sistent deist must allow, that right reason has had very little sway in the religious concerns of mankind; and that, excepting himself and his fraternity, they now are, and always have been, led astray by the grossest religious delusions. Upon his principles the Deity has never in the least interposed, either to prevent these corruptions or to reform them. With what consistence then, or candour, can this man object against revelation, that it is not ancient enough, or not universal, i. e. that enough has not been done by it; when, upon his own principles, the Deity has done nothing at all? Thick clouds are a covering to him that he seeth not; and he walketh in the circuit of heaveny, without ever regarding the errors and corruptions of his family here on earth. Sentiments of this sort, though designed it may be to subvert only revealed religion, yet must shake the foundations of natural; and it will not perhaps be found upon trial very easy upon this scheme to vindicate the doctrine of Providence, to defend the wisdom and goodness of God's moral government of the world, and the equity of his intending to judge it.

Whereas, on the other hand, the principles of true natural religion, Deity, Providence, moral government, and judgment to come, fairly and fully explained and understood, lead us, as it were, directly to the confines of revelation; and dispose us more readily to embrace the salutary truths of the gospel : to know which, and to practise them, is, at least in our present state, the highest perfection of human

nature.

y Job xxii. 14.

SERMON XV.

MATTH. XXV. 28, 29, 30.

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

IF there be any inquiry of greater consequence than another, it is that which relates to the nature and design of human life. What is man, and whereto serveth he? What is his good, and what is his evil? Is it all circumscribed within the circle of this life, or is there another? And has the happiness or misery of that other any connexion with our behaviour here? It is impossible wisely to take a single step in life, without regulating it by this view; and it is our great interest, and our chief duty, to satisfy ourselves on this head, upon which our whole conduct depends.

And the satisfaction so much wanted, and of such great importance, may be easily obtained; partly by reason, from the constitution of our own frame, and of the world in general; but more clearly and fully by the revelation of Jesus Christ. It is this great Teacher who has best acquainted us with our being's end and aim; not indeed in a speculative way, to gratify curiosity; but so far as the subject is of moral import, and the knowledge of it necessary to

enforce that virtue which he came to establish in the world. The conduct of life is trusted with ourselves; and therefore so much of the theory of it as is useful to this purpose is laid open to our view. But truth alone, truth abstracted from all moral influence, from all tendency to make us better, is not our proper, at least not our principal business; and is left by our Lord, in a great measure, to be part of that reward, which he will sometime bestow on them who obey him. There is not, perhaps, a chapter in the whole New Testament which lays before us a plainer representation of the present and of the future state, and of the connexion they have with one another, than this out of which my text is taken: and yet it appears to have been all subjoined, in order to recommend and enforce that constant watchfulness in duty, and habitual readiness to meet our Lord when he cometh, which is mentioned towards the close of the preceding chapter. This is the manifest intent and tendency of the parable of the ten virgins, of the parable of the talents, and of that full, distinct, and clear account of the proceedings at the day of judgment, which follows them; in which our Lord speaketh plainly, and speaketh no parable.

Many useful observations, no doubt, may be made upon the several parts of the parable, distinctly; but the general doctrine and result of the whole, as well as of the words I have read in particular, seem to terminate in these two points; which will be the subject of this discourse:

First, That the present life is a state of trial, and, Secondly, That this state of trial will be decisive and final.

I. The first point, one would think, should not want much, either explanation or proof. A state of trial must mean a state preparatory to another, furnished with means and opportunities to prove the fidelity and virtue of moral agents, and by that means to fit them for a future and more lasting state of retribution. It is evident almost at the first view, that the present life answers this idea; and that it answers nothing else. It is certainly, itself, not a state of retribution. The mixture and promiscuous distribution of good and evil, the very shortness of human life, and, in a word, all the appearances in the world, both natural and moral, forbid it. It is equally repugnant to many of the same phenomena, as well as to the very being and principles of all religion, to suppose it a state of no moral consideration at all; a state unconnected with any other, and for our conduct in which we are accountable to none.

But these observations will receive more confirmation, and the subject greater light, if we attend a little to the nature of a probationary state, as well as of the persons concerned in it. Now these latter, it is certain, must be real agents; not mere engines acted upon by a superior power, but beings endued with such reason and liberty as may enable them to choose and act for themselves, and with such a system of affections as may excite them to action, lest they should remain in a state of absolute rest and inactivity. Creatures, thus formed, appear to be furnished, so far as their own frame is concerned, with every thing requisite to constitute them moral agents. And this alone, if nothing else hinders, is a presumption, if not a proof, that they are account

able for their conduct; that is, accountable for the use they make of the faculties with which they are invested. This however by itself is not sufficient; the nature and constitution of things about them must correspond with their own, to give us the complete idea of a state of trial. There must be objects to excite their passions, and opportunities to gratify them; such differences of good and evil as to afford room for a rational choice; and things so nicely adjusted, as to administer occasions for the exercise of liberty, without overpowering it. There seems to be little need of any application of this to ourselves. We are evidently the creatures described; and the constitution of the world we are placed in is exactly adapted to this view and design of our own, and fully answers to the idea and description of a state of trial. With this light in our hands, we can see plainly a wisdom and contrivance in things, an order and fitness even in those works of creation and providence of which men are most apt to complain; and, what is of nearest concernment to us, the mark which we are to aim at, and, in general, the path that leads to it. Take this light away, and every thing again is hid darkness rests upon this part of God's creation, as did before it upon the face of the deep. Natural evil gives scope and occasion for many virtues; which could not be in the same degree, or could not be at all, without it. The same aspect has moral evil on others; vicious customs and examples, persuasion, influence, excitements, persecution, tyranny, all contribute to the same end; and, indeed, constitute human life that severe state of trial which it is. The various ranks and subordinations of men come into

in night; and as total a