thee, to reflect on these matters and to learn to diftinguish between femblance and reality. Illuminate us by thy light, let the genial influences of thy fpirit elevate and invigorate our minds, and fhew us that which among men is called great or little, high or low, in its real afpect. Grant that we may properly difcern and justly judge of it, and never be otherwife affected and never otherwife behave towards it than is adequate to its real quality. Teach us to think of it as wife men and chriftians, and thus lead us to the path of true perfection and happiness. For these graces we prefent our petitions at the footftool of thy mercy-feat in the name of Jefus Christ our lord, and relying on his promises, further adOur father, &c. drefs thee as he taught us.

Ye are they which juftify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the fight of God.

To understand the true worth of things, and to

judge of them accordingly, is the foundation of all wisdom, of all virtue, of all happiness. Without this knowledge we are a prey to error, the fport of our paffions, and can never be fafe from the most pernicious mistakes and tranfgreffions. And in fact, my pious hearers, why is a man so often obliged to reverse his judgments and fo often to alter his conduct; why fo frequently to be afhamed of both the

one

one and the other to himself and to his fellow-creatures; why does he fo feldom find the pleasure, the advantage, the tranquillity, the contentment, that he seeks; why is he fo frequently deceived in his expectations; why are his most flattering hopes so seldom entirely fulfilled; why does he fo frequently deteft and avoid to-day, what he yesterday fo highly esteemed, and after which he fo ardently strove; why is he now fo anxious to obtain, what he heretofore difregarded; why elfe than because he was ignorant of the value of these things, did not judge and treat them according to their true worth, but took them for fomething other than what they really are? Yes, this is wisdom, my pious hearers, true, useful wisdom, wisdom that is indispensably neceffary to the proper conduct of life and to the blithe enjoyment of its goods, to take every object for what it is, the great for great, the little for little, the exalted for exalted, the low for low, not to magnify the one nor diminish the other, not exceffively to elevate the one, and not too deeply to depress the other. He who acts thus in every cafe and in all refpects, will never be deceived and dazzled by femblance and figure; will never run after an empty delusive shade, or a beautiful unattainable ideal form; will never waste his powers in vain exertions, and never have cause to complain of deceit and imposture, never of abortive expectations and difappointed hopes, His judgments will be as fure and confiftent as his conduct, and fatisfaction and ferenity will be his infepar

able

able companions on the path of life. Are we unable to attain to this height of wifdom and happiness in our present state, my pious hearers; are we all in this respect more or lefs fubject to error, fince fenfuality has more or less authority over us: yet we can and fhould be continually approaching nearer to that perfection. We can and should learn wisdom, and become progreffively more capable of the happiness that arifes from it. This is our principal appointment on earth; and well for us if we hold it to be as grand and important as in reality it is! May I contribute fomewhat to this end by my prefent difcourfe! My defign is to occafion you to reflect upon fome notions that are intimately connected with numberless others, and have a mighty influence on most of our judgments and actions, as well as on our peace of mind and happiness. Thefe are the notions concerning what is and is called high and low, great and little. What is highly esteemed among men, says Jefus, is abomination in the fight of God. Thereby plainly teaching us, that the ideas and judgments of mankind concerning these things are frequently erroneous, often totally false, that they frequently take what is low for exalted, and what is little for great, and the reverse.

Only one greatness, my pious hearers, is absolute greatnefs; only one height is pofitive, is unlimited and incomparable height: and that is the greatness and the fublimity of God, who comprises all reality, all actuality in himself, from whom proceeds, by whom

whom fubfifts whatever is and is called great and exalted, who is the origin of all things, the energy of all energies, the creator of all beings, the maker of all bodies, the father of all spirits. Yes, in his prefence fhrink into thy infignificance, o man, proftrate thyself before him in the dust, and in the profoundest humility adore him as that which alone is great, alone exalted.

All except God, is only comparatively great or little, high or low. All appears to us one while as great, at another as little, now as high, then as low, and deferves likewife to be denominated and regarded by us now thus, then otherwise, according as it pres fents itself to us on one fide, or on the other, in connection with one set of objects, or with another. The fun is great, immensely great in comparison with the grain of fand, but just as little when compared with the universe. Man is exalted in comparison with the reptile crawling in the dust, but as low if compared with fome fuperior fpirit, perhaps comprehending worlds entire. High and low, great and little are relative terms, that is, denoting ideas which do not abfolutely fuit the objects or perfons which they concern, but in reference to other objects or perfons and their comparison with them, which presuppose a determinate measure, by which they are meted and judged of.

For justly appreciating, or estimating, what is called high or low, great or little, we must attend entirely to two particulars. Firft to the standard to

VOL. II.

T

which

which these things are applied, and then to the method in which they are compared with it. Is the ftandard true; and is the comparifon with it carefully and impartially made: then likewise the idea which we form of it is true, and the judgment we •pass upon it just.

And what is now the ftandard of that which among mankind is and is called high or low, great or little? Here one standard is kept and used by the fenfual man, the man governed by his paffions : another by the wife man and the chriftian. In the eyes of the fenfual man all is high and great, that -acts upon his fenfes more forcibly than ufual, that excites obfervation and noise, that is connected with power and authority, or implies power and authority; all that shines and glitters, dazzles and confounds, all that gives a man any confpicuous precedence and fets him above others; all that his fagacity cannot comprehend, or his faculties cannot reach; all that excites his aftonishment, or fpreads fear and confternation around him. Therefore he prizes fo highly gold and filver, riches and affluence, magnificence in drefs and equipage, extenfive poffeffions, a numerous, brilliant train of attendants; therefore he admires the splendour of the throne, the pomp of the court, the puiffance of the prince, the exploits of the warrior, the trophies and ruins of the wide-wasting defpot; therefore he is so apt to be deceived by any unusual phænomenon, by every pretended facred obfcurity, or imposed upon by impof

tors