them. Some few rays of light have, in all ages and nations, gleamed through the shade. Some light they derived from various fountains, touching the invisible world. "The heavens declared the glory of God," though not to their outward sight: "The firmament showed," to the eyes of their understanding, the existence of their Maker. From the creation they inferred the being of a Creator, powerful and wise, just and merciful. And hence they concluded, there must be an eternal world, a future state, to commence after the present; wherein the justice of God in punishing wicked men, and his mercy in rewarding the righteous, will be openly and undeniaoly displayed, in the sight of all intelligent creatures.

9. We may likewise reasonably suppose, that some traces of knowledge, both with regard to the invisible and the eternal world, were delivered down from Noah and his children, both to their immediate and remote descendants. And however these were obscured or disguised by the addition of numberless fables, yet something of truth was still mingled with them, and these streaks of light prevented utter darkness. Add to this, that God never, in any age or nation, "left himself quite without a witness" in the hearts of men; but while he " gave them rain and fruitful seasons;" imparted some imperfect knowledge of the Giver. "He is the true light that" (still in some degree)" enlight eneth every man that cometh into the world."

10. But all these lights put together availed no farther than to produce a faint twilight. It gave them, even the most enlightened of them, no sλɛyxos, no demonstration, no demonstrative conviction, either of the invisible, or of the eternal world. Our philosophical poet justly terms Socrates," the wisest of all moral men;" that is, of all that were not favoured with divine revelation. Yet what evidence had he of another world, when he addressed those that had condemned him to death ?"And now, oh ye judges, ye are going to live, and I am going to die. Which of these is best, God knows; but I suppose, no man does." Alas! What a confession is this! Is this all the evidence that poor dying Socrates had, either of an invisible, or an eternal world? And yet even this is preferable to the light of the great and good emperor Adrian. Remember, ye modern heathens, and copy after his pathetic address to his parting soul. (For fear I should puzzle you with Latin, I give it you in Prior's fine translation.)

"Poor, little, pretty, fluttering thing,

Must we no longer live together?

And dost thou prune thy trembling wing,

To take thy flight, thou know'st not whither?

Thy pleasing vein, thy humorous, folly,

Lies all neglected, all forgot!

And pensive, wavering, melancholy,

Thou hop'st and fear'st, thou know'st not what."

11. "Thou know'st not what!" True, there was no knowledge of what was to be hoped or feared after death, till "the Sun of righteousness" arose, to dispel all their vain conjectures; and " brought life and immortality," that is, immortal life, "to light, through the gospel." Then, (and not till then, unless in some rare instances,) God revealed, unveiled the invisible world. He then revealed himself to the children of men. "The Father revealed the Son" in their hearts; and the Son revealed the Father. He that of old time "commanded light to shine

out of darkness, shined in their hearts and enlightened them with the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

12. It is where sense can be of no farther use, that faith comes in to our help it is the grand desideratum: it does what none of the senses can; no, not with all the helps that art hath invented. All our instruments, however improved by the skill and labour of so many succeed ing ages, do not enable us to make the least discovery of these unknown regions. They barely serve the occasions for which they were formed, in the present visible world.

13. How different is the case, how vast the pre-eminence of them that "walk by faith!" God having "opened the eyes of their understanding," pours divine light into their soul; whereby they are enabled to " see him that is invisible;" to see God, and the things of God. What their " eye had not seen, nor their ear heard, neither had it entered into their heart to conceive," God from time to time reveals to them by the "unction of the Holy One, which teacheth them of all things." Having "entered into the holiest by the blood of Jesus;" by that" new and living way," and being joined unto "the general assem bly and church of the first-born, and unto God the Judge of all, and Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant;" each of these can say, “I live not, but Christ liveth in me;" I now live that life, "which is hid with Christ in God:" "And when Christ, who is my life shall appear, then I shall likewise appear with him in glory."

14. They that live by faith, walk by faith. But what is implied in this? They regulate all their judgments concerning good and evil, not with reference to visible and temporal things, but to things invisible and eternal. They think visible things to be of small value, because they pass away like a dream; but, on the contrary, they account invisi ble things to be of high value, because they will never pass away. Whatever is invisible is eternal: the things that are not seen, do not perish. So the apostle: "The things that are seen are temporal; but the things that are not seen are eternal." Therefore, they that "walk by faith" do not desire the "things which are seen ;" neither are they the object of their pursuit. They "set their affection on things above, not on things on the earth." They seek only the things which are "where Jesus sitteth at the right hand of God." Because they know, "the things that are seen are temporal;" passing away like a shadow; therefore, they "look not at them:" they desire them not; they account them as nothing: but "they look at the things which are not seen; that are eternal ;" that never pass away. By these they form their judgments of all things. They judge them to be good or evil, as they pro mote or hinder their welfare, not in time, but in eternity. They weigh whatever occurs, in this balance: what influence has it on my eternal state? They regulate all their tempers and passions, all their desires, joys, and fears, by this standard. They regulate all their thoughts, and designs, all their words and actions, so as to prepare them for that invisible and eternal world, to which they are shortly going. They do not dwell, but only sojourn here; not looking upon earth as their home, but only "Travelling through Immanuel's ground,

To fairer worlds on high."

15. Brethren, are you of this number, who are now here before God? Do you see him that is invisible?" Have you faith? Living faith?

The faith of a child? Can you say, "The life that I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me?" Do you "walk by faith?" Observe the question. I do not ask, whether you curse, or swear, or profane the sabbath, or live in any outward sin? I do not ask, whether you do good, more or less? Or attend all the ordinances of God? But, suppose you are blameless in all these respects, I ask, in the name of God, By what standard do you judge of the value of things? By the visible or the invisible world? Bring the matter to an issue in a single instance. Which do you judge best, that your son should be a pious cobbler, or a profane lord? Which appears to you most eligible, that your daughter should be a child of God, and walk on foot, or a child of the devil, and ride in a coach and six? When the question is concerning marrying your daughter, if you consider her body more than her soul? Take knowledge of yourself! You are in the way to hell and not to heaven: for you walk by sight, and not by faith. I do not ask, whether you live in any outward sin or neglect, —but do you seek, in the general tenor of your life, "the things that are above," or the things that are below? Do you set your affection on things above," or on "things of the earth?" If on the latter, you are as surely in the way of destruction, as a thief, or a common drunkard. My dear friends, let every man, every woman among you, deal honestly with yourselves. Ask your own heart, what am I seeking day by day? What am I desiring? What am I pursuing? Earth or heaven? The things that are seen, or the things that are not seen? What is your object, God or the world? As the Lord liveth, if the world is your object, still all your religion is vain.

16. See, then, my dear brethren, that from this time, at least, ye choose the better part. Let your judgment of all the things round about you be according to the real value of things, with a reference to the invisible and eternal world. See that ye judge every thing fit to be pursued or shunned, according to the influence it will have on your eternal state. See that your affections, your desire, your joy, your hope, be set, not on transient objects, not on things that fly a shadow, that pass away like a dream; but on those that are incapable of change, that are incorruptible and fade not away; those that remain the same, when heaven and earth" flee away, and there is no place found for them." See that in all you think, speak, or do, the eye of your soul be single, fixed on "Him that is invisible," and "the glories that shall be revealed." Then shall "your whole body be full of light" your whole soul shall enjoy the light of God's countenance; and you shall continually see the light of the glorious love of God in the face of Jesus Christ."

17. See, in particular, that all your "desire be unto him, and unto the remembrance of his name." Beware "of foolish and hurtful desires;" such as arise from any visible or temporal thing. All these St. John warns us of, under that general term, "love of the world." It is not so much to the men of the world, as to the children of God, he gives that important direction; "Love not the world, neither the things of the world." Give no place to the "desire of the flesh;" the gratification of the outward senses, whether of the taste, or any other. Give no place to "the desire of the eye;" the internal sense, or imagination, by gratifying it, either by grand things, or beautiful, or

uncommon. Give no place to the "pride of life;" the desire of wealth, of pomp, or of the honour that cometh of men. St. John confirms this advice, by a consideration parallel to that observation which St. Paul had made to the Corinthians: "For the world and the fashion of it passeth away." "The fashion of it,"-all worldly objects, business, pleasures, cares, whatever now attracts our regard or attention,passeth away;" is in the very act of passing, and will return no more. Therefore, desire none of these fleeting things, but that glory which "abideth for ever."

18. Observe well: this is religion, and this alone: this alone is true Christian religion: not this or that opinion, or system of opinions, be they ever so true, ever so scriptural. It is true, this is commonly called faith. But those who suppose it to be religion, are given up to a strong delusion, to believe a lie and if they suppose it to be a sure passport to heaven, are in the high road to hell. Observe well: religion is not harmlessness; which a careful observer of mankind properly terms, hellish harmlessness; as it sends thousands to the bottomless pit. It is not morality; excellent as that is, when it is built on a right foundation, loving faith: but when otherwise, it is of no value in the sight of God. It is not formality; the most exact observance of all the ordinances of God. This too, unless it be built on the right foundation, is no more pleasing to God, than " the cutting off a dog's neck." No: religion is no less than living in eternity, and walking in eternity: and hereby walking in the love of God and man; in lowliness, meekness, and resignation. This, and this alone, is that "life which is hid with Christ in God." He alone, who experiences this, "dwells in God, and God in him." This alone is setting the crown upon Christ's head, and doing his "will on earth, as it is done in heaven."

19. It will easily be observed, that this is the very thing that men of the world call enthusiasm. A word just fit for their purpose, because no man can tell either the meaning, or even the derivation of it. If it has any determinate sense, it means a species of religious madness. Hence, when you speak your experience, they immediately cry out, “Much religion hath made thee mad." And all that you experience, either of the invisible or of the eternal world, they suppose to be only the waking dreams of a heated imagination. It cannot be otherwise, when men born blind take upon them to reason concerning light and colours. They will readily pronounce those to be insane, who affirm the existence of those things whereof they have no conception.

20. From all that has been said, it may be seen with the utmost clearness, what is the nature of that fashionable thing called dissipa tion. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear! It is the very quint essence of atheism: it is artificial, added to natural ungodliness. It is the art of forgetting God; of being altogether" without God in the world:" the art of excluding him, if not out of the world he has created, yet out of the minds of all his intelligent creatures. It is a total studied inattention to the whole invisible and eternal world; more expecially to death, the gate of eternity, and to the important consequences of death, heaven and hell!

21. This is the real nature of dissipation. And is it so harmless a thing, as it is usually thought? It is one of the choicest instruments

of hell.

of destroying immortal spirits, that was ever forged in the magazines It has been the means of plunging myriads of souls, that might have enjoyed the glory of God, into the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. It blots out all religion at one stroke, and levels man with the beasts that perish. All ye that fear God, flee from dissipation! Dread and abhor the very name of it! Labour to have God in all your thoughts! To have eternity ever in your eye! "Look" continually, "not at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen." Let your hearts be fixed there, where "Christ sitteth at the right hand of God;" that whensoever he calleth you, "an entrance may be ministered unto you abundantly into his everlasting kingdom!"

London, December 30, 1788.

SERMON CXIX.-The Unity of the Divine Being.

"There is one God," Mark xii, 32.

1. AND as there is one God, so there is one religion, and one happi ness for all men. God never intended there should be any more; and it is not possible there should. Indeed, in another sense, as the apostle observes," there are gods many, and lords many." "All the heathen nations had their gods, and many whole shoals of them. And generally, the more polished they were, the more gods they heaped up to themselves: but to us, to all that are favoured with the Christian revelation, "there is but one God;" who declares of himself, "Is there any God, beside me? There is none; I know not any."

2. But who can search out this God to perfection? None of the creatures that he has made. Only some of his attributes he hath been pleased to reveal to us in his word. Hence we learn, that God is an eternal being. "His goings forth are from everlasting," and will continue to everlasting. As he ever was, so he ever will be; as there was no beginning of his existence, so there will be no end. This is universally allowed to be contained in his very name, JEHOVAH; which the apostle John accordingly renders, "He that was, and that is, and that is to come." Perhaps it would be as proper to say, " He is from everlasting to everlasting."

3. Nearly allied to the eternity of God is his omnipresence. As he exists through infinite duration, so he cannot but exist through infinite space; according to his own question, equivalent to the strongest assertion; "Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord." (Heaven and earth, in the Hebrew idiom, implying the whole universe:) Which, therefore, according to his own declaration, is filled with his presence 4. This one, eternal, omnipresent being, is likewise all perfect. He has from eternity to eternity, all the perfections and infinitely more, than it ever did, or ever can enter into the heart of man to conceive; yea, infinitely more than the angels in heaven can conceive: these perfections we usually term, the attributes of God.

5. And he is omnipotent, as well as omnipresent: there can be no more bounds to his power, than to his presence. He "hath a mighty arm: strong is his hand, and high is his right hand." He doeth what