SERMON I.

3

There are grave men and women, nay even middle aged persons, who have not thought seriously about religion an hour, nor a qnarter of an hour in the whole course of their lives. This great object of human solicitude affects not them in any manner whatever.

It cannot be without its use to enquire into the causes of a levity of temper, which so effectually obstructs the admission of every religious influence, and which I should almost call unnatural.

Ist. Now there is a numerous class of mankind, who are wrought upon by nothing but what applies immediately to their Senses; by what they see or by what they feel; by pleasures or pains or by the near prospect of pleasures and pains which they actually experience or actually observe. But it is the characteristic of Religion to hold out to our consideration enquiries which we do not perceive at the time. That is its very office and province. Therefore if men will restrict and confine all their regards and all their cares to things which they perceive with

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SERMON I.

with their outward senses; if they will yield

up their understandings to their senses both in what these senses are fitted to apprehend, and

in what they are not fitted to apprehend, it is utterly impossible for religion to settle in their hearts, or for them to entertain any serious concern about the matter. But surely this con

duct is completely irrational, and can lead to nothing but ruin. It proceeds upon the supposition, that there is nothing above us, about us or future, by which we can be affected, but the things which we see with our eyes or feel by our touch. All which is untrue.

THE

INVISIBLE THINGS OF GOD FROM THE

"CREATION OF THE WORLD ARE CLEARLY

SEEN, BEING

UNDERSTOOD BY THE "THINGS THAT ARE SEEN; EVEN HIS E"TERNAL POWER AND GODHEAD;" which means, that the order, contrivance and design, displayed in the Creation, prove with certainty that there is more in Nature than what we really see; and that amongst the invisible things of the universe there is a Being, the author and origin of all this contrivance and design, and, by consequence,

SERMON I.

consequence, a being of stupendous power, and wisdom and knowledge, incomparably exalted above any wisdom or knowledge, which we see in man, and that he stands in the same relation to us as the Maker does to the thing made. The things which are seen are not made of the things which do appear. This is plain: and this Argument is independent of Scripture and revelation. What further moral or religious consequences properly follow from it is another question, but the proposition itself shews that they who cannot, and they who will not raise their minds above the mere information of their senses, are in a state of gross error as to the real truth of things, and are also in a state to which the faculties of man ought not to be degraded. A person of this sort may with respect to Religion remain a child all his life. A Child naturally has no concern but about the things which directly meet its senses; and the person we describe is in the same condition.

Again, There is a race of giddy thoughtless men and women, of young men and young

women

women more especially, who look no further than the next day, the next Week, the next Month; seldom or ever so far as the next Year.

Present pleasure is every thing with them. The sports of the day, the amusements of the Evening, entertainments and diversions occupy all their concern; and so long as these can be supplied in succession, so long as they go from one diversion to another, their minds remain in a state of perfect indifference to every thing, except their pleasures. Now what chance has Religion with such dispositions as these? yet these dispositions begun in early life, and favored by circumstances, that is by affluence and health, cleave to a man's character much beyond the period of life in which they might seem to be excusable. Excusable did I say; I ought rather to have said that they are contrary to reason and duty in every condition and at every period of life. Even in Youth they are built upon falsehood and folly. Young persons, as well as old, find that things do actually come to pass. Evils and mischiefs, which

they

they regarded as distant, as out of their view, as beyond the line and reach of their preparations or their concern, come they find to be actually felt. They find that nothing is done by slighting them beforehand; for however neglected or despised, perhaps ridiculed and derided, they come not only to be things present, but the very things and the only things about which their anxiety is employed; become serious things indeed, as being the things which now make them ́wretched and miserable. Therefore a man must learn to be affected by Events which appear to lie at some distance, before he will be seriously affected by religion.

Again. The general course of Education is much against religious seriousness, even without those who conduct education foreseeing or intending any such Effect. Many of us are brought up with this World set before us and nothing else. Whatever promotes this world's prosperity is praised; whatever hurts and obstructs and prejudices this world's prosperity is blamed: and there all praise and censure end.

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