distinguishes the nature of man, than this restless defire of rifing above his fellows, of becoming famous, and acquiring a name. But it does not lie in the way of every one to rife in the world, by being advanced to honor and diftinction, and commanding the applause of attending multitudes. Fame unbars the gates of her temple but to a chofen few; the candidate will infallibly meet with many a difappointment, and many a downfal, in climbing the steep afcent; but the paths of religion, that lead to glory, honor and immortality, are ever open and fafe. By piety we already enjoy a reputation among the just, and the approbation of our own hearts, and have the certain expectation of that immortal honor which cometh from God only, who writes our name in the book of life. Hither let the man of the world turn, that he may find durable riches, more to be defired than gold and all earthly poffeffions. Here the man of pleasure may find a perpetual fund of enjoyment, in drinking of that stream which proceeds from the river of life; a ftream whose fountain never fails, which has no fediment at bottom, and which runs for ever unmingled with the waters of bitterness.

Piety is the foundation of virtue and morality. True devotion strengthens our obligations to a holy life, and fuperadds a new motive to every focial and civil duty. Upon an impartial obfervation of mankind, it will be found, that those men who are the most conscientious in the public and private exercises of divine worship, will be most diligent in performing the duties they owe to their neighbour, and in obferving the rules of morality. Our holy religion lays us under strong obligations to duty; the spirit

of Christianity dwelling in the heart, muft of neceffity inspire it with an ardent defire to perform whatever things are virtuous and praise-worthy; and the example of Jefus Chrift, which the true Chriftian fets continually before his eyes, will engage him by all the laws of love, to walk as he also walked, who, according even to the teftimony of his enemies, "did "all things well." On the other hand, impiety and immorality naturally go together, as caufe and effect. Who is it that is altogether corrupt, and a worker of iniquity? It is the fool, who hath faid in his heart there is no God. When we read of the unjust judge in the Gofpel, who feared not God, we naturally infer that he regarded not man. Under this particular, we may likewife take notice, that ferving the Lord with fincere piety, is the most fuccessful method of becoming publicly ufeful in the world. Man, fallen as he certainly is, is ftill a benevolent being. Formed for fociety, he delights in the exercise of his focial qualities; he afpires to be eminently useful in the station in which he is placed, and is in his proper element, when he is difpenfing happiness around him. The fympathetic emotions that rife in the bofom at the fight of an object in distress, the fmile that wakens on the cheek, the tear that starts fpontaneous from the eye, at the reprefentation of fcenes of human joy or forrow, are indisputable indications of the benevolence of our nature. But the low ftation of many checks the benevolence of their hearts, and circumfcribes it to a narrow fphere. Few have it in their power to become ufeful to their country, by contriving or effectuating public-fpirited defigns; few have it in their power to fave their

country from the miseries of war, by being its fhield in the day of battle; few can act as the inftruments of Providence, in bringing about national happiness. But all of us can be pious; and by ferving the Lord with fervency of spirit, can become univerfally useful to our country and to the world. By piety, like the Prophets of old, we can shield our country from the wrath of heaven; we can intereft Omnipotence on its fide, and even derive bleffings to ages unborn. A good man is the guardian angel of his country.

I fhall only add on this head, that by ferving the Lord here, we have an earnest and anticipation of the happiness of the heavenly state. It is a pleasant reflection, and well worthy of our most serious thought, that we are now entering upon a courfe of life that will be our employment through eternity. As man is a progreffive being, gradually tending to perfection, it is a law of his nature, that he fhould endeavour to act, beforehand, the part to which he is destined in a higher state of being. The child, from his earliest years, anticipates in fport the employment of maturer age, loves to imitate the actions of men, and is pleased with the name. We are all of us children, with respect to our future exiftence.; and fhould it not be as natural for him who is born from above, to act over the exercises and enjoyments of that state of being to which he is advancing? Piety is the beginning of heaven in the mind: here the fun faintly beams, as in the dubious twilight; there he fhines forth in full meridian glory. What an inestimable privilege then is this, which God hath put into our power? A life facred to piety, and to the obfervance of true and undefiled religion, intro

duces us beforehand into the world to come, and gives us an acquaintance with the state and fociety of the angels and bleffed fpirits who dwell in light.

I come now to the fecond thing proposed, which was, To explain that fervour of spirit fo requifite in the exercises of devotion, and enforce it with a few arguments.

By fervour of fpirit, in general, is meant an uncommon application of mind in the performance of any thing, a warmth bordering upon transport, that moves every spring of the heart, and carries all before it, to gain its end. So that by a fervency of fpirit in ferving the Lord, must be understood, an ardent and active defire of loving the Lord, of worfhipping him in fincerity, and obeying his commands with all our heart, with all our foul, with all our mind, and with all our ftrength. It confifts not in a few tranfient fits and starts of natural devotion, when we are in jeopardy, without help of man; neither is it a wild blaze of religious paffion, that flashes and vanishes. Much less fhall it be profaned by confounding it with those furies, Enthusiasm and Superftition, who would drench a country with innocent blood, under pretence of ferving the Lord. "Cur"fed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, " for it is cruel. O my foul, enter not thou into "their fecret."

True fervour of spirit proceedeth from above. It is a beam from the Father of lights, pure and benign, which at once enlightens and warms the mind. It is a ray from the Sun of Righteousness, bright even at the beginning, and which shineth more and more unto the perfect day. It is a temper wrought into the

heart by the Holy Spirit, compounded of love to God, and of zeal for his honor, attended with charity to man.

This fervour of mind, in its full extent, is one of the brightest ornaments of the Chriftian. It enters into the heart, and engages the whole man on the fide of devotion; it gives a double measure of force and alacrity to that religion which before was fincere. In a word, it is to the spiritual life, what health is to the natural; it makes that fpirited and cheerful, which otherwise would only breathe and move. Conscious that religion is his grand concern, the fervent Chriftian will fet about the duties of it with fuitable ardour and intenfeness of mind. The paffions and affections which God hath given man, as the springs of action, will in him be exerted to their nobleft purpofe, to inspire him with alacrity and cheerfulness in the ways of the Lord. He will be in pain till he has performed his duties of devotion, and labours of love, holding nothing too dear, which will procure to him that robe of holiness, which is beautiful in the eyes of heaven. He feels in his heart all the devout affections and defires fo paffionately described by the holy Pfalmift, which we know not whether to admire most as beautiful strains of poetry, or raptures of devotion. "As the hart panteth after the water"brooks, fo panteth my foul after thee, O God. "My foul thirsteth for God, yea, the living God: "when shall I come and appear before God? How "amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hofts! My "foul longeth, yea fainteth, for the courts of the "Lord. For, a day in thy courts is better than a "thousand. The defire of my foul is to thee, O