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he be only a traveller towards a better country, is he to be told, that because he is at an inn which he is foon to leave, it should not excite any emotion in him, whether it be invaded by robbers, or confumed by flames before the morning?" In the peace thereof ye "fhall have peace. And are not christians to "pro"vide things honeft in the fight of all men ?" Are they to detach themselves while here from the interefts of their fellow-creatures; or to "rejoice with them "that do rejoice," or "weep with them that weep?" Is not religion variously affected by public tranfactions? Can a christian for inftance be indiffernt to the cause of freedom, even on a pious principle? Does not civil liberty neceffarily inculde religious, and is it not neceflary to the exertions of minifters, and the spreading of the gofpel?

And, chriftians, as the world is a ftation in which you are to refide for a feafon, religion does not require you to withdraw from fociety, to relinquish fecular bufmefs, to live in folitude. It more than justifies your being visible, focial, active. "Neither do men "light a candle, and put it under a bushel: but on a "candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in "the house. Let your light fo fhine before men; "that they may fee your good works, and glorify your "Father which is in heaven." It becomes you, how ever, to remember,

III. THAT THERE IS EVIL IN THE WORLD, TÔ WHICH YOU ÀRE EXPOSED, AND BY WHICH YOU MAY BE INJURED. And what is this “evil ?” There is the evil of fin, and the evil of fuffering. It is not the

latter that our Saviour deprecates-" If any man will "come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his "crofs." "In the world ye fhall have tribulation." "Bleffed are they who are perfecuted for righteouf"nefs fake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Indigence and affliction are generally a foil favourable to the prosperity of religion; and "by the sadness of "the countenance, the heart is made better." rity from fin is preferable to immunity from forrow. It is therefore MORAL evil, from which we should be moft anxious to be preferved. And by this you are perpetually endangered while in the world.

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The people of the world are enemies to religion. How pernicious are their maxims, their errors, their number, their example, their influence! How enfnaring are their smiles, and how intimidating their frowns! How powerful are the fear of cenfure, and the love of praise! The things of the world are prejudicial to a life of godlinefs. Every station, every condition, hides innumerable temptations. It has been queftioned, whether prosperity or adverfity be the most hazardous. Affluence flatters our pride, and nourishes the paffions; it has a tendency to draw off our dependence. from divine Providence ; it furnishes us with substitutes for the confolations of the gospel; and as to its duties, it multiplies diverfions, excufes, and hindrances. Many a man has dropped his religion in walking from a cottage to a manfion. "They that will be rich, fall "into temptation, and a fnare, and into many foolish, " and hurtful lufts, which drown men in deftruction

❝ and perdition. For the love of money is the root of

"ALL EVIL: which while fome coveted after, they

"have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves "through with many forrows." But indigence has its perils; hence the prayer of wifdom has always been, "Give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with "food convenient for me: left I be full, and deny thee, "and fay, who is the Lord? or left I be poor, and "steal, and take the name of my God in vain." Senfible things press upon the body, and the body affects the mind. The world has the advantage of neighbourhood and constant intercourfe. It prefents itself to the eye, the ear, the touch. It corresponds with a party within, which excites us to welcome every propofal it brings. The world does not ask us to deny, but to please ourselves; not to row against the current, but to fit down in the boat, and leave it to the stream. When the world knocks, " the spirit of the world" is ready to open; and when temptations to vanity meet with vain hearts, and temptations to folly meet with foolish hearts, the fuccefs is more than probable. In the feduction of mankind, the world has a marvellous diverfity of means; every difpofition is fuited with an object. If a man be not grovelling enough to be fond of money, here is honour to allure him; if he spurn fenfual gratifications, he may pursue "the knowledge "which puffeth up." And as it is faid of Joab," that "he had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not. "after Abfalom;" fo a man who has vanquished one temptation, may be overcome by another, more fuitable to his propenfity, and more aided by circumftances. O what spoils of truth, of confcience, and of devotion can the world difplay! In how many has it had the unhappy influence to counteract conviction,

and to destroy the most promifing beginnings of feriousness! Hence the apoftacy of Demas; "he loved "this prefent world." "Felix trembled ;" but "wil

ling to fhew the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound." "Herod heard John gladly, and did many wonderful "things;" but the charms of a beloved Herodias obtained an order for his execution. The young man inquired after eternal life, and our Saviour "loved "him;" but "he went away sorrowful, for he was "He also that received feed among “very rich.” "thorns, is he that heareth the word; and the cares "of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke "the word, and it becometh unfruitful." And where the world does not acquire fuch a predominancy in the foul as to be entirely subverfive of religion, it may prevail to fuch a degree, as to be very injurious to it. A real christian may have too keen a relish for the allowed indulgences of life. He may be too much alive to the opinion of his fellow-worms. He may be too eager to "add house to houfe, and to join field to field." He may "load himself with thick clay," and go on heavily. He may "touch the unclean thing," and soil “the fine linen which is the righteousness of the "faints," and wear a "garment spotted by the flesh." He may spread earth over his affections, and damp their ardour. As the confequence of all this wordly influence, there will be little fpirituality in his converfation; little life in ordinances; little pleasure in drawing near to God; a lofs of inward peace; corroding care; a dread of affliction; a thorny dying pillow. He will be a stumbling-block to the weak, and a diftress to the strong; nor will his religion stand forth

prominently enough to be visible and striking "to them that are without."

Christians, there are two things which we wish you to remember. The one is, that your greatest danger lies in things lawful; for the propofition of any thing apparently finful would awaken your fears, and your fears would fecure you. "Every creature of God is good;" but if it be not "fanctified by the word of God and "prayer," the bleffing may be turned into a curse, and our very "table may become a fnare and a trap." We are even bound to love our connections; but love may grow up into idolatry. Extremes are contiguous. The line of feparation between lawful and unlawful is a fingle hair. On this the enemy takes his station, in order, when he finds us advancing to the verge of permiffion, to draw us over, and induce us to tranfgrefs. The other is, that this evil frequently advances by flow degrees; approaches the heart by imperceptible accefs; and by fpecious pretenfions, justifies its continuance there. It affumes a thousand flexible fhapes; wears various names; paffes under the notion of good-breeding, fociability, opportunities of usefulness," laying up for the children." " With "her much fair fpeech fhe causes him to yield, with "the flattery of her lips fhe forces him; he goeth af"ter her ftraightway, as an ox goeth to the flaughter, "or as a fool to the correction of the stocks: till a "dart strike through his liver, as a bird hafteth to the fnare, and knoweth not that it is for his life." What is the conclufion of all this? O profeffors of religion, "love not the world, nor the things of the world." "Be not conformed to this world." Confider it as

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