he is could we view his internal and external life we should fee him stand a pure, spotless form of love and charity-all within the mind, heaven, peace, tranquility, and joy. We should fee him in the prefence of his beloved LORD GOD and SAVIOURfurrounded with angelic forms of love, excellence, and beauty-affociated with them, partaking of their felicity, uniting with them in all the infinitely delightful exercises of that kingdom-dwelling in a mansion erected by the hand of omnipotence and wisdom-and ten thousand times ten thousand internal and external pleasures perpetually awaiting him, in continual and everlasting succession. In short, we should behold him fully and eternally delivered from all evil, pain, forrow, and death; and everlastingly in the possession of all good, rest, joy, peace, life, and pleasure.

JOYS.

But here all human language fails-no tongue can tell, no pencil paint, no heart conceive THOSE However, glorious, great, and infinite as they are, they are not too glorious, too great, or too lafting, for God to give. He hath promised them, and referved them for every good man and woman; and he will give them to all who are such. Millions of millions are now in the possession of them-thousands, and perhaps tens of thousands, constantly entering into poffeffion-and in a very few years, or days, we who are now before the Lord, shall possess them likewife; if we are truly religious men and women.

Now,

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Now, my christian brethren, say what you think of religion is not the yoke of Jesus easy, and his burden light? Love him-love your neighbourkeep the commandments of your God. There is your whole duty-this is all the yoke and burden. Is it not a light one? Especially, when you confider what unspeakable pleasures attend such a life. We have seen that the man of no religion, is perpetually unhappy-has no peace, joy, or true pleasurehe lives in trouble, dies in pain, and sinks in woe. But the man of real religion is happy here, cheerful through life-he dies in hope, and rises to a glorious immortality.

Surely, then, we shall all take the advice of our adorable and merciful Lord. He says "take my "yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am " meek and lowly, and ye shall find rest unto "your fouls." If we have not obeyed this injunction, let us do it now; and if we have, let us continue in the service of the Lord-and by fcripture and experience make ourselves acquainted with the true pleasures of a religious life. I am confident my good friends, that only fuch a life can make us happy-you know it too. And, therefore, I hope we shall all be united, and with one heart and mind engage in it. Not forgetting that true religion makes us good fubjects-good members of society-good neighbours-as well as happy in our own fouls. If we abstain from that which is evil, and do that which is good, we must be useful in life

to

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to all, according to our ability. And the more we are fo, the more pleasure shall we feel in our own minds.

Let us daily labor to get free of every evil of heart and life (for that alone is the cause of all misery) and diligently pursue the path of goodness, faith, and love; that we may be filled with the joys and happiness of heaven. And in a very little time we shall find our regeneration compleatedbe called away into the eternal world-behold the Lord Jesus our God, whom we have loved and obeyed-mingle with the angels of heaven-enter our mansions of peace and rest-partake the nameless felicities of that blessed world-and enjoy the rewards and pleasures thereof, which our God hath promised (and will then give) through the boundless ages of a happy and joyful eternity! Which may the Lord Jesus grant unto every one of us, for his name and mercy fake. Amen.

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SERMON

SERMON VII.

THE LAW OF GOD ESTABLISHED;

OR,

THE DECALOGUE A RULE OF LIFE TO ALL, AND THE SUM AND SUBSTANCE OF ALL RELIGION.

MATT. V. 17, 18.

Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

I AM perfuaded there are not any articles

in our holy religion, in which mankind have been more mistaken, than in the nature of divine laws, and the redemption of Jesus Christ; two subjects these which, one would suppose, all christians should be agreed in, however they may differ in other

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matters because these appear to be real fundamentals of chriftianity. And, indeed, our Lord's fermon upon the mount (which our text is a part of) has fet the firit article in so clear and express a light, that one would imagine a close attention to that discourse would set us right in our judgment upon it. For it seems THAT VERY Discourse was chiefly designed to expound to us the nature of his divine laws, and our obligations to observe them.

I shall, in speaking from our text, endeavor to shew the fallacy of those opinions which are generally maintained concerning the moral law (fo called) and the redemption of Jesus Christ. And then attempt to fet those subjects in their true and scriptural light.

And here permit me to request not only your attention, but your candor; for any attempt to refute popular opinions is, confessedly, a disagreeable tafk; as those persons who maintain them will find themselves more or less hurt by that refutation. Every person, who is sincere and upright in his profeffion, supposes his own fentiments right and true; and therefore whatever opposes those sentitiments, will give him a degree of pain: and the more so, in proportion to his confirmation in those opinions.

Nevertheless, I prefume, fincere and upright persons will be willing to hear what may be advanced against THEIR view of things; and with candor and impartiality weigh what may be faid on

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