SECTION IV. 305 temperate in all things. And if the ancient Grecians practised this self-denial to obtaina corruptible andwithering crown, much snore should christians, in their pursuit of one that is incorrup- tible, and which never fades away; 1 Cor. ix. 25. Run with such vigour in this holy race, as though there could but one of you obtain the prize,forgetting the things that are behind, stretch forward still, with the prize in your eye, till you lay hold of it ; Phil. iii. 13. Let no hardships discourage you, no enemies or dangers sink your spirits. He that holds out to the end, the same shall be saved; Mat. xxiv. 13. Since the gospel of happiness is setbefore you, in so clear a light, be zealous to comply with all the holy commands of it. Give yourselves up to Jesus, as your Saviour and your Lord. Trust in his atonement for the pardon of all your iniquities: Commit your souls to the conduct of his word, and to the sancti- fying influences of his Spirit t Imitate the blessedpattern of so great a Leader, and follow him who has marked out the ivay to life and immortality. If the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience against the law of Moses, received a just recompence of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at first began to be spoken by the Son of God, and has been published, and conveyed down to us from those that heard it ; Heb. ii. 2 -4. Let us not deceive ourselves with vain hopes, and make outs knowledge of all the disputed points of christianity and the mere orthodoxy of our opinions, the ground of our expectation of future glory. Let us not indulge so gross a mistake, as to put merenotions in the room of practice. An enlightened head was never designed to serve instead of a sanctified heart, neither in this world, nor that to come. No forms of religion, though they are divine, no doctrines, no articles of faith, no outward ritesand ceremonies of worship, though revealed and prescribed by God himself, will answer for the defect of a holy life. Could you know the glories of the person of Christ, and discourse of all his offices with the exactness of an angel, or some unbodied spirit; could you practise all theiorms of external christianityto perfection, yet all these would never recommendyou to the divine favour, without an inward and sincere love to God and men : Without this, even the chiefest of the apostles would be but sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal ; 1 Cor. xiii. 1. AChris- tian of the brightest notions, and the most refined speculations, can make no just pretences to a heavenly hope, unless he has found the sweet influence of the doctrine of Christ reforming his heart, refining his inward temper, and fittinghim for the business and blessedness of heaven. If we would be crowned, we must not only know the laws of this holy contest, but we must also run VOL. It1. U
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