refolute and courageous chriftian, dares to be fingularly good; he dares to ftem the torrent of popular depravity and corrup tion; he dares to be pious and upright, against the example of the multitude who do iniquity. He can bear to be laughed at as an unfalhionable fool, by both the great and little vulgar, with all the fortitude and magnanimity of a chriftian hero. He shines as a light in the world, amidst a crooked and perverse generation, holding forth the word of life, and counting it all joy to be perfecuted for righteoufnefs fake. Were the whole world to deride, to perfecute, to oppose him, he would, with the heroic leader of Ifrael's tribes, refolve, "As for me "and my houfe, we will ferve the Lord."*

(3.) To be brief: Would we fee the excellency and neceffity of chriftian fortitude, we must view the christian in the following ftations of duty and of providence

-reproving fin-oppofing error-propa. gating truth-conflicting with temptation -ftruggling under the preffure of pain and heavy calamities and afflictions-expofed to the rage and malignity of perfecuting zeal and upon the very verge of eternity, encountering death, the last and most terrifie enemy in the chriftian warfare :-Ef pecially, in the awful hour of death, and amidst the agonies of diffolving nature, the

*Job xxiv. 15.

irrefolute man is ftupified with horror. He dares not take a retrofpect of his by-paft life, nor look into the fathomlefs abyss of eternity. He recollects, that the face of man has often terrified him fo, as to make him do violence to confcience: How then fhall he behold the face of GOD, whom he: hath offended through a finful fear of man, and of whofe words he has been afhamed

before an adulterous generation? Fearful he clings to life; reluctant he starts back from the brink of eternity, and dreads the fight of his almighty judge. Difmal forbodings fill his foul with diftrefsful agonies, and he quits the world, leaving the fpectators under a painful uncertainty whither he is gone. But the chriftian who has courageously ferved his GOD in life, is generally bold as a lion in the near profpect of death. To him, death is a meffenger of peace. He triumphs over his terrors through the blood of the Lamb; enquires fearlefs for his fting, and demands his guidance to the unknown regions of eternity! There he expects congratulating angels to meet him. There he hopes to fee GOD as his reconciled Father, face to face, and that wonderful God-man Chrift Jefus, who was fo much his friend as to die for him ;-to fee him exalted to the highest honors,—exalted to be his judge-And recollecting fome of the tokens and manifeftations of

his love, he defires now to testify to all around him, the grace, and faithfulness and loving kindness of his Lord. He dies in hope; dies exulting; moves and inftructs the spectators of his exit, and perhaps does more honor to GOD, and more good to his fellow-men, in his death, than he has been enabled to do in all his life.

7. Faith begets this virtue in the foul, and gives vigor to all its acts and exertions. (1.) By that faith, which is the evidence of things not feen, we perceive, that the cause we have efpoufed is good; that it is the caufe of GOD and of Chrift; the cause in which the eternal intereft of our fouls is embarked. (2.) By faith we see the arm of omnipotence ftretched out for our fuccor, and may fee, with humble confidence, that we have almighty strength, refpecting what we have to encounter with in the way of our duty. How bafe then to be dastardly and faint-hearted, with fuch odds on our fide? (3.) By the eye of faith we fee the glorious captain of our falvation) fpreading his ftandard over us-ftanding with a celeftial crown in his hand to reward our valor, and millions of our fellow foldiers, beholding, as it were, from the battlements of heaven, our behavior in the christian race and warfare. Seeing then we are encompaffed with fuch a cloud of witneffes, ought we not, "Laying afide every

weight, and the fin which easily befets "us, to run with patience the race fet be"fore us, looking unto Jefus ?"* (4.) By faith we look back and behold the gracious army of martyrs, apostles, prophets, and patriarchs, who were bold to attempt, and refolute to perform the moft arduous things. These have each conquered fingly, and triumphed. These were men as we are, and justly expect that we fhould behave with equal ardor, fortitude and perfeverance in the chriftian warfare. They seem to chide our floth, and animate us to activity by obferving, that GOD is ftill almighty;-that 'our religion is ftill divine;-that our Re'deemer is ftill the fame Jefus, and his 'gospel worthy as much honor now as ever 'it has been."

1.

ESSAY XXXVI.

The CHRISTIAN USES of the TONGUE.

• THE noblest use that can be made of the tongue, is to glorify GOD; which is done by this little inftrument, (1.) By praying to him. Thus we acknowledge our entire dependence on him for all that is needful to our happinefs. (2.) By praifing him. Thus we make known his loving kindness to his needy undeferving crea* 1 Cor ix. 25. I

2 Tim. iv. 8. Heb. xii. 1,—4.

tures. (3.) By expreffing our admiration. of his infinite perfections: Thus exalting his great name. (4.) By confeffing our iniquities: Thus magnifying hisgrace, which continues with us, notwithstanding our fo great unworthinefs. (5.) By contending for the truth of his word; testifying our confidence in it, and difcouraging every indecent freedom with it. (6.) By vindicating his providential government, and difplaying the wisdom, goodnefs and equity of his ways. These are, doubtlefs, fome of the principal ends for which the tongue is given to man.

2. A very good and noble ufe of the tongue is, to promote by it the good of our neighbor; which we may do, (1.) By laboring to inftruct the ignorant in what may relate to the concerns of his body; but more efpecially in what refpects his foul. (2.) By commendation, in fuch manner as may be an encouragement to him to proceed in the way of godlinefs and virtue, fo as to advance his good name, and extend the sphere of his usefulness: But in this good office, we fhould guard in a particular manner against flattery, or imprudent commendation, which is deadly poifon to most men. (4.) By peace-making There being nothing more deftructive to religion and virtue than malicious ftrife; nor any thing more unseemly in a christian. Those there.