And what multitudes value themselves upon the pomp and parade of life! because they are arrayed sumptuously and feed delicately,—because their outside is finely trimmed and adorned and others are commanded by them and bow before them.

These are the things that poor mortals usually look big upon; and estimate themselves and one another by; and accordingly were they asked what they would pitch upon to give themselves weight and consequence, they would answer,we would have certain shares of comeliness, beauty, and proportion, to be objects of admiration to others we would be richly attired, that we may admire ourselves we would have the wealth of our neighbours that meaner persons might be held in dependence upon us, and submission unto us, we would have spacious houses,-great estates, high connections and alliances to give us eminence in the world and to enable us to direct or control the motions and politics of it.

But these are all alien things; they are alien and foreign to the true dignity of man. The right and fair estimation of any of us, is not to be taken from these things. Of all these we may say with St. Peter,-All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass: the grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away.'* We have that to value ourselves upon, and to be proud of, that as much transcends all these things,

as a diamond excels dust, or gold a feather. Man! God calls thee to be his friend, and assures thee that he is thine, and instructs thee in the method of improving this friendship, and carrying it on to all eternity! Here is thy greatness! To superficial men who are caught with external shew, as if all the greatness of man arose from that, while they overlook the dignity of the immortal soul, formed for divine contemplation and and converse, to them we may say as Jesus to the Pharisees,—'Ye fools and blind! did not he that made that which is without make that which is within also.'* Ye ignorant, infatuated creatures, who take so much pains about washing the outward part of you, do ye indeed not know that ye have an inward part, the work of the same Almighty hand, infinitely more excellent in its own nature and therefore proportionably more worthy of your attention and care. In like manner may we ask, are men indeed ignorant of the real excellence that they possess in an immortal soul, and its proper employments and improvements, that they value themselves so much,value themselves entirely upon what has no higher origin than the earth, nor any further reference than to a corruptible body?

Let all considerate and serious men know their true excellence and assert it. Let all such lift up themselves and tell the world that they can use its good things for their present purposes, but

* Luke xi. 40.

that they scorn them as any suitable portion, and that however delightful such good things may be as the accommodations of their pilgrimage, they are not to aim at their hearts. Let all that are in actual Friendship with God especially, tell the world, when it makes its inadequate or its criminal offers, and says, 'all these things will I give you if you will worship me,'-that they know where to be better supplied,-that they have all that it can offer, and more than it can offer in their divine Friend--and that in his company and fellowship, there are sweet pleasures,—more excellent honours and more substantial blessings than the world ever gave, or knew of. This will be true greatness-the spirit and language of persons sensible of the exalted privilege of Friendship with Deity, and disdaining every thing that would attempt to rival it, or break in upon it.

II. The life that we live in this frail body is entirely consistent with a very noble and exalted kind of life. This body with all its infirmities and encumbrances, allows capacity and opportunity for intercourse with the Father of spirits. Though it be comparatively a mean and incommodious mansion it does not hinder us from pursuing great designs and enjoying pure and very sublime pleasures. God has made it our temporary dwelling; and we must take care that we do not make it our domitory or our grave; in which for our heaven-born souls to forget themselves; and their amazing and angelic powers to be buried

and consumed. Notwithstanding the weakness and meanness of its tabernacle of clay, the soul of man may follow its own grand and appropriate interest, and enjoy its own proper and noble gratifications. There are the pleasures of devotion for that, as well as meats and drinks and refreshments for the body, God has not dealt so unequally by the two constituent parts of our frame, as to provide suitably for the inferior appetites and leave the more excellent principle surrounded only with such things as degrade it, and render it unhappy.

Come then, O man, whosoever thou art, whose generous spirit is ready to look down with a sort of conscious despiciency upon thy present condition, come and learn how to aggrandize thyself, and how to make fallen humanity still wear an honourable and a pleasing aspect. Thou art not yet sunk from all the privileges of thy creation and primitive condition, thou hast no occasion to herd with the brutes, as if thou hast no higher destination, nor to be ingulphed in carnal pleasures as if thou hast no higher portion. God himself courts thy communion and Friendship, he offers himself to thy view in every creature and seeks to attract thee by every favour. Friendship with God subsists in the world; and this brings the felicity of angels down to the dwellings of men. How great does Abraham. appear!-Abraham the Friend of God.-How great does Enoch appear!-Enoch walked with

God. How great does it make the apostles appear! I have called you friends. How greatly is Moses dignified !-Moses the man of God. And these high and interesting connections with Deity which have subsisted in the world may always subsist.

Thou mayest have thy share in all this honour and happiness,-Break through thy prison walls then,-look through the veil of flesh that is thy present covering, and above men that are thy present associates,-claim kindred with the God of the universe and, give a greatness to thy condition in this world, by thy fellowship with another; have thy conversation in heaven, and thus enoble and improve thy life upon earth.

III. We should aspire after a life thus dignified and blessed with Divine Friendship, because this was our original excellency and felicity. I observed at the beginning of this treatise, that Friendship with God was the temper and blessedness of man in his state of innocence and paradise. Now how should we aspire after this temper, and consequent blessedness again! Especially encouraged by the consideration of there being a glorious Mediator appointed on purpose to bring us back to it? It is always reckoned a commendable ambition when men endeavour by fair and honest methods to rise again to any heights of eminence from which they have fallen. Let me, then, apply this to the present case. Is it not indeed commendable