not pay as confcientious a regard to the duties which he owes his fellow-creature.

This is a point, capable in itself, of strict demonftration. Nevertheless, it is no rarity to fee a man, whofe real moral merit ftands very low, who yet entertains the highest notion of himself, in the light of a devout and religious man. He fhall not only be covetous, revengeful, implacable-but even wanting in points of common honefty :-yet, because he talks loud against the infidelity of the age, -is zealous for fome points of religion,-goes twice a-day to church,-attends the facraments,and amufes himself with a few inftrumental duties of religion,-shall cheat his confcience into a judg-. ment, that, for this, he is a religious man, and has discharged faithfully his duty to GOD: and you will find, that fuch a man, through force of this delufion, generally looks down with spiritual pride upon every other man who has lefs affectation of piety, though, perhaps, ten times more moral honefty than himself.

This is likewife a fore evil under the fun; and I believe there is no one mistaken principle, which, for its time, has wrought more ferious mifchiefs. For a general proof of this, examine the history of the Romish church.-See-what scenes of cruelty, murders, rapines, bloodfhed, have all been fanctioned by a religion not strictly governed by morality.

In how many kingdoms of the world has the crufading fword of this misguided Saint-Errant spared neither age, or merit, or fex, or condition ?-And, as he fought under the banners of a religion, which

fet him loose from Justice and humanity,-he showed none,―merciless trampled upon both, heard neither the cries of the unfortunate, nor pitied their diftreffes.

If the teftimonies of paft centuries, in this matter, is not fufficient, confider, at this inftant, how the votaries of that religion are every day thinking to do fervice and honour to God, by actions which are a dishonour and scandal to themselves.

To be convinced of this, go with me, for a moment, into the prifons of the inquifition.-Behold Religion, with Mercy and Juftice chained down under her feet, there fitting ghaftly upon a black tribu- nal, propped up with racks and instruments of torment.---Hark!—What piteous groan!See the melancholy wretch who uttered it, just brought forth to undergo the anguish of a mock trial, and endure the utmost pains that a ftudied fyftem of religious cruelty has been able to invent.-Behold this helpless victim delivered up to his tormentors-His body fo wafted with forrow and long confinement, you will fee every nerve and muscle as it suffers.Obferve the last movement of that horrid engine.-What convulfions it has thrown him into!-Confider the nature of the posture in which he now lies ftretched. -What exquifite torture he endures by it!It is all Nature can bear. -Good GOD! fee how it keeps his weary soul hanging upon his trembling lips, -willing to take its leave, but not fuffered to depart.

-Behold the unhappy wretch led back to his cell -dragged out of it again to meet the flames-and

infults in his laft agonies, which this principle

this principle, that there can be religion without morality, has prepared for him.

The fureft way to try the merit of any difputed notion,-is, to trace down the confequences fuch a notion has produced, and compare them with the Spirit of Christianity.It is the short and decifive rule, which our SAVIOUR has left for these, and fuch like cafes, and is worth a thoufand argumentsBy their fruits, fays he, ye fhall know them.

Thus Religion and Morality, like fast friends and natural allies, can never be set at variance, without the mutual ruin and difhonour of them both;-and whoever goes about this unfriendly office, is no well wifher to either; and, whatever he pretends, he deceives his own heart;-and, I fear, his morality as well as his religion will be vain.

I will add no farther to the length of this difcourfe, than by two or three fhort and independent rules, deducible from what has been faid.

if, Whenever a man talks loudly against religion, always fufpect that it is not his reafon, but his par fions which have got the better of his creed.--A bad life and a good belief are difagreeable and troublesome neighbours; and, where they feparate, depend upon it, it is for no other caufe but quietnefs' fake.

2dly, When a man thus reprefented, tells you, in any particular instance, that such a thing goes against his confcience, always believe he means exactly the fame thing as when he tells you fuch a thing goes. against his ftomach,-a prefent want of appetite. being generally the true caufe of both.

In a word;-truft that man in nothing,—who has not a confcience in every thing.

And, in your own cafe, remember this plain diftinction, a mistake in which has ruined thoufands, -That your confcience is not a law ;-no,-Gon and Reafon made the law, and has placed Conscience within you to determine-not like an Afiatic Cadi, according to the ebbs and flows of his own paffions ; -but like a British Judge, in this land of liberty, who makes no new law, but faithfully declares that glorious law which he finds already written.

SERMON XXVIII.

Temporal Advantages of Religion.

PROVERBS III. 17.

Her ways are ways of pleasantnefs, and all her paths are peace.

THERE are two opinions which the inconfiderate are apt to take upon truft.-The firft is, a vitious life is a life of liberty, pleasure, and happy advantages.The fecond is and which is the converfe of the firft, that a religious life is a fervile and most uncomfortable state.

The first breach which the devil made upon human innocence, was by the help of the first of thefe fuggeftions, when he told Eve, that by eating of the tree of knowledge, fhe fhould be as GOD; that is, she should reap fome high and strange felicity, from doing what was forbidden her.—But I need not repeat the fuccefs.-Eve learned the difference between good and evil by her tranfgreffion, which she knew not before;-but then fhe fatally learned, at the fame time, that the difference was only this-that good is that which can only give the mind pleasure and comfort, and that evil is that which must neceffarily be attended, fooner or later, with fhame and forrow.