that press upon them and arrest their attention in this. These, I am persuaded, are the real sentiments, and they are perfectly conformable to the actual practice, of a large part of mankind. But to all these pretences, the instance of the centurion is a direct, complete, and satisfactory answer. He was by his situation in life a man of the world. His profession was that which of all others is generally considered as most adverse to religious sentiments and habits, most contrary to the peaceful, humane and gentle spirit of the Gospel, and most exposed to the fascination of gaiety, pleasure, thoughtlessness, and dissipation. Yet amidst all these obstructions to purity of heart, to mildness of disposition and sanctity of manners, we see this illustrious CENTURION rising above all the disadvantages of his situation, and, instead of sinking into vice and irreligion, becoming a model of piety and humility, and of all those virtues which necessarily spring from such principles. This is an unanswerable proof, proof, that whenever men abandon themselves to impiety, infidelity, and profligacy, the fault is not in the situation, but in the heart; and that there is no mode of life, no employment or profession, which may not, if we please, be made. consistent with a sincere belief in the Gospel, and with the practice of every duty we owe to our Maker, our Redeemer, our fellow-creatures, and ourselves. Nor is this the only instance in point; for it is extremely remarkable, and well worthy our attention, that among all the various characters we meet with in the New Testament, there are few represented in a more amiable light, or spoken of in stronger terms of approbation, than those of certain military men. Beside the centurion who is the subject of this Lecture, it was a centurion who at our Saviour's crucifixion gave that voluntary, honest, and unprejudiced testimony in his favour, Truly this was the Son of God" It was a centurion who generously preserved the life * Matt. xxvii. 54. life of St. Paul, when a proposition was made to destroy him after his shipwreck 'on the island of Melita*. It was a centurion to whom St. Peter was sent by the express appointment of God, to make him the first convert among the Gentiles; a distinction of which he seemed, in • every respect, worthy: being, as we are told," a just and a devout man, one that feared God with all his house, that gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." We see then that our centurion was not the only military man celebrated in the Gospel, for his piety and virtue; nor are there wanting, thank God, distinguished instances of the same kind in our own age, in our own nation, among our own commanders, and in the recent memory of every one here present. All which examples tend to confirm the observation already made, of the perfect consistency of a military, and every other mode of life, *Acts, xxvii. 43. + Acts, x. 2, life, with a firm belief in the doctrines and á conscientious obedience to the precepts of religion. Thirdly, there is still another reflection arising from this circumstance, with which I shall conclude the present Lecture; and this is, that when we observe men bred up in arms repeatedly spoken of in Scripture in such strong terms of commendation as those we have mentioned, we are authorized to conclude, that the profession they are engaged in is not as a mistaken sect of Christians amongst us professes to think, an unlawful one. On the contrary, it seems to be studiously placed by the sacred writers in a favourable and an honourable light; and in this light it always has been and always ought to be considered. He who undertakes an occupation of great toil and great danger, for the purpose of serving, defending, and protecting his country, is a most valuable and respectable member of society; and if he conducts himself with valour, fidelity, and humanity, and amidst the horrors of |