only in order to cultivate in their hearts the nobleft virtues, and to unite them together by the fweeteft ties.

Equally inimical is a continual fucceffion of fenfual delights to the fublime virtues of public fpirit. They contract as well as enfeeble the mind. And render it incapable of expanding itself to the great and enlarged interefts of religion, of our country, or of mankind. They concenter it in low and ignoble enjoyments. Innumerable little and selfish cares perpetually engage, and, at length, almoft exclufively occupy it. The foftnefs and felfifhnefs of pleasure difqualify a man for thofe high and arduous fervices in pron oting the glory of God, and the falofvation of men, to which a chriftian may ten be called; and render him equally unable, or unwilling, to make thofe generous and noble facrifices which the virtues of humanity, of patriotifin, or of piety may require. Do we ever expect to hear from the lovers of pleasure this holy and difinterefled profeflion which fo well becomes a a difciple of the crucified Redeemerdoubilejs I count all things but lofs for the excellency of the knowledge of Chryft Jefus my

Lord for whom I have fuffered the loss of all things? Neither count I my life dear unto myfelf, fo that I might finifh my courfe with joy, and the minifty which I have received of the Lord Jefus, lo teftify the gospel of the grace of God? And if we confider those virtues only which are effential to the existence or profperity of fociety, can you, in trying fituations, truft the integrity, or confide in the patriotifin of men who, by voluptuoufness, have corrupted and enfeebled their minds, or, by luxury, have probably impaired their principles along with their fortune? And when thefe vices have infected the mafs of a nation all improve-. ment ceafes-public enterprize is extinguilhed-national defence languishes-national honor is betrayed. They have uniformly proved the grave of empires.

But the great evil of this character confills in loving the creature more than the Creator, who alone is worthy of our fuThis is the abundant preme affection. fountain from which flow all other fins. The love of God is the love of virtue in its fource and effence; and is, therefore, the proper and univerfal principle of duty.

But you fee in this unhappy voluptuary, and in those who are daily following his example, a heart devoted to pleasure and vanity, to felf-indulgence and pride, in the midft of which God cannot find his proper place. Senfual enjoyments, in the rapid growth of their habits, foon come to occupy the whole man. And the mercies of God, abused by excess, tend only to withdraw the heart from him towards whom they were defigned to awaken the livelieft emotions of gratitude, along with the firmeft refolutions of duty.

Such are the outlines of a character configned by Chrift to fo fearful a punishment. A character highly interefting to the prefent age in which we fee fuch numbers who are lovers of pleafure more than lovers of God. And that degenerate croud is daily increafing with the accefs of wealth, and the dillolution of our manners. It is of the more importance to reveal finners of this defcription to themselves, because they are deceived by a face of beauty and propriety around them; and the continual flatteries that wait upon wealth and rank give men a fubflitute for a good confcience in the opinion of the world,

and confirm the favourable eftimate which they make of themselves by the imaginary eitimates of parafites, and fycophants, or of those false friends who are attached only to their fortunes. They are not holy indeed, but they are free from the reproach of great vices. Flattered by their dependents, admired or envied by the world, they are at peace with themselves, and they imagine also that they are at peace with God. Ought they not to tremble, when they reflect that this is the character of the only reprobate recorded in the gospel?

Before I exhibit the melancholy and afflicting picture of his flate, permit me to obferve that, though the parable offers directly to our view the condemnation only of indolence and pleasure, of luxury and pride; yet, indirectly, it teaches us that felfinterest, and f. lf-indulgence, in every form in which they can be purfued, exclufively of God, fhall, finally, be doomed to the fame mifery. The different claffes of fociety are prone to contract and nourish prejudices against one another. And the poor are apt to hear with fatisfaction every declamation against the vices of the wealthy

and the great, as if they were exempted, by their fituation, from every reproach that touches them. But whoever pursues, or enjoys the bleffings of providence without referring them all to God, and acknowledging his goodness in their acquifition and fubmitting to his will in their applicationwhoever prefers cafe to duty, or intercft to charity-whoever is devoted to his appetites, or pursues beyond the moderate bound of virtue, the pleafures of fenfuality, or even of amusement, in the coarseft as well as the moft refined form-whoever does not mingle a fpirit of piety and benevolence with all his occupations, and enjoyments-whoever is not active, faithful, and liberal in his efforts to promote the interests of religion, the glory of God, and the happiness of mankind in that flation in which providence hath placed him, although he is not clothed in purple and fine linnen, is guilty of the fame crime, and is heir to the fame definy with this proud and wealthy finner.

That defliny I am now to unfold. And, as it is the principal object of the parable, it will therefore require of the more patient and serious attention. But, that I

you