them: though he cannot enjoy that perfect tranquillity which might belong to a heart brought into complete conformity with the will of God.

These are among the reasons why Christians are often distinguished by a seriousness of deportment, which is ill understood by those who are strangers to their feelings, and misinterpreted as melancholy and gloom. Some persons are acutely sensible of that open ridicule, or even that silent contempt, with which religion is too often treated in the world. Others are tremblingly alive to those remains of corruption which they daily discover in their hearts, and afraid to take home to themselves a comfort which they fear it would be presumptuous to indulge. What shall we say then? To escape the censure of the thoughtless and profane, must principles be lowered down to a standard which none shall think too lofty? This will hardly be proposed; for we know that to whatever depth we descend, a lower depth will still remain; multitudes will still be found, for whom the meanest standard

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of religion is too high. Or will it be argued, that because a nature originally sinful cannot be altogether purified, therefore it should not be meddled with? That because evil propensities cannot be entirely subdued, therefore they should not be opposed? None will avow this; yet anxiety respecting the success of a contest against sin must be inseparable from such a contest; and those alone can be without anxiety, who never resist their passions, or endeavour to regulate their hearts.

Let it be remembered, too, that most of the complaints concerning the melancholy tendency of religion are made by those who have no just sense of religious obligations; and who adopt their opinion from the demeanour of persons whom their own levity, neglect of God, and indifference about vice and virtue, must naturally render serious. Could they enter into the minds of those persons, or see them in their families, in their daily occupations, or on their beds, they would quickly perceive that Christianity has a cheerfulness and tranquillity belonging to it, to

which irreligion is a total stranger. The Christian is encouraged by the writings which he maintains to be divine, to look for "all joy and peace in believing;" and the expectation thus raised, is commonly and in most dispositions fulfilled.

From these preliminary observations, I proceed to consider the beneficial tendency of the Gospel in a few distinct particulars.

The general benefits procured to the world by Christianity are very important, and such as nothing else any where received under the name of religion has produced. For a code of duties like that contained in the Gospel is not limited in its effects to those who admit its divine authority. The existence of such a rule, and far more the existence of persons obeying it, has a general influence extending even to those who might seem removed beyond its reach; as the sun softens and brightens every object in the landscape, and not those alone upon which its

rays directly shine. In this way a general improvement of habits has followed the progressive diffusion of the Gospel. The inhuman sports of the Roman amphitheatres were gradually discontinued: the most savage features of war have been softened: crimes of particular heinousness have become disgraceful in general opinion: the female sex has been raised to its just level in society; the duty of benevolence has been more commonly recognized and practised. Further, the severity of parental rule has been controlled; the barbarous custom of infanticide abolished; the system of domestic slavery has ceased, which subjected the greater part of mankind to the caprice and tyranny of a few freeborn masters, who regarded and treated the rest as inferior beings. These effects cannot with any justice be attributed to the progress of reason and civilization; because they are, in most instances, effects which directly proceed from the new views of the nature and destination of man unfolded by the Gospel; and further, because this improvement of moral habits

exists in countries very far inferior in literature and the arts' to the nations addicted to those habits which Christianity discountenanced; and because it follows the course, and accompanies the growth of Christianity; being more and more visible as that is more and more received; and being most visible where Christianity is best understood, and embraced most cordially.

These effects of the religion have been often set forth at large; and every fresh example of its progress gives accumulated weight to the evidence arising from them. Instead of contenting myself with this general view, I shall descend to a few particulars, and consider the admirable adaptation of the Gospel to the exigencies of mankind individually.

I. There is a provision in the Gospel for comforting affliction. If a revelation is to be suited to the circumstances of human life, this quality must be amongst its indispensable requisites. Events occur in the lives of most per