It has been asserted on the same ground, that no man can fall into condemnation for the errors of his faith; because sincerity in falsehood will be as acceptable to God as truth itself. But might we not as well say, that poison will answer all the purposes of wholesome food, provided it be eaten with a good appetite? Or that darkness may be substituted for light; and that men may direct their steps -by one as well as by the other? If this principle is true, the priest of Baal may find a place in heaven, and Jesus Christ need not have come into the world.

Another way of recommending dangerous opinions is to magnify the authors and abettors of them, as persons of superior knowledge, and great worth, profound scholars, and acute reasoners. They are applauded also, yea, they applaud themselves, for the excellence of their temper, their universal candour and benevolence. While honest men are apt to betray the emotions of their indignation, the enemies of their faith prevail upon themselves to practise a sort of political patience, which suppresses its own passions to take advantage of the passions of other men. This patience has nothing of religion in it; but may rather be considered as a kind of anti-christian mortification; a black virtue of a counterfeit angel of light. With this, however, they impose upon the unwary, who are not able to see through specious appearances. They affect to breathe nothing but peace and gentleness; they leave all others to think as they please, and desire nothing but that freedom of thought which they allow to other people. And who can deny to such accomplished gentlemen, the liberty of insulting all articles of faith, blaspheming the Scriptures, defaming the Christian Church, and corrupting the morals of Christian people, by undermining the very foundations of morality? especially when it is considered on the other hand, that piety and orthodoxy have nothing to uphold their credit in the world, but the arbitrary authority and persecuting spirit of some men, working upon the folly and

credulity of others: that all the refinements of learning are on one side; bigotry, superstition, and ignorance on the other that all the worst men are with the church, and all the best are against it.

A farther artifice of those who attempt to subvert the faith of their readers, is to pretend a sacred regard to truth, and a laudable desire to rescue the minds of their brethren from error and imposition. A man, who comes to make an impudent attack upon all the distinguished articles of Christianity, introduces himself to us as a sincere lover of the Gospel. He dare not leave his readers to find that out by the perusal of his work; but hopes they will be blind to the mischief of it, when they have conceived a fair opinion of the spirit and candour of the writer. This outward appearance of meekness and charity has always been assumed by those who have had ill designs against the flock of Christ. Disguise is necessary to the success of every impostor; insomuch that our blessed Saviour hath given it as the characteristic of a false prophet-" Beware," said he, "of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." To secure themselves under their disguise, they caution us largely against censoriousness: they can bear every thing but censure and uncharitableness. We can never offend a thief so much as by following him with a candle, to shew people what he is about: but no good man will fear to give such offence: he will rather wish to be called censorious by those whom it is the duty of every true Christian to censure.

And now, if the Nature of Spiritual Wickedness is as I have represented it (I hope without aggravation or partiality); our office, as ministers of the Gospel, calls upon us to provide against it, by alarming the careless, by rescuing, as far as we are able, those who have been ensnared by the sophistry of the adversary; and by securing those who are as yet uncorrupted. The oracles of God having

This Discourse was preached before the Clergy, at an Episcopal Visitation.

been committed to us, our duty is to contend earnestly for the faith therein contained, that the people may not be defrauded of that light which God hath intrusted with us, for the guiding of their feet into the way of peace in this great and necessary branch of our ministry, we are to avoid the two extremes of petulance and fearfulness: we must neither betray the cause, nor expose ourselves. When we see men obstinately shutting their eyes against the clear light of truth, and industriously leading others aside into darkness, our indignation will be raised: but we are so to be angry in this case as not to sin: and, on the other hand, when we are moderating our zeal, we must take care not to carry our civility so far, as to give place to the devil, who deserves neither precedence nor courtesy at our hands, Some are so addicted to censure, that they see sin every where; others are so indifferent towards evil, that they see it no where. For them, evil men and evil spirits may go on as they please without any interruption.

Christians, who from ignorance or the prejudice of education have their doubts, and wish for information and satisfaction, are to be treated with civility and tenderness: but infidelity deserves no quarter. No praises will ever be due to the learning or abilities of those, who pervert their talents to the everlasting destruction of mankind.

When we endeavour to secure the mind from corruption, prudence will direct us to choose the fittest season. First impressions of every kind are strongest; and therefore we must begin soon enough: we must sow the seeds of true religion, before the ill weeds of vanity and falsehood have got possession. The importance of early instruction, and the efficacy of catechetical forms, simply explained, is greater than any words can describe. Many, when they come to riper years, are carried about with every wind of doctrine, for want of timely instruction to keep them steady, and defend them from the deceits of enthusiasm, which have a dreadful effect on the interests of truth and piety.

When a reprobate, who never had any regular foundation of Christian knowledge, changes all of a sudden into an Apostle (a phænomenon not altogether unknown in these days), he may boast that his heart is turned; but melancholy experience teaches us, that his head is too frequently turned along with it.

Lastly, it is to be remembered, that above all things we are to put on charity; the best motive, and the best rule, to those who communicate or defend religious truth. This will regulate our zeal, and animate our prudence. The teacher, who is sincerely affected to the welfare of the Christian society, and touched with a sense of the inestimable value of souls, for whom Christ died, will be able to say with the beloved disciple, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth." That this end may effectually be promoted, we who teach or preach must, according to the doctrine of this discourse, have regard to the mind as well as to the manners; when we form the young or reform those of riper years, we must begin where we ought; and then we may expect the blessing of heaven upon our instructions; when we have rectified men's principles, these principles will rectify their morals; and so shall the "God of peace sanctify them wholly; that their whole spirit, and soul and body, may be preserved blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

SERMON XXXV.

BUT AND IF THAT EVIL SERVANT SHALL SAY IN HIS HEART, MY LORD DELAYETH HIS COMING, AND SHALL BEGIN TO SMITE HIS FELLOW-SERVANTS, AND TO EAT AND DRINK WITH THE DRUNKEN; THE LORD OF THAT SERVANT SHALL COME IN A DAY WHEN HE LOOKETH NOT FOR HIM, AND IN AN HOUR THAT HE IS NOT AWARE OF, AND SHALL CUT HIM ASUNDER, AND APPOINT HIM HIS PORTION WITH THE HYPOCRITES: THERE SHALL BE WEEPING AND GNASHING

OF TEETH.-Matt. xxiv. 48, et seq.

THE

of a

HE monition here delivered, is in the style of a parable, and contains the history and catastrophe careless Christian. It is not aimed at all wicked men in general, whether Jews, Turks, or Heathens, but at those only, who professing themselves to be the servants of God, forget him, and go over to the service of the world. So that by the evil servant here mentioned, we are to understand the apostatizing or worldly-minded Christian, who bears the name of a servant of the Lord Christ, but in practice employs himself in the business of another master, who has gotten the possession of his affections.

If we wish to see a perfect description of any man, we must in the first place be made acquainted with his principles. He appears then to be one, who deceives himself, and "says in his heart, My Lord delayeth his coming." He lays it down as a principle of action, that no account, at least no immediate account, of his actions will be required. He has a lord or master, who for a while is absent; and the report goes amongst his fellow-servants, that this lord will return and reckon with him: but this reckoning, in his estimation, is either none at all, or so distant, that he is under no necessity of paying any regard to it. His lord has been absent so long, and wicked men have been so