V. defire of discharging my duty to my SERMON hearers, as ever actuated the labours of man. to And now I moft folemnly appeal you, is not the state of religion amongst us fuch as I have defcribed it to be? and if there is one particle of truth in the faith which we profess, is there not an urgent neceffity for reformation? I call, then, upon you, one and all, by your faith in Jefus Christ, by every precious hope you derive from him, to begin, in yourselves and your families, that reformation which can alone appease the displeasure of God, and save your own fouls. The times in which we live require every effort of example. It is not fufficient to steal through life without observation, to practice filent virtues, to cherish an inward piety, which has no witness but God and our own hearts; but our " light must so shine before men, that they may see our good V. SERMON good works, and glorify our Father which is in heaven *." The religion of Jesus Christ is more and more difregarded; the whole miffion of the Gospel is at stake; and the preacher of the glad tidings of falvation, of glory to God, and good-will towards men, may fay as he did at the first hour of his miffion, "He that is not with me is against me t." If we really believe in "the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jefus ‡," we shall eagerly do any thing to obtain it; we fhall gladly facrifice every thing to be worthy of it. Let us not then fear the foolish imputation of fanaticism; it is impoffible that our zeal and piety towards God fhould be too fervent; that our juftice fhould be too ftrict, our charity too enlarged towards men; and that our caution over our own *Matt. v. 16. + Matt. xii. 30. conduc V. conduct should be too guarded and exem- SERMON plary. Let the gay smile, and the thoughtless disregard; it is the only cross which in these days we have occafion to take up, and follow our mafter: and let us not be afhamed to bear this cross, till we shall behold it at the laft day the triumphant banner in Heaven, when we shall be partakers of his glory who for our fakes fuffered death upon it on earth. At that day, my brethren, I pray for you and I pray for myself, that when the fashion of this world is paffed away, when Christ shall be " all in all," when he fhall have " put all enemies under his feet +," we may be found worthy of the happy fentence, "come ye bleffed children of my Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world +." I Cor. xv. 28, 1 Cor. xv. 25. Matt, xxv. 34, H SERMON VI. ON THE DUTIES OF PARENTS. PROVERBS, Xxii. 6. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it, THE world, in which the Almighty Author of our being has at present placed us, is to be confidered as a state of pro 1 bation for another, more perfect and eternal. The nature of this probation is faith in his holy word, and obedience to his revealed will, But as the happiness of his creatures is the moving principle of all that God does towards them, and all that Preached at the Afylum, March 29 1789. |