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is cloathed with grace. Miracles of power confirmed the one; miracles of grace diftinguished the other. We come not to Mount Sinai, but to Mount Zion. At the publishing of the gospel no fire defcended, no thunders rolled at the publishing of the gofpel, when our Saviour, being baptized, entered upon his ministry, the heaven was opened over his head, the Spirit defcended upon him in the form of a dove, the meffenger of peace, and a voice came from the overshadowing cloud, "This "is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Revelation then concurs with reason in establishing the law, and to the voice of nature is added the voice of God. Such an authority you will not despise. You will not join with the impious king of Egypt, who hardened his heart, and said, “Who is "the Lord that I fhould obey his voice?"

In the third place, Our obligation to obey the law will be further manifeft, when we confider that it is the law of fociety.

That righteousness exalteth a nation, and that vice is not only a reproach but also a depreffion to any people, are truths fo univerfally received as to require no confirmation. All law givers in all ages have thought fo, and made it their object to cultivate justice and temperence and fortitude and induf try, conscious that public virtue is the fource of public happiness. Philofophers and moralifts have been of the fame opinion; and have taught, with one confent, that the good morals of the people were the stability of the government, and the true fource of public profperity. Practice and experience have confirmed the truth of these speculations. If we PP

confult the hiftory of the most renowned nations that have made a figure in the world, we fhall find that they rofe to greatness by virtue, and funk into contempt through vice; that they obtained dominion by their temperance and probity of manners, and a ferious regard to religion, and when they grew diffolute, corrupted and profane, they became flaves to their neighbours, whom they were no longer worthy to govern. Public depravity paves the way for public ruin. When the health and vigour of the political constitution is broken, it is haftening to its decline. When internal symptoms of weaknefs appear, the leaft external violence will accomplish its diffolution.

It is a duty, then, which we owe to fociety and to our country, to obferve the rules of righteoufnefs; for in order to be good members of fociety and true patriots, we must be virtuous men.

To fhow your obligation to give ear to this law, let us, in the last place, confider that it is the law of happiness.

This, in fome measure, follows from what has been already faid; for if virtue be neceffary to the happiness of public focieties, it is alfo neceflary to the happiness of private families and of private men, unless we can suppose the body politic to be flourishing, while every individual is in mifery and diftrefs. In confulting for others, all agree that virtue leads to happiness; but if for others, why not for you? When you confult for them, you have no paffions to darken your understanding and perplex your judgment. When you confider with coolnefs and with candour, the observation and experience that all of us

have had occafion to make, will be fufficient to convince you, that the law of the Lord is truly favourable to the interests and friendly to the happiness of man; that it correfponds to the juft dictates of the mind, and consults the best affections of the heart. What does it forbid? Defires, paffions and vices, from which for our own fakes we should abstain, though there was no fuch prohibition. It forbids the gratification of defires which would lead us to ruin; the indulgence of paffions which are the troubles of human life, and the fource of our greatest mifery; the commiffion of vices which waken remorfe, and deliver us up to the tormentors. What does the law of the Lord command? What is lovely and pure and praife-worthy; what tends to make men peaceable, gentle, humane, merciful, benevolent and happy.

SERMO N XXV.

ROMANS V. 7, 8.

For fcarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man fome would even dare to die. But God commandeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet finners, Chrift died for us.

THE Apostle Paul, the author of this

epistle, was bred at the feet of Gamaliel, and inftructed in all the learning of the Jews. To his Hebrew literature he fuperadded the erudition of the Gentiles; for we find him in his epiftles quoting their celebrated authors, and alluding to their remarkable customs and the events in their history. These verses which I have now read, carry an allufion and reference to a diftinction of characters which prevailed among the Jews, and to fome illuftrious actions performed by the Romans, to whom he addreffed this epifle.

The Jews diftinguished men with refpect to their characters, into finners, juft men, and good men. Sinners are those who violate the laws of God' and man, who disturb the public peace, and are bad members of fociety. A juft man is one who does no injury to his neighbour, who gives no caufe of offence to the world, who pays his debts, who conforms to the letter of the law, and who is not deficient in any of the great duties of life. A good

man is one who goes farther; who is not only innocent but useful, who is not only decent but exemplary, who is generous, beneficent, public-fpirited; who facrifices his ease, his pleasure, his fafety, and, when his country calls for it, who facrifices his life for the public good. Such was the character of this Apostle himself. In order to propagate the Christian religion among the nations, the greatest bleffing of God to the world, in order to diffuse the knowledge of this religion, he gave up all that was dear in life, undertook long and hazardous journeys, expofed himself to the dangers of the deep, to the chains of captivity, to the fword of the perfecutor, to the derifion and hatred of Jews and Gentiles. Accordingly, he met with this return, which he here mentions as being fometimes made to fuperior goodness; for we read in the fixteenth chapter of this epiftle, that he found perfons who for his life would have laid down their own.

The Apostle alfo in thefe verfes alludes to fome illuftrious actions performed by the Romans, to whom he addreffes this epistle. The love of their country was the darling paffion of that great people. All the foul went out in this generous ardour, and every private affection flowed in the channel of the public welfare. Judge what a strong hold it must have taken of the heart, when it glowed even in the female breast ; when the wife encouraged the husband, and the mother exhorted the fon, to die for their country. It was a principle in the breaft of every Roman, "that he owed his life to his country. This being the spirit of the people, gave birth to many illuftri ous and heroic actions. The fpirit of patriotifns

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