ed all its ftores, as the last and lowest exertion of meannefs, he is fpit upon. Behold him dragged from this horror of contempt, hurried out of the city, away to Golgotha, there nailed to the crofs, the delicate and nervous parts of the body, the hands and feet pierced through by the rugged steel, fufpended in this tremendous plight between heaven and earth, forlaken by his God, and all hell let loose upon him. He is here till fcornfully mocked, his fide pierced with a fpear. While the fun is hiding his face from the scene, all nature in convulfion under the foot of the cross, he is praying for his murderers, expiring and shedding his blood for the atonement of their fins.

All this, and infinitely more than can be described, did the fon of God, my dear young friends, undergo and suffer for you. Are you able now to withstand this mighty collection of motives, ftill proceed on in fin, in impenitence, and unbelief; defpife like the barbarous Jews, the blood of falvation ; trample it under foot, and make the defperate plunge into damnation? Stop, my children, halt, pause, confider for a moment. Heaven is clofing, hell is opening before you; be entreated and befought by all the blood of God, fhed on Calvary's hill, that you lay your ways to heart, ceafe from evil and immediately become fober minded. Others are bathing in this blood and drinking in the ftreams of life eternal, and why should not you? This is the last particular address, you will ever probably hear from my aged lips. And I fhall clofe it all in the words of Abraham's fervant to the houfe of Laban; " If

26

you will deal kindly and truly with my mafter tell me, if <6 not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand, or to the "left." O! children, turn unto the Lord, and become fober

minded.

SERMON XI.

The Glory of God the Chief End of Man.

1 Cor. x. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

THESE words contain a general refolution of all cafes of eonfcience and difficulties that had arifen in the Corinthian Church respecting the eating of meats, which had been offered to idols. It was the common practice of the heathen, first to offer meat in their pagan worship on the alters of their gods, and afterwards fell it in the public markets. As this was an ufual practice in the city of Corinth, it created no fmall perplexity among the chriftians. Wherefore the Apoftle entersfully into this fubject, and states the duty of every class of chriftians, the weak and the strong, those who thought they might eat thefe meats, and those who were of a different opinion. And here he fums up the whole matter in this general maxim or rule in our text. This was defigned not merely for the direction of this church in a particular inftance, but for the government of all chriftians throughout all generations in the general and habitual conduct of their lives. A principle

A

of fupreme respect to the glory of God must reign in the heart, and prefide over the whole tenor of their practice. The mere lawfulness of an action is not always to be confidered, but the expediency of it likewife muft be taken into view. There are fome things which are duty without hefitation, but there are many things in which time, place, and a variety of circumftances must be attended to, in order to our determining, whether the performance of them be for the honor of God.

This rule is laid down by St. Paul as the standard of all our actions. The lowest and most common, as well as the highest and most important. There are no branches of conduct exempted from this authority. A neglect of or a disrespect to this rule, is as real rebellion against the principles of reafon, as those of revelation.

This maxim plainly supposes, that the glory of God, ought to be fo much the ground of human actions, that none can be morally good or virtuous, which originate not from this fource. Where the heart is destitute of this principle and not governed by it, all must be wrong, vicious, and finful. The chief end of man is to glorify God, and the infallable connection is the enjoyment of him forever.

The doctrine in our text is evidently this, that all our actions ought to be done to the glory of God.-This does not fuppofe we are always to have this object in view, or immediately contemplate it previous to the performance of every action. This would be an impoffible fuppofition. We know not that angels or the fpirits of just men made perfect, or that even the man Christ Jefus, called upon this principle to lead him in the performance of every action. It is enough for us finful and very : imperfect creatures to know, that the glory of God, ought to be our habitual and prevalent end, though not continually exercifed and brought into view. If this be the habit of the foul, the frame of the heart, and maintain a prevalency in the con

SERMON XI.

The Glory of God the Chief End of Man.

1 Cor. x. 31. Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye doy do all to the glory of God.

THESE words contain a general refolution of all cafes of confcience and difficulties that had arifen in the Corinthian Church refpecting the eating of meats, which had been offered to idols. It was the common practice of the heathen, first to offer meat in their pagan worship on the alters of their gods, and afterwards fell it in the public markets. As this was an ufual practice in the city of Corinth, it created no fmall perplexity among the chriftians. Wherefore the Apostle enters fully into this fubject, and states the duty of every clafs of chriftians, the weak and the strong, those who thought they might cat these meats, and those who were of a different opinion. And here he fums up the whole matter in this general maxim or rule in our text. This was defigned not merely for the direction of this church in a particular inftance, but for the government of all chriftians throughout all generations in the general and habitual conduct of their lives. A principle

of fupreme refpect to the glory of God muft reign in the heart, and prefide over the whole tenor of their practice. The mere lawfulness of an action is not always to be confidered, but the expediency of it likewife muft be taken into view. There are fome things which are duty without hefitation, but there are many things in which time, place, and a variety of circumstances must be attended to, in order to our determining, whether the performance of them be for the honor of God.

This rule is laid down by St. Paul as the standard of all our actions. The lowest and most common, as well as the highest and most important. There are no branches of conduct exempted from this authority. A neglect of or a disrespect to this rule, is as real rebellion against the principles of reafon, as those of revelation.

This maxim plainly fuppofes, that the glory of God, ought to be fo much the ground of human actions, that none can be morally good or virtuous, which originate not from this fource. Where the heart is deftitute of this principle and not governed by it, all must be wrong, vicious, and finful. The chief end of man is to glorify God, and the infallable connection is the enjoyment of him forever.

The doctrine in our text is evidently this, that all our actions ought to be done to the glory of God.-This does not fuppofe we are always to have this object in view, or immediately contemplate it previous to the performance of every action. This would be an impoffible fuppofition. We know not that angels or the fpirits of juft men made perfect, or that even the man Christ Jefus, called upon this principle to lead him in the performance of every action. It is enough for us finful and very imperfect creatures to know, that the glory of God, ought to be our habitual and prevalent end, though not continually exercised and brought into view. If this be the habit of the foul, the frame of the heart, and maintain a prevalency in the con