farms, and of agriculture, enables us to cultivate our farms with profit. A knowledge of the real state of the markets, enables us to trade with safety and success. A knowledge of the real characters of men, enables us to choose those, who will be our real friends; and secures us from inviting to our friendship base and treacherous men. Misapprehension in these respects, would ruin both our business and ourselves.

In the Moral World, the truth concerning God, his pleasure, our selves, the relations which we sustain to him and to each other, and the duties springing from these relations, enables us to obey him; to become blessings to each other; and to obtain the blessings of immortality. Falsehood, in these respects, would lead us infinitely astray. False apprehensions of God have led a great part of mankind to worship devils, men, beasts, trees, stocks, and stones; to mistake sin for virtue, and ruin for safety. No man ever dreamed, that his interests lay in the regions of fiction, or that his sober correspondence should be carried on with fairies. and genii. But the man, who embraces falsehood, and is governed by it, places his interests, so far, in a world equally visionary; and corresponds not with real beings, but with creatures of fancy. As happiness can never come to us from the regions of fiction, or their imaginary inhabitants; so happiness never sprang, and never will spring, from false views of the real world, and its real inhabitants. Our only connexion with these objects is through the medium of truth, or the knowledge of their real state.

2. Truth is, in itself, a rich source of Enjoyment.

By this I intend, that it is an object immediately enjoyed; and that, when presented to the mind, it communicates pleasure of

course.

Fiction may be, in this sense, and, I acknowledge, often is, a source of real enjoyment to the mind. God, to raise our views to a better world than that which has been ruined by our apostacy, and to awaken in us desires for a nobler happiness than any which this world supplies, has made us capable of forming many delightful objects in our imagination; many, which are beautiful; many, which are sublime; and many, which are wonderful. On these the mind rests with pleasure, during short periods; especially in youth; and, so long as they are regarded as objects of imagination merely, they are sources of pleasure, which may be really enjoyed, and to a considerable extent. But when any fiction is changed into a falsehood; when it ceases to be an object of the imagination, and becomes an object of belief; it is always, sooner or later, a source of suffering, and not of enjoyment. Even in the character of fiction, it gradually loses its power to please. As we advance in years, the love of Truth, considered as a source of pleasure merely, takes its place; and the mind seeks

for enjoyment in knowledge, and not in the exercises of imagination.

But Truth is always capable of yielding more delight to the mind, than fiction: or, in other words, intellectual enjoyment is always capable of being superior to that, which flows in by the fancy. The actual state of things, which God has made, is, in every respect, more beautiful, glorious, and desirable, than any which the mind can imagine. Every person, who understands the modes, in which the mind is actively employed in forming complex ideas, whether of the Intellect, or the Imagination, knows, that all such ideas are made out of those, which it receives from objects really existing. These it can compound, and compare; but can add to them nothing, but what it has already perceived. New beauty, new sublimity, new loveliness, it can form only by bringing together, in new unions, the perception of beauty, sublimity, and loveliness, which it has derived either from the actual state of things, or from Revelation. In the objects formed by the fancy, therefore, there can be nothing, in degree, more sublime, beautiful, or lovely, than that, which it has already received. In conformity with these observations, no object was ever described by the pen of man, so as to make the impression of sublimity equally with the object itself. No images in human writings were ever so sublime, as those of Inspiration. No character, formed by the imagination, was ever to be compared with that of Christ.

When I speak of the actual state of things, which God has made, as in every respect more beautiful, glorious, and desirable, than any, which the mind can imagine, I mean the whole state of things. The Universe is a single system. Every thing, belonging to it, is a necessary, and proper, part of the system: such a part, as Infinite Wisdom thought it best to make; and, therefore such, as was more desirable, than any thing else, in its place. The whole, taken together, is a perfect system: the result of the perfect views of the All-Perfect Mind. In such a sense is it perfect, that it is truly said, Jehovah shall rejoice in his Works: that is, because all, united, are such, as to accomplish, to the utmost, the good pleasure of his boundless Wisdom. The Truth concerning this system, or the knowledge of its real state, will for ever delight, as well as enlarge, the minds of virtuous and immortal beings.

In the present world, imperfect, prejudiced, and narrow, as our minds are, the exhibitions of Truth concerning this subject in the Scriptures, are not only superior to every thing, conceived by the human imagination, but more delightful to every virtuous being; more delightful beyond comparison, as well as superior beyond degree. The Character of God; the Mediation of the Redeemer; the Agency of the Divine Spirit; the dispensations of infinite mercy; the restoration of sinners to virtue and happiness; the con

summation of all things; the blessings of immortality; the glory of Heaven; and the future union of sanctified minds in that delightful world; leave out of sight, and out of remembrance, all the creations of Poetry; all the splendid excursions of Imagination. Into these things, Angels desire to look. All those, whose minds are attuned to the disposition of Angels, love to follow them in this divine employment. Nay, God Himself regards this combination of wonderful objects as a glorious picture, an illustrious emanation, of his own Wisdom, which he beholds for ever with the smiles of infinite complacency.

3. That great division of Truth, which is called Moral, or Evangelical Truth, is, in an important sense, the foundation of all Virtue.

Sanctify them through thy Truth! thy Word is truth: said our Saviour in his intercessory prayer, John xvii. 17. Of his own will begat He us, with the Word of Truth, James i. 17. The Truth, said Christ to the Jews, shall make you free. From these declarations it is completely evident, that Evangelical Truth is the means of that mighty change in the human soul, by which, according to the strong language of the Scriptures, it is turned from darkness unto light, and from the power of Satan unto God.

The Law of the Lord, says David, is perfect, converting the soul. But the Law of God is nothing but Truth, communicated in the perceptive form. All its influence on the soul is derived from this fact: and, were it not conformed to Truth, or were it, in other words, founded on falsehood, its moral influence would cease. Particularly, its influence to produce this conversion would be annihilated. Truth, then, is, in this point of view, of just as much importance to the happiness of mankind, and to the glory of God, as the salvation of all the millions, who have been, or will be, saved.

Falsehood, or error, has, in the mean time, never had the least influence towards the accomplishment of this glorious purpose. From the erroneous moral systems of men, no individual ever gained the least tendency towards real virtue. Truths, indeed, these systems have always involved: and the influence of these truths has so far been felt by mankind, as to prompt them to many commendable actions, and to prevent them from becoming as abandoned, as they would otherwise have been. The errors, which they contained, have, so far as they were believed, been the means of sin only. Of cordial and thorough reformation they have been absolutely barren. Truth and Falsehood have been blended in them with such confusion, as to be inseparable by the men who embraced them, without very different efforts from those, which they have been inclined, and in most cases able, to make. They have, therefore, been swallowed whole; and have produced just such effects, as a mind, enlightened by Revelation, could not fail to foresee. Error became the predominating rule of

action to all their votaries; and the Truth was chiefly lost, and forgotten.

But Moral Truth is not merely a rule, to teach us what Virtue is, and to guide us ultimately to this glorious attainment. To discern it with the understanding, and to welcome it to the heart, is virtue itself, as existing in the soul; and, when carried out into action, conformed also to its dictates, is all, which is included in the name of Virtue. In other words, Virtue is nothing, but voluntary obedience to truth.

Error, on the contrary, is the foundation of all iniquity. It leads the soul only away from duty, from virtue, from salvation, and from God. To the Divine Kingdom it is only hostile. To the Reformation, and happiness, of man, it is ruinous. It promotes no cause, but that of Satan: it forms no character, but that of Sin. All the just definitions of Sin are involved in this: that it is nothing, but voluntary obedience to Error.

In the mean time, all the Motives to Virtue are found in the general system of Truth: as all the motives to sin are found in systems of Error. Error contains nothing in it, to prompt us to obey God, to perform our duty, or to seek the salvation of ourselves and others. As a Motive, or combination of motives, Error contains nothing, but inducements to sin; and Truth nothing, but inducements to holiness. In all these important particulars, Truth is the basis of Virtue.

It cannot be thought strange, then, that Love, or Evangelical excellence, or in other words, real Virtue, should rejoice in the Truth; that Holiness should be styled by St. Paul, holiness of Truth; or that those, who know not God, and obey not the Gospel, or Truth, of our Lord Jesus Christ, should be classed together in the ruin of the Final Day.

By these views of the Importance of Truth, we are naturally led to the second subject of discourse, viz. Veracity.

The Importance of Veracity will sufficiently appear from the following Considerations.

1. Almost all the Truth, which we know, we derive from Communication; and, of course, almost all the benefits of Truth, which we enjoy.

A man, deprived of the communication of others, and left wholly to his own observation, would possess little more knowledge than a brute. It would be no easy matter to explain how he could subsist. If we suppose him to subsist through the ordinary period of human life; it is certain, that he would know nothing, beside his own feelings; and the little number of objects, which fell under his observation. Even of these he would rather form ideas, than possess knowledge. Of the relations between them he must remain almost absolutely ignorant. Nor would he easily acquire the skill, necessary to construct even the simplest proposi

tions.

Still less would he be able to reason, to illustrate, and to

prove. In a word, his mind would rise, in very few things, above that of a dog, or an elephant; while, in almost all, he would fall far below them.

As he would know scarcely any thing concerning the present world; so, it is plain, he would know nothing of the world to come. Of God, of duty, of virtue, and of immortality, he would not form a single idea. Nor could he, without manifest improprie ty, be styled a rational being. How could such a man enjoy the benefits of Truth at all?

The difference between this man as an intelligent being, and Newton, Berkely, or Locke, is made by Communication. The mass of ideas, accumulated by an individual, is communicated to others; and those of a preceding generation, to the generation which follows. By the labours of many individuals, and in the progress of successive generations, the knowledge, formed out of these ideas, has increased to that height, and extent, which exists at the present period. Every kind of business, art, and science, has been thus brought to the perfection in which we possess it; and all the benefits, which these things confer upon the present race of mankind, are derived solely from communication. For our knowledge of the future World, we are indebted wholly to communications from God. To the same source we are indebted for the chief knowledge, which we possess concerning the Moral system. All this knowledge is, indeed, contained in the Scriptures: yet a part of if may be, and has been, acquired without their assistance. To this knowledge we are indebted for the direction, comfort, and hope, which we enjoy in the character of moral beings; as we are to natural knowledge for the necessaries, and conveniences, of the present life. To communication, therefore, we owe almost every thing, whether present or future, which can be called desirable.

But the whole value, the whole usefulness, of communication, is derived solely from the truths which it conveys. False information can be of no use to us. As our own concern lies with the real state of things; and the good, or evil, which we are to enjoy, or suffer, is dependent on our knowledge of that state, and the conduct, dictated by this knowledge; it is evident, that the information which leads us to conceive erroneously of the things with which we are connected, will both hinder us from the acquisition of good, and expose us to the sufferance of evil. The measures, by which we design to acquire good, and to avoid evil, will, in both cases, fail of their effect; because, being founded on erroneous apprehensions, they will be unsuited to the existing state of things, and therefore to the accomplishment of the intended purpose. If we are falsely informed of business, we shall conduct it unhappily'; if of the markets, we shall buy and sell with loss; if of our duty, we shall perform it amiss, or not at all; if of the means of salva tion, we shall fail of it; if of the character and pleasure of God, we shall offend him in all our attempted services. Thus it is plain,