have you done? What life have you led? Have you lived according to the best of your knowledge? Have you lived a holy virtuous life? Have you performed the moral duties according to your faith? For these are the grand important points. We ought therefore as foon, and as ably as we can, to make ourselves thorough masters of our clear and expreffed duty, and then God will inftruct us in what we ought to know. We fhould endeavour alfo to inform our neighbours with fimplicity and candidnefs, and then in every particular fhould endeavour to perform what we know to be reasonable, juft, merciful, and virtuous. If our neighbour differ with us in opinion, let us endeavour to fet him right by exhibiting to him the plain declarations of fcripture; but let us not proceed to nice or doubtful difputations, let us by no means anger him, for fays the Redeemer of mankind, "Thou fhalt Jove thy neighbour as

thyfelf." Befides, God who feeth the heart will know how far to punifh or to pardon. He alone is the judge. Let us, and let our neighbour act according to the best of

*Matt. xxv. 31, &c.
D 2

Our

our knowledge and belief, and neither of us can be fatally wrong; for if any man does the will of God, as far as he knows and can do, him God will further inftruct in fuch doctrine as is necessary to his falvation.

Another inference is, that we should always pay an inviolable regard to the will of God, i. e. to the weightier matters of his law, in which all good men are agreed, and make it a rule in judging of religious truth. Should any new opinions be offered to your confi deration, then reflect, that whatever has a neceffary connexion with justice, and mercy, and honesty, and the love of God, and a direct tendency to promote them, that may fafely be received, but whatever has no relation to them is not of importance, and whatever has a contrary tendency ought to be rejected. Judging by this rule a great many doctrines which have been taught in fome chriftian churches are no otherwife to be accounted of than as clouds without water, or as ftubble carried about by "winds*." What notion can any man have of the will of God, who imagines it amply

64

* Jude xii.

66

ful

fulfilled by forms and ceremonies, by an overpretended fanctity, and by always merely talking about it? What connexion have these things with moral goodness and "holiness "without which no man can fee the Lord,". or with that purity of manners, which alone can entitle us to the reward obtained for us by the merits and atonement of Christ? They are pernicious and everfive of the very foundation, when fubftituted in the room of it; and fo are things of a better character and original, even all the inftrumental parts, or pofitive ceremonies of religion, when they are fubftituted in the ftead of folid piety and virtue,-in the ftead of that faith in the merits of Chrift, which produces. righteousness, temperance, and charity. These then are the doctrines which we have for many years maintained in this place, they are the doctrines, which upon a candid and ferious review will be found in the holy fcriptures, and fuch are the doctrines of the church of England which we profess.

To conclude, if we would make a proficiency in the most useful knowledge, and in the difcernment of religious truth, let us be diligent in the practice of our duty, fo

far

far as we already understand it, and thus "if we follow on, to know, we fhall know

the Lord." The apostle speaks of a kind of knowledge which puffeth up, but charity edifieth*. By charity we make the best and fureft progrefs in true chriftianity. It is not always the greatest genius, nor the moft penetrating judgment, that understands religion beft. Some men of the most eminent abilities are the moft fubtle defenders of error, when their minds are under the power of corrupt affections. Thus the apostle accounts for the apoftacy of christians, and experience juftifies his account+. "Men are drawn away with the deceits of the world, because they received not the love of truth, and are abandoned to the efficacy of error to believe lies, because they had pleasure in unrighteoufnefs." But an honeft heart found in God's ftatutes, shall know the truth, and the truth, faith the apostle fhall make them freet. The pfalmift says, "Fear the Lord, all ye his

faints, for they that fear him lack nothing§.” and in the words of the Royal Preacher, "Fear God, and keep his commandments||," for that is the fum and fubftance of religion. John viii. 32.

I Cor. viii. 1. g Pfalm xxxiv. 9.

† 2 Thef. ii. 10, 11. | Ecclef. xii. 13.

FINIS.