nefs ceased. The fashionable virtue among them became piety to God: and all the hypocrites of those days, who wished to attract the attention of the people, laid themselves out in frequenting the temple-in making their gift of Corban—in saying long prayers—and praying in the corners of the ftreets.

The fashionable virtue with us is not fo much piety as charity. We are content, when we do pray, to pray in private: but we have often a fecret wish, juft to found the trumpet a little, when we do an act of kindness, or charity. The times will not bear a loud, pharifaical blast: but a light, gentle air may answer our intention very well; and yet give no offence. It is an eafy matter to give a hint of a kind intention-to drop an intimation, that things may go better with a diftreffed perfon by and by-or to confult a friend in what way a good office, may best be done with an earneft request, that the thing may not be spoken of, as it is a mere trifle. However it generally happens, that some way or other, the thing is fpoken of, and gets abroad. It is an easy matter to contrive a private publication.

BUT are we not ordered to let our light

fhine before men, that they may see our good works?

Certainly: but go on with the text. For what reafon are they to see our good works? Is it not that they may glorify our Father, which is in heaven? Now if you do your good works in fuch a way, as to glorify yourfelf, rather than your Father, which is in heaven; you certainly do not let your light fhine before men, in the way which the scriptures enjoin.

The precife meaning of the text feems to be this. If your good works happen to be seen, let your heart refer them to God, who enables you to do them; that he may be glorified through you his unworthy inftrument. If you fet yourSelf up as the doer of good works, you endeavour to get the praise from God, who profeffes himfelf to be the author of all good, and whom you ought always to glorify.

It is the heart then chiefly which you must regard. If you be a benevolent man, your good works must often, of course, be done before men; and you may often have occasion to consult a friend on the propriety of a charitable action: only be affured, that it is performed on a true religious principle; and with as little oftentation as poffible; and all is right.

Having thus examined what our Saviour means by founding a trumpet; I shall now explain the fubfequent fentence, they have their reward.

The reward, which is promised to them who do not found a trumpet before men, but perform their religious duties merely to please that God, who feeth in fecret, is found in various parts of scripture.

On the other hand, they who do found their trumpet before men, are not to go unrewarded. They too, the fcripture affures us, fhall have their reward. But as they laid out their goods, if I may fo express it, in a worldly market, they are to expect only a worldly return. They traf ficked for the praise of man. This was all they fought and all they get.

THUS then, you fee we have the option of two paymafters for our religious duties. The one of fers us praise, and reputation among men, which may last for ten, or twenty, or thirty years, as it may happen. -The other affords us the folid comfort of everlasting happiness.-We may take our option, which of these rewards we think it moft worth our while to afpire after; and may God of his infinite mercy direct our choice, through Jefus Christ our Lord!

XXIII.

Without faith, it is impoffible to please God: for he that cometh to him, must believe that he is; and that he is a rewarder of them, that diligently feek him.-Hebrews xi. 6.

THE chriftian religion holds out rewards to encourage our obedience; and threatens our difobedience with punishment.

Now the question is, how far fhould these rewards, and punishments be motives of action?

The man of reason immediately informs us, that goodness derived from fuch motives, "is no goodness at all-that it is merely the defire of happiness, and the fear of mifery-and that a brute, furnished only with its natural instincts, can exert as much virtue as this. He will add perhaps, as the devil faid formerly with regard to Job, that the chriftian does not ferve God for nought but that proper rewards are judiciously fet before him, to keep his difinterested virtue from fwerving.

What truth there is in all this; and how far the christian may act virtuously under the fanction of rewards, let us examine. I think it will appear, that they are a proper ground for religious conduct, from our confidering, first the nature of these rewards, and fecondly the manner, in which they work upon us.

Had the rewards, which the chriftian religion places before its worshippers, been such as the Arabian impoftor promised. fenfual pleafure in all its full-bloom delights-the objection might have weight. The expectation of fuch rewards is calculated certainly to debafe, not to improve the mind. But if the reward be of a holy, and virtuous kind, the expectation of it, or if you please, the making it a motive of action, must be holy, and virtuous likewise. Chriftianity which counts the enjoyments of this world as nothing; and raises our thoughts from earth to heaven; may well be fupposed to fpiritualize all our ideas of future happiness, Though it does not enter into the explanation. of this happiness, and tell us the specific nature of it, which it could not do without a change in our understanding; yet we know it is fuch happiness only as holy fpirits can delight in.

Now