SERM. Artificial Lastly, The Confideration, that we are the Servants of God, reminds us, that we are accountable to Him for our Behaviour in thofe Refpects, in which it is out of the Reach of all human Authority; and is the ftrongest Enforcement of Sincerity, as all things are naked, and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do *. Behaviour might perhaps avail much towards quieting our Confciences, and making our Part good in the fhort Competitions of this World: but what will it avail us confidered as under the Government of God? Under His Government, there is no darkness, nor fhadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. He has indeed inftituted civil Government over the Face of the Earth, for the punishment of evil-doers, and for the praise, the Apostle does not fay the Rewarding, but, for the praise of them that do well. Yet as the worst answer thefe Ends in fome Measure, the best can do it very imperfectly. Civil Government can by no means take Cognizance of every Work, which is good or evil: many things are done Heb. iv. 13. † Job xxxiv. 22. in in fecret; the Authors unknown to it, and SERM. often the things themselves: Then it cannot XVIII. fo much confider Actions, under the View of their being morally good, or evil, as under the View of their being mifchievous, or beneficial to Society: nor can it in any wife execute Judgment in rewarding what is Good, as it can, and ought, and does, in punishing what is evil. But God fhall bring every work into judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be Good, or whether it be evil *. A SERMON Preached in the Parish Church of Chrift-Church, LONDON; On Thursday, May 9, 1745. Being the Time of the YEARLY MEETING of the CHILDREN educated in the Charity-Schools, in and about the Cities of London and Westminster. PRO V. xxii. 6. Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. UMAN Creatures, from the Con- SERM. ftitution of their Nature and the XIX. Circumftances in which they are placed, cannot but acquire Habits during their Childhood, by the Impreffions which are given them, and their own customary Actions. And long before they arrive at Dd 3 mature SERM. mature Age, thefe Habits form a general XIX. fettled Character. And the Obfervation of the Text, that the moft early Habits are ufually the most lafting, is likewife every one's Obfervation. Now whenever Children are left to themfelves, and to the Guides and Companions which they choofe, or by Hazard light upon, we find by Experience, that the first Impreffions they take, and Course of Action they get into, are very bad; and fo confequently must be their Habits, and Character, and future Behaviour. Thus if they are not trained up in the Way they should go, they will certainly be trained up in the Way they should not go; and, in all Probability, will perfevere in it, and become miferable Themfelves, and mischievous to Society : which, in Event, is worfe, upon Account of Both, than if they had been exposed to perish in their Infancy. On the other hand, the ingenuous Docility of Children before they have been deceived, their Diftruft of themselves, and natural Deference to grown People, whom they find here fettled in a World where they themselves are Strangers; and to whom they have recourfe for Advice, as readily as for Protection; which Deference is ftill greater towards thofe who are placed |