SER M. fuperftition; between this and a mind free VII. from that bias, felf-pleas'd, with all the good affections, benevolence to all men, as well as a zeal of God,exerting themselves harmoniously; both which are exemplified in the apostle Paul at different periods of his life, tho' in both he says of himself, that be lived in all good confcience before God. The latter is full of peace; a calm ferenity and joy diffuses itself thro' the whole foul, and no disturbing paffions approach its rest, the apostle poffefs'd his mind in perfect tran quillity, undismay'd and unterrified in the midst of perfecution and under the im mediate expectation of death, rejoycing in the teftimony of his confcience that in fimplicity and godly fincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, he had his converfation in the world. The other fort of religion, tho' it proceeds from a zeal to God, and is in fomé refpects according to confci ence, yet does not fit eafy on the mind; it is accompanied with perturbation, and ver hement, tumultuous, and difquieting paffions. So Paul, tho' he faid that he thought himself oblig'd (in confcience) to do many things against chriftianity, which is as much as can be faid for any one in fuch a cafe, yet acknowledges, as Acts xxvi, 11. that he was exceeding

exceeding mad against chriftians, compelling SER M. them to blafpheme, furely a mind diftracted VII. with furious rage is in an unnatural state, and fuch as cannot be the genuine effect of religious virtue.

. By this time, I hope, we may be able to form a notion of what it is to have a confcience void of offence; it is to have that felf-reflecting power, which in every hu man mind, for itself, is vefted with the fovereign authority of judging what is right and wrong, and, accordingly, approving or condemning its own difpofitions, and actions, upon a calm, diligent, impartial confideration, and using the best means in its power for being well informed; to have it free from the imputation and felf reproach, not of all moral infirmity or failing, but of èvery habitual courfe of known evil, and even every fingle, allowed, wilful, wickednefs. It is the fame thing which the apostle Jobn expreffes by our heart not condemning us, ift Ep. iii. 21. And which he reprefents as the only folid foundation of confidence towards God; as, in fact it was the foundation of Job's confidence, Job xxvii. 5. and of Hezekiah, who, under the imme-diate apprehenfions of death, thus expreffes

SERM.in prayer to God, this having a confcien VII. void of offence, as the only fupport of his

foul in that extremity, Ifaiah xxxviii. 3.nės member, Lord, how I have walked before thee, in truth, and with a perfect heart, and done that which is good in thy fight grols tudt bluIt is worthy of our obfervation, that the apostle, in this very brief fummary of his religion, exprefly mentions two objects towards which his confcience was without offence, namely, God and man. But they are of different confideration, and confcience has to do with them in very different ways. It acknowledges God as its fovereign Lord; its measures of right and wrong ate his laws, and its judgments have a reference to his fuperior unerring tribunal, for, fays St. Paul, 1 Cor. iv. 4. I know nothing by myself, get am I not hereby juflified, but he that judgetb me is the Lord, Confcience owes no fuch respect to any man, no nor to all mankind; nay, it maintains its fupremacy against them all; their joint acquitting verdict cannot difcharge its accufations, and it triumphs in its felf approbation if they should all concur in condemning. But, the meaning is, that there being two principal objects without qurfelves, upon which our duty terminates,

God

God and man,ivit should be our care, asit SERM. wasitherapoftle's, not tostrefpafs againftier VII. ther; or, that our confciences fhould not have matter of accufation for violating either the one or the other branch of our duty; that along with pious affections to God, and humble fubmiffion to his will, we should conftantly fulfil the laws of righteousness, fidelity and charity to our fellow-creatures. This is abfolutely neceffary to true virtue and religion, in whatever light we confider itroit is only intire, not partial good affections, that will fatisfy the obligations we are under by the law of our nature: It is univerfal obedience which the divine commandments require; and he who offends in one paint, is guilty of all. We must be sensible that the declarations of the gofpel, the grace that brings falvation, indeed, the very design of it, requires that we should live rightedufly, as well as godly.

Secondly, I propos'd to fhew, that the having always a confcience void of offence towards God and man, is the proper fubject

of our conftant and careful attention. Herein do Lexercife myself.. This is the Sum of religion, a matter of the utmost importance

SERM. to every man for himself; it requires thereVII. fore the most affectionate concern and the

moft affiduous application. The wife author of nature has fitted the various kinds of beings he has formed for their proper ends; animals are determin'd to purfue theirs, by instincts which are planted in them; but man, who is indued with larger understanding, and a capacity of difcerning the nobler defign of his creation, and the true perfection of his rational nature, is left to profecute it in the most suitable manner, that is, by the beft and moft vigorous exercise of all his higher powers. What can be more congruous to reason than that our happiness should depend on ourselves; and that, as we generally find it even in the low affairs of the prefent life, fo it fhould be throughout, in virtue, in moral perfection, and rational enjoyment, that the hand of the diligent maketh rich? But, especially, as this is our ftate of trial" and preparation for a future exiftence, God is pleas'd now to commit to us that which is in comparison little, according to our Saviour's parable, Luke xvi. and that which is anothers, that by an induftrions improvement we may be the better fitted for much, and what shall be our own for ever. This is the principal

point