his beneficence is heightened in its efteem. XII. And the mind which is fo difpofed towards God, must in all its ways find a multitude of occafions which invite to this.

Secondly, another inftance of our acknowledging God in our ways, is, the forming our purposes and the measures of our conduct by a regard to his will. Since he has been pleafed to become our guide, he has vouchfafed to fhew us that which is good and what he requires of us, by writing the work of his law upon our hearts, and by giving us his word to be a light to our feet, and a lamp to our path, our acknowledging him must import our following his direction. What can be a more natural expreffion of our owning God to be what he really is, and what we profefs to believe he is, the fupreme Lord of the universe, the pureft and moft perfect of all beings, infinitely wife and good; what can be a more natural expreffion of this, I fay, than our imitating him as far as we can, and doing his will, or keeping his commandments. St. Paul had reason to say as he doth * of those whofe minds and confciences are

X 3

de

* Tit i. 16.

SERM. defiled, the disobedient, and to good works reXII. probate, that, though they profess to know

God, or in words acknowledge him, yet, in reality and in works, they deny him. The notices of his will or the work of his law is written upon our hearts in fo plain characters, that it is utterly impoffible to reconcile a wicked courfe of life to an affectionate and lively fenfe of him upon our minds.

But, the man who would practically and conftantly acknowledge God in his ways, fo, as to enjoy the approbation of God and of his own conscience, ought to confider the extent of his law both in its precepts and prohibitions. That it, not only requires an abftinence from grofs crimes, and the regularity of our external actions; but enjoins alfo a heavenly, a pure, a fpiritual, a virtuous temper of mind upon all occafions, to preferve which a conftant and careful attention to our hearts, the course of our affections and our thoughts, will be neceffary. The law of God is alfo exceeding broad or extensive in another refpect, that is, it takes within its direction all our affairs, every important atticle of bufinefs, all our counfels, our deliberate defigns and measures. Whatever the particular object of our defires and pursuits

be,

be, whatever the concerns we are immediately SERM. employed about, not merely thofe of reli- XII. gion, but which relate to our interests in this life, our commerce with our fellow-creatures, the exchange of offices with our relatives of mankind; or schemes for advancing ourfelves; ftill, our counfels fhould be taken, our defigns carried on, with a regard to God, to his authority and laws. Nay St. Paul teaches Chriftians to govern themselves by this rule, even in matters which seem to be the most remote from religion * Whether ye eat or drink, or whatever ye do, do all to the glory of God. Thefe, and others like them, the most ordinary actions in life which feem to be the functions of animal nature rather than the works of a Chriftian, yet the principles of piety interpofe in the regulation of them; still we should take care to keep within the bounds of virtue, which is glorifying God, for it is the great end of his moral government in order to promote a rational happiness; ftill we fhould endeavour by temperance to preserve the freedom of our minds and a juft dominion over our appetites and paffions; we should study to avoid whatever may give offence to our fellow-fervants of

X 4

God,

1 Cor. x. 31.

SRM God, and to advance the honour of Chris XII. ftianity. It is not enough barely to avoid

what appears plainly to be unlawful, it should be our care to guide our affairs with dif cretion; to manage them fo, as, in the best manner we can, to ferve the caufe of truth, of piety, and virtue; which is always uppermoft in the heart of a good man, and to promote it ought to be the principal intention of all. A

Third inftance of acknowledging God in our ways, is, putting our confidence in him, and committing our ways and our works to the conduct of his providence. We muft confider ourselves as in an indigent and imperfect condition. We have not in our hands the government of the world, nor the dif pofid of events in it, even those relating to ourfelves: experience shows that things fall out often other wife than we wifhed or expected, and no project of ours can afcertain the iffue we define, nor all the diligence we can pof fibly ufe, for it depends on caufes intirely out of the reach of our knowledge and power. And yet we cannot help being follicitous about iffues; they are, fome of them, of great importance to our own happiness, and to interefts for which the best affections of