from, a fenfe of duty, but is founded upon it, and grows out of it. When a holy foul has feen the infinite excellence and glory of the true God, loves him fupremely, and is devoted to him entirely, he alfo delights in him fu. perlatively.

Such a perfon is fully convinced that thofe, and thofe alone are happy, whofe God is the Lord, and that those who are afar off from him fhall certainly perifh. In a natural state, as the fure confequence of fin, the tranfgreffor flies from God, with a dread and horror of his presence. But the renewed foul returns to him with defire, and feels an uneafiness and want that cannot be fupplied but by the intimation of pardon, and fenfe of divine love. The warmth and fervor of devout affection is expreffed in the ftrongest terms in fcripture: "As the hart panteth after "the water-brooks, fo panteth my foul after thee, O God. My foul thirfteth for God, for the living God, when "fhall I come and appear before God. * Because thy lo"ving-kindness is better than life, my lips fhall praise "thee. Thus will I blefs thee while I live, I will lift up

my hands in thy name, my foul fhail be fatisfied as with "marrow and fatnefs, and my mouth fhall praise thee "with joyful lips."+

It is neceffary that ferving and delighting in God fhould be joined together on a double account. Their influence on one another is reciprocal. It is not eafy to diftinguifh a confcientious fludy to ferve and glorify God, from a flavish obedience through fear of divine power, but by its being infeparably connected with a delight in God, as the choice of the heart, and centre of the affections. On the other hand, it is hard to diftinguifh cleaving to God as our portion and happiness, from an interested mercenary bargain in religion, but by its being preceded by, founded upon, nay, even refolved into, a fenfe of the fupreme honor due to God for his infinite excellence. This reafonable fervice will then be attended with an unfpeakable fweetnefs and complacency, and the all-fufficiency of God will be an unfhaken fecurity for the happiness and peace of those who put their trust in him.

* Pfal. xlii. 1, 2. † Pfal. lxiii. 3, 4, 5.

We may often observe these two difpofitions jointly exerting themselves, and mutually ftrengthening one another, in the language and exercises of the faints in fcripture. With what fervor of fpirit, and with what inimitable force and beauty of ftyle, do we find the Pfalmist David expreffing himself in both views. Sometimes he makes a full furrender of himself and his all to the divine fervice and difpofal; at other times his foul" makes her "boast in God," and he exults in his happiness and fecurity under the divine protection: "O my foul, thou haft "faid unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord.*-The Lord "is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup, thou "maintainest my lot: the lines are fallen to me in plea"fant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage."+

66

These two things are, indeed, often fo intimately united that we are at a lofs to know whether we fhould interpret the language of the facred writers as a profeffion of duty, or an expreffion of delight, as in the following words: "I will fing unto the Lord as long as I live, I will fing praise unto my God while I have my being.-My me. "ditation of him fhall be fweet, I will be glad in the "Lord." How deeply the Pfalmift was penetrated with a fenfe of the honor and service due to God, may be particularly feen in fome of those animated paffages in which his enlarged heart calls upon every creature to join in the work of praise: "Blefs the Lord ye his angels, that ex"cel in ftrength, that do his commandments, hearkening "to the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord all ye his "hofts, ye ministers of his that do his pleasure. Bless the "Lord all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless "the Lord, O my foul."||

It is easy to fee how this diftinguishes the natural from the new-born foul; nay, it is easy to fee how this distinguishes the man who is renewed in the fpirit of his mind, from all others, however various their characters, however different or oppofite their purfuits. The defign of man's creation is expreffed in the Affembly's Shorter Catechifm,

Pfal. xvi. 2.

+ Pfal. xvi. 5, 6.

Pfal. ciii. 20, 21, 22.

Pfal. civ. 33, 34.

in a way that can fcarce be altered for the better; it was that he might "glorify God, and enjoy him for ever." As he departed from his duty by fin, fo alfo, at the fame time, from his happiness. As he refufed to do the will of God, fo he no more fought his favor, but placed his happiness and comfort in the creature "more than the Crea

tor, who is God bleed for ever." All unrenewed perfons, in one shape or another, place their fupreme happinefs in fomething that is not God. In this one circumstance they all agree, though the different forms which the world puts on to folicit their affection, the different degrees in which they profecute it, and the different ways in which they apply or abuse it, are fo very many, that it is impoffible to enumerate or defcribe them. Though there is but one God the idols of the nations are innumerable. There is but one way to peace, and if that is neglected, the unfatisfactory nature of all created enjoyments makes men fly from one earthly comfort to another, till they feel, by late experience, the vanity of them all. Their state is juftly described by the wife man, when he fays, "Lo this only "have I found, that God made man upright, but they "have fought out many inventions."*

It may not be improper here, juft to hint at a few of the principal pursuits by which the characters of men are diverfified, their hearts and cares divided, and the one thing needful forgotten and difregarded. Some there are who yield themselves up to the unreftrained indulgence of pleafure. Senfual appetite and paffion carry them on with unbridled fury. The luft of the flesh, the luft of the eye, and the pride of life, poffefs their affections, and their prevailing defire is to gratify these appetites, as far as their fituation and circumftances enable them, or the rival purfuits of others will permit them. This, which is ufually the first attempt of unfanctified and ungoverned youth, is well defcribed by the wife man, in the following strong caution against it: "Rejoice, O young man, in thy "youth, and let thine heart cheer thee in the days of thy "youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the

Ecclef. vii. 29.

fight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all thefe things, God will bring thee into judgment."* This is the path of the abandoned and heaven-daring profligate, who cafts off all fear of God, who burfts afunder every bond, "who draws iniquity with cords of vanity, and fins "as it were with a cart rope."

Again, There are some whofe hearts are fet upon prefent gain. Inflead of making that fober and moderate ufe of this world and its enjoyments, which becometh mortal creatures, they look upon it as their home. Inftead of confidering it only as a mean to a higher end, they have it as their chief or principal view, to fecure or enlarge their poffeffion of it. Thefe "fay to the gold, Thou "art my refuge, and to the fine gold, Thou art my con"fidence."-They think their "houfes will endure for"ever, and their dwelling-places to all generations.' This is often the fin of riper years: and, that the brutish folly of finners may more eminently fhow itself, it is often the reproach and scandal of old age, when its abfurdity is moft fenfible and apparent. What doth it fignify how much men of this character despise the levity of youth, or hate the filthy receptacles of fenfuality and luft, while their affections are fupremely fet upon the prefent world, while "they blefs the covetous, whom the Lord " abhorreth ?"

It is often fufficient to raise in every ferious perfon a mixture of compaffion and indignation, to hear those with whom poverty is the only crime, openly pleading før, and boafting of their attachment to the world, or treating with a smile of contempt those who tell them, from the word of God, that it is vain. Though nothing is more frequently confirmed by experience, it is ufual to confider this as only pulpit declamation, a part of our business and profeffion, but containing a maxim that cannot be applied to common life. Let all fuch be informed, whether they will hear it or not, that, however regular and abstemious they may be as to all fenfual indulgence, however diligent, eager, and fuccefsful in trade, "except they be born

Eccles. xi. 9.

"again, they cannot fee the kingdom of God." And, that they may not deceive themselves, but know in part at leaft, wherein this change confifteth, let them peruse and ponder the following paffage of the apoftle John: "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the "world: if any man love the world, the love of the Fa"ther is not in him."*

Once more. There are fome who walk in the path of ambition. Pride and vain glory is the idol at whofe fhrine they bow. Thefe, indeed, may be divided into very different claffes. Pride, which may be called the mafterpaffion of the human frame, takes in the most extensive and univerfal range. There is fcarce any ftate in which it is not able to exert itself, fcarce any circumftance which it is not able to convert into the means of its own gratification. All natural advantages which men enjoy over others, whether in refpect of body or mind; all the additional trappings of fociety, viz. wealth, ftation and office; all acquired advantages, intellectual, or even moral, become the fuel of pride. As fome endeavor by extraordinary actions to fpread their fame in public life, others, though in a narrower sphere, are under the habitual government of the fame defire. While great men are taking cities, and deftroying kingdoms, to get themselves a name, others of meaner rank are vying with one another in drefs, furniture, and equipage, or fuch inferior arts as they have been able to attain. Nay, those who never did any thing that could merit praife, too often fhew themfelves under the government of the most hateful and detefted kind of ambition, by a rancorous malice and envy against fuch as excel or outfhine them. We may go a ftep farther, and fay, there is great reafon to believe, that in fome, the cultivation of their minds, long and affiduous application to ftudy, zealous and fuccefsful endeavors to promote the public good, ought to be afcribed to no other fource, to no higher motive.

I thought I could not fall upon any way to illuftrate this part of my fubject, which would make it more intel

* 1 John ii. 15.