the oppofition and obftructions, whereon the better or the worse fuccefs of my efforts and exertions depends. He has fixed the scope and limits to my sphere of operation, fettled my relations towards others, and the relations of others towards me, and the relations of all towards the whole, and determined the influence which I fhould have or not on the welfare and the fortunes of all. Muft not he be the best judge of what I am fit or not fit for, how much or how little he may commit and entrust to me, to what purposes he can employ or not employ me? No, it is childish petulance to cavil at his wife administration, to affect to be more, to do more, to operate more, than my faculties, my post, my circumstances will allow. Would he, the fovereign ruler of the universe, that these or those remarkable alterations and improvements, which I wish to effect and yet cannot effect, among mankind, my brethren, fhould take place, he never is deficient in means and inftruments to that end, whenever the best, the properest time for it is arrived. Of me he requires no more than that I deal faithfully in those transactions which he has entrusted to me, that I labour in full affiance in his providence, and leave to him the refult of my labour. If I execute the business which he has commiffioned me to do, if I be that which he designs that I fhould be, I am fure of his good pleasure, I advance progreffively to fuperior perfection, he will hereafter entrust more to me, and then fhall I plainly perceive, that I even at prefent have not laboured in vain. Thus thinks the virtuous man, the christian; and is not this to think fagaciously and wifely? Yes, my dear friends, let us confider the matter. on whichever fide we will, the declaration in our text fhines to our eyes as an undeniable, a divine truth: God himself has faid to man, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding! Yes, it is certain, that a virtuous, godly, chriftian life is an eminently wife and intelligent life; certain, that he alone deferves the appellation of a real fage, who adopts fuch a temper and conduct! Happy he, who inwardly feels and firmly believes this truth, and, being now inflamed with the most ardent aspirations after this wisdom, implores it of him who alone can give it, and who freely bestows it on every one who is earnestly folicitous about it! Thrice happy the man, who finds this wisdom, the man who acquires this understanding! "The merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of filver, and the gain thereof than fine gold. Length of days is in her right hand; and in her left hand riches and honour. Her ways are ways of pleasantnefs; and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her!" Oh may ye all, my dear friends, prize according to her real worth, this heavenly wisdom, feek her with unremitted ardour, happily find her, and in her poffeffion enjoy that entire felicity which the procures to her friends, both in the present and in the future world! Amen. SERMON XLIV. The Beauty and Honour of a chriftian Temper and Conduct. MOST OST gracious God, bountiful parent, humble as may be the station which we occupy among thy intelligent creatures capable of felicity, yet our deftination is fublime. We are not to remain at this inferior stage, are never to go backwards, but always to advance, continually to become more perfect and happy, and thereby continually to approach nearer to thee, the primeval fount of perfection and felicity. In thy benignity thou haft made us capable of a perpetu. ally progreffive, an everlasting growth in knowledge, in wisdom, in virtue, in generally useful activity, in resemblance with thy image and representative Jefus Christ, And what motives, what encouragements to perpetual, unwearied progrefs on the paths of chriftian perfection haft thou not given us! Security, repose of mind, pure pleasure, superlative delight, fubftantial honour, undecaying renown are our fure attendants on these paths; the affurance of thy fu. perintendance and thy loving kindness, and the confolation of a good confcience render our course on them easy and pleasant; and at the end of our carreer the crown of the conqueror fparkles before us, the prize of everlasting life. Oh that we were all of us perpetually mindful of our grand deftination, and inflamed by a noble ambition, ftrove constantly more completely to obtain it! Do thou thyfelf, o God, by thy good fpirit, direct our ambition to the beft, the worthieft objects, to wifdom and virtue, to intrinsic fpiritual perfection, to that which is and will for ever continue to be honourable in heaven as well as upon earth. Blefs in this view the confiderations that are now to employ us, and grant that they may contribute fomewhat to the refinement of our fentiments and to the amendment of our conduct. For these things we pray thee, in firm reliance on the promifes given us by thy fon Jefus, and adore thee farther in his name and comprehenfive form of words: faying, Our father, &c. PHILIPP. iv. 8. If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. AMBITION is natural to us all; as natural as the endeavour after fuperior perfection, after the enlargement of our sphere of action, after greater influence on the whole. We are defirous that others fhould entertain a good opinion of us, place great confidence in us, have a high esteem for us; becaufe we know, how much influence their judgment concerning us and their difpofition towards us have upon upon our welfare, upon our usefulness and upon our happiness. Even the judgment of more diftant, unknown perfons and otherwife unconnected with us in any bond of friendship, is not indifferent to us. The very idea, that people will fpeak well of us after our death, will make mention of our deserts in behalf of fociety, will recollect our good example, will enjoy with gratitude the fruits of our labour, and will perhaps more than once wifh for us back again in our terreftrial fphere; even this idea how powerfully does it not operate on numbers of perfons! To what facrifices, to what achievements, to what acts of heroifm has it not frequently impelled them! What dangers has it not taught them to defpife! With what ardour has it not inflamed them for the cause of truth, or of liberty, or otherwise for the public good! As furely however as ambition is natural to us, fo furely is it harmless in itself: for, whatever is natural to us, proceeds from God, and whatever proceeds from God, is right and proper. Here, as in fo many other cafes, my pious hearers, every thing depends on the direction of our natural instincts and affections, on the means whereby we feek to gratify them, and on the ufe that we make of them. -Ambition may abfolutely become an exceedingly corrupt and deftructive paffion, and how often has it not become fo, how often does it not daily become fo! namely, when we feck our honour in imaginary, frivolous, empty, tranfient diftinctions, when we feek it by the violation of our duty |