Him, Who at His right hand intercedes for us, accepts and repays us.

If any unthinking persons should be inclined to say, that the constant recollection of God, and the constant endeavours to obey the rule of our text, and whatsoever we do, do all to the glory of God, must be detrimental to our happiness; do but consider the folly and almost idiotcy of such an observation for the only thing from which that rule will restrain us is evil; so far from withholding any good from us, it forces and compels us to seek it; and therefore such an observation amounts to this, that evil is the source of happiness, and good the source of misery in other words, that Satan rules in the world, instead of God; and so perhaps he does, with those who would speak in such an atheistical manner; but that is no reason why Christians should put on their enemy's galling and degrading yoke, instead of the happy and glorious service of their heavenly Father.

But the truth is, persons who would speak so are not only no fair judges of the matter, but are talking of that, about which they literally know nothing. They have never made trial of the service of God; they cannot, therefore, possibly, know whether it is happy or unhappy. Let them make trial of it, and then let them speak: let them endeavour to do whatever they do to the glory of God, by doing it in the fear of Him, and restraining themselves by the recollection of Him; and when they have thus 12

made trial of it, let them say whether they have not found out happiness, of which till then they had no knowledge; a peace of mind which the world, with all its idols and its follies, cannot give; whether their hearts are not lighter, their brow calmer, their hope surer. They will then acknowledge that the fear of God is wisdom, and to "depart from evil is understanding :" as David speaks, "Oh taste and see how gracious the Lord is; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him"."

God give us all grace, in truth, and with a single heart, to make trial of this, if we have not already begun it; to persevere and continue in it, if through the grace of God, we have already entered into that true wisdom, of which Solomon says, that "her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace." Through Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom, in the unity of the Father and of the Holy Ghost, be ascribed, all praise, adoration, and thanksgiving, for ever and ever. Amen.

SERMON V.

ON THE VALUE OF A CLEAR CONSCIENCE.

LUKE xi. 34, 35.

"The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness."

By the essential usefulness which the eye is of to the body, and by the utter helplessness and destitution which the body experiences when the power of sight is lost, our Saviour would have us consider the value of a clear and tender conscience; and the dreadful evil of having it perverted, or hardened, or silenced. "The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness." His intended meaning may be thus expressed, "The light or guide of the soul is the conscience, therefore when thy con

science is clear and upright, thy soul also is in safety, and under sound guidance; but when thy conscience is hardened or perverted, thy soul also is deprived of her guide, and in danger of error and ruin." By means of the things which we know of ourselves, He would teach us the things which we must receive by learning, and make use of our bodies, to convey instruction to our souls.

For the value of sight nature itself teaches us, and daily experience of the benefits of it shows us how great a treasure it is, and how dreadful the loss of it would be; and therefore we need not to be taught, nor persuaded, to take care of it; instinct itself leads us to do this, and to guard our eyes anxiously from every evil; nay, so remarkable is our concern for this member of the body, that our care of it is proverbial to express the greatest that can be; and when David would declare to God his wish to be under His especial and constant protection, he could find no apter way for doing it, than by referring to men's care for their eye-sight. " Keep me," saith he, "as the apple of the eye1."

But of the value of a clear and upright conscience, how few, even among Christians, seem to be aware! And they who would guard the eye of their body with the greatest care, and are impatient, if but a bit of dust or an eye-lash enter it, and obscure its brightness; can yet, too often, suffer the eye of

1 Psalm xvii. 8.

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their soul, even conscience, to be stained and polluted, and rendered dim and useless, with no concern about it: as if while the body needs the utmost light, the soul could shift well enough in twilight, or even in total darkness.

Yes, this is the case with too many Christians, who act in this manner, little considering the great, and oftentimes irreparable, injury they do unto themselves; nor pausing to reflect, that on this point, the very heathens will rise up in judgment with them at the last day, and condemn them. For though they have not, as we have, the written law of God, and the revelation of His will, to instruct and enlighten their conscience, yet, God left them not altogether in darkness; they had the light of reason to show them, in most instances, good from evil; as St. Paul says, they were a law unto themselves, their consciences bearing them witness, and their thoughts accusing or else excusing them'. And the writings of many among them, which have come down to us, show how highly they prized and set store by the dictates of their conscience, unenlightened as it was, when compared with ours. Now if the heathens could value and set store by the faint glimmerings of light, with which reason or broken tradition enabled their consciences to guide them, what can be thought of Christians, who when they have not only the light of reason, but the clear

1 Romans ii. 15.