influence however has fhe hitherto had on my conduct and my repofe? How far am I become wifer, better, happier by her? How far more fo might I not be were her leffons more conftantly prefent to my mind, and if I more faithfully followed her precepts? What light would then accompany me in all my ways! With what vigour would fhe infpire me! With what hope and affurance would fhe refresh my foul!

To conclude; the reflecting man endeavours to render the objects, the doctrines whereon he reflects more profitable to him by applying them to his conduct, by deducing from them fuch principles and rules as may regulate him for the rest of his life. Thus he learns real, practical wisdom, and without that all human reflection is of no great value. If I therefore, for instance, in like manner as before reflect upon religion and its analogies to my happiness, I ask myself: How must I then behave towards religion? How regard and treat it, that it may be and afford to me, what it is adapted to be and afford? Need I reftrict it to particular times and places, and feparate it from the ordinary, diurnal occupations of my life? Have I occafion for it only in the church, and not likewife in the world; only when attending the offices of divine worship, and not alfo in my affairs, and in my relaxation from bufinefs? Is it not here and there, there and here equally profitable, equally foothing, equally indif penfable to me? Can and will the in one inftance

guide me fafely, if I hold not by her and follow her directions in the other? Have I not everywhere and at all times occafion for light and force and courage and comfort and hope? And who fhall give them to me, if religion do not? Muft I not therefore combine it with all that I intend and do, and that befalls me through the whole courfe of my life? Should its doctrines be ever unwelcome, its precepts be ever indifferent to me? Should not those be perpetually present to my mind, and these always facred to me? Should I not attend to all the suggestions of religion, follow all her infpirations, and fubmit to be entirely animated and governed by her fpirit? Should I not continually become more acquainted and familiar with her, if I would be as good and as happy through her, as fhe can render me, and as I myself should wish to become?

How is it On what is

What evi

Thefe, my friends, are the principal occupations of the mind relative to reflection. Thus the reflecting man revolves in thought: What is that which I now conceive? What are its properties? constituted? What refults from it? this idea founded? Is it true or falfe? dences have I in its behalf? In what ways does this matter, this truth relate to me and my happinefs? How fhould I act towards it? In this manner he endeavours to render his conceptions and ideas of the most important objects progreffively more perfpicuous, more complete, more certain,

morg

man,

more interesting and useful. And this is the bufinefs, the daily, the favourite occupation of every who knows and feels his dignity and his destination, who afferts his rank among the creatures of God, and with the earnestness of a being created for immortality, is in pursuit of wisdom, of virtue, of happiness!

SERMON VIII.

The primary Objects of Rational and Christian Reflection; and Exercises in Reflection upon them.

GOD, the heavens and the earth refound with thy praise, all creatures, whether living or inanimate praise thee, the fands on the fhore and the fun in the firmament, the reptile that creeps in the duft, and the eagle that foars above the clouds, the beafts of the field and the fongfters of the grove, man and angel, all, that is and lives and feels and thinks; for all bears witness of thy power and wif dom and goodness, all is beautiful and good and perfect in its kind, all enjoys the fatisfaction and the happiness which it is capable of enjoying, and all is ftriving after greater perfection and happiness, and will most affuredly not strive after it in vain! -And we, whom thou haft fo eminently favoured above the other creatures of the earth, we whom thou haft formed after thy likeness, and haft made but little lower than the angels, fhall we not join the choral hymn and add our voices to the general fong

of

of thy immenfe creation, fhall not we with heart and mouth praise thee, who art and waft and wilt be, God for all eternity! Yes, thanksgiving and praise be to thee, the All-bountiful, for all that we are and have and know and can and may do; for our existence and our life, and the continuance and the enjoyment of our existence and our life; for every faculty of our mind, every member and every sense of our body, every excellence of our nature; for all the connections in which thou haft placed us in the visible and invifible world, and all the prospects that thou haft thus thrown open to us? Oh continue thy watchful eye of providence over us this day, and for ever. Teach us to do thy will, for thou art our God, and let the praises and the prayers and the meditations of our hearts be always acceptable in thy fight, for the fake of thy infinite mercies in Jefus Chrift, the fon of thy love, our lord and faviour, in whose name we farther address thee: Our father, &c.

PROV. iv. 26.

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

WHEREUPON fhould we as rational beings and

as christians principally and mostly reflect? And how can and fhould we exercise ourselves in these reflections, my pious hearers?

Properly