and manners.

Recommend and difperfe all good

writings, that promote reflection among mankind, and are favourable to the knowledge of truth. Pay particular attention to the inftruction and formation of young perfons, and thus lay the foundation of greater proficiency for the next generation.

In fine, if you confefs the value of greater intellectual improvement, and actually enjoy the benefits of it, then walk, as we are exhorted to do in our text, as children of light. Let your light fo fhine before men, that they, feeing your good works, may glorify your father who is in heaven. Conduct yourselves as men who profefs the truth, and are become wife and free by the knowledge of it. Let its light not merely have an influence on your mind, but let it govern your heart and actuate your whole behaviour. Live as you think. Exhibit your cha, racter as much, and even more, by generous fenti, ments and good deeds, than by just conceptions. Light, that does not at once animate, warm and fertilize, knowledge that does not make us wifer and better, is of no great value, is frequently more prejudicial than useful to us. Your progress in knowledge fhould be not fo much an ultimate object, as means to higher aims; means to purer virtue, to greater perfection and happiness. The truth that prevails in your ideas must likewife prevail in your feelings, in your views and endeavours, in your difpofitions and actions, in your whole deportment. Only by judging in every concern, by

being difpofed in every circumftance, and by acting in every occurrence, as the nature of it requires, and is consistent with your correlative fituation, will you be ever drawing nearer to perfection and to its fupreme and eternal original, the deity; only thus the knowledge of truth can and will become to you a never-failing, a conftantly augmenting fource of happiness.

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SERMON XXXVIII.

The Value of Afflictions and Tribulations.

O

GOD, thou haft placed us here in a state of discipline and exercise. Here we are never entirely that which, according to our difpofitions, according to our faculties and capacities we may and should be. But it is thy gracious will that these dif-` pofitions, these faculties, these capacities fhould here be gradually unfolded, formed, and brought into action. Here we are in the state of childhood, but by it we are gradually to grow up to maturity. here thou wouldst educate us for a better, a fuperior life, and prepare us, by various exercises to the employments and bleffings of it. All that we here are and do, that we enjoy and fuffer, all that happens to us, are so many means to this exalted purpose. All is calculated to render us more intelligent, wifer, better, more perfect. In this view haft thou, in thy

Yes,

wisdom,

wisdom, fubjected us and all that is around us to fo many accidents and viciffitudes, for our trial and exercise. To this end haft thou ftrewn our course with so many difficulties and impediments that call forth every effort every exertion of our faculties. To this end haft thou fo closely and fo variously interfperfed light and darkness, joys and forrows, progrefs and oppofition, prosperity and adversity in our present state, leading us to our destination one while on a plain and even path and then by rugged ways. Oh might we suffer ourselves ever to be led and guided by thee, our Father, as obedient children! Even then fubmit to thy guidance, when it is at variance with our inclinations and defigns, when we are unable to discover the end and aim of it! Knowing that even thy feverest correction is the correction of a father, of the wifeft and kindest of fathers; asfuredly convinced that thy purpose can never fail, and that thy purpose is and can be no other than to render us happy! Yes, in this affurance we will refign ourselves entirely to thee with filial confidence; entirely rest in thee and thy will; and thankfully receive from thy hand as benefactions, good and evil. joys and forrows. Oh lead and guide us by thy counfel! Thy counsel is ever wife and good. Conducted by thee, we shall never go aftray. Under thy protection and thy guidance we shall infallibly reach the mark of our high calling. O God, ftrengthen and confirm in us these pious fentiments, and grant that the meditations we are now about to begin in

this view may be blessed. This we implore of thee as the votaries of thy fon Jefus, who has taught us to know and to love thee as our common parent, including our petitions in his words: Our father, &c.

HEBREWS xii. II.

No chaftening for the prefent feemeth to be joyous, but grievous: neverthelefs, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteoufnefs unto them which are exercifed thereby.

OD loves his creatures of the human race.

Go

This all nature proclaims aloud. This is de clared by all the capacities and powers that God has given us, all the arrangements he has made in the moral and the phyfical world. Happiness is our true, our total deftination; the deftination of all that exifts and lives, and is fufceptible of happiness. To this end has he made us; to this end has he affigned us this part of his dominion for the place of our abode, and embellifhed it with fo many beauties and bleffings; to this end has he placed us in the various connections wherein we stand with the material and the spiritual world. He has likewife excited in us all a thirst, an ardent thirst after happiness; and how is it poffible that he,

the