bearer, but a doer of the work: It is this man only that shall be bleffed in his deed. The feed in the parable, which fell in the good ground, fignifies they who, in an honest and good heart, having read or heard the word, keep it, and bring forth the fruits of repentance and righteousness, with patiences. The word of GOD contains not only a promise but a law, and it is abfolutely neceffary that we obey the latter, as ever we hope to inherit the former. That was a noble and neceffary resolution entered into by the Ifraelites, when Mofes read the book of the covenant in their audience: All that the LORD hath faid, fay they, will we do, and be obedient t. This therefore fhould be our conftant resolution and endeavour when we read the scriptures, namely, to reduce them to present and future practice, to use them as our daily counfellors and inftructors, and to take daily leffons of duty, comfort and fupport from them. The fhield of faith and the fword of the fpirit, are pieces of Chriftian armour, of which we will have conftant need in our Chriftian warfare, and with which we may effectually repel all the fiery darts of the wicked one. The word of GOD is the best defence in the time of trial and temptation, the best comforter in the time of affliction, and the nobleft cordial at the hour of death. That was a wife and ufeful advice given by the royal preacher ". Bind the commandment continually upon thine heart, and tie it about thy neck. When thou goeft, it will lead thee; when thou sleepest,

James i. 22-25. * Exod. xxiv. 7.

s Luke viii. 15.

u Prov. vi. 21, 22.

it

it fhall keep thee; and when thou wakeft, it shall

talk with thee.

THUS have I fhewed you, at fufficient length, the excellency of the holy fcriptures, as a motive to the duty of fearching them, enjoined in the text, and also endeavoured to point out the warrant which all have for performing this duty, and the beft method of difcharging it. It only now remains that I fhould make some special application of the whole argument; but this must be referved for a separate discourse.

SERMON VII.

A practical application of the foregoing fubject.

2 PET. ii. 1, 2. JUDE iii.

2 COR. iv. 4.

There fhall be falfe teachers among you, who privily fhall bring in damnable herefies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves fwift deftruction. And many fhall follow their pernicious ways, by reafon of whom the way of truth fhall be evil spoken of.It was therefore needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye fhould earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the faints.-But if our gofpel is hid, it is hid to them that are loft.

MY

Y defign in this difcourfe being only to make fome fpecial application of the foregoing fubject, thefe fcriptures, which I have prefixed to it, are not to be confidered as its text or theme, properly speaking; but

rather

rather as a motto, which has at least a remote coincidence with the general fubject. Without therefore entering into an examination of the particular meaning or defign of these texts of fcripture, in their refpective connections, I fhall proceed directly to the particular application of the argument for the truth of Chriftianity.

ift. To unbelievers, or deifts.

2dly. To the young and rifing generation, who, although not yet tainted with loose principles, may be in danger of falling into the fashionable fcepticism of the age. And,

3dly. To profeffed Chriftians, whofe religious principles are fixed upon a rational conviction of the truth of Christianity. And,

Ift. I WOULD address myself to avowed unbelievers or deifts, and if I might obtain a hearing from fuch, I would beg leave to enquire in the

Ift place, THE cui bono of their argument against the Chriftian religion? It is certainly the part of a wife man to propose to himself fome end or defign in all his actions, and to regulate his zeal and industry in all his pursuits by the importance of the end which he proposes. It is the mark of a wrong and distempered mind to be zealous in the purfuit either of trifles or uncertainties. We juftly fufpect the foundness of that emperor's intellects who employed an hour or two of every day in catching flies, and we would rightly pronounce a man fit for Bedlam, who would employ his whole time, ftudy and substance in queft of the philofopher's ftone or perpetual motion. When therefore,

we

we see a number of men, who arrogate to themselves the character of rational enquirers after truth, fo zealously employed in difcrediting the Chriftian religion, which has prevailed in the world for eighteen centuries, and stood the test and scrutiny of fo many ages: When we see them employing all the engines of learning, argument, wit, banter, ridicule, and calumny against it, we muft either conclude, that they are a little wrong-headed; or that, having difcovered fome great cheat or evil in Chriftianity itself, they mean to difcredit it for the most important purposes.

ALL who have enlarged and extensive views of human nature, must be convinced that religion is connatural to the human mind. It is generally agreed, that religion is the prime characteristic of humanity; and that man fhould rather be denominated a religious, than a rational animal. Many of our fellow animals seem to be endued with fomething like reason, but none that we know of on this terraqueous globe, man excepted, feems to have any capacity for religion; and this capacity and propenfion is fo common to the human race, that no nation has yet been discovered without fome veftiges of it. Men will have fome religion or other; infomuch that when they are in the dark, as to its true object, rather than baulk their religious propenfions, they pay their devotions to the brute creation, or worship gods of their own manufacture. This, to me, affords a strong presumption that man was made for religion, and that he who made him for his fervice and enjoyment, has implanted