genuine affection, when he is feeling along SERMON with others in their joys or sorrows, thinks not of any recompence to which this gives him a title. He follows the impulse of his heart. He obeys the dictates of his nature; just as the vine by its nature produces fruit, and the fountain pours forth its streams. Wherever views of interest, and prospects of return mingle with the feelings of affection, sensibility acts an imperfect part, and entitles us to small share of praise. BUT supposing it to be both complete and pure, I must caution you against resting the whole merit of your character on sensibility alone. It is indeed a happy constitution of mind. It fits men for the It supposes benevolent affec SERMON affections; it includes them as essential II. parts; but it reaches farther: It supposes them to be strengthened and confirmed by principle; it requires them to be supported by justice, temperance, fortitude, and all those other virtues which enable us to act with propriety in the trying situations of life. It is very possible for a man to possess the kind affections in a high degree, while at the same time he is carried away by passion and pleasure into many criminal deeds. Almost every man values himself on possessing virtue in one or other of its forms. He wishes to lay claim to some quality which will render him estimable in his own eye, as well as in that of the public. Hence it is common for many, especially for those in the higher classes of life, to take much praise to themselves on account of their sensibility, though it be, in truth, a sensibility of a very defective kind. They relent at the view of misery when it is strongly set before them. Often too, affected chiefly by the powers of description, it is at feigned and pictured distress, more than at real misery, that they relent. The tears II. which they shed upon these occasions they SERMON consider as undoubted proofs of virtue. They applaud themselves for the goodness of their hearts; and conclude that with such feelings they cannot fail to be agreeable to Heaven. At the same time these transient relentings make slight impression on conduct. They give rise to few, if any, good deeds; and soon after such persons have wept at some tragical tale, they are ready to stretch forth the hand of oppression, to grasp at the gain of injustice, or to plunge into the torrent of criminal pleasures. This sort of sensibility affords no more than a fallacious claim to virtue, and gives men no ground to think highly of themselves. We must inquire not merely how they feel, but how their feelings prompt them to act, in order to ascertain their real character. I SHALL conclude with observing, that sensibility, when genuine and pure, has a strong connexion with piety. That warmth of affection and tenderness of heart, which lead men to feel for their brethren, and to enter into their joys and sorrows, should naturally dispose them to melt at the remembrance D 4 II. SERMON membrance of the divine goodness; to glow with admiration of the divine Majesty; to send up the voice of praise and adoration to that Supreme Being, who makes his creatures happy. He who pretends to great sensibility towards men, and yet has no feeling for the high objects of religion, no heart to admire and adore the great Father of the universe, has reason to distrust the truth and delicacy of his sensibility. He has reason to suspect, that in some corner of his heart there lodges a secret depravity, an unnatural hardness and callousness, which vitiates his character. Let us study to join all the parts of virtue in proper union; to be consistently and uniformly good; just and upright, as well as pitiful and courteous; pious, as well as sympathising. Let us pray to him who made the heart, that he would fill it with all proper dispositions; rectify all its errors; and render it the happy abode of personal integrity and social tenderness, of purity, benevolence, and devotion... TIME is of so great importance to man kind that it cannot too often employ religious meditation. There is nothing in the management of which wisdom is more requisite, or where mankind display their inconsistency more. In its particular parcels, they appear entirely careless of it; and throw it away with thoughtless profusion. But, when collected into some of its great portions, and viewed as the measure of their continuance in life, they become sensible of its value, and begin to regard it with a serious eye. While day after day is wasted SERMON IIL |