3. The doctrine of the divine Unity is of great PRACTICAL IMPORTANCE.

It is represented by our Lord as lying at the foundation of all virtuous practice. In reply to the question, which is the first commandment of all, he declares, in the most solemn and earnest language, "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord is thy God, the Lord is One. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy understanding, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment, and the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." He that truly and heartily believes that God is ONE, will worship and serve him with undivided homage; and, regard ing all mankind as children of the same Father, he will love them with fraternal affection, and by unceasing endeavours to promote knowledge, virtue, and happiness, he will aspire to become perfect, as his Father in heaven is perfect.

SERMON XV.

THE BLESSING OF A GOOD CONSCIENCE.

1 PETER, iii. 16.

Having a good conscience.

To a good conscience three qualities are indispensably requisite: a competent knowledge of the rule of duty-habitual conformity to it-and frequent, serious, self-examination.

1. Conscience is the principle by which we approve or condemn action, affection, and character, as they conform to, or deviate from, the apprehended rule of life. To a good conscience it is essential that the rule of duty should be agreeable to Truth, otherwise, conscience will be erroneous in its decisions: it will approve where it ought to condemn, or condemn without reason, and even where it ought to approve.

A GOOD CONSCIENCE forms a just estimate

of the moral value of action, habit, and character. It neither mistakes the nature, nor the relative value of moral actions: it does not call good evil, nor evil good: it does not over-rate things that are indifferent: much less does it undervalue matters which truly possess a moral character.

It

A good conscience takes great pains to enlighten the understanding in moral truth, and uses with diligence and perseverance all the necessary means for this purpose. It exercises reason upon moral subjects, and deliberately estimates the moral value of habit, affection, action, and character. learns from history, observation and experience; and thankfully accepts of instruction derived from the conversation, the writings, the teaching, and the example of the virtuous and the wise. But its chief directory is the holy scripture, which reveals in clear and explicit language the rule of duty, which suggests the most powerful motives to virtuous practice, and which exhibits many edifying examples of virtue and piety and above all, that of Jesus, in

which human excellence was carried to its highest perfection, and was displayed in the most interesting circumstances.

A good conscience discerns the extent and spirituality of the divine law: that the design of it is to regulate the temper and character throughout: that it extends not only to external actions, but to the thoughts and purposes of the heart: that it not only forbids the act of sin, but even the thought of foolishness: that it requires purity of motive, as well as decency of conduct.

2. Where there is a competent knowledge of right, but an habitual deviation from the law of rectitude, the decision of an enlightened conscience will indeed be just, but terrible: it will be the stern sentence of an incorruptible and inflexible judge, not the mild language of an approving friend. It is essential, therefore, to a good conscience, that the character and conduct should be habitually virtuous.

This habit of virtue must appear in the whole conduct of life. Some deviations from the strict rule of duty, in creatures so

imperfect, are perhaps inevitable; but they must in no case be allowed, or even tolerated. And an enlightened conscience never suffers any voluntary transgression, nor any wilful omission of duty to pass without reproof. Nor will it ever bestow clear and decided approbation where habitual virtue is wanting.

WORDS, as well as actions, fall under the cognizance of this all-controlling power. He that would keep a clear conscience, must set a watch upon the door of his lips. All profane words, all vain and foolish speeches, all loose and licentious conversation, are prohibited by an enlightened conscience; which requires sound speech that cannot be condemned; conversation always innocent, sometimes instructive; and is far from forbidding the cheerfulness which is, indeed, its legitimate offspring, and ought to be its constant companion.

It is the prerogative of the divine law that it extends even to the THOUGHTS and all the imaginations of the heart are subject to the control of conscience. All wicked