SERM. in us, as will guard and support us in the II. Practice of Virtue in all Events, and ena

ble us to make Advances in it, as much beyond what we should have made without its Influence and Affiftance, as a Body in Motion will be accelerated, by a new Force impreffed on it, in the fame Direction, equal, or fuperior to That, with which it proceeded before.

The Efficacy of this Belief on all, in whom it is firm and lively, must be very confiderable at all Times; but the Ufe and Importance of it, will be best understood, by confidering how it operates in certain Cafes, where, without its Affiftance, we should be very cool in the Cause of Virtue, or in great Danger of deferting, and apoftatifing entirely from it.

First, There is hardly any Man of Reflection, who must not experience a great Inequality of Temper in himself, with respect to almost all the Objects presented to his Mind. The nobleft and beft do not always appear in the fame Light to him, nor ftrike and move him at fome Times, as they do at Others. Virtue itself, the faireft of all intellectual Beauties, has, by no Means, an uniform Influence on Perfons even of good Difpofitions: Notwithstand

ing its intrinfic Charms are invariably the SER M. fame, yet as our Faculties cannot at all II. times behold them with the fame Steadiness and Attention, the Impreffions which they make on us, are not always equally ftrong and attractive. On the contrary, our Taste of moral Beauty and Excellence is apt sometimes to grow flat, and our Defires of it to cool and languish; and while this is our Temper, we shall at least make no Progrefs towards Perfection, if we are even able to maintain our Ground, and escape from the Infection of Vice. Now to correct this Infenfibility and Indolence of Mind, which the best of us fometimes fall into with respect to Virtue, to revive and quicken our Perceptions of moral Goodness, and to inspire us with Ardour and Zeal in Well-doing, it must be of great Use to reflect that our Approbation of Virtue, is agreeable to the Approbation of God himself, and will be finally juftified by his unerring Sentence; that the Courfe of Life which the generous Sentiments and Affections of our Nature direct and excite us to, not only contributes to our prefent Dignity and Felicity, but lays the Foundation for our attaining to Every thing that is lovely, honourable, and joyful for Ever. E

This

Per

II.

SER M. Perfuafion firmly rooted in the Mind, and frequently recalled, and rendered habitual to it, muft effectually awaken and invigorate our natural Senfe of moral Excellence, cure us of our Sloth and Indifference in the Practice of Virtue, and make us exert our utmoft Endeavours to abound and excel in all Goodness.

Another Cafe, wherein the great Importance of the Belief of the Existence of God, and the Truth of a future State may be feen, is that of the Recovery of the degenerate and corrupted Part of Mankind to a State of Virtue and Goodness. Tho' the Faculty of difcerning moral Good and Evil be effential to our Constitution, and is never to be intirely fuppreffed, or loft in us; yet when we give way for a long time to evil Defires and 'Paffions, and contract inveterate Customs of Vice, we neceffarily impair and corrupt this Faculty, and diminifh its Influence and Authority so much, as to render it quite infufficient for effecting our Amendment and Reformation. Speak to a Man deeply corrupted, who is under the Power of ftrong Lufts, and confirmed Habits of Wickednefs, of the Lovelinefs and Merit of moral Virtue; paint its Charms in the moft lively Colours; and

represent

reprefent the Deformity and Odioufnefs of SER M. the Vices to which he is addicted, in the II. ftrongest Light to him; and you will foon find that he will be but little touched, or moved with fuch Objects; that his Relish of moral Beauty is fo much spoiled and vitiated, that any View that can be given him of it, will make but a very weak Impreffion, and produce no great or lafting Effect in him. So that if he is ever to be reclaimed, he must be taken hold on by fome other Principle, than his Approba tion, or Defire of Virtue itfelf. And as the Fear of Mifery, and the Defire of Happinefs, will most probably be the strongest Principles in his Mind, a Perfuafion that the Course in which he is engaged, will deprive him of the highest Good, and plunge him in the most difmal Ruin, must have the greatest Force for awakening and alarming him. This Perfuafion, or Belief, if it can be well fixed in his Mind, will, if any thing at All will, reftrain and check him in his evil Courfe. And though, it is cer tain, that the abstaining from Vice through mere Fear, or Terror, has no Merit, yet it is of great Ufe to stop a Man in the Career of his Wickednefs, even by this Confideration; becaufe by this Means he gets an Oppar

E 2

SERM. Opportunity for Recollection, and ReflectII. ing upon his own State. And if once he becomes serious and thoughtful, it may be expected that the Principle of Confcience will in time revive, and recover its Authority in him; that he will, by Degrees, be conceiving a Hatred of Vice, and a Love of Virtue, upon a View of their respective Natures; and will at last perform his Duty, from the ingenuous Principles of Approbation and Affection. And thus, the Fear of God, as the Son of Syrach speaks, may be the beginning of his Love, and Faith the beginning of cleaving to him.

Eccluf.

XXV. 12.

Again, the great Use of a firm and lively Faith of the Being of God, and a future State, is very apparent in the Cafe of Men's falling under ftrong Temptations to commit any Acts of Wickedness. This is well known to be a Cafe incident to all Men, none being fo great and good, as not to be sometimes expofed to Temptations, by which their Virtue is endangered, or by which they may very poffibly be furprized, and overcome. It muft, therefore, be of vaft Confequence, even to Thofe, who have the most quick natural Sense of all moral Obligations, to have fome Principle in their Minds, which may fupport and animate