such a circumspection, decency, and, if I may so say, dignity of conduct, as is answerable to your religious privileges. A vain, trifling, desultory behaviour from day to day, though it be not, strictly speaking, vicious, is very unbecoming a Christian. Have some object of importance in civil life daily in view. Pursue it with attention. And take care that your hours of relaxa→ tion and amusement be so conducted, and held under such restraints, as that they may neither hurt your conscience, nor hinder your usefulness. A good man may not only use the blessings of life, but enjoy them: nay, and it is his duty to be cheerful, as well as serious. The mean, however, between lightness and severity you should carefully observe. And this will at once reflect a lustre on your religious profession in the view of others, and tend greatly to your own edification and comfort.

Having thus directed you to the proper means of improvement in religion, and laid down certain rules to guide you in the use of them, I should now,

III. Attempt, by suitable motives, to excite your most serious regards to the exhortations which have been given. But these motives I shall at present do little more than mention, as they will be occasionally discussed in the following discourses. Now,

1. The first which demands our consideration is the end proposed by the use of these means-our growth in grace. An end truly noble and important, and which, if it were rightly understood, as comprehending in it the greatest blessedness, it could not fail of having a powerful effect upon our hearts. And here, in order to fire our zeal, and provoke our emulation, I might describe the character of him who excels in religion. I might tell you what real beauty there appears in his countenance, and im his general deportment-an amiableness which, while it attracts the esteem and affection of his fellow-Christians, demands the respect and reverence of even the wicked themselves. I might tell you what pleasure he feels in his own breast, resulting from a sense of the divine favour, and the exalted hope of eternal life. And I might tell you how great a blessing he is to his friends, to the church of God, and to civil society. If, therefore, you wish to be truly happy, honourable and useful, let it be your concern, above all things, to grow in grace. And then it is to be remembered, as a farther argument to persuade us to diligence,

2. That this object, so highly important, is not to be attained, ordinarily, without the use of means. There is a manifest suitableness in the means, as they have been described, to the end. And we are obliged, by the divine appointment, to the observation of them. Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling a. And give diligence to make your calling and election sure b. It were, therefore, the height of presumption, however the power and grace of God may be exerted upon extraordinary occasions, to expect he should depart from his usual measures of administration. As well may the husbandman hope to reap a plenteous harvest from land which he hath taken no pains to cultivate, as a Christian to grow in grace, while he lives in the neglect of appointed duties. Nay, such a neglect is so far from being in the least countenanced by the doctrine of divine influences, that it plainly argues the want of a true and lively faith in that doctrine. And then,

3. In the use of these means, so fit in their own nature, and so evidently of God's appointment, we have the greatest encouragement to hope we shall attain the end. If the promise of him who cannot lie is to be credited, there can be no room to hesitate upon this point. Each of the duties that have been recommended is not only urged upon us by divine authority, but hath either directly or indirectly some assurance of success annexed to the due performance of it. Time would fail me, were I to refer you to them all; I shall therefore sum up the whole of what Scripture hath declared upon this matter, in the words of the prophet, They who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint c. And now to apply what hath been said, let each of us seriously enquire,

1. Whether we have the grace of God? The seeds of religion must be first implanted in the heart, before they can spring up, and bring forth fruit. Have we then a principle of divine faith? If we have, the natural, the genuine, the necessary expressions of it will be such as these-abhorrence of sin, and sorrow for it-veneration for God, and submission to his will-love to Christ, and a concern to please him—and a preference of the

a Phil. ii. 12.

b 2 Pet. i. 10.

c Isa. xl. 31.

hopes and pleasures of religion, to those of time and sense. There are, I am sensible, degrees of grace. But its nature is the same in all Christians. And they who, through various discouragements, are the most backward to pronounce certainly upon their own state, will nevertheless, if they are sincere, be free to declare, that their practical judgment is fixed on the side of religion, and that their first and principal desire is directed to the great objects it recommends; while others will bear them witness, that the general course of their lives corresponds with their profession. If, then, we have the grace of God, let God have the glory of it. If we have it not, O may a firm persuasion of its importance excite an ardent concern to obtain it! Again,

2. Let us enquire, those of us who are Christians, Whether we grow in grace? To determine aright upon this question requires no small judgment, attention and impartiality, since, through various causes, we are prone to pass a false verdict upon ourselves. This mistake we shall be in great danger of making, if either outward prosperity, or spiritual gifts, or the elevation of our passions on certain occasions, are the criterions by which we judge. The prevailing temper of the heart should most certainly be the grand object of enquiry. As, therefore, there are no dispositions more strongly characteristic of a real Christian than humility, self-diffidence, dread of sin, a conscientious regard to duty, indifference to the world, and zeal for the glory of God, the honour of Christ, and the interest of religion; so our improvement in these graces will furnish the most satisfactory answer to this important question. And if we do indeed prosper in religion, we shall be sensible that our prosperity is owing to those divine influences, which have concurred with the means appointed to that end. Let us, therefore, make our humble and cheerful acknowledgments to the Spirit of all grace, be careful to walk worthy of our high calling, still press on towards perfection, and, amidst the many remaining infirmities which daily afflict our hearts, comfort ourselves with an assured hope, That he who hath begun a good work in us will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ a.

a Phil. i. 6.

DISCOURSE XII.

IMPROVEMENT IN RELIGION THE FRUIT OF A DIVINE INFLUENCE.

HOSEA XIV. 5.—I will be as the dew unto Israel.

THE great Author of nature hath so framed mankind, and so disposed the affairs of human life, as that, on the one hand, our dependence on him should not at all lessen our obligations to diligence; and that our diligence, on the other, should not preclude our regards to the influence of Divine providence. Were the husbandman to neglect tilling his land, because, not having the weather at his command, he cannot secure a fruitful crop; every one would pronounce his conduct as weak, as it would be unquestionably criminal. For he who doth not sow, will assuredly not reap; unless a miracle intervene, which it were the height of madness to expect. Whereas, he who does his duty, though he cannot be certain of a prosperous event, may upo very reasonable considerations hope for it. So that no inference is to be drawn from the belief of a providence, that is the least unfavourable to industry.

And on the other hand, he acts a part equally foolish and sinful, who builds his future prospects wholly upon his own prudence and labour. For as it is an undoubted truth, that the concurrence of an external influence, which is not under our controul, is absolutely necessary to secure success; so a profane disregard and contempt of that influence, must be highly provoking to God, and may justly occasion a suspension of it. This sometimes happens. And in such case, all a man's toil proves fruitless, and he has the additional distress of having incurred guilt thereby. And though God does not always take advantage of the impiety of men, to withhold from their endeavours the concurrence of his providential influence; yet what they thus obtain, in defiance as it were of his power and goodness, is sure in the end to prove a curse instead of a blessing.

Wherefore let a man be as industrious as he will, if he pays no regard to the providence of God, his conduct is as unreasonable and criminal, as if through a pretended reliance on that providence, he were to abandon himself to sloth and indolence.

These observations may with good reason be applied to the great concerns of religion. In vain do we profess faith in the influence and operations of the blessed Spirit, while we live in the slothful neglect of appointed duties. And on the other hand, it will be to as little purpose, that we industriously apply. ourselves to those means of improvement, which were recom→ mended in the former discourse; if at the same time our eye is not directed to the mighty power and grace of God, who alone gives the increase. And it is no small encouragement to the Christian, amidst all the humble and painful labours of duty, that he who hath commanded him to grow in grace, hath also assured him, as in the text, that he will be as the dew unto Israel.

These words were indeed primarily addressed to the Israelites, that is, to the ten tribes who were separated from Judah and Benjamin in the days of Rehoboam: yet they are not of private interpretation, but may be applied to all in similar circumstances. It will however be of use, for explaining the passage and throwing still farther light on the general argument before us, to take a transient view of the character and circumstances of this people at the time the prophet thus addressed them. They were the people of God in a sense peculiar to themselves and different from other nations; God having taken them under his special government and protection, and been used by extraordinary means to defend and save them. So that the idea of a providence was interwoven with their civil constitution, and a dependence upon it was the first expression of obedience required of them. Wherefore the putting their trust at any time in an arm of flesh, to which they were ever prone, was justly considered as a breach of their allegiance to God their king, and a forfeiture of his favour and protection: not to say how it became the source of every other impiety, and so in the end drew after it very fatal consequences.

In the guilt of this sin, and the miserable effects of it, they were now plunged. The prophet Hosea therefore being sent