grounds than the irreligious, in respect of the very health of his body. Virtue is a friend and a help to nature but it is vice and luxury that destroy it. And the diseases of intemperance are the natural product of the sins of intemperance. It has been observed, in the earlier ages of the Church, that none lived such long and healthful lives, as Monks and Hermits, who had sequestered themselves from the pleasures and plenties of the world to a constant course of abstinence and devotion.

Sin, also, has a natural tendency to bring men under all the forementioned evils; and, if persisted in, will infallibly end in them. It is not impossible that a man may practise a sin secretly, even to his dying day: yet is it ten thousand to one (if the practice be constant) but that some time or other it will be discovered; and then shame and confusion are the necessary consequence. It is pos sible, also, that a man may be an old and healthy epicure but I affirm, that it is next to a miracle if he be so.

But, after all, let atheists and sensualists satisfy themselves as they are able. The former of them will find, that as long as reason keeps her ground, religion neither can, nor will, lose her's. And, as for sensualists and epicures, they also will find, that there is a certain living spark within them, which all the drink they can pour in, will never be able to quench or put out. It must and will survive, in spite of death and the grave; and live for ever,

to convince them, to their eternal woe, of the folly of their principles as well as of their practice.

Another thing deducible from the foregoing particulars, is, to inform ourselves as to the way of attaining that glorious privilege, so justly valued by those who have it, and so much talked of by those who have it not; I mean assurance. Assurance is that persuasion or confidence which is in us of the pardon of our sins, and our interest in God's favour, upon such grounds and terms, as are laid down in Scripture. And, since the Scripture promises eternal happiness and pardon of sin, upon the sole condition of faith and sincere obedience; it is evident, that he only can plead a title to such a pardon, whose conscience impartially tells him, that he has performed the required condition. This, therefore, is the only rational assurance, on which a man with any safety can rely.

And he who in this respect would believe surely, must first walk surely: and to do so, is to walk uprightly. And what that is, we have sufficiently marked out to us, in those plain and legible lines of duty, requiring us to demean ourselves to God humbly and devoutly; to our governors obediently; to our neighbours justly; and to ourselves soberly and temperately: all other pretences being infinitely vain in themselves, and equally fatal in their consequences.

There are some, however, who bolster up their weak and doting consciences with the most absurd

confidences founded upon inward whispers of the Spirit, stories of something which they call cONVERSION, and marks of PREDESTINATION: all of them (at least as they understand them) mere fancies and delusions; fig-leaves, that for awhile may seem to cover them, but will be sure to fall off and leave them naked, before that fiery tribunal, which knows no other way of judging men, but according to their works.

SERMON XXXIII.

FROM SPARROW*.

1 THESS. iii. s.

Now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

ST. PAUL, having lately converted the Thessalonians to the Christian faith, was called to preach the Gospel in other parts. He sends, therefore, Timothy with a commission in his name to visit them, to comfort them, and to know their faith, lest by some means, the tempter have tempted you, and our labour be in vain. When Timothy had finished his visitation, he returns to St. Paul, and brings these good tidings; that he had found the Thessalonians firm and stedfast in the faith which Paul had taught them. And on hearing this report, the Apostle breaks out into this rhetorical

* Anthony Sparrow, Bishop of Norwich. The volume that contains the original is dated 1722.

expression of his joy and satisfaction at the message; Now we LIVE, if ye stand fast in the Lord.

As it cannot be denied, my brethren, that there still are many busy tempters, who use the subtlest arts to withdraw you from our holy faith; it is the duty of every faithful minister, to caution those who are committed to his charge against such temptation. That you may continue, therefore, constant and stedfast in that holy faith, which our Lord hath delivered unto you, I shall briefly set before you such rules and directions out of the holy Scriptures, as, by God's assistance on your hearty prayers, shall undoubtedly preserve you.

The first rule is, to make a serious and hearty resolution of believing and adhering to this Christian faith, whatsoever it may cost. And the cost may certainly be great: even the loss of father and mother, and whatsoever is nearest and dearest to us. If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Let no man, however, so mistake our Lord, as to think, that he teaches disobedience to parents, whose first commandment with promise is, Honour thy father and thy mother; or that he teaches us to hate our children, who, by his Apostle, St. Paul, tells us, that they are worse than infidels, who provide not for their family; or that he teaches us to hate ourselves, who