So inconfiftent is the whole body of fin with the glories of the celeftial body that shall be revealed hereafter, that, in proportion as we fix the reprefentation of these glories upon our minds, and in the more numerous particulars we do it, the stronger the neceffity as well as perfuafion to deny ourselves all ungodlinefs and worldly lufts,to live foberly, righteously, and godly in this prefent world, as the only way to entitle us to that bleffednefs fpoken of in the Revelation-of those who do his commandments, and have a right to the tree of life, and shall enter into the gates of the city of the living GOD, the heavenly Jerufalem, and to an innumerable company of angels-to the general affembly and church of the first born, that are written in heaven, and to GoD the judge of all, and to the fpirits of juft men made perfect,—who have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

May God give us grace to live under the perpetual influence of this expectation,-that, by the habitual impreffion of these glories upon our imaginations, and the frequent fending forth our thoughts, and employing them on the other world, we may difentangle them from this,and by fo having our converfation in heaven whilst we are here, we may be thought fit inhabitants for it hereafter that when GOD, at the laft day, fhall come with thousands and ten thousands of his faints, to judge the world, we may enter with them into happiness, and with angels and archangels, and all the company of heaven, we may praife and magnify his glorious name, and enjoy his prefence for ever, Amen.

SERMON XXX.

Defcription of the World.

2 PETER III. II.

Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved—what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation, and godlinefs? looking for, and hastening unto, the coming of God.

THE fubject upon which St. Peter is difcourfing in this chapter, is the certainty of Chrift's coming to judge the world ;--and the words of the text are the moral application he draws from the reprefentation he gives of it, in which, in answer to the cavils of the scoffers in the latter days, concerning the delay of his coming, he tells them, that GoD is not flack concerning his promises, as fome men count flacknefs, but is long-fuffering to us-ward; that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens fhall pass away with a great noife, and the elements fball melt with fervent beat;the earth alfe and the works that are therein shall be burnt up.-Seeing then, fays he, all these things fhall be diffolved, what manner of perfons ought ye to be in all holy, @enverfation and godlinefs?-The inference is una

voidable, at least in theory, however it fails in practice.How widely these two differ, I intend to make the subject of this difcourfe; and though it is a melancholy comparison to confider, "what man"ner of perfons we really are, with what man"ner of persons we ought to be;" yet, as the knowledge of the one is at least one step towards the improvement in the other the parallel will not be

thought to want its ufe.

Give me leave, therefore, in the first place, to recal to your obfervations what kind of world it is we live in, and what manner of perfons we really

are.

Secondly, And in oppofition to this, I shall make use of the Apostle's argument; and, from a brief representation of the Chriftian religion, and the obligations it lays upon us, show, what manner of perfons we ought to be in all holy converfation and godliness, looking for, and haftening unto, the coming of the day of God.

Whoever takes a view of the world, will, I fear, be able to discern but very faint marks of this character, either upon the looks or actions of its inhabitants. Of all the ends and purfuits we are looking for, and haftening unto, this would be the leaft suspected for, without running into that old declamatory cant upon the wickedness of the age, we may fay, within the bounds of truth, that there is as little influence from this principle which the apoftle lays stress on, and as little sense of religion,-as fmall a fhare of virtue (at least as little of the appearance of it) as can be supposed to exist at all, in a

E a

country where it is countenanced by the flate. The degeneracy of the times has been the common complaint of many ages -how much we exceed our

forefathers in this, is known alone to that GOD who trieth the heart. But this we may be allowed to urge in their favour, they ftudied at least to preferve the appearance of virtue. Public vice was branded with public infamy, and obliged to hide its head in privacy and retirement. The fervice of GoD was regularly attended, and religion not exposed to the reproaches of the fcorner.

How the cafe ftands with us at prefent, in each of thefe particulars, it is grievous to report,-and perhaps unacceptable to religion herself; yet, as this is a season wherein it is fit we fhould be told of our faults, let us for a moment impartially confider the articles of this charge.

-con

And, firft, concerning the great article of religion, and the influence it has at present upon the lives and behaviour of the present times: cerning which I have faid, that, if we are to truft appearances, there is as little as can well be fuppofed to exift at all in a Chriftian country.

Here I fhall fpare exclamations, and avoiding all common-place railing upon the fubject, confine myfelf to facts, -fuch as every one who looks into the world, and makes any obfervations at all, will vouch for me.

Now, whatever are the degrees of real religion amongst us,whatever they are, the appearances are ftrong against the charitable fide of the queftion. If religion is any where to be found, one would

think it would be amongst those of the higher ranks in life, whofe education and opportunities of knowing its great importance, fhould have brought them over to its interest, and rendered them as firm in the defence of it, as eminent in its example.-But if you examine the fact, you will almoft find it a teft of a politer education, and a mark of more thining parts, to know nothing, and indeed care nothing at all about it:or, if the fubject happens to engage the attention of a few of the more fprightly wits, that it ferves no other purpose, but that of being made merry at, and of being reserved, as a flanding jeft, to enliven difcourfe, when converfation fickens upon their hands.

This is too fore an evil, not to be obferved a mongst persons of all ages, in what is called higher life; and fo early does the contempt of this great concern begin to show itfelf-that it is no uncommon thing to hear perfons disputing against religion, t and raising cavils against the Bible, at an age when fome of them would be hard fet to read a chapter in it. And I may add, of those whofe ftock in kno ledge is fomewhat larger; that, for the most part, it has fcarce any other foundation to reft on, but the finking credit of traditional and fecond-hand objections against revelation, which had they leifure to read, they would find aufwered and confuted a thousand times over.. -But this by the way.

If we take a view of the public worship of Almighty GoD, and obferve in what manner it is reverenced by perfons in this rank of life, whofe duty it is to fet an example to the poor and ignoran., w