the almost expiring flame of religion! May the people of this land return unto him. with contrite hearts, and then shall They be his people, and He will be their God! May we, after all our iniquities, and all our unworthiness, "be saved amongst the remnant of the true Ifraelites; and be made one fold, under one Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end!"

SERMON II.

小

. ENQUIRY INTO THE PRESENT STATE OF BENEVOLENCE.

1 Cor. chap. xiii. part of verse 3.

Though I bestow all my Goods to feed the Poor, and have not Charity, it profiteth me nothing.

IN my last Sunday's difcourfe I afferted Preached

the great decrease of religion amongst us.

I illuftrated this in three inftances;-In the

neglect of outward profeffion and outward
obfervances ;-In the fashionable mode of
refolving Christianity into a mere system
of morality; and, afterwards, In refolving
the whole of morality into a few virtues,
viz. Charity and Beneficence.
C

In the

profe

at the

Afylum,

March 4,

1792 Morning.

SERMON profecution of the plan I then propofed,

II.

it is neceffary to take notice of, and to confider that argument in favour of the present age, which is every day exultingly produced against the charge of irreligion, that its benevolence is unparalleled in any æra of the world.

That Benevolence is a beautiful feature of the present times I am ready to allow. It is not neceffary, nor ought it, to be concealed, that what the enlightened and Christian judgments of some have planned for the relief and happiness of their fellow-creatures, is amply fupported by the alms of others. And, extenfive as thefe plans are, would to God they were encreafing, in an hundred-fold proportion, as the wants, the diftreffes, and the forrows of mankind encreafe! But when I am inclined to value myself upon a virtue, it behoves me to ascertain its real worth,

and

II.

and to examine my real pretenfions to it, SERMON with a very critical eye, before I offer it in juftification or mitigation of other omiffions or commiffions, or venture to plead it as an atoning merit. For want of this investigation, I am much inclined to fear that a very important mistake has taken place on this head.

It has been the custom to flatter mankind into benevolence, by a notion of its exclufive excellence, as it is to lull the pangs of a distempered body, by the administration of an opiate. But let Us, my brethren, be above the unworthy artifice; let us do good, because it is our duty -because it is a branch of Chriftian virtue -because it is a natural fruit of Chriftian faith; and not because we are taught that, by a cafual alms, we are entitled to think more highly of ourselves, and may rest secure that we have thus purchased the C 2

crown