I. SERMON of those ceremonies, exposed to innumerable and great hardships, and denied a variety of gratifications, did they tread 1 the way The divine Encomiaft looked farther, and higher. Rapt into future ages, he exhibits the picture of a perfect religion: and if we examine the traits of it, we shall find the animated description suit only the religion of Jefus Chrift; and fuit it in every particular. What is the merchandise of filver and gold, and precious ftones, with all that is defirable in life; when fet in competition with the gain, which that religion proposes, the I. "the acquifition of the Kingdom of Hea- SERMON ven? In enjoining temperance, the fountain of health, and parent of longevity, she holds out length of days in her right hand and the general prohibition of fenfual and worldly pleasures, the luft of the flesh, the defire of the eye, and the pride of life, which Christianity pronounces, will, if complied with, in its natural confequences, and according to the ordinary difpenfations of Providence, conduct us to, what her left hand offers, riches and bonour. So eafy is her yoke, and light her burden; that her ways may be juftly ftiled ways of pleasantnefs, and her paths the path-way of peace. Through a Redeemer's fufferings, we are re-instated in the poffeffion of the tree of life: and it is in every Christian's power, to reach out his hand, and lay hold on it. If nature incline men to wish for happiness, and with the rules of fuch a religion as this, a religion fo happily calculated to promote it, they cannot be I. SERMON brought univerfally to comply; we have to lament the intemperance of youth, the worldly-mindednefs of age, and perhaps above all to deplore the known depravity of human nature, which can beft account for fo inconfiftent a conduct. But that numbers fhould be found, uninfluenced, as it may feem, by any incentive, except the fiend-like motive of counteracting the happiness of the human race, anxious to extirpate fuch a religion from the world; now combating it with the force of arguguments, fuch as fubtilty fupplies, now employing the light weapons of irony and ridicule against it; haranguing difcipular circles in every place of public refort, retailing infipid objections, which have been a hundred times refuted, compaffing fea and land to make profelytes to their opinions: this, did not experience inconteftibly prove the fact, would transcend our belief; as it almost baffles reason to account for fuch exertions. Some I. Some motives however may be af- SERMON figned, tending to excite thofe malevolent attacks: the affectation of fingularity, the love of novelty, the repugnance to whatever checks the tide of prefent pleasures, the pride of feeming wife; the conscious meanness of acknowledging the charms of virtue, and at the fame time ftooping to the practise of vice, and, from thence derived, the audacity of justifying that practice by deftroying or confounding all principles of religious truth. These, acting on different minds, may influence correfpondent habits of thinking; and produce and explain the illiberal infults which religion fometimes fuftains: while reafon fhudders at the desperate stake the rash adventurer risks in an unequal contest ; where he can gain nothing, and may lofe every thing. But amidst the various engines, that have been fet at work, to prejudice the interests of Christianity, none are more mischievous A 4 SERMON mifchievous than thofe; which have I. fubftituted some fhew of religion in its Against fuch efforts the world is guarded and treat them as defperate attempts to diffolve the bonds of fociety, and introduce barbarifm, anarchy, and confufion. And that this must be the confequence of principles of Atheifm, or of that kind of Theism, as detrimental to the morals of mankind as Atheism itself, which fuppofes God to have no regard of human actions, is a truth |