4. It is a principal design of every species of religion, whether true or false, to hold out relief to a guilty conscience. All the penances and pilgrimages, the rites and sacrifices that have been practised in different countries and ages, have chiefly had this end in view; an end far beyond their virtue or efficacy to attain, and which, as scripture strongly warrants us to hold, could only be accomplished by the sacrifice of Christ. This is the great and only consideration, on account of which those who truly repent and believe, obtain pardon of sin, and are accepted to divine favour. For since our best virtues and graces are imperfect, and cannot stand the rigour of divine justice, they must need allowance and forgiveness; so that the best man in the world, in his best performances, must be justified freely by grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; in whom, as a propitiatory sacrifice, God appears conspicuously just, while he justifies the penitent believer.

Here then is a solid foundation laid for peace of conscience; and other foundation can no man lay. To depend on virtue without

pardon; or on pardon without respect to the atonement of Christ, and before a prevailing principle of piety and virtue is wrought in the soul, is vain and fallacious. For as the scripture declares, that, without shedding of blood there is no remission, so, in the order of bestowment, it instructs us to consider this blessing as subsequent to repentance and conversion*; or to that interior change, whether produced in a longer or shorter time, or in whatever period of life, by which God is restored to his supremacy in the human heart.

II. Peace of conscience is a blessing intimately connected with holy and well-re

* The following passages may be sufficient to justify the order here stated.—" Repent and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." Acts iii. 19.-"That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations." Luke xxiv. 47.-" Him hath God exalted-to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Acts v. 31.-So in St. Paul's commission to the Gentiles: "To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God, that they might receive forgiveness of sins." Acts xxvi. 18.

gulated affections; and both together constitute a solid ground of happiness in all conditions and in all circumstances.

1. The connection betwixt peace of conscience and right affections will be evident, if we consider, that as nothing tends more to throw the mind into commotion than conscious guilt, nothing can more conduce to inward tranquillity than pardon and reconcilement. It is remarked by naturalists, that oil poured into a stormy sea calms its agitation*; which is analogous to the case before us; for nothing more powerfully tends to compose a stormy mind than an infusion of divine peace. This blessing is the purchase of our Redeemer, who is eminently styled our peace+; and to him we must look for it. In the mean time, it is indisputably our duty, by every method in our power, and by exerting that measure of divine help already afforded us, to check the disorder of our bosoms, and thus to in

*This is remarked by Plutarch in his Natural Questions.

+ Ephes. ii. 14.

vite that more potent aid, and that reconciling and pardoning mercy, which can effectually compose every irregular motion of the passions, and reduce the tempest into a calm.

2. That there is no happiness without well-regulated affections seems to be the unanimous voice both of religion and philosophy. Even Epicurus, who placed the chief good of man in pleasure, yet resolved this pleasure chiefly into mental tranquillity. And this combined suffrage of reason and religion stands confirmed by universal experience. Every man must be sensible, that true enjoyment can never consist with domineering pride or devouring envy, with profuse dissipation or insatiable avarice, or with any other of our malignant or sensual passions. A man must be in possession of himself, and at peace with his fellow-creatures, (at least he must not wantonly provoke their enmity or opposition) to enjoy any measure of true satisfaction. He must study to establish the just balance of his mind, and to cultivate those mild and benevolent dispositions, which, if they will not always con

ciliate the kindness of others, can seldom fail to abate and soften their resentments.

A man who is thus at peace with God and with himself, and who thus seeks peace with his neighbour, can never justly be deemed unhappy. He may expect to come under the blessing of the meek, to whom it is promised, that they shall inherit the earth, and delight themselves in the abundance of peace*. And though, in the present mixed state, it should be otherwise; though he should meet with his full share of suffering from the political, and the other innumerable evils that overspread the world, he will not be left unprovided with a variety of topics which may afford him support and consolation amidst them all.

Amongst these, as the doctrine of a superintending Providence chiefly deserves attention, I shall endeavour, in the following section, to state briefly what has occurred to me in reflecting upon this important subject.

* Psalm xxxvii. 11.