life, convince us of the wifdom of dedicating fo fmall a portion to the great purposes of eternity. Lastly, When we reflect that this span of life, fhort as it is, is chequered with fo many troubles, that there is nothing in this world fprings up, or can be enjoyed without a mixture of forrow, how infenfibly does it incline us to turn our eyes and affections from fo gloomy a profpect, and fix them upon that happier country, where afflictions cannot follow us, and where God will wipe away all tears from off our faces for ever and ever? Amen. SER SERMON XI. JAMES I. 26. If any man among you feem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, that man's religion is vain. Ο F the many duties owing both to God and our neighbour, there are fcarce any men fo bad, as not to acquit themselves of fome, and few fo good, I. fear, as to practise all. Every man feems willing enough to compound the matter, and adopt fo much of the fyftem, as will leaft interfere with his principal and ruling pafLion, and for those parts which would F 4 occafion occafion a more troublesome oppofition, to confider them as hard fayings, and fo leave them for thofe to practife, whose natural tempers are better fuited to the ftruggle. So that a man fhall be covetous, oppreffive, revengeful, neither a lover of truth, or common honefty, and yet at the fame time, fhall be very religious, and fo fanctified, as not once to fail of paying his morning and evening facrifice to God. So on the other hand, a man fhall live without God in the world, have neither any great fenfe of religion, or indeed pretend to have any, and yet be of niceft honour, confcientiously just and fair in all his dealings, And here it is that men generally betray themselves, deceiving, as the apostle fays, their own hearts; of which the instances are so various, in one degree or other throughout human life, that one |