cultivating in them the habits of virtue. Let it be your meditation all the day-Let its pure and facred truths be ever before your eyes-Walk in its heavenly lightAnd, let it be your guide to the eternal fource of light and perfection.

Its influence in fanctifying the heart may be eflimated likewife, from the high and interefting motives which it propofes to mankind to reclaim them from vice, and to lead them to virtue. The motives that principally deferve our confideration on this fubject, not only for their fuperior force, but because they chiefly diftinguifh the gospel from every other moral inititution, are the retributions of divine juftice to the virtuous and the vicious in a future ftate of existence -and the infinite mercy of God in the redemption of the world.

Philofophy, in inviting her difciples to virtue can propofe to them only the prefent peace, reputation, or intereft that attends it; motives which religion enjoys in common with her, and enjoys in a much higher degree. She cannot look into eternity, or fhe looks into that profound abyfs with a

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feeble and unsteady eye, incapable of distinguishing any object. If a few men of elevated virtue, and warm imagination, like Cicero and Plato, entertained a faint hope of existing after the prefent life, the greater part of philofophers, unable to see any thing certain beyond the grave, believed that, at death, they fhould cease to be. This principle diffolved at once the ftrongeft ties of moral obligation.* It is the fingular glory of the gospel that in it life and immortality are offered to the hopes of the pious. In it, likewise, is denounced the moft fearful defliny to the wicked and impenitent. It hath fcattered the dark, impenetrable cloud that hung on the hour of death. It hath rendered the future certain as the prefent, and hath drawn from eternity motives the most sublime to animate and firengthen their virtue,

*When we read the dubious difcuffions concerning a future state which took place in the Roman fenate, in which was affembled all the wifdom and learning of the capital of the world, at the time when they were about to determine on the fate of Cataline and his affociates, we are irresistibly lead to deplore the blindnefs and infirmity of the human mind unenlighted by divine revelation. What motives in aid of virtue were they able to draw from that state which they knew not whether to believe or difbelieve, but were most inclined to deny?—Sal; de bel. catalin. Speeches of Cæfar, Cato, &c.

and the most awful to discourage and reftrain vice. What can be more awful, or ftrike the confcience of guilt with deeper, or more falutary fear, than the tribunal of juftice-than that day wherein God hath appointed to judge the fecrets of all men by Jefus Chrift-than the decree by which the guilty fhall be configned to fuffer the vengeance of eternal fire?--Arreft thy ftep O profligate youth! In the act of vice paufe, and look before thee! Behold the tribunal -the judge-the chains of death-the prifons where the wicked dwell with everlasting burnings! Wilt thou, in the intoxication of thy passions brave the terrors of almighty wrath? Are not thefe views fufficient to palfy all the powers of fin?-Perhaps thou wilt fay-it has been often faid-forbear these representations. No man was ever made virtuous by fear alone. But, is it not the first step to virtue to break off our fins by repentance? Are not the falutary reftraints of fear neceffary, in the greater part of men, to prepare the heart for the admiffion of higher and purer principles ?*

*The good influence which the apprehenfions of a future judgment, and the punishment of the wicked, even in the imperfect manner in which they were conceived by paganifm,

On the other hand, direct thy view to the glorious hope which is propofed in the gofpel to animate the good man in the difcharge of his duty, and encourage his progrefs towards perfection. Not the uncertain hope which the prince of Roman philofophers neither could confent to refign, nor was able firmly to hold.*

Not the faint and doubtful ray that gleamed on the evening of Socrates and gilded to him for a moment the clouds of death ; but the full affurance of faith-the clear and un

were fuppofed, by the beft men of antiquity, to have upon morals, may be understood by a remark of Polybius-Book VI. Speaking of the Greeks who, in that age, had been corrupted by the Epicurean Philofophy, he fays "If you lend a talent to a Greek, and bind him to the repayment by ten engagements, with as many fecurities, and witneffes, it is impoflible to make him regard his word. Whereas, among the Romans, they are always punctual to the oaths they have taken For which reafon the apprehenfions of infernal torments were wifely established; and now to oppose them is wholly irrational."

*Cicero, reafoning on the fubject of immortality with that doubtfulness that muft neceflarily accompany all our conclufions on this fubject that are not derived from revelation, inclines, however, to the probability of a future and happy existence for good men. He adds that this expectation is a fource of fo much confolation to him, that, if he is in an error in indulging it, he does not wish to be undeceived.

The hope exprelled by Socrates to his friends who came to vifit him on the day on which he died, and the doubtful manner in which he uttered it, are well known to every perfon acquainted with ancient hiftory.

clouded light of the Son of Righteoufnefs. -Bleffed and triumphant assurance! What is this momentary and corruptible exiflence, compared with that eternal being that fhall fhine as the flars in Heaven for ever and ever? What are these feeble and grofs fenfations of pleasure by which we are allied to the beafts that perifh, compared with thofe divine and immortal powers of enjoyment, by which we shall refemble the angels that furround the throne, and, in fome measure approximate towards God himfelf? Thefe glorious rewards of piety and faith, of truth and virtue, are among the most powerful, as well as the moft fublime motives to a pure and holy life. Such elevated and immortal hopes tend to raise the affections above the grofs and corrupting influence of the world. They tend to quench the flames of luft, to extinguifh the rude and wrathful paffions, and to cultivate in the heart, that holiness without which no man fhall fee the Lord. Can fenfuality debafe the foul that expects to approach the throne of God, and to dwell forever in his prefence? Can power opprefs thofe whom it hopes to meet as brethren and equals in the kingdom above? Can envy, hatred or revenge, rankle in the bofoms