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walk by Faith, when our Faith is such, as St. John describes, that it can overcome the world."

True Faith arms us against the sins and vanities of this life, and enables our virtue to stand its ground against all the tempting profits, and pleasures of the world. He that sets God before his eyes, and has a lively hope in His promises, will never quit that hold, for all the specious pretences which the Devil can make him, or all the alluring baits which the world throws in his way. He that has a true notion of the joys of Heaven, will never be persuaded to resign his interest there, nor take all the kingdoms of the world for an equivalent; but will make his but will make his way thither through all the difficulties in nature, and maintain a steady course, and neither shall the narrow way discourage him, nor the broad way draw him aside...

But then, a Faith that can do all this, must be well settled, and well practised too; a Faith that is able to remove mountains, but cannot be removed itself. Such was the Faith by which the Apostles walked; so victorious, that nothing could withstand it; so active, that nothing could stop its course.

But, alas! our Faith is so far from moving mountains, that it stumbles at every mole-hill. Instead of a courageous, active principle, it is now dwindled into groundless confidence, idle talk; and "should the Son "of Man come again, would He find such a thing as "Faith upon the earth ?"

It is a common objection against us, and it must be confessed there is too much reason for it, that we do not live up to the rules of our Religion. And it would be happy for the world, if all they, who object this against us, did but do so themselves: for, generally,

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they who tax others for want of Faith, only betray their own want of Charity, But it is in vain for us to stand complaining of one another, like Adam and Eve, when we are both, equally, in the fault.

Therefore, instead of these unprofitable complaints, let us consider how the thing may be redressed; that we may not always be talking of Faith, and walking by sight. And to this end, when we find ourselves inclined to vanity, to the pomps and pleasures of the world, let our Faith advance our souls higher, and direct our thoughts to Heaven, and shew us what an eternal weight of glory we neglect, for these trifling pleasures that are below us.

Were we but truly sensible of that heavenly state, did we but know the meaning of substantial virtue, solid pleasure, those endowments which are reserved for us in the other world, we could never please ourselves so much with these shadows of delight, but should be ashamed of our childish entertainments.

When we are tempted unto sin, let us consider what will be the consequence, what a gulph of misery it may plunge us in, before we are aware; and if we do not repent in time, we shall be sure to repent when it is too late. We all profess to believe in God, but surely, if we were in earnest, we should take greater care to obey His will, and not rush into all manner of sin, 66 as if there was no God in the world."

We make daily profession of our belief in the resurrection of the dead, when God will bring us all unto Judgment; but to what purpose serves this our Faith, if it has no influence upon our practice? If we neglect the judgment of God, because as the Psalmist says, "it is far above out of our sight," we had as good be unbelievers

unbelievers still; for then our folly would not be so great, and our danger would be but the same. But he that professes one way, and practises another, does but prevaricate with God, and deceive himself; and an unproductive Faith is no better than infidelity; nay, in effect, it is the same thing.

Adam, for all his faith, either did not know, or at least, did not consider, what danger there was in eating the forbidden fruit, till he tasted it, and then he knew it to his sorrow. The Judgment to come is what many men talk of, and yet do not seem to believe, till it is coming, and then they believe and tremble." How much better is it for us to have a stedfast Faith in that Judgment, and to walk constantly by that Faith, and not stay till it is brought home to our sight? for then we shall see it, and feel it too.

To conclude. True Faith is the only thing that can arm us with courage against the fears and apprehensions of death. What the terrors of it are, is unknown to us; it is a dark dismal passage, and, naturally, we know not what it is, nor where it ends only Faith gives us a prospect of a joyful eternity beyond it, and so enables us to walk steadily in that dark and slippery way: "For the joys that are set before us, we can en"dure the cross, and despise the shame," and say, triumphantly, with St. Paul, "O death, where is thy sting! O grave, where is thy victory!"

Had we no other occasion for our Faith but this, yet this alone deserves the labors of a whole life.

The philosophers themselves could say, that their learning was nothing else but the contemplation of death, the learning how to die, and studying, all their days, how to bring them to a happy end. How much

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more does it behove a Christian, who has a more per fect knowlege what that end shall be, to be more studious, and industrious, in this main point, this only business of importance that he has to do?

Let us but improve ourselves in virtue while we live, and take care to walk by Faith, and then the thing is done then that King of Terrors can neither conquer nor surprize us; but we shall go, cheerfully, to meet our death, in a sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection. To which God of his mercy bring us all for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SERMON

SERMON III.

THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL'

THIS great Apostle was born at Tarsus, the chief city of Cilicia, a place remarkable for trade, and where learning and the arts, likewise, eminently flourished. His being born here did not entitle him to the privilege of a Roman citizen: for it does not appear that Tarsus was a Roman colony: it is most probable that one of St. Paul's ancestors had the right of the Roman city given him in the civil wars, either between Cæsar and Pompey, or Augustus and Anthony; when the Assistants that had done the victor any considerable service, were rewarded with this privilege. Having laid a founda tion of human literature at Tarsus, he went to Jerusalem, to study the Jewish Divinity, under the direction of Gamalie!, one of the most celebrated Rabbies of that age. He joined himself to the sect of the Pharisees, a very rigid order among the Jews, remarkable for their zeal, and for their tenaciousness of every punctilio of the Mosaic ceremonies. This occasioned him to prosecute the Christians, whom he thought to be heretical violators thereof, with a furious severity; and to run into the mad proceeding of those cruel Zealots, who took away St. Stephen's life. Being converted to Christianity, after a very iniraculous manner, he made amends for . his former errors, by the wonderful diligence of his labors in preaching the Gospel: for he propagated the Gospel of Christ throughout all Greece, and the lesser Asia, in Italy, Spain and Illyricum, establishing Christian Churches in the

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