focial, friendly and benevolent. It feeks the gen eral good. It ftudies the happiness of all within its reach. And wherever it extends its proper influence, it brings men together into a well regulated fociety. It puts every member and bone of the body in its natural place, and binds the parts one to another by the joints and finews of reciprocal affection, and mutual kindness.

There is fometimes a noise and fhaking among dry bones, which is followed with quite different effects. The bones, instead of coming together, each in its place, to form a regular, compact body, fly off from one another, fo that they can form nothing like a body; or they meet in total confufion and diforder, one bone rushing into the place, and one member affuming the office of another, and all without finews to hold them together, and without joints to perform regular movements.

Thus they form, not a proper body, but a misfhapen, difcordant mafs. Such a fhaking as this, is very different from that which the prophet faw in the valley.

Where real religion has dominion in the foul, it fubdues turbulent paffions; it introduces and enlivens kind affections; it brings all the faculties into fubjection to God, and into harmony with one another. Where it fpreads among a people, it inspires them with mutual love, joins them together in the fame mind, foftens their hearts to fympathy in affliction, and prompts them to encourage and aid one another in their spiritual interefts. In a word, it forms such a body, as the apostle describes; a body united to, and depending on its proper head, from which all the parts, by joints and bands, having nourishment miniftered, increaseth with the increase of God. Such a body will grow unto a perfect man, and will rife

to the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift. Charity is the bond of perfectnefs. It is this which completes the Christian character. It is this which confummates the beauty, and confolidates the ftrength of a Chriftian fociety. This is the mark which discriminates true religion from false zeal.

The edifying of the church in love is the end of all divine ordinances. We are to come together in the church, to worship together in the fanctu ary, to fit together at Chrift's table, to eat of his bread and drink of his cup, that we may be united together in one body, and may grow into an holy temple in him.

How joyful would it be to behold a revival like that, which the prophet beheld in vifion-to fee dead finners arifing from the duft, animated with fpiritual life, cafting off their filthy garments and putting on the robes of righteoufnefs, engaging with united zeal in works of piety and charity, encouraging each other in a devout attendance on all divine inftitutions, and keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

Such a revival will be feen in the latter day. Let us pray, that fomething of the fame kind may be seen now.

Awake, ye that fleep, arife from the dead Chrift will give you light. Awake, awake, put on ftrength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerufalem. Arife, fhake thyfelf from the duft. Let not the unclean pass through thee. Cleanfe thyfelf from all thy filthinefs, and perfect holiness in the fear of the Lord. Then fhall thy children break forth into joy, and fing together. Then shall the wafte places become fruitful fields, and their dew fhall be as the dew of herbs. Then the Lord fhall make bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and the ends of the earth fhall fee his falvation.

SERMON VII.

Birds and Beafts Preaching to Men.

JOB xii. 7.

Ask the beasts now, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee :

ONE

NE of the fathers of the Roman church, taking in the most abfolute fenfe Chrift's command to his difciples, "Go, preach the gospel to every creature," went and preached to birds and beafts. This certainly was no part of Chrift's commiffion to his apoftles. But though men are not commanded to preach to beafts and birds; yet God in his providence has appointed these to preach to men. Job, to confute certain erroneous opinions advanced by his friends, refers them for inftruction to the beafts of the field, and the fowls of heaven. "Ask them, and they will teach you."

The scripture inftructs us, not only by plain doctrines and precepts, but also by pertinent images and allufions. Among other methods of inftruction, it refers us to certain difpofitions obfervable in the animals around us. For though thefe creatures are not capable of moral conduct, yet there are in them certain inftinctive actions, which are emblems of human virtues. Hence the fcripture often fends us to them for inftruction and reproof. To them our text calls our attention.

But left, in the contemplation of these inferior creatures we should feem to defcend below the dignity of a religious fubject, we will confine ourfelves to the examples prefented to us by the fcripture itself, which always treats the most familiar fubjects with such a dignity, as gives them importance and commands respect.

I. The beafts reprove our unmindfulness of, and ingratitude to our Divine Benefactor.

"Hear, O heavens," fays the prophet, "and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken; I have nourished and brought up children, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the afs his mafter's crib; but Ifrael doth not know; my people doth not confider."

The prophet here felects for an example those creatures which are generally esteemed dull and intractable. Yet even thefe, he says, rebuke the unthankfulness of men; for they look to the hand from which they have been fed, and repair to the crib from which they have been fupplied. They wait for their master's bounty, and receive it with tokens of gratitude. But man, thankless man, forgets the heavenly benefactor, who daily loads him with benefits, and gives him all things richly to enjoy. Man lives on God's goodness, yet God is feldom in his thoughts. He feeks his fupplies without a fenfe of dependence, and eats his meals without an acknowledgment of obligation. He rises to his labour without imploring the divine bleffing, and lies down to fleep without asking the divine protection. He has been, from his youth, fuftained by God's care, and yet continues in rebellion against him.

Look to your domestic animals are they as unmindful of you, as you are of your God? Do they treat you with the neglect, with which you

treat your heavenly parent? The want of language to exprefs a fenfe of dependence they fupply by fignificant actions. You have language: employ your tongue in prayers and praises to God. You have reafon : let his mercies perfuade you to glorify him in all your actions. While you live in difobedience and unthankfulness to God, without a fenfe of his goodness, and without a regard to his will, the beafts, which ferve you, reprove and condemn you.

II. How many are there, who, while they enjoy a fulness of worldly good, are discontented with their worldly condition, and always murmuring against the ways of providence, as if these were partial and unequal? Do you fee this difpofition in the brutes?" Doth the wild afs bray, when he hath meat? Or loweth the ox over his fodder ?”

The brutes have their natural wants; and when thefe are fupplied, they are contented. But man is ever craving, and can never have enough. His avarice has no limits; his ambition knows no bounds. The wants of nature are few and small. The wants of imagination are endless and infatiable. The world is full of complaints. Every one feems more or lefs diffatisfied with his own condition, and defirous to exchange it for that of fome other man. The general enquiry is, "Who will fhew us any good?" But what do you want? Have you not much good now? You enjoy health, liberty and competence. You have food to eat, raiment to put on, houfes to dwell in, and friends to converfe with. You have fecurity in your perfons and properties, ability to labour in your callings, and capacity to enjoy the fruits of your labour; you use them as your own, difpofe of them as you please, confume what you need, and lay by the reft for future occafions. And why are