the grass, from whose fatal touch we must fly in haste, if we would not experience its sting.Too many have no just apprehensions of this danger. Fools, said the wise man, make a mock at sin. A fool indeed he must be, who dares to think lightly of it. He shews not only the depravity of his heart, but, what perhaps he will be more ashamed to be charged with, he shews his ignorance of the world. He shews that he knows not, he understands not, even his worldly interest, nor the interest and happiness of human society.

In the second place, let us learn, from what has been set forth, one of the most awful and important of all truths, the reality of a Divine government exercised over the world. Blind must that man be who discerns not the most striking marks of it, in the doctrine which has been under our review. If there be a sceptic, who contends, that unrestrained liberty in the gratification of desire is given to man; that, in the sight of his Creator, all actions are equal; and that no rule of moral conduct hath been prescribed, or by any penalty enforced; in order to confute such a man, we have not recourse to reasonings, but simply appeal to plain and obvious facts. We bid him look only to the life of man ; and take notice how every vice is, by the the constitution of things, connected with misery. We bid him trace the history of any one, with whose conduct he had particular occasion to be acquainted; and observe, whether the chief misfortunes which pursued him were not brought upon him by his own misbehaviour. We bid him remark in the history of nations, whether public virtue has not always exalted them; and whether licentiousness and crimes have not paved the way for their ruin. These are testimonies to the truth of religion which cannot by any sophistry be evaded. This is a voice, which speaks its warnings loud and strong to every heart.

The system upon which the Divine government at present proceeds, plainly is, that men's own wickedness should be appointed to correct them; that sinners should be snared in the work of their hands, and sunk in the pit which themselves had digged; that the backslider in heart should be filled with his own ways. -Of all the plans which could have been devised for the government of the world, this approves itself to reason, as the wisest and most worthy of God; so to frame the constitution of things, that the Divine laws should in a manner execute themselves, and carry their sanctions in their own bosom. When the vices of men require punishment to be inflicted, the Almighty is at no loss for ministers of justice. A thousand instruments of vengeance are at his command; innumerable arrows are always in his quiver. But such is the profound wisdom of his plan, that no pecliar interposals of power are requisite. He has no occa

sion to step from his throne, and to interrupt the order of nature. With that majesty and solemnity which befits Omnipotence, He pronounces, Ephraim is joined to his idols; let him alone.* He leaves transgressors to their own guilt, and punishment follows of course. Their sins do the work of justice. They lift the scourge; and with every stroke which they inflict on the criminal, they mix this severe admonition, that as he is only reaping the fruit of his own actions, he deserves all that he suffers. -From what has been said, I might take occasion,

In the third place, to show the injustice of our charging Providence with a promiscuous and unequal distribution of its favours among the good and the bad. That unequal distribution takes place in appearance only, not in reality. The whole conduct of Providence sufficiently marks, which of those classes of men it blesses and protects. The prosperity of sinners is no more than a deceitful show. The great materials of happiness are provided for the virtuous; and evil never fails to pursue the wicked. I shall close the discourse with observing,

In the fourth and last place, the necessity which plainly arises from our present condition, of looking up to God for direction, and aid in the conduct of life. The result of the whole doctrine I have now delivered is, that man's happiness or misery is in a great measure, put into his own hands. In vain he complains of Providence. If his heart fret against the Lord, it is only because his foolishness hath perverted his way: for on himself, and his own behaviour, it depends, to be free of those miseries which harass the wicked.-But, alas! when we say, that this depends upon man, on what uncertain ground do we place his security? Is man, when left to himself, equal to this high trust that is reposed in him, this important charge that is committed to him, of attaining happiness, by wise and irreproachable conduct?--Inconstant as he is in virtue, variable in his resolutions, soft and yielding in his nature to a thousand temptations; how shall he guide himself through such slippery and dangerous paths as those of human life; where many hidden precipices surround him; many false lights lead him astray; and where the consequence of every step he takes may be destruction and ruin ?

Thankful let us be to Heaven, that in this situation, a merciful guide stretches out his hand to aid us; that a celestial light shines upon us from above; that a divine Spirit is promised to illuminate and strengthen us. Let us humbly request of Heaven, that this Spirit of the Almighty may ever be our guide; never presumptuously trusting in our own wisdom, but listening attentively to the voice of God; and in all our ways

* Hosea, iv. 17.

acknowledging him who only can direct our steps.-Upon the whole let us hold fast the persuasion of these fundamental truths; -that, in all his dispensations, God is just and good; that the cause of all the troubles we suffer is in ourselves, not in Him; that virtue is the surest guide to a happy life; that he who forsakes this guide, enters upon the path of death; but that he who walketh uprightly, walketh surely; and that he who keepeth the commandment, keepeth his own soul.

SERMON LXV.

ON INTEGRITY AS THE GUIDE OF LIFE.

The integrity of the upright shall guide them.-Proverbs, xi. 3.

RIGHTEOUSNESS and sin, are, in this book of Proverbs, frequently contrasted with each other, and the advantages of the former displayed. The righteous man is shown to be more excellent than his neighbour, as the ways in which he walks are ways of pleasantness, while the ways of transgressors is hard. Honour is represented as attending the one, while shame is the portion of the other. The path of the one leads to life; that of the other to destruction. In the text, an advantage of righteousness is specified, which is not commonly attended to, and which some will not readily allow that it possesses. We are told by the wise man, that it affords light and direction to conduct, and will prove our best guide through all the intricacies of life. The integrity of the upright shall guide them; or, as it is added, to the same purpose, in a following verse, the righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way. There are many who will admit, that integrity is an amiable quality; that it is entitled to much respect, and in most cases ought to influence our behaviour; who, nevertheless, are unwilling to allow it the chief place in the direction of their worldly conduct. They hold, that a certain artful sagacity, founded upon knowledge of the world, is the best conductor of every one who would be a successful adventurer in life; and that a strict attention to integrity, as his only guide, would often lead him into danger and distress. In opposition to tenets of this kind, I now purpose to shew that, amidst all perplexities and dangers, there is no guide we can choose so safe, and so successful on the whole, as the integrity of an upright mind; and that, upon every trying occasion, principles of probity and honour will conduct a good man through

life with more advantage, than if he were to act upon the most refined system of worldly wisdom.

IT will not take much time to delineate the character of the man of integrity, as by its nature it is a plain one, and easily understood. He is one who makes it his constant rule to follow the road of duty according as the word of God, and the voice of his conscience, point it out to him.

He is not guided merely by affections, which may sometimes give the colour of virtue to a loose and unstable character. The upright man is guided by a fixed principle of mind, which determines him to esteem nothing but what is honourable, and to abhor whatever is base and unworthy in moral conduct. Hence you find him ever the same; at all times, the trusty friend, the affectionate relation, the conscientious man of business, the pious worshipper, the public-spirited citizen. He assumes no borrowed appearance. He seeks no mask to cover him; for he acts no studied part; but he is in truth what he appears to be, full of truth, candour and humanity. In all his pursuits, he knows no path but the fair and direct one; and would much rather fail of success, than attain it by reproachful means. He never shews you a smiling countenance, while he meditates evil against you in his heart. He never praises you among your friends; and then joins in traducing you among your enemies. You will never find one part of his character at variance with another. In his manners, he is simple and unaffected; in all his proceedings, open and consistent.-Such is the man of integrity spoken of in the text. Let us now proceed to shew, in what manner, and with what effect, integrity serves for the guide of his life.

EVERY one who has begun to make any progress in the world, will be sensible, that to conduct himself in human affairs with wisdow and propriety, is often a matter of no small difficulty. Amidst that variety of characters, of jarring dispositions, and of interfering interests, which take place among those with whom we have intercourse, we are frequently at a stand as to the part most prudent for us to choose. Ignorant of what is passing in the breasts of those around us, we can form no more than doubtful conjectures concerning the events that are likely to happen. They may take some turn altogether different from the course in which we have imagined they were to run, and according to which we had formed our plans. The slightest incident often shoots out into important consequences, of which we were not aware. The labyrinth becomes so intricate, that the most sagacious can lay hold on no clue to guide him through it: He finds himself embarrassed, and at a loss how to act.— In public and in private life, in managing our own concerns, and in directing those of others, the doubt started by the wise