TO

WILLIAM WILBERFORCE, Esq.

MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR THE COUNTY OF YORK,

AS A SLIGHT MEMORIAL

OF LONG AND AFFECTIONATE FRIENDSHIP;

AND AS AN ATTEMPT TO PROMOTE

PURE MORALITY,

THE FRUIT OF SCRIPTURAL FAITH,

THAT MORALITY WHICH

IN PUBLIC LIFE AND IN PRIVATE,

IT HAS BEEN HIS HABITUAL

AND EARNEST DESIRE

TO PRACTICE AND TO DIFFUSE;

THE FOLLOWING SERMONS

ARE INSCRIBED.

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IF

PREFACE.

I describe the present volume as princi pally defigned to illustrate and to enforce Christian Morality; the fame defign, I may hope, will have been rendered manifest throughout the two volumes already before the public, by a continual application of doctrine to conduct, and by the discussion in separate discourses of various individual duties, and of various individual fins. There are reasons, however, which have recommended the prosecution of that purpose in the prefent form.

Of late years it has been loudly afferted that, among clergymen who have fhewed themselves very earnest in doctrinal points, adequate regard has not been evinced to moral inftruction. The charge has perhaps been urged with the greatest vehemence by perfons, who have employed little trouble in examining into its truth. In many cases it has been groundlefs; in many, exaggerated. In fome inftances there has been reafon, I fear

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I fear, for a degree of complaint; and in more, a colourable pretext for the imputation. I believe that fome preachers, shocked on beholding examples, real or supposed, of congregations starving on mere morality fubftituted for the bread of life; eager to lay broad and deep the foundations of the gofpel; and ultimately apprehenfive left their own hearers should suspect them of reverting towards legality; have not given to morals, as fruits of Faith, the ftation and the amplitude to which they have a scriptural claim. Anxious left others fhould mistake, or left they should themselves be deemed to mistake, the branch for the root: not fatisfied with proclaiming to the branch, as they were bound habitually to proclaim, Thou beareft not the root, but the root thee: they have fhrunk from the needful office of tracing the ramifications. They have not left morality out of their difcourfes. But they have kept it too much in the background. They have noticed it fhortly, generally, incidentally: in a manner which, while perhaps they were eminent as private patterns of moral duties, might not fufficiently guard an unwary hearer against a reduced eftimate of practical holiness, nor exempt themselves fromthe fufpicion of undervaluing moral obedience. We are conti

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