ropagated through the different ranks of society aerely by this motive, is a chain without a suport, a fabric without a foundation. The parts, ineed, depend upon one another, but there is nohing to bear up the whole. There must be some eason for every duty beside example, or there an be no sufficient reason for it at all. It is a perrersion, therefore, of the regular order of our deas, to suffer a consideration, which, whatever e its importance, is only secondary and consequential to another, to shut out that other from he thoughts. The effect of this in the offices of religion, is utterly to destroy their religious qualty; to rob them of that which gives to them their life, their spirtuality, their nature. They who would set an example to others of acts of worship and devotion, in truth perform none themselves. Idle or proud spectators of the scene, they vouchsafe their presence in our assemblies, for the edification, it seems, and benefit of others, but as if they had no sins of their own to deplore, no mercies to acknowledge, no pardon to entreat. Shall the consideration, then, of example be dhab prohibited and discarded from the thoughts? By no means: but let it attend upon, not supersede, the proper motive of the action. Let us learn to know and feel the reason, the value, and the obligation of the duty, as it concerns ourselves; and, in proportion as we are affected by the force of these considerations, we shall desire, and desiring endeavour, to extend their influence to others. This wish, flowing from an original sense of each duty, preserves to the duty its proper principle. "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father Sieh is in heaven." The glory of your heavenly is still, you observe, the termination of the t. The love of God; that zeal for his honservice, which love, which gratitude, iety inspires, are still to be the operating of your conduct. Because we find it conto ourselves, that those about us should be religions; or because it is useful to the state, that regon should be upheld in the country: to join, from these motives, in the pubic ordinances of the church, mr the sake of maintaining their credit by sar presence and example, however advisadee it may be as a branch of secular prudence, is not either to fulfil our Lord's precept, or to peritem any religious service. Religion can only spring from its own principle. Believing our salvacon to be involved in the faithful discharge of our religious as well as moral duties, or rather that they are the same; experiencing the warmth, the consolation, the virtuous energy, which every get of true devotion communicates to the heart, and how much these effects are heightened by consent and sympa hy; with the benevolence with which we love our neighbour, loving also and seeking his immortal welfare; when, prompted by these sentiments, we unite with him in acts of secal homage to our Maker, then hath every principle its weight; then, at length, is our worship what it ought to be; exemplary, yet our own; not the less personal for being public. We bring our hearts to the service, and not a constrained attendance upon the place, with oftentimes an illconcealed indifference to what is there passing. If what we have stated concerning example be true; if the consideration of it be liable to be overstretched or misapplied; no persons can be more in danger of falling into the mistake than they who are taught to regard themselves as placed in their stations for the purpose of becoming the examples as well as instructors of their flocks. It is necessary that they should be admonished to revert continually to the fundamental cause of all obligation and of all duty; particularly to remember, that, in their religious offices, they have not only to pronounce, to excite, to conduct the pration of their congregations, but to pay to God ration which themselves owe to him: in amidst their care of others, to save their Is by their own religion. These, I think, are some of the causes, which, in the conduct of their lives, call for a peculiar attention from the clergy, and from men of learning; and which render the apostle's example, and the lesson which it teaches, peculiarly applicable to their circumstances. It remains only to remind them of a consideration which ought to counteract these disadvantages, by producing a care and solicitude, sufficient to meet every danger, and every difficulty: to remind them, I say, for they cannot need to be informed, of our Lord's solemn declaration, that contumacious knowledge, and neglected talents, knowledge which doth not lead to obedience, and talents which rest in useless speculations, will be found, in the day of final account, amongst the objects of his severest displeasure. Would to God, that men of learning always understood how deeply they are concerned in this warning! It is impossible to add another reason which can be equal or second to our Lord's admonition: but we may suggest a motive of very distant, indeed, but of no mean importance, and to which they certainly will not refuse its due regard, the honour and estimation of learning itself. Irregular morals in men of distinguished attainments, render them, not despised (for talents and learning never can be despicable,) but subjects of malicious remark, perhaps of affected pity, to the enemies of intellectual liberty, of science-and literature; and, at the same time, of sincere though silent regret to those who are desirous of supporting the esteem which ought to await the successful pursuit of ingenuous studies. We entreat such men to reflect, that their conduct will be made the reply of idleness to industry, the revenge of dulness and ignorance upon parts and learning; to consider, how many will seek, and think they find, in their example, an apology for sloth, and for indifference to all liberal improvement: what a theme, lastly, they supply to those, who, to the discouragement of every mental exertion, preach up the vanity of human knowledge, and the dangero muselief of superior acuments. But of the reputation of learning be concen in the conduct of those who devote themselves t its pursut, the sered merests of morality are less so. It is for us u take care that we justy not the boasts, or the sneers, of infidelity; th we do not authorize the worst of all scepticis that which would sunvent the distinctions of mon good and evi, o insang concerning the that their only support is prejudice, their on origin in the artifice of the ware, and the credul ty of the maitoude: and that these things are b too clearly confessed on the lives of men of lears ing and inquiry. This calumay let us contradict let us refute. Let us shew, that virtue and Chris tianity cast their deepest foundations in knowl edge; that, however that may ask the aid of pri ciples which, in a great degree, govern human lif (and which must necessarily, therefore, be either powerful allies, or irresistible adversaries of ed cation, of habit, of example, of public authority, of public institutions, they rest, nevertheless, on the firm basis of rational argument. Let us tes tify to the world our sense of this great truth, br the only evidence which the world will believe the influence of our conclusions upon our on conduct. |