difficult, it is not impoffible. And it becomes a christian continually to implore, at the throne of divine grace, thofe aids of the Holy Spirit that will enable him to cultivate and bring it to perfection.

In order to avoid contention and wrath, cultivate a meek and benevolent temper."As much as in you lieth, live peaceably with all men." Maintain an inoffenfive commerce with the world. Let every kind and delicate attention mark your intercourfe with your friends and companions. Be ready, without envy or coldnefs, to render juftice to their good qualities-interpret with candor their doubtful actions-treat with indulgence their capricious humors— caft a mantle of love over their infirmities. Aid not the flander, or ridicule thrown on abfent characters; but make it your benevolent rule to defend them. Never lend an ear to calumny; nor liften to the officious and faithless tales brought to you by others against yourself, only to difquiet your peace. Seek not to intermeddle in affairs that are not your own. Efpecially, beware of prying into the fecrets of families in order to difclose them. Never give way to fudden im

pulfes of paffion; but check them till you have had leifure to confider and reflect. Imitate the example of the bleffed Jefus

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who, when he was he reviled, reviled not again, when he suffered he threatened not.”* Governed by the maxims of prudence and benevolence, rarely will you have important injuries to refent-and still more rarely will it not be in your power to curb your refentments, and fubdue your paffions, which you have already reduced under ha

bitual controul.

But, if, notwithstanding the clear and explicit law of Chrift, and fo to the practice of charity and mercy as the many motives gofpel exhibits, the poifon of a revengeful temper, the gall of bitterness and wrath fhould fill lodge at the bottom of the heart, remember that he who fheweth no mercy fhall himself meet with none from a juft and righteous God. ed, avenge not yourfelves. Vengeance is Dearly belov mine I will repay, faith the Lord."tHaughty and vindictive fpirits! who would pluck from the hand of the Almighty the

*Pet. ii. 22. † Rom. xii. 19.

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ballance and the fword, look up to that tribunal where your own judgment awaits you; and let the awful majefty of divine juftice humble your pride, and correct your rage. What right have you to encompass the altars of mercy? With what plea can you approach the throne of grace? How can you dare pronounce that prayer dictated by divine love in the form of manforgive us our trefpaffes as we forgive those who trefpafs against us!" Alas! in it you imprecate upon your heads the most tremendous curse. As you forgive those who trefpafs against you! When revenge ftill rankles in your heart! When you hate, when you abhor, when you would crush your enemy in the duft! Just God! is not this to demand thy thunders? Is it not to tempt, to folicit from thy hands the flames that are destined to confume hardened and impenitent guilt? Renounce then at the foot of the crofs, on which the Saviour died for his enemies, all malice and anger-" let not the fun go down upon your wrath." Extinguifh in your hearts its unhallowed flames. And let no fires burn there but the holy fires of love to God, and love to mankind. AMEN!

DISCOURSE XI.

ON THE PLEASURES OF RELIGION.

PSALMS XIX. 11.

In keeping of them there is great reward.

WHAT is the chief good? Was the

great inquiry of the ancient schools;

and the different anfwers to this question formed the principal diftinctions among the various fects of philofophy. Happiness is the end of all the pursuits of men--it is the object of all their fighs. Yet are they almoft ever disappointed in the means that are taken to obtain it. They follow the dictates of their paffions. And it is not till after they have fought it in vain through every form of falfe pleasure that they come, at length to find it, where alone reason and religion have concurred to place it in obedience to God, and a life of virtue. Here the anxious mind finds a calm and fettled

peace which it had not known, and which it could not know amidit the agitations of the world-and here it finds thofe fublime, and delightful objects of contemplation, or enjoyment which alone are worthy of a rational and immortal nature. Vicious men who fee nothing in God but an angry judge, the enemy of their pleafures, and who fee nothing in religion but the reftraints which it impofes upon their favorite enjoyments, arc apt to reprefent it to themfelves as an auftere fervice, and as drawing a deep fhade of melancholy and gloom over the whole of life. But a good man who has all his inclinations regulated by the principles of reafon, and the spirit of piety, will find, in the affections and the objects of religion, the fources of his fupreme enjoyment. He need not afk, like the difcontented world, "who will fhew us any good? God is his chief good. And, in keeping his commandments, there is great reward."

This reflection of the pfalmift might be extended to fhew the beneficial influence of religion on all our temporal, as well as our eternal concerns. A rational piety, unmixed with the exceffes of enthusiasm, or the