SER. XV. gency, make a more particular Application to Him for his Direction, who never fail eth them that feek Him? If we do, these undoubtedly are the only genuine Tests, and fignificant Expreffions of an undiffembled Love to God: And they will procure for us the bleffed Effects of that infinite Love, which being ftronger than Death, difarmed Death of it's Sting, and the Grave of it's Victory. SER On the Foundation of Morality. In two SERMONS. 2 Preached before the UNIVERSITY of COLOSSIANS III. 23. Whatfoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Christians, HESE Words, though addref- SER.XVI. as knowing, that, whatever Good any Man doth, the fame he shall receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. We are commanded to fet God before us; to be holy, because He is holy; and therefore, whatsoever we do, we are Dd 3 to SER.XVI. to do it as to him, who can difcern each inward Grace of the Soul through the Veil of Modefty, and fee each hidden Vice through the Mask of Hypocrify. I'fhall therefore make it my Business, in what follows, Ist, To prove that a Regard to the Deity is the Foundation of Morality. IIdly, To enquire into the Characters and Motives of thofe, who, though Strangers to Piety and Devotion, yet pretend to be animated with the most exalted Sentiments of Probity, Generofity and Benevolence. Ift, I am to prove that a Regard to the Deity is the Foundation of Morality. There can be no Virtue in Actions materially good, Actions which we chanced, but did not mean to do, No, to ftamp the facred Character of Virtue upon our Performances, the Intention of the Agent must be taken into the Account. It is this inward Principle, that must make our Services grateful to the Deity; as it is the Prefumption of this, that makes them fo to our Fellow-Creatures. Thus it is the prefumed prefumed Intention of the Giver, which SER.XVI. chiefly recommends the Gift. Silver and Gold fome may have little or none; but whatever they take in Hand, they turn into Gold: They beautify, whatever they do, by a frank, ingenuous and hearty Manner of doing it. Man, however, can only judge of us from our outward Actions and Demeanour; and, as long as we are artful enough to fave Appearances, we are no farther accountable to Him: He alone can effectually bind and oblige the Heart, from which all Goodness flows; who is alone the great Searcher and Discerner of our Hearts. Virtue is the Obfervance of fome Law, as Vice is the Tranfgreffion of it: But there can be no Laws at all without fome Lawgiver; and there can be no Laws, which fhall oblige us to cultivate inward Merit and Virtue (the only genuine Merit) without a facred Regard to that Lawgiver, to whom our inward Virtue is only cognizable. We are no further moral Beings, than we are accountable Beings. But to whom or what are we accountable? Not certainly to abfolute Fitneffes, the Loveliness and Dd 4 Beauty SER.XVI. Beauty of Virtue. To be accountable, implies, that we are accountable to fome Superior; which Superior can only be God, or a divine Legislator: For if we leave a God out of the Scheme, Human Legislators can never reach the Confcience, which is a Principle difcernible only by Him, from whom no Secrets are bid. Thus a confcientious Performance of good Actions, in the last Resort, in the last Step of the Scale, terminates in Him, who is the Dilpenfer of all Bleffings, the Center of all Happiness, and therefore the Object of all Duty. And all the moral Virtues are only fo many Cyphers, which may make an ample fhew, yet are but fo many empty unavailing Nothings; unless the Deity be placed as the principal Figure at the Head of them, from whom they derive their Weight, Force and Significancy. If it be objected, that, though we were not accountable to the Deity, yet still we are obliged to cultivate Virtue out of a Regard to ourselves, to the Eafe, Tranquillity and Satisfaction of our own Minds: I answer, that if we could oblige ourselves, then we, who impofe the Obligation on ourselves, must have an equal Power to take |