away. Let him, that thinketh he standeth, take heed, lest he fall!-This caution is very necessary to be observed, even by those who have constantly gone on in an undeviating course of virtue; but it more particularly applies to him who is just emerging from the gulphs of vice; for even the very habit of sinning, independent of the depravity of heart which wickedness creates, will be continually soliciting his return. Let every one then, who is fully convinced of his former miscarriages, and truly sorry for them, constantly retain the example of St. Paul in his eye; and as that great apostle, who had erroneously offended, thought himself obliged to use such extraordinary efforts in favour of the religion of Jesus,-much more let him, who has so frequently sinned knowingly and presumptuously, exert every faculty of his soul, and employ every hour of his life, to exhibit himself a pattern of every Christian grace and every human virtue.

SERMON XLI.

THE TEMPORAL AND ETERNAL ADVANTAGES OF GODLINESS.

1 TIMOTHY IV. 8.

Godliness is profitable unto all things; having the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

It is very unaccountable how it ever came to be imagined that religion was an unprofitable and ill-natured thing, and that if a man was determined earnestly to follow it, he must give up all the pleasures of this world, and quit every hope of advancing himself in it. say, is very unaccountable, evidently the case; the religious man is of all others by far the most likely to obtain and to relish worldly happiness, and to arrive at that degree of worldly honour and wealth which his birth and education will admit.

This persuasion, I since the contrary is

Two things are affirmed in the text,-one, that godliness has the promise of the life to come, i. e. that religion will procure for its followers everlasting joys in Heaven; another, that it has

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the promise of this life, that it will obtain for them an abundant share of earthly good things.

As to the truth of the first, there is no dispute; almost all are agreed, that if a man is devout towards God, fearing, loving, and serving him as he ought, and if he behaves to his fellow-creatures as the Scripture, God's word, enjoins (acting by them as he would expect they should act by him) and if he be temperate, sober, and chaste in his own personal behaviour, almost all are agreed, that if he conducts himself thus, when this life shall be ended, he will be rewarded in a state which is to follow.

How, indeed, is it possible, that a reasonable being should believe otherwise? That we did not come into the world without a maker, is very evident; that that maker is infinitely good, wise, and powerful, may easily be proved; whence it will follow, as he is good, that he delights in goodness; as he is wise, that he knows fully when it is practised, and when neglected ;-and as he is powerful, that he is able to confer rewards on the obedient, and inflict punishment on the rebellious.

In the Scriptures also, are contained, to the same effect, the words of this our Maker; in them, by means of holy and good men, and by his beloved Son, he speaks to us, and tells us of the happiness which he has prepared for the righteous, and the misery which is laid up for the wicked. God, who cannot lie, tells us this; let us, there

fore, be sure that it will happen according to his word. These promises and threats are addressed without exception to all men, and, whether we choose it or not, we are all equally concerned in them; we can neither obtain the former, nor escape the latter, if we refuse to act as God has commanded. It is necessary, perhaps, to mention this, because the opinion is not very unusual, that religion was only meant for particular sets of men; for the clergy for instance, for the rich, for the old, for the sickly, in short, for any but ourselves. The rich are frequently for shifting it off to the poor, and the poor again to the rich; the healthy would leave it to the sick, and the sick to the healthy; and some of all descriptions would gladly persuade themselves, that it was intended for others, but not for them. But yet no exception is found in the Scriptures in favour of any; all are commanded to be devout towards God, and just and benevolent towards men.

It is in vain, then, that we plead any particular difficulties, arising from our particular situation, rank, age, or profession, in excuse for disobeying this command; such pleas will not be admitted; there is certainly no impossibility, be our condition what it may, of serving God, and being just and kind to our fellow-creatures: and though some may practise these duties in a greater extent than others, all may do it in some degree; allowance will be made for what is impracticable, but not for what is only difficult; if we strive

with difficulties, they will certainly yield to us; but if, from indolence, and the desire of indulging our vicious passions, we ingloriously yield to them, and allege them as excuses for our depravity, let us not flatter ourselves with hopes that we shall either obtain the rewards which God has promised, or escape the condemnation which he has threatened. Godliness, by which is meant not only devotion towards our Maker, but an obedience to all his commands, has the promise of the life to come; and though we may imagine that we have ever so much to say for ourselves, in palliation of our irreligion and disobedience, on no other terms but religion and obedience can we go to Heaven. But it is asserted in the text, that godliness has likewise the promise of this present life; that is, that men shall be happy and successful on earth, if they are pious to God, and benevolent to men; the truth of which I now proceed to prove to you.

That the religious man is the most likely to be happy inwardly, let his outward condition be what it may, admits, I think, of no doubt; for he is certain that if he perseveres in his goodness, though he may endure many calamities here, he will soon arrive at a period when he shall be removed from them, and be recompensed with happiness which shall never end. This consideration, together with the certainty that he is even now in the favour, and under the protection of an allpowerful Being, cannot fail to support him under

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