king progress in righteousness. We must make piety more than a matter of form; we must make a ftudy of a holy life, in order to advance from ftrength to strength in the ways of the Lord. It is with religion, my friends, as with the other pursuits of life. In those arts where fuccefs depends upon genius and industry, unless a man have an enthusiafm for his own profeffion, unless he follow it from choice, and prefer it to all others, he will never rise to eminence and fame. In like manner, unless a man have an attachment of the heart to the cause of virtue; unless he be fervent in fpirit to ferve the Lord; unless he prefer a good confcience to every thing upon earth, he will never obtain that crown of glory which is referved for the righteous. In his journey through life, the pilgrim may turn afide to behold a beautiful fcene, or enjoy a paffing delight; but he will never forget that his chief object is his journey to the promised land.

In order to attain eminence in the arts juft mentioned, the candidate devotes his best and happiest years; lives laborious days and reftlefs nights ;. makes a facrifice of eafe, and health, and focial joy; and at laft confoles himself by the triumphant profpect of lying down upon the bed of fame, and living to future ages. If, then, ftudies of inferior importance become fuch a ferious concern; if the defire of an imaginary immortality has such power over the mind; will this nobleft of ftudies, the fcience of being good, have no attraction for the foul? will this paffion for a real immortality have no power over the heart? Under the influence of this principle, will not every one who has the faith of a chrif

tian, or the feelings of a man, join with the Apostle,' "Yea, doubtless, I count all things but lofs, for the "excellency of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my "Lord, that I may know him, and the power of "his refurrection, and the fellowship of his fuffer❝ings, being made conformable to his death; if by "any means I may attain to the refurrection of the "dead?" Under the influence of thefe principles, will not every perfon who defires to make advances in the path of the juft, adopt alfo the refolution of Job, "While my breath is in me, and the Spirit of "God is in my noftrils, my lips fhall not fpeak "wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit; till I die "I will not remove mine integrity from me. My " righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me fo long as I live?"

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In the second place, In order to make progress in the path of the just, you must never rest satisfied with any degrees of holiness or virtue which you attain. The law of the spiritual life is to aim at perfection: the intention of christianity is that we may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. "he who hath called you is holy, be ye holy in all "manner of converfation." Abfolutely perfect, indeed, we can never become in this life; but we must be always aspiring and endeavouring after perfection. There is no end of your journey till you come to heaven; there is no place by the way where you are to expect a termination from labour, or a period of repofe. It is not uncommon to hear perfons exprefs themselves in terms of great indifference about the higher attainments in fanctity and virtue. They feem to be much afraid of being better than their

neighbours; they have no ambition, they say, to be faints; they do not defire to rank among the very beft; and they would be content with the lowest place in heaven. Happy, beyond all controverfy, fhall he be, who fhall obtain a place, though the loweft, in the heavenly manfions; but for men to mark Out to themselves boundaries in the path of virtue, beyond which they are refolved not to go; for men, with impious prefumption, to cut out to themselves juft fuch a portion of duty as they think will entitle them to an inestimable reward; this is undervaluing the pearl of great price; it is facrificing the riches of the Divine goodness to their own indolence; it is doing despite to that Spirit of grace which might have been a powerful principle of advancing holinefs in the heart. Had he to whom in the parable ten talents were given, gained no more than he to whom five were given, can you think that he would have obtained the title, and received the reward of a good and faithful fervant? No, but of a flothful and unprofitable one, who had not improved aright the depofite of his Master. What faith the Apostle upon this fubject?" Brethren, I count not "myself to have apprehended;" to have already attained perfection; "but this one thing I do; for"getting the things which are behind, and reaching "forth unto thofe things which are before, I prefs "toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jefus."

"Forgetting the things that are behind," faith the Apoftle. What things had this Apoftle to forget? He had to forget his labours in the course of his apostolical functions, his unwearied zeal, his un.

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remitting industry, in discharging the truft committed to him; his perilous journeys and voyages over the greatest part of the known world, to propagate the religion of Jefus ; the many noted perfons he converted by his miniftry; the many flourishing churches he erected in the course of his travels; the many famous nations he brought over to the chriftian faith. He had to forget what of all things the best men pride themselves moft in, the perfecutions which he fuffered for the fake of the Lord; the imprifonments which he endured, the wounds which he received, and the ftripes which he bore, as a witness of truth and a preacher of righteoufnefs. He had to forget that he was not behind the very chiefest Apostles; the many miracles which he wrought; the frequent revelations that were made to him. He had to forget that, in the vision of God, he had afcended unto the third heaven, and was admitted to scenes, the beauties and the joys of which, eye hath not feen, ear hath not heard, and the heart of man cannot conceive. If, notwithstanding fuch a high degree of grace and favour; if, after a life of fuch extraordinary piety, this Apoftle forgot the things which were behind, and reaching forth to the things which were before, preffed toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God in Chrift Jefus, where is the man who can pretend to fay, "I "am already as perfect as I can ever expect to be?" Where is the man who is entitled to fet a boundary to himself in the path of righteousness, faying, "Hi"therto fhall I go, but no further ?"

In the third place, In order to make progress in the path of the juft, be always employed in the im

provement of your fouls. There is no standing still in the path to heaven. Your evil habits, thofe cords that hold you in captivity to fin, you may not perhaps be able to caft away at once; but through the Divine grace you will infenfibly weaken, and at last break them afunder. Your inclinations that may have taken a wrong bent, you may counteract, and at last recover to their original rectitude. Where nature favours a particular exertion, or habit has formed you to a particular virtue, the one you may cherish, the other you may cultivate; upon both, the fruits of righteoufnefs will grow. Afterwards, be ftill attending to the culture of the foul, and meditating improvements, by calling forth graces that have not yet made their appearance, and bringing forward to perfection thofe that have. Thus will your minds resemble those trees, in which, at one and the fame time, we behold fome fruits arrived at full maturity; fome half advanced; and others juft formed in the opening bloffom. By cultivating these graces in the foul, you will not only have an earnest, but also an image of heaven. The trees which thus grow up by the rivers of water, which bring forth their fruit in their season, and whofe leaves continue ever green, fhall be tranfplanted to happier climes, to adorn the paradife of God.

"No man

In the fourth and last place, In order to make your endeavours effectual, you must abound in prayer to God for the affistance of his Holy Spirit. "becomes good without the Divine influence. No "man can rife above the infirmities of nature, un"lefs aided by God. He infpires great and noble "purposes. In every good man God refides. The