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car bodies, it urges with double force against polluting our minds.

But, above all other confiderations, it behoves us molt to keep our thoughts pure, because they are the fountains from which our words and actions flow. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth fpeaketh." Obfcene words and actions are only bad thoughts matured, and spring as naturally from them as the plant from its feed. It is the fame vicious depravity carried a step farther; and only fhews a more confirmed and a more mifchievous degree of guilt. While we keep our impurities in our thoughts, they debauch only ourfeives: bad enough, it is true. But when we proceed to words and actions, we let our impurities loofe: we spread the contagion, and become the corrupters of

others.

Let it be our firft care, therefore, to keep our thoughts pure. If we do this, our words and actions will be pure of courfe. And that we may be the better en bled to do it, let us ufe fuch helps as reafon and religion prefcribe. Let us avcid all company, and all books, that have a tendency to corrupt our minds; and every thing that can inflame our paffions. He who allows himself in thefe things, holds a parley with vice; which will infallibly debauch him in the end, if he do not take the alarm in time, and break off fuch dalliance,

One thing ought to be our particular care, and that is, never to be unemployed. Ingenious amufements are of great ufe in filing up the vacuities of our time. Idle we should never be. A vacant mind is an invitation to vice, Gilpin.

§ 163. On coveting and defiring other men's goods.

We are forbidden, next, "to covet, or deure other men's goods.'

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There are two great paths of vice, into which bad men commonly ftrike; that of unlawful pleasure, and that of unlawful gain. The path of unlawful pleasure we have just examined; and have seen the danger of obeying the headstrong impulfe of our appetites. We have confidered alfo an immoderate love of gain, and have feen dhoneity and fraud in a variety of shapes. But we have yet viewed them only as they relate to fociety. We have viewed only

the outward action. The rule before us, "We must not covet, nor defire other men's goods," comes a ftep nearer home, and confiders the motive which governs the action.

Covetoufnefs, or the love of money, is called in fcripture "the root of all evil;" and it is called fo for two reafons; because it makes us wicked, and because it makes us miferable.

First, it makes us wicked. When it once gets poffeffion of the heart, it will let no good principle flourish near it. Moft vices have their fits; and when the violence of the paffion is fpent, there is some interval of calm. The vicious appetite cannot always run riot. It is fatigued at leaft by its own impetuofity: and it is poffible, that in this moment of tranquillity, a whifper from virtue may be heard. But in avarice, there is rarely intermiffion. It hangs like a dead weight upon the foul, always pulling it to earth. We might as well expect to fee a plant grow upon a flint, as a virtue in the heart of a mifer.

It makes us miferable as well as wicked. The cares and the fears of avarice are proverbial; and it must needs be, that he, who depends for happinefs on what is liable to a thousand accidents, muft of course feel as many diftreffes, and almost as many difappointments. The good man depends for happiness on fomething more permanent; and if his worldly affairs go ill, his great dependance is ftill left *. But as wealth is the god which the covetous man worships (for "covetoufness," we are told," is idolatry,") a disappointment here is a difappointment indeed. Be he ever fo profperous, his wealth cannot fecure him against the evils of mortality; against that time, when he must give up all he values; when his bargains of ad vantage will be over, and nothing left but tears and despair.

But even a defiring frame of mind, though it be not carried to fuch a length, is always productive of mifery. It can not be otherwise. While we fuffer our felves to be continually in queft of what we have not, it is impoffible that we should be happy with what we have, In a word, to abridge our wants as much as poffible, not to increase them, is the trueft happinefs,

* Sæviat, atque novos moveat fortuna tumultus Quantum hinc imminuet?

Hos. Sati

We

We are much mistaken, however, if we particular duties to discharge; and fecondthink the man who hoards up his money ly, in what manner we ought to difcharge is the only covetous man. The prodigal, them. though he differ in his end, may be as First, that man was not born to be idle, avaricious in his means. The former may be inferred from the active spirit that denies himself every comfort; the latter appears in every part of nature. Every grafps at every pleasure. Both charac- thing is alive; every thing contributes to ters are equally bad in different extremes. the general good: even the very inaniThe mifer is more deteftable in the eyes of the world, becaufe he enters into none of its joys; but it is a question, which is more wretched in himself, or more pernicious to fociety.

As covetousness is etteemed the vice of age, every appearance of it among young perfons ought particularly to be difcouraged; becaufe if it gets ground at this early period, nobody can tell how far it may not afterwards proceed. And yet, on the other fide, there may be great danger of encouraging the oppofite extreme. As it is certainly right, under proper reftrictions, both to fave our money, and to fpend it, it would be highly ufeful to fix the due bounds on each fide. But nothing is more difficult than to raise thefe nice limits between extremes. Every man's cafe, in a thousand circumstances, differs from his neighbour's: and as no rule can be fixed for all, every man of course, in these difquifitions, muft be left to his own confcience. We are indeed very ready to give our opinions how others ought to act. We can adjuft with great nicety what is proper for them to do; and point out their mistakes with much precision; while nothing is neceflary to us, but to act as properly as we can ourfelves; obferving as just a mean as poffible between prodigality and avarice; and applying, in all our difficulties, to the word of God, where these great landmarks of morality are the most accurately fixed.

We have now taken a view of what is prohibited in our commerce with man kind let us next fee what is enjoined. (We are still proceeding with thofe duties which we owe to ourselves). Inftead of Spending our fortune therefore in unlawful pleasure, or increafing it by unlawful gain; we are required" to learn, and labour truly (that is honeftly) to get our own living, and to do our duty in that ftate of life, unto which it fhall please God to call us."-These words will be fufficiently explained by confidering, first, that we all have fome ftation in life-fome

"to

mate parts of the creation, plants, ftones, metals, cannot be called totally inactive, but bear their part likewife in the general ufefulness. If then every part, even of inanimate nature, be thus employed, furely we cannot fuppofe it was the intention of the Almighty Father, that man, who is the moft capable of employing himself properly, fhould be the only creature without employment.

Again, that man was born for active life, is plain from the neceffity of labour. If it had not been neceflary, God would not originally have impofed it. But without it, the body would become enervated, and the mind corrupted. Idiencís, therefore, is july citeemed the origin beth of difeafe and vice. So that if labour and employment, either of body or mind, had no ufe, but what refpected ourselves, they would be highly proper: but they have farther ufe.

The neceffity of them is plain, from the want that all men have of the affiftance of others. If fo, this affiftance should be mutual; every man fhould contribute his part. We have already feen, that it is proper there fhould be different stations in the world-that fome thould be placed high in life, and others low. The lowest, we know, cannot be exempt from labour; and the higheft ought not though their labour, according to their flation, will be of a different kind. Some, we fee, "mult labour (as the catechifm phrafes it) to get their own living; and others fhould do their duty in that state of life, whatever that ftate is, unto which it hath pleafed God to call them." All are affifted: all fhould affist. God diftributes, we read, various talents among men; to fome he gives five talents, to others two, and to others one: but it is expected, we find, that notwithstanding this inequality, each fhould employ the talent that is given to the beft advantage: and he who received five talents was under the fame obligation of improving them, as he who had received only one; and would, if he had hid his talents in the earth, have been

Alieni appetens, fui profufus.

SAL. de Catal.

punished,

punished, in proportion to the abuse. Every man, even in the highest station, may find a proper employment, both for his time and fortune, if he please: and he may affure himself that God, by placing him in that ftation, never meant to exempt him from the common obligations of fociety, and give him a licence to spend his life in eafe and pleasure. God meant affuredly, that he fhould bear his part in the general commerce of life-that he fhould confider himself not as an individual, but as a member of the community; the interefts of which he is under an obligation to fupport with all his power; and that his elevated ftation gives him no other pre-eminence than that of being the more extensively useful.

Having thus feen, that we have all fome ftation in life to fupport-some particular duties to difcharge; let us now fee in what manner we ought to discharge

them.

We have an eafy rule given us in fcripture on this head; that all our duties in life should be performed " as to the Lord, and not unto man:" that is, we should confider our stations in life as trufts repofed in us by our Maker; and as fuch fhould discharge the duties of them. What, though no worldly truft be reposed? What, though we are accountable to nobody upon earth? Can we therefore fuppofe ourfelves in reality lefs accountable? Can we fuppofe that God, for no reason that we can divine, has fingled us out, and given us a large proportion of the things of this world (while others around us are in need) for no other purpose than to fquander it away upon ourselves? To God undoubtedly we are accountable for every blefiing we enjoy. What mean, in fcripture, the talents given, and the ufe affigned; but the confcientious discharge of the duties of life, according to the advantages, with which they are attended ?

It matters not whether these advantages be an inheritance, or an acquifition: fill they are the gift of God. Agreeably to their rank in life, it is true, all men fhould Live: human diftinctions require it; and in doing this properly, every one around will be benefited. Utility fhould be confidered in all our expences. Even the very amufements of a man of fortune fhould be founded in it.

In short, it is the conftant injunction of fcripture, in whatever ftation we are placed, to confider qurfelves as God's fervants,

and as acting immediately under his eye not expecting our reward among men but from our great Mafter who is in heaven. This fanctifies, in a manner, all our actions: it places the little difficulties of our station in the light of God's appointments; and turns the most common duties of life into acts of religion. Gilpin.

§ 169. On the Sacrament of Baptifm.

The facrament of baptifm is next confidered; in which, if we confider the inward grace, we fhall fee how aptly the fign reprefents it.-The inward grace, or thing fignified, we are told, is a death unto fin, and a new birth unto righteoufnefs:" by which is meant that great renovation of nature, that purity of heart, which the christian religion is intended to produce. And furely there cannot be a more fignificant fign of this than water, on account of its cleanfing nature. As water refreshes the body, and purifies it from all contracted filth; it aptly represents that renovation of nature, which cleanses the foul from the impurities of fin. Water indeed, among the ancients, was more adapted to the thing fignified, than it is at prefent among us. They used immerfion in baptifing: fo that the child being dipped into the water, and raised out again, baptifm with them was more fignificant of a new birth unto righteoufnefs. But though we, in these colder climates, think immerfion an unsafe practice; yet the original meaning is ftill fuppofed.

It is next afked, What is required of thofe who are baptifed? To this we anfwer, "Repentance, whereby they forfake fin; and faith, whereby they ftedfaftly be lieve the promises of God, made to them in that facrament,"

The primitive church was extremely ftrict on this head. In those times, before chriftianity was established, when adults offered themfelves to baptifm, no one was admitted, till he had given a very satisfactory evidence of his repentance; and till, on good grounds, he could profefs his faith in Chrift: and it was afterwards expected from him, that he should prove his faith and repentance, by a regular obedience during the future part of his life.

If faith and repentance are expected at baptifm; it is a very natural question, Why then are infants baptifed, when, by reafon of their tender age, they can give no evidence of either?

Whether infants should be admitted to baptifm

baptifin, or whether that facrament fhould be deferred till years of difcretion; is a queftion in the chriftian church, which hath been agitated with fome animofity. Our church by no means looks upon baptifm as neceffary to the infant's falvation. No man acquainted with the fpirit of chrif tianity can conceive, that God will leave the falvation of fo many innocent fouls in the hands of others. But the practice is confidered as founded upon the ufage of the earliest times and the church obferving, that circumcifion was the introductory rite to the Jewish covenant; and that baptifm was intended to fucceed circumcifion; it naturally fuppofes, that baptifm fhould be administered to infants, as circumcifion was. The church, however, in this cafe, hath provided fponfors, who make a profeflion of obedience in the child's name. But the nature and office of this proxy hath been already examined, under the head of our baptifmal vow. Gilpin.

$ 170. On the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

The first question is an enquiry into the original of the inftitution: "Why was the facrament of the Lord's fupper ordained?"

It was ordained, we are informed, for the continual remembrance of the facrifice of the death of Chrift; and of the benefits which we receive thereby."

In examining a facrament in general, we have already feen, that both baptifm, and the Lord's fupper, were originally intituted as the means of receiving the grace of God; and as pledges to affure us thereof."

But befides thefe primary ends, they have cach a fecondary one; in reprefenting the two most important truths of religion; which gives them more force and influence. Baptifm, we have feen, represents that renovation of our finful nature, which the gospel was intended to introduce: and the peculiar end, which the Lord's fupper had in view, was the facrifice of the death of Chrift; with all the benefits which arife from it-the remiffion of our fins and the reconciliation of the world to God." This do," faid our Sa

viour (alluding to the paffover, which the Lord's fupper was defigned to fuperfede) not as hitherto, in memory of your deliverance from Egypt; but in memory of that greater deliverance, of which the other was only a type: "Do it in remembrance of me."

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The outward part, or fign of the Lord's fupper, is "bread and wine"-the things fignified are the body and blood of Chrift."-In examining the facrament of baptism, I endeavoured to fhew, how very apt a fymbol water is in that ceremony. Bread and wine alfo are fymbols equally apt in representing the body and blood of Chrift: and in the ufe of thefe particular symbols, it is reasonable to fuppofe, that our Saviour had an eye to the Jewish paffover; in which it was a cuftom to drink wine, and to eat bread. He might have inftituted any other apt fymbols for the fame purpofe; but it was his ufual practice, through the whole fyftem of his inftitution, to make it, in every part, as familiar as poffible: and for this reafon he feems to have chofen fuch fymbols as were then in ufe; that he might give as little offence as poffible in a matter of indifference.

As our Saviour, in the inftitution of his fupper, ordered both the bread and the wine to be received; it is certainly a great error in papifts, to deny the cup to the laity. They fay, indeed, that, as both flesh and blood are united in the fubftance of the human body; fo are they in the facramental bread; which, according to them, is changed, or, as they phrafe it, tranfubitantiated into the real body of Christ. If they have no other reason, why do they adminifter wine to the clergy? The clergy might participate equally of both in the bread. But the plain truth is, they are defirous, by this invention, to add an air of mystery to the facrament, and a fuperftitious reverence to the priest, as if he, being endowed with fome peculiar holiness, might be allowed the use of both.

There is a difficulty in this part of the catechifm, which should not be paffed over. We are told, that "the body and blood of Chrift are verily and indeed taker, and

The catechifm afferts the facraments to be only generally neceffary to falvation, excepting particular cafes. Where the ufe of them is intentionally rejected, it is certainly criminal-The Quakers indeed reject them on principle: but though we may wonder both at their logic and divi aity, we should be forry to include them in an anathema.

received

received by the faithful in the Lord's fupper." This expreffion founds very like the popish doctrine, juft mentioned, of tranfubitantiation. The true fenfe of the words undoubtedly is, that the faithful believer only, verily and indeed receives the benefit of the facrament; but the expreflion mul be allowed to be inaccurate, as it is capable of an interpretation fo entirely oppofite to that which the church of England hath always profeffed. I would not willingly fuppofe, as fome have done, that the compilers of the catechifm meant to manage the affair of tranfubftantiation with the papiits. It is one thing to fhew a liberality of fentiment in matters of indifference; and another to (peak timidly and ambiguously, where effentials are concerned.

It is next afked, What benefits we receive from the Lord's tupper? To which it is answered, "The ftrengthening and refreshing of our fouls by the body and blood of Chrift, as our bodies are by the bread and wine." As our bodies are trengthened and refreshed, in a natural way, by bread and wine; fo fhould our fouls be, in a fpiritual way, by a devout commemoration of the paffion of Chrift. By gratefully remembering what he fuffered for us, we should be excited to a greater abhorrence of fin, which was the caufe of his fufferings. Every time we partake of this facrament, like faithful foldiers, we take a fresh oath to our leader; and fhould be animated anew, by his example, to perfevere in the fpiritual conflict in which, under him, we are engaged.

It is laftly afked, "What is required of them who come to the Lord's fupper?" To which we answer, " That we should examine ourselves, whether we repent us truly of our former fins-ftedfaftly purpofing to lead a new life-have a lively faith in God's mercy through Chrift-with a thankful remembrance of his death; and to be in charity with all men."

That pious frame of mind is here, in very few words, pointed out, which a chriftian ought to cherish and cultivate in himfelf at all times; but especially, upon the performance of any folemn act of religion. Very little indeed is faid in fcrip ture, of any particular frame of mind, which should accompany the performance of this duty; but it may eafily be inferred from the nature of the duty itself.

In the rft place," we should repent us truly of our former fins; stedfaftly purpofg to lead a new life." He wiro per

forms a religious exercife, without being earnest in this point; adds only a pharifaical hypocrify to his other fins. Unless he feriously refolve to lead a good life, he had better be all of a piece; and not pretend, by receiving the facrament, to a piety which he does not feel.

Thefe ftedfaft purposes of leading a new life," form a very becoming exercife to chriftians. The lives even of the best of men afford only a mortifying retrospect. Though they may have conquered fome of their wort propenfities; yet the tri- • umphs of fin over them, at the various periods of their lives, will always be remembered with forrow; and may always be remembered with advantage; keeping them on their guard for the future, and ftrengthening them more and more in all their good refolutions of obedience.-And when can thefe meditations arise more properly, than when we are performing a rite, inftituted on purpose to commemorate the great atonement for fin?

To our repentance, and refolutions of obedience, we are required to add "a lively faith in God's mercy through Chrift; with a thankful remembrance of his death." We fhould imprefs ourfelves with the deepest fenfe of humility-totally rejecting every idea of our own merit-hoping for God's favour only through the merits of our great Redeemer-and with hearts full of gratitude, trufting only to his allfufficient facrifice.

Laftly, we are required, at the cebration of this great rite, to be "in charity with all men." It commemorates the greatest inftance of love that can be conceived; and fhould therefore raife in us correfpondent affections. It should excite in us that conftant flow of benevolence, in which the fpirit of religion confifts; and without which indeed we can have no religion at all. Love is the very diftinguishing badge of chriftianity:" By this," faid our great Master, "fhall all men know that ye are my difciples.'

One fpecies of charity should, at this time, never be forgotten; and that is, the forgiveness of others. No acceptable gift can be offered at this altar, but in the fpirit of reconciliation.-Hence it was, that the ancient chriftians inftituted, at the celebration of the Lord's fupper, what they called love-feafts. They thought, they could not give a better inftance of their being in perfect charity with each other, than by joining all ranks together in one

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