is written, could not forbear inserting it in words so nearly the fame, that there can be no doubt from whom the thought was borrowed. Let us therefore, faith he, communicate of our fubftance to all men, but more freely to those of good minds*. And certainly nothing can be more judicious †. Every kind of diftinction ought to have a proportionable regard shewn it: and therefore the highest and most honourable ought to have the greatest. The private prudence of acting thus, though a felfish reason, deferves mention: that whoever afsists a worthy person, may be fure to have the favour gratefully received ; and as far as possible, repaid; whereas on others there is no dependance. When thou wilt do good, faith the son of Sirach, know to whom thou doeft it: So shalt thou be thanked for thy benefits. Do good to the godly man, and thou shalt find a recompence: and if not from him, yet from the Most High. For God, who, to speak in the language of St. Paul, is the faviour, the preserver and benefactor, of all men, but especially of those that believe §, expects us to imitate him, not only in the universality. of his beneficence, but in the peculiar notice, which he takes of the fittest objects of it. And accordingly we find, that this was the deliberate folemn refolution of the psalmist. O my foul, bou haft faid unto the Lord, thou art my God. My goodness extendeth not to thee: but to the faints that are in the earth; even to those, who excel in virtue ; in whom is all my delight.

It is one of the oldest complaints in the world, that no fufficient difference is made between the good and bad in the dif tribution of happiness. And though it belongs only to the great judge of all to remedy this evil completely, as he will at the last day, yet we should every one contribute our utmost to leffen

• Κοινωνητεον ουν των χρηματων ἅπασιν ανθρωποις· αλλα τοις μεν επιεικέσιν ελευθεριώτερον· τοις δε αποροις ή πενησιν, ὅσον επαρκέσαι τη χρει α. P 290, Ed. Spanh. Though επιεικίσι may feem opposed to αποροις, and there. fore to fignify what sometimes honefti doth in Latin, and the better fort in English; yet I find not, that it hath that fenfe. And Julian, a little before, faith we must not neglect της πένητας, αλλως τε όταν ή επιεικεις τινες τύχωσι τον τρόπον. And Arift. Rhet. 1. 1. c. 2. §. 3. uses επιεικής for a good man, and επιεικεια for a worthy character.

† Donabit (fapiens) aut bonis, aut eis quos facere poterit bonos. Donabit cum fummo corfilio, digniffimos eligens. Sen. de vita beat. 2 where, and c. 24. fee more.

Ecclus xii. 1, 2.

§ 1 Tim. iv. 10,

Pfal. xvi. 22 3

leffen it in the mean time. Not only the interest of religion requires it of us, but that of mankind; who will always be miferable in proportion as they are wicked: and it is encouraging wickedness, not to encourage virtue. This neglect, in those who have power and influence, produces unspeakable mischief: and in all ranks downwards, it must be of far greater consequence, than is generally apprehended, to lay hold on every opportunity of shewing, that we respect and will befriend worthy characters, and think no obligation superior to that of fupporting piety and morals in this manner.

Thus I have gone through the chief claims, that can be made to our regard in doing good. The more of them unite in one person, the stronger his plea becomes: and if, at any time, being divided between several, they make the rule of our conduct seem dubious; let us only take care to preserve an impartial defire of acting rightly, and we shall make few, if any, mistakes of great importance. The integrity of the upright frall guide them : and the righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way *. Most of our difficulties about the best forts, and fittest objects, and requifite proportions of beneficence, arife, it may be feared, not so often from real ignorance or doubt, as from unwillingness. Let us all therefore endeavour first to conquer that, by reflecting seriously on the many and strong motives, that urge us to do good and to communicate+: let us form our minds, with the most assiduous care, to a temper of universal benevolence and love, not to be exercised now and then only, on extraordinary and diftant occafions, but to animate the whole of our behaviour to each other. To the exactest vigiIance over ourselves, let us join our most ardent prayers to God, that his Holy Spirit, for the fake of his blessed Son, may quicken, reftrain, direct us; and then let us chearfully go on our way: where the cafe is plain, follow the dictates of an honest heart without hesitation; where it feems perplexed, judge as well as we can, without fcruple or terror. For we ferve a most gracious master: and so long as we ferve him with a fincerely right intention, we shall probably seldom err from our duty, and certainly never fail of our reward.

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SERMON XIII.

THE DUTIES OF THE YOUNG.

Тіт. іі. 6.

Young men likewise exhort to be fober-minded.

INSTRUCTING men to remember their Creator in the days of their youth *, is laying in their hearts the only foundation of every thing good and happy: but the work is far from being compleated, when the foundation is laid. Not only the general duties of life are to be built upon it; but the particu lar duties of every one's condition in life: for these of all o thers, we are most concerned, and yet often leaft willing, to know and attend to. They should therefore be drawn out, and laid before us as minutely as they well can: and each be called upon to study those more especially, which he is more especially obliged to practise. Now as the several tempers, ranks, and employments of men, and the several relations they stand in to each other, so their several ages also, lay them under peculiar obligations: for which reason St. Peter and St. John in their epistles address themselves to younger persons, and to elder separately; and St. Paul in this epiftle di rets Titus to do the fame thing. But though both have much need of admonition, yet the young plainly need it most; as they are just entering into the world, with little knowledge, less experience, and yet scarcely ever any distrust; with lively spirits and warm paffions to mislead them, and time to go a great way wrong, if they do not go right. In the spring-feafon of life, ef pecially as it advances towards summer, whatever the foil produces, (and the human heart is fruitful of evil) shoots out fo fast, that a few days neglect of weeding and pruning, occafions a visible alteration for the worse. And therefore the utmost

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* Ecel. xii. 1.

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care

care should be taken then, to keep all in good order, by the continual exercise of that fobriety of mind, that considerate felfgovernment, which the apostle prescribes indeed to every one, but which they who principally want it, ought to understand as principally prescribed to them. It is true, in this verse he mentions only young men: but in the preceding he had given the fame rule for young women: and accordingly I shall speak to both, without distinction, in two discourses on this fubject.

I. The first and chief thing, in which young people are concerned to shew fobriety of mind, is moderating their natural fondncfs for pleafure; and the two forts of pleasure, from which they are in danger, are sensual gratifications, and gay amusements.

As to the former, St. Paul hath directed that fornication and all uncleanness be not once named amongst * Christians. And the less they are named, even to caution against them, the better: provided it be well understood and confidered, that they not only fill the lives of those who are guilty of them, and of others, with a variety of temporal fufferings, too commonly experienced; but fatally indispose them to the love of God and virtue, and disqualify them for the spiritual happiness of the world to come. Therefore, dearly beloved, I beseech you, as Strangers and pilgrims, whose chief interest lies not here, but in another state, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the foult. All ranks, both fexes, how strangely foever multitudes of one feem to forget it, are equally bound by this restraint: bound to avoid every thing likely to misguide their conduct, or to inflame their defires; and to employ their thoughts so constantly on what is good or lawful, as to exclude from them what is bad. For by such care, early taken, the preservation of their innocence will be easy: which, for want of it, is fallly imagined impossible. Thus then, to fpeak in the words of our apostle, Let every one know how to poffefs bis veffel in Sanctification and honour, not in the luft of concupifcence, even as the Gentiles, which know not God 1. And to that end, Let every one, as Solomon advises, keep his heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life §.

Together with the fins of this kind, those of intemperance

in

* Eph. v. 3.

† Pet. ii. 11.

I Theff. iv. 4, 5.

§ Prov. iv. 23.

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in drinking, or even eating, which are closely connected with them, ought to be carefully shunned, as peculiarly oppofite to the character of fober-minded, by young people; who of all others have the least need of fuch indulgences, and are the most hurt by them; fubjected to painful and dangerous difeases; exposed to early distress in their circumstances; and befides, for the most part, either funk into stupidity and infignificance, or raised into wildness and madness, frequently followed by proportionable dejection and melancholy. Therefore, inftead of fuch excess, they must, as St. Paul farther directs, keep under the body and bring it into fubjection *; not by hurtful or fanciful austerities, but by rational felf-denial: remembering, that even in common exercises and contests of strength and activity, every man, that striveth for the mastery, is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible t. This and every passage of scripture, which admonishes to flee youthful lufts †, they must frequently read and recollect and pray over, as the most powerful means to secure, and if they fall, to recover themselves. For wherewithal shall a young man cleanfe his way? even by ruling himself after thy word §.

The other fort of pleasures, especially dangerous to young people, are gay amusements. Undoubtedly cheerfulness is as innocent, as it is amiable: it may and should be expressed by those that have it, and allowed and encouraged by those who have it not: for it both gives delight, and doth good. The difpofition to it was unquestionably planted in us by our Maker, with intent that it should be gratified: and youth is plainly the natural season for it. But still, all this by no means exempts it from difcipline and government. Suppose a conftitution or a temper by nature warm and cholerick should be industrioufly or negligently farther heated, instead of being watched and moderated, what would be the consequence? Suppose that gravity and wariness, which is as natural to old age as gaiety to youth, should for that reason be carried on to its utmost extent; plainly that would be wrong; furely then the contrary extreme is equally wrong. And indeed if we confider the make and circumstances of man, we shall foon discover many motives for keeping a strict hand upon our inclinations to all the feveral things which I have just mentioned.

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