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SERMON cannot prosper without a due exercise of wisdom and prudence, a higher degree of it is certainly necessary in those momentous parts of conduct which regard our everlasting welfare.

It is indeed confessed, that in religious conduct, the fundamental and most important article is sincerity of heart, and goodness of intention. At the same time, let the intentions be ever so pure and sincere, they will be in hazard of falling into some wrong direction, unless they be properly guided by wisdom. Too many instances have appeared, of persons who, setting out in life with fair and virtuous purposes, have been so far bewildered by mistaken forms of goodness, as to be betrayed, first into errours, and then into vices and crimes.. In order to act our parts with propriety and steadiness, there must be a due proportion of light in the understanding, as well as of warmth and goodness in the heart. The Psalmist was sensible of this, when he declares in the Text, his resolution, of not only walking in a perfect, or upright, way, but of behaving himself wisely in that perfect way. Of the wisdom or prudence which

I shall

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is necessary to guide and support. virtue, I SERMON purpose to treat in this Discourse. adventure, with great plainness and simplicity of language, to propose some practical rules and directions for that purpose; which may be of service to persons, who, with good dispositions and intentions, are beginning the career of life; and which may, perhaps, deserve attention from persons in every period of age. I begin by observing,

I. THAT it is most necessary to lay down principles on which we are to form our general conduct. If we set out without principles of any kind, there can be no regular plan of life, nor any firmness in conduct. No person can know where they are to find us; nor on what behaviour of ours they are to depend. If the principles which we pitch upon for determining our course, be of a variable nature; such, for instance, as popular opinion, reputation, or worldly interest; as these are often shifting and changing, they can impart no steadiness or consistency to conduct. Other principles there are, which some affect to adopt, founded on a sense of honour, on

SERMON the beauty and excellency of virtue, and IX. the dignity of human nature. But, however fair these may be in appearance, they will be found ineffectual in many trying situations; unable to repress the violence of contending passions, or to support the heart under many discouragements and sorrows.

The

The only sure principles we can lay down for regulating our conduct, must be founded on the Christian religion, taken in its whole compass; not confined to the exercises of devotion, nor to the mere morality of social behaviour; but extending to the whole direction of our conduct towards God and towards man. foundation is to be laid in faith in Christ as the Saviour of the world, through whose merits only we can look for final acceptance with God. We must evince the sincerity of our faith by good works; that is, by a faithful discharge of all the duties incumbent upon us in our several stations of life: continually looking up to Divine grace for assistance in the part assigned us to act; and trusting to that recompence of our present labours, which is promised to the virtuous in a future and better world.

-Sup

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-Supposing, that having laid the found- SERMON àtion in such principles, we set forth to act a worthy and virtuous part; resolved that, whatever may befal us, till we die, we will not remove our integrity from us; that our bearts shall not reproach us so long as we live*. I proceed to advise,

II. THAT we begin with reforming whatever has been wrong in our former behaviour. This counsel is the more important, because too many, in their endeavours towards reformation, begin with attempting some of the highest virtues, or aspiring to the most sublime performances of devotion, while they suffer their former accustomed evil habits to remain just as they were. This, I apprehend, is beginning at the wrong end. We must first, as the Prophet has exhorted, put away the evil of our doings from before God's eyes; we must cease to do evil, before we learn to do well t. All attempts at reformation of manners are vain, where this is not studied. Let us remember, that as long as the weeds and tares are allowed to remain in the

Job, xxvii. 5, 6,

Isaith, i. 16.

ground,

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SERMON ground the soil is vitiated by their roots spreading deep and wide; and no good grain will have room to spring up.Every man who inspects his own character, may learn that there are certain failings, to which, from constitution, circumstances, or long habit, he is prone; termed in Scripture the sins that most easily beset us. To discover these, must be his first care; and his first purpose, if he in truth wishes to become a good man, must be gradually to check, and finally to extirpate them, of whatever nature they are; whether, perhaps, habits of intemperance, unlawful indulgencies of pleasure, indirect methods of acquiring gain, or propensions to malice, resentment, or envy. To overcome those evils when they have become inveterate, to pluck up those thorns by the roots, is perhaps the most difficult part of reformation, and therefore what we are generally the most backward to undertake. At the same time it is certain, that as long as, by this tender indulgence to favourite vices, men remain in a divided state between good resolutions and evil habits, they are so far from behaving isely in a perfect way, that they can

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