quieted state to which it reduces the si Boldness and magnanimity have ever accounted the native effects of li He who enjoys it, having nothing to prehend from oppressive power, per the offices, and enjoys the comfor life, with a manly and undisturbed Hence his behaviour is dignified, an sentiments are honourable; while he is accustomed to bend under servile su tion, has always been found mean-spi timorous, and base. Compare, in respects, the virtuous and the vicious and you will easily see to which of the characteristics of freedom most belong. The man of virtue, relyin a good conscience and the protectio Heaven, acts with firmness and cou and, in the discharge of his duty, not the face of man. The man of

cons

one is bold as a lion; the other flieth when man pursueth. To the one, nothing. appears contemptible, by which he can procure any present advantage. The other looks with disdain on whatever would

degrade his character. "I will not," says he," so demean myself, as to catch the "favour of the greatest man, by this or "that low art. It shall not be said or

thought of me, that I did what was base, " in order to make my fortune. Let "others stoop so low, who cannot be " without the favours of the world. But I "can want them, and therefore at such a price I will not purchase them." This is the voice of true liberty; and speaks that greatness of mind which it is formed to inspire.

Corresponding to that abject disposition which characterises a bad man, are the fears that haunt him. The terrours of a

lest they revenge themselves; frequ of the world around him, lest it him; and, what is worst of all, he duced to be afraid of himself. Th a witness within him, that' testifies a his misdeeds; and threatens him i cret, when other alarms leave him. science holds up to his view the ima his past crimes, with this inscription graved upon it, "God will bring "work into judgment." How oppos such a state as this, to the peaceful rity arising from the liberty enjoye the virtuous? Were there no

more in the circumstances of sinne affix upon them the marks of serv this alone would be sufficient, that, Scripture expresses it, through fear of they are all their lifetime subject to bond

* Heb. ii. 15.

arises no hope from death. On the contrary, he is obliged to look forward with constant terrour to this most certain of all events, as the conclusion of all his hopes, and the commencement of his greatest miseries.

I HAVE thus set before you such clear and unequivocal marks of the servitude undergone by sinners, as fully verify the assertion in the text, that a state of vice and corruption is a state of bondage. In order to perceive how severe a bondage it is, let us attend to some peculiar circumstances of aggravation which belong to it.

First, It is a bondage to which the mind itself, the native seat of liberty, is subjected. In other cases, a brave man can comfort himself with reflecting that, let

the government of himself? As our viour reasons in another case, If the li that is in thee be darkness, how great is t darkness? So we may reason here, if t part of thy nature, thy mind, thy w by which only thou canst enjoy and re liberty, be itself in bondage to evil p sions and habits, how miserable must that bondage?

Next, it is aggravated by this conside tion, that it is a bondage which we h brought upon ourselves. To have b forced into slavery, is misfortune and sery. But to have renounced our libe and chosen to be slaves, is the greatest proach added to the greatest misery. M ments there frequently must be wher sinner is sensible of the degradation his state; when he feels with pain