patient, than for the unreafonable fcandal thofe men would take at his charity: because those rigorifts have no compaffion, muft Chrift have no pity? They that feem fo zealous for the obfervation of the fabbath, forget thefe maxims, when intereft lies at ftake, when the question is to take care of their cattle; and this is the conduct of all their defcendants, who imitate the unchristian zeal of thefe Pharifees. You will not find one of a thousand, who drops not these fcrupulous maxims, when they will not ftand with his intereft. The minifters of the church muft imitate our Saviour, not the Pharifees; they must receive finners with sweetness and charity, to cure them ; not with severity, to exafperate their wounds, and to render them incurable. Oh how many fee we, who fcruple at trifles, and make no difficulty to tranfgrefs the most important precepts of the law? Who, in our Saviour's expreffion, ftrain at a gnat, and swallow a camel? Diftractions trouble fome; and yet they give up all their time to temporal concerns, without remorse, as if their great affair lay in this world, and that they had nothing to fear, nothing to hope for, in the other: how many accufe themfelves for being lefs charitable to the poor, who ftick not to over-reach their neighbour, to engage him in fuits of law, often unjust on their fides, and feldom neceffary, and yet never think of reftitution. An omiffion of fome religious duty puts many on the torture; but to pass whole months in vifits, feafts, and revellings, gives them no check, no remorfe. Some make a confcience to omit the publick prayers of the church; but none to defame their neighbour, to fling away confiderable fums on vain and fuperfluous ornaments; nay, and to reduce, by gaming, their families to beggary: fuch people have pharifaical, that is, falfe confciences; they tremble at fhadows, and fear not real dangers. They frain at a gnat, and fwallow a camel. Imitate not, dear Chriftians, the Pharifees, who scrupulously observed our Saviour, that they might find fomething to cenfure, but made none to blame his charity, for curing a poor man on the fabbath; as if God had forbidden to fhew, on that day, as much concern for men, as they had for their own cattle. Regulate your confcience by the precepts of the gospel, not by the falfe lights of a mistaken zeal, fear to break God's commands, and, if you fall, fleep not in your fin; examine your own confcience, condemn your failings, but meddle not with the actions of other men: till you can search their hearts, you are no competent judge: pretend not zeal for their good it is oftentimes hard to diftinguifh true zeal from real malice; and the obfervers of another's conduct feldom intend to correct faults, but merely to find them. This paffage concludes with a parable, to teach the Pharifees (the proudeft of men) humility. When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, fit down in the lowest room, that when he that bad thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then fhalt thou have worship in the prefence of them that fit at meat with thee. Our Lord not only recommends to us to take one of the loweft places, but the very laft; he will have us to esteem ourselves not only inferior to fome, but even to all. There is no danger, fays St. Bernard, in humbling ourselves as much as we can: but there is in raifing ourfelves never fo little. A man (continues this father) who paffes through a low door, rifques nothing nothing by stooping too low; but he may hurt himself, who ftoops not low enough. One would think this virtue, fo grateful to God, fo neceffary to Chriftians, were not hard. We are born in fin, fubject to a thousand infirmities: what are all temporal advantages, but vain toys of no price, because of no duration? the very gifts of grace are mere gratuities, and cafily loft. Therefore, to be humble, we need only know ourselves: if I have a mind to raise myself, how many obftacles? how many rivals ftand in my way? But if I endeavour to humble myself, no body takes it ill, no body opposes himself. O dear Lord! let me know myself and know thee thy example will teach me humility, and my own baseness will defend me from pride. When I fee my God humbled to the very death of the cross, can I, a vile worm, affect greatnefs? Humble me, O God, in this world, to glorify me in the next. EPISTLE to the Ephefians, Chap. iv. Verfe 1. I therefore, the prifoner of the Lord, befeech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. 2. With all lowlinefs and meekness, with longfuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3. Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye *are called in one hope of your calling; 5. One Lord, one faith, one baptifm. 6. One God and Father of all, who is above all, aud through all, and in you all. The TH The MORAL REFLECTION. HE apoftle conjures the Ephefians, with all the tenderness imaginable, to lead lives worthy of the fanctity of the religion they profefs'd: this exhortation regards all Chriftians, who by baptifm enter into the family of Chrift, and into all the obligations of his religion. At the facred font we renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh, to confecrate ourselves wholly to Chrift: on this condition he receives us into his church, and adopts us for his children. We are therefore wholly his, and muft fquare our lives by those rules he has left us in the gospel. It is not only a high difobedience, but an injuftice, to follow, from morning to night, humour and fancy to be follicitous to advance our interest, and unmindful of his glory. The apoftle tells us, we belong not to ourselves, but to Jefus Chrift. He must therefore regulate all our actions, the ufe of our wealth, our employment, and in a word our whole conduct. This is to live like a true christian, to live worthy of our vocation, to walk the short way to heaven. By baptifm I acknowledge Jefus for my Teacher, my Master, my Father, my Lord, Thefe qualities oblige me to have a true zeal for his interefts, to love and please him, to refpect his orders, to obey his commands: thofe he has left us in his gospel; they are our rule, and to these we must conform our lives. Give me, O Jefus, a lively and generous love for thee, that I may fay to my last breath, Jefus is mine, and I am bis: let me not blush to profefs I am thy difciple, but give me the courage to glory in the profeffion, and rather to lofe my life than to abandon my duty. VOL. II. R You You have made me, my God, a Chriftian; let not this favour turn to my misfortune, nor draw upon me a more fevere judgment, and a more terrible damnation, than that of infidels and pagans. Give me fuch a fupply of grace, that I may fulfil all the duties of my profeffion, that all my actions be as holy, as the name of Chriftian I have the honour to bear that I may live and die in the obfervance of thy law, and afterwards enjoy the eternal reward in heaven, which thou haft prepared for those that live up to the vocation on earth, wherewith they are called. ; The apostle recommends particularly humility, mildness, patience, and charity. With all lowliness and meekness, with long-fuffering, forbearing one another in love. Thefe virtues he inculcates almost in every chapter of his divine epistles, and conjures his converts to practife them. He learnt this doctrine from his Mafter; learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, Matth. xi. 29. He fets us his life for a pattern, and commands us all to imitate it. We must therefore never feek honour and applause, but even reject it, when offered, if God's glory does not oblige us to receive it. Thus our bleffed Saviour, who had right to the empire of the world, refufed the fmall kingdom of Juda; he ordered his glorious appearance on Tabor to be kept fecret: when he healed the fick, how often did he either command them to keep the miracle to themselves, or afcribed it to their faith; thy faith bath made thee whole, Luke viii. 48. although his goodness and power were the only causes of the cure. Thus did our blessed Lord refuse honour, he fo juftly deferved; he dropt favours where-ever he went, and would not even receive the glory, Secondly, |