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defire to enter into life; but he chose to hazard the lofs of it, rather than abandon his worldly pursuits.

en.

Whatever we do in religion, if we indulge any known fin, our religion will not carry us to heavWhatever works we perform, if we glory in them as the foundation of our claim to heaven, and forget our dependence on the righteousness of the Saviour, our works are vain.

Fourthly. Our fubject may lead us to reflect on the heinous nature of fin. The excellency of religion confifts in its being directed to God; and the great evil of fin confifts in its being committed against him. Religion is a conformity; fin is an oppofition to the divine nature. Religion is a love of God's commands and a fubmiffion to his will; fin is a hatred of his laws and a rebellion against his authority. Religion is refigning our: felves to God's government, and yielding ourfelves to his difpofal; fin is rifing up against God, and fetting ourselves above him.

In this view, how horrible must fin ! appear How amazing is the guilt of those who thus have treated, and thus continue to treat the Almighty!

Do you wonder that rational men fhould be fo ftupid as to fet up idols for objects of adoration, in oppofition to, or in conjunction with the fupreme Jehovah? Why not alfo wonder at your felves, that you fhould fet up the interefts and pleasures of the world, as the objects of your fupreme affection?

Fifthly. What abundant cause of rejoicing have we, that there is an allfufficient Saviour to whom we may repair?

Had we nothing, but our own righteousness, to reft upon, we must fink in defpair. Such finful creatures as we are, have nothing to recommend

them in the presence of a holy God. But Jefus has brought in everlasting righteousness, and the greatest finner may have the benefit of it. Did finners realize their own condition, they would apply to this Saviour; they would feek him earneftly and conftantly; they would cry to him day and night, and not hold their peace, till his righteousness came to them as brightnefs, and his falvation as a lamp that burneth.

To conclude: Since there is one God, the great object of religion, and one Mediator by whom we muft draw near to God, and fince the religion which he requires is pure and fimple; let us prove what is true and acceptable religion, take it as he has prescribed it, adopt it in its fimplicity without human additions, direct all our fervices to him, and do all things in the name of Chrift through whom alone we have acceptance.

SERMON XXVII.

Folly confpicuous in a Virtuous Character.

ECCLESIASTES x. .

Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to fend forth a flinking favour; fo doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honor.

THE preacher here teaches us a very use

ful leffon; that the wifer and better a man is reputed to be, the greater caution he needs to use in his language and behavior, left he viciate the reputation which he has acquired. For as dead flies, though but small infects, falling into a pot. of sweet ointment, will render it rancid and dif gustful; fo errors and follies, fmall in themselves, will appear as great blemishes in the character of a man, who is highly valued for his fuperior vir. tue and wisdom; and faults fcarcely noticed in other men, will be imputed to him as intolerable crimes. "The cafe of men eminent for virtue,"

fays one, "is peculiarly difficult, because their errors, though ever fo fmall, are not eafily par. doned. As in a diamond of great luftre, the eye is offended by the least speck, or the smallest cloud, which in a groffer ftone would not be obferved; fo in men of fingular abilities, the leaft infirmities are quickly difcerned and made matter of conver. fation, when in pefons of meaner character they would be wholly unnoticed, or eafily forgiven. A little folly in a wife man, a fmall fin in a strictly honeft man,a flight indecency in a very polite man, much derogates from his fame and reputation; when the fame things in men of different characters

would pafs uncenfured, and perhaps unobserved." In the writings of Solomon, wisdom and folly ufually fignify virtue and vice. We may there fore, by the man in reputation for wisdom, understand the man eminent for virtue; and, by a little folly, we may underftand the infirmities and indifcretions incident to fuch a man.

The truth, then,fuggefted in our text will be this; that small offences are eafily obferved, and freely cenfured in men of diftinguifhed reputation for religion. This we often fee to be a fact. Thofe very things, which pafs for indifferent in the men of the world, are condemned as criminal in men of reputed piety. Virtue and vice are the fame in their nature; but we judge of them differently according to the character of the perfons in whom they are found.

There are many who appear to live without any governing regard to religion. They take no care to educate their children in fentiments of piety, or to keep up the worship of God in their families. They are much addicted to pleasure, company and amufement. Their language is fometimes profane, and often loofe and unguarded. They neglect the stated means of religion and treat with indifference the instituted ordinances of God. Thus they pass along in the world, and few take any unfavorable notice of them. If one reprove them, they are ready to vindicate themselves; and perhaps there are fome, befides themselves, who will plead in their excufe, and palliate their neglects and tranfgreffions. But if a man who profeffes religion, or fuftains an office in the church, fhould for once appear to be guilty of the fame exceptionable conduct, will it thus pafs off unobferved? Or will it meet the fame excufes? No: one rafh expreffion from this good man will be more feverely condemned, than a hundred profane oaths from the customary fwearer. A single inftance

of inordinate paffion in him will be more talked of, than the daily ravings of those who have no rule over their fpirits. If his children for once run to excefs, break the fabbath, or trespass on good order, he is reproached as a man who exercises no government in his family. But youths of other families may make themselves much more vile; and few, except they happen to fuffer injury from them, will ever reprove them, or even complain, that they are not reftrained. If the Chriftian, crouded with business or company, fhould fometimes omit the ftated devotions of his house, this omiffion will be matter of much animadverfion; but a total neglect in other people is scarcely imputed as a fault. If a temperate man fhould by accident be overtaken and difguifed with ftrong drink, he becomes the talk of the whole neighborhood; but a fot may get drunk half a dozen times in a week, and little is faid about him, and little pains taken to reform or restrain him.

Yea; men of immoral and vicious lives will remark with indignation in the Christian the smalleft appearance of thofe vices, which they themfelves notoriously indulge without remorfe. They can fee a mote in a good man's eye, when they feel not a beam in their own. They wonder that the Christian profeffor can take fuch liberties; but feldom think of their own iniquities. The apoftle, in ftrong terms, reproves this self-deceit and blind partiality. "Thou art inexcufable, O man, whofoever thou art, that judgeft; for wherein thou judgeft another, thou condemneft thyself; forthou that judgeft, doft thefame thing. Thou that teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest, a man fhould not steal, doft thou fteal? Thou that sayst, a man should not commit adultery, doft thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorreft idols, doft thou commit facrilege ?"

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