fpirits of youth want no recruits: a little rest is fufficient.

As to the bad confequences derived from exceffive drinking, befides filling the blood with bloated and vicious humours, and debauching the purity of the mind, as in the cafe of intemperate eating, it is attended with this peculiar evil, the lofs of our fenfes. Hence follow frequent inconveniencies and mortifications. We expofe our follies we betray our fecrets-we are often impofed upon-we quarrel with our friends we lay ourselves open to our enemies; and, in fhort, make ourselves the objects of contempt, and the topics of ridicule to all our acquaintance.-Nor is it only the act of intoxication which deprives us of our reafon during the prevalence of it; the habit of drunkenness foon befots and impairs the understanding, and renders us at all times lefs fit for the offices of life.

We are next injoined "to keep our bodies in chastity." "Flee youthful lus," fays the apostle," which war against the foul." And there is furely nothing which caries on a war against the foul more fuccefsfully. Wherever we have a catalogue in icripture (and we have many fuch catalogues) of thofe fins which in a peculiar manner debauch the mind, thefe youthful Jafts have always, under fome denomination, a place among them.-To keep ourfelves free from all contagion of this kind, let us endeavour to preferve a purity in our thoughts-our words-and our actions.

First, let us preferve a purity in our thoughts. Thefe dark receffes, which the eye of the world cannot reach, are the re ceptacles of these youthful lufts. Here they find their firft encouragement. The entrance of fuch impure ideas perhaps we cannot always prevent. We may always however prevent cherishing them: we may always prevent their making an impreffion upon us: the devil may be caft out as foon as difcovered.

Let us always keep in mind, that even into these dark abodes the eye of Heaven can penetrate: that every thought of our hearts is open to that God, before whom we must one day ftand; and that however fecretly we may indulge thefe impure ideas, at the great day of account they will certainly appear in an awful detail against us.

Let us remember again, that if our bodies be the temples of the Holy Ghoft, Cur minds are the very fanctuaries of thofe

temples: and if there be any weight in the apostle's argument against polluting our bodies, it urges with double force against polluting our minds.

But, above all other confiderations, it behoves us moft 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." Obscene 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 thews a more confirmed and a more mischievous degree of guilt. While we keep our impurities in our thoughts, they debauch only ourselves: bad enough, it is true. But when we proceed to words and actions, we let our impurities loofe: we fpread the contagion, and become the corrupters of others.

Let it be our first care, therefore, to keep our thoughts pure. If we do this, our words and actions will be pure of course. And that we may be the better enabled to do it, let us ufe fuch helps as reason and religion prefcribe. Let us avoid ali company, and all books, that have a tendency to corrupt our minds; and every thing that can inflame our paflions. 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 dailiance.

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

§ 167. On coveting and desiring other men's goods.

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

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 pleature we have juft examined; and have feen the danger of obeying the headstrong impulfe of our appetites. We have confidered alfo an immoderate love of gain, and have feen dishonesty 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

men's goods," comes a ftep nearer home, and confiders the motive which governs the action.

Covetousness, or the love of money, is called in fcripture" the root of all evil;" and it is called fo for two reafons; becaufe is 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 fome 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 whisper 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 happiness on what is liable to a thousand accidents, muft of courfe 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 "covetoufnefs," we are told," is idolatry,") a disappointment here is a disappointmen Lindeed. 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 advantage 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 cannot be otherwise. While we fuffer ourfelves 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,

We are much mistaken, however, if we think the man who hoards up his money

is the only covetous man. The prodigal, though he differ in his end, may be as avaricious in his means +. The former denies himself every comfort; the latter grafps at every pleasure. Both characters are equally bad in different extremes. The mifer is more deteftable in the eyes of the world, because he enters into none of its joys; but it is a quellion, which is more wretched in himself, or more pernicious to fociety.

As covetouínefs is esteemed 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 dan ger 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 useful to fix the due hounds on each fide. But nothing is more difficult than to raise these nice limits between extremes. Every man's cafe, in a thoufand circumftances, differs from his neighbour's: and as no rule can be fixed for all, every man of course, in these difquifitions, must be left to his own confcience. We are indeed very ready to give our opinions how others ought to act. We can adjust 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 ourselves; obferving as juft a mean as poilible between prodigality and avarice; and applying, in all our dif ficulties, to the word of God, where these great land-marks of morality are the moft accurately fixed.

We have now taken a view of what is prohibited in our commerce with mankind: let us next fee what is injoined. (We are ftill proceeding with thofe duties which we owe to ourselves). Inftead of fpending our fortune therefore in unlawful pleafure, 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."-Thefe words will be fufficiently explained by confidering, first, that we all have fome ftation in life-fome

HOR. Sat. SAL. de Catal.

particular

particular duties to discharge; and fecond-, ly, in what manner we ought to difcharge

them.

First, that man was not born to be idle, may be inferred from the active spirit that appears in every part of nature. Every ting is alive; every thing contributes to the general good; even the very iranimate parts of the creation, plants, itones, metals, cannot be called totally inactive, but bear their part likewife in the general kfulness. 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, should be the only creature withcut employment.

Again, that man was born for active life, is plain from the neceffity of labour. If it had not been neceflary, God would Bot originally have impoled it. But with out it, the body would become enervated, and the mind corrupted. Idlencfs, therefore, is juftly esteemed the origin both of difeafe and vice. So that if labour and employment, either of body or mind, had zo 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 afliftance of others. If fo, this affiftance fhould be mutual; every man fhould contribute his part. We have already feen, that it is proper there should be different stations in the world that fome fhould be placed high in life, and others low. The loweft, we know, cannot be exempt from labour; and the highest ought not: though their labour, according to their ftation, will be of a different kind. Some, we fee, "muft labour (as the catechifm phrases it) to get their own living; and others fhould do their duty in that ftate of life, whatever that ftate is, unto which it hath pleased God to call them." All are affifted: all should affift. 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 best 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 punished, in proportion to the abufe.

Every man, even in the higheft ftation, 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 station, never meant to exempt him from the common obligations of fociety, and give him a licence to spend his life in eafe and pleafure. 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 interefls of which he is under an obligation to fupport with all his power;and that his elevated station gives him no other pre-eminence than that of being the more extenfively useful.

Having thus feen, that we have all fome ftation in life to fupport-fome 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 fhould be performed "as to the Lord, and not unto man:" that is, we should confider our ftations 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 purpofe than to fquander it away upon ourselves? To God undoubtedly we are accountable for every bleffing 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: ftill they are the gift of God. Agreeably to their rank in life, it is true, all men should live; human diftinctions require it; and in doing this properly, every one around will be benefited. Útility 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 ourselves as God's fervants, and as acting immediately under his eye,

not

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 appoint. ments; and turns the most common duties of life into acts of religion. Gilpin.

168. On the facrament of baptifm. The facrament of baptifm is next confidered; in which, if we confider the inward gace, 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 chriftian 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 reprefents 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 ufed immersion in baptifing: fo that the child being dipped into the water, and raised out again, baptifin with them was more fignificant of a new birth unto righteoufnefs. But though we, in these colder cimates, think immerfion an unfafe practice; yet the original meaning is still 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 ftedfastly believe the promises of God, made to them in that facrament."

The primitive church was extremely ftrict on this head. In those times, before christianity was established, when adults offered themselves to baptifm, no one was admitted, till he had given a very fatiffactory 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 baptifin; it is a very natural queftion,

Why then are infants baptifed, when, by reafon of their tender age, they can give no evidence of either?

Whether infants fhould be admitted to baptifm, or whether that facrament should be deferred till years of difcretion; is a question in the chriftian church, which hath been agitated with fome animosity, Our church by no means looks upon baptifm as neceffary to the infant's falvation *. No man acquainted with the spirit of christianity 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 obferv. ing, 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 adminiitered to infants, as circumcifion was. The church, however, in this cafe, hath provided sponsors, who make a profeffion of obedience in the child's name. But the nature and office of this proxy hath been already examined, under the head of our baptismal vow. Gilpin.

§ 169. On the facrament of the Lord's Jupper.

The firft queftion is an enquiry into the original of the inflitution: "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 inftituted as the "means of receiving the grace of God; and as pledges to affure us thereof."

But befides the primary ends, they have each 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 be

The outward part, or fign of the Lord's Loper, is bread and wine"-the things Fanifed are the body and blood of Cet.”—In examining the facrament of pum, I endeavoured to fhew, how very apa iymbol water is in that ceremony. Bead and wine alfo are fymbols equally apt in reprefenting the body and blood of Chrift: and in the ufe of thefe particular fymbols, it is reasonable to fuppofe, that our Saviour had an eye to the Jewish palover; in which it was a custom to drink wine, and to eat bread. He might have inftituted any other apt fymbols for the fame purpose; but it was his ufual practice, through the whole fyftem of his inftitution, to make it, in every part, as familiar as poflible: and for this reafon he feems to have chofen fuch fymbols as were then in ufe; that he might give as little effence as poffible in a matter of indifference.

fubftantiation. The true fenfe of the words undoubtedly is, that the faithful believer only, verily and indeed receives the benefit of the facrament; but the expreffion muft 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 fuppole, as fome have done, that the compilers of the catechifm meant to manage the affair of tranfubftantiation with the papifts. It is one thing to fhew a liberality of fentiment in matters of indifference; and another to fpeak timidly and ambiguously, where effentials are concerned.

As our Saviour, in the inftitution of his apper, ordered both the bread and the wine to be received; it is certainly a great error in papifts, to deny the cup to the lity. They fay, indeed, that, as both deh and blood are united in the fuhftance of the human body; fo are they in the facramental bread; which, according to them, is changed, or, as they phrafe it, tranfubftantiated into the real body of Chrit. If they have no other reafon, why do they adminifter wine to the clergy? The clergy might participate equaily 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 holinefs, might be allowed the ufe of

both.

There is a difficulty in this part of the Catechifm, which frould not be paffed over. We are told, that the body and blood of Chrift are verily and indeed taken, and received by the faithful in the Lord's fupper." This expreffion founds very like the popish doctrine, just mentioned, of tran

It is next afked, What benefits we receive from the Lord's fupper? To which it is anfwered, "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 ftrengthened 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 suffered for us, we should be excited to a greater abhorrence of fin, which was the cause of his fufferings. Every time we partake of this facrament, like faithful foldiers, we take a fresh oath to our leader; and should 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 anfwer, "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 us frame of mind is here, in very few words, pointed out, which a chriftian ought to cherish and cultivate in himself at all times; but especially, upon the performance of any folemn act of religion. Very little indeed is faid in fcripture, of any particular frame of mind, which fhould accompany the performance of this duty; but it may eafily be inferred from the nature of the duty itfelf.

In the first place, "we fhould repent us truly of our former fins; fedfaftly purpofing to lead a new life." He who performs a religious exercife, without being earneft in this point; adds only a phari faical hypocrify to his other fins. Unless

he