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if he is prompted by the defire of rifing SERM. into power, he is held not public fpirited, but ambitious: And if he bestows a benefit, purely that he may receive a greater in return, nó man would reckon him generous, but selfish and interefted. If reafon thus clearly teaches us to estimate the value of actions by the difpofitions which give them birth, it is an obvious conclufion, that, according to thofe difpofitions, we are all ranked and claffed by him who seeth into every heart. The rectification of our principles of action is the primary object of religious discipline; and, in proportion as this is more or lefs advanced, we are more or less religious. Accordingly, the regeneration of the heart is every where reprefented in the Gospel as the most effential requifite in the character of a Christian.

SECONDLY, The ftate of the heart not only determines our moral character, but forms our principal happiness or misery. External fituations of fortune are no farther of consequence, than as they operate on VOL. II.

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the

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SERM. the heart; and their operation there is far

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from correfponding to the degree of worldly profperity or adverfity. If, from any internal cause, a man's peace of mind be disturbed, in vain you load him with all the honours or riches which the world can bestow. They remain without, like things at a distance from him. They reach not the fource of enjoyment. Discomposed thoughts, agitated paffions, and a ruffled temper, poison every ingredient of pleafure which the world holds out; and overcaft every object which prefents itself, with a melancholy gloom. In order to acquire a capacity of happiness, it must be our firft ftudy to rectify fuch inward diforders. Whatever difcipline tends to accomplish this purpose, is of greater importance to. man, than the acquifition of the advantages of fortune. These are precarious and doubtful in their effect; internal tranquillity is a certain good. These are only means; but that is the end. These are no

more than instruments of fatisfaction; that, is fatisfaction itself.

Juftly

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Juftly is it faid by the Wife Man, that be SER M. who hath no rule over his fpirit, is like a city that is broken down and without walls *. All is wafte; all is in disorder and ruins within him. He poffeffes no defence against dangers of any fort. He lies open to every infurrection of ill-humour, and every invafion of diftrefs. Whereas he who is employed in regulating his mind, is making provifion against all the accidents of life. He is erecting a fortress into which, in the day of danger, he can retreat with fafety. And hence, amidst thofe endeavours to fecure happiness which inceffantly employ the life of man, the careful regulation, or the improvident neglect of the inward frame, forms the chief distinction between wifdom and folly.

THUS it appears with how much propriety the issues of life are faid to be out of the heart. Here rife thofe great springs of human conduct whence the main currents

SERM. flow of our virtue, or our vice; of our hap

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piness, or our misery. Befides this powerful argument for keeping the heart with all diligence, I muft mention another important confideration taken from the present state of human nature. Think what your heart now is, and what must be the confequence of remitting your vigilance in watching over it. With too much juftice it is. faid in Scripture, to be deceitful above all things, and defperately wicked. Its bias of innate corruption gives it a perpetual tendency downwards into vice and disorder. To direct and impel it upwards, requires a conftant effort. Experience may convince. you, that almost every defire has a propenfity to wander into an improper direction; that every paffion tends to excefs; and that. around your imagination there perpetually crowds a whole fwarm of vain and corrupting thoughts. After all the care that can be bestowed by the beft men on the regulation of the heart, it frequently baffles their efforts to keep it under proper difcipline. Into what univerfal tumult

them

then muft it rife, if no vigilance be employed, and no government be exercised over it? Inattention and remiffness is all that the great adversary of mankind defires, in order to gain full advantage. While you sleep, he fows his tares in the field. The house which he finds vacant and unguarded, he presently garnishes with evil Spirits.

SER M.

Add to this, that the human temper is to be confidered as a system, the parts of which have a mutual dependence on each other. Introduce diforder into any one part, and you derange the whole. Suffer but one paffion to go out of its place, or to acquire an unnatural force, and presently the balance of the foul will be broken; its powers will jar among themselves, and their operations become difcordant.-Keep thy. heart, therefore, with all diligence; for all thy diligence is here required. And though thine own keeping alone will not avail, unlefs the affiftance of a higher power concur, yet of this be well affured, that no aid from heaven is to be expected, if thou fhalt

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