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agements which they encountered who firft made profeffion of a perfecuted and hated religion; at the fame time that it raises the idea of the fortitude and fanctity of thefe holy men, of whom the world is not worthy,―it fadly diminishes that of ourselves,-which, though it has all the bleffings of this life apparently on its fide to fupport it, yet can fcarce be kept alive; and if we may form a judgment from the little stock of religion which is left,fhould God ever exact the fame trials,— unless we greatly alter for the better,-or there fhould prove fome fecret charm in perfecution, which we know not of; it is much to be doubted, if the fon of man fhould make this proof, of this generation, -- whether there would be found faith upon the earth. As this argument may convince us, fo let it fhame us into virtue, that the admirable examples of those holy men may not be left us, or commemorated by us to no end;but rather that they may anfwer the pious purpose of their inftitution,-to conform our lives to theirs, that with them we may be partakers of a glorious inheritance, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

SERMON X.

Penances.

SERMON X.

I JOHN V. 3.

And his commandments are not grievous.

No, they are not grievous, my dear au

ditors. Amongst the many prejudices which at one time or other have been conceived against our holy religion, there is fcarce any one which has done more dishonour to christianity, or which has been more opposite to the spirit of the gospel, than this, in express contradiction to the words of the text, "That the commandments of God are grievous."That the way which leads to life is not only ftrait, for that our Saviour tells us, and that with much tribulation we shall seek it;-but that christians are bound to make the worst of it, and trade it barefoot upon thorns and briers, -if ever they evpect to arrive happily at their journey's end.—And in course,—during this difaftrous pilgrimage, it is our duty so to re

nounce the world, and abstract ourselves from it, as neither to interfere with its interests, or tafte any of the pleasures, or any of the enjoyments of this life.

Nor has this been confined merely to speculation, but has frequently been extended to practice, as is plain, not only from the lives of many legendary faints and hermits,-whofe chief commendation feems to have been,"That they fled unnaturally from all commerce with their fellow creatures, and then mortified, and pioufly-half ftarved themfelves. to death;"-but likewife from the many auftere and fantastic orders which we fee in the Romish church, which have all owed their o rigin and establishment to the fame idle and extravagant opinion.

Nor is it to be doubted, but the affectation of fomething like it in our Methodists, when they defcant upon the neceffity of alienating themselves from the world, and felling all that they have, is not to be afcribed to the fame mistaken enthufiaftic principle, which would cast so black a shade upon religion, as if the kind Author of it had created us on purpose

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