towards him, by what we ourselves fhould, in fuch a cafe, expect from him: our duty grows immediately our intereft and pleature, by means of this powerful princi ple; the feat of which is, in truth, not more in the brain, than in the heart of man: it appeals to our very fenfes; and exerts its fecret force in fo prevailing a way, that it is even felt, as well as understood by us.

The last recommendation of this rule I fhall mention, is its vast and comprehenfive influence; for it extends to all ranks and conditions of men, and to all kinds of action and intercourfe between them; to matters of charitý, generofity, and civility, as well as juftice; to negative no less than pofitive duties. The ruler and the ru led are alike fubject to it; public communities can no more exempt themfelves from its obligation than private perfons: "All perfons must fall down before it, all nations must do it fervice." And, with refpect to this extent of it, it is, that our bleffed Lord pronounces it in the text to be "the law and the prophets." His meaning is, that whatever rules of the second table are delivered in the law of Mofes, or in the larger comments and explanations of that law made by the other writers · of the Old Testament (here and elsewhere ftyled the prophets), they are all virtually comprifed in this one fhort fignificant faying, "Whatfoever ye would that men fhould do unto you, do ye even fo unto them."

III. On Benevolence and Charity.

FORM as amiable fentiments as you can, of nations,

communities of men, and individuals. If they are true, you do them only juftice; if falfe, though your opinion does not alter their nature and make them lovely, you yourfelf are more lovely for entertaining fuch. fentiments. When you feel the bright warmth of a temper thoroughly good in your own breast, you will fee. fomething good in every one about you. It is a mark of littleness of fpirit to confine yourfelf to fome minute. part of a man's character: a man of generous, open, extended views, will grafp the whole of it; without which he cannot pass a right judgment on any part. He will not arraign a man's general conduct for two or three particular actions; as knowing that man is a change-

able

able creature, and will not ceafe to be fo, till he is uni ted to that Being who is "the fame yesterday, to-day, and for ever." He frives to outdo his friends in good offices, and overcome his enemies by them. He thinks he then receives the greatest injury when he returns and revenges one for then he is "overcome of evil." Is the perfon young who has injured him? he will reflect, that inexperience of the world, and a warmth of conftitution, may betray his unpractifed years into feveral inadvertencies, which a more advanced age, his own good fenfe, and the advice of a judicious friend, will correct and rectify. Is he old ? the infirmities of age and want of health may have fet an edge upon his fpirits, and made him "ipeak unadvisedly with his lips." Is he weak and ignorant ? he confiders that it is a duty incumbent upon the wife to bear with those that are not fo: "Ye fuffer fools gladly," fays St Paul," feeing ye yourselves are wife." In fhort, he judges of himself, as far as he can, with the strict rigour of juflice; but of others, with the foftenings of humanity.

From charitable and benevolent thoughts, the transi tion is unavoidable to charitable actions. For wherever there is an inexhaustible fund of goodness at the heart, it will, under all the difadvantages of circumftances, exert itfelf in acts of fubftantial kindness. He that is fubftantially good, will be doing good. The man that has a hearty determinate will to be charitable, will seldom put men off with the mere will for the deed. For a fincere defire to do good, implies fome uneafinefs till the thing be done and uneafinefs fets the mind at work, and puts it upon the stretch to find out a thousand ways and means of obliging, which will ever efcape the unconcerned, the indifferent, and the unfeeling.

The moft proper objects of your bounty are the neceffitous. Give the fame fum of money, which you beflow on a perfon in tolerable circumftances, to one in extreme poverty; and obferve what a wide difproportion of happinefs is produced. In the latter cafe, it is like giving a cordial to a fainting person; in the former, it is like giving wine to him who has already quenched his thirst. Mercy is feafonable in time of affliction, like clouds of rain in the time of drought."

66

And among the yariety of neceffitous objects, none have a better title to our compaffion, than those, who, after having tafted the fweets of plenty, are, by fome undeferved calamity, obliged, without fome charitable relief, to drag out the remainder of life in mifery and wo; who little thought they fhould ask their daily bread of any but of God: who, after a life led in affluence, cannot dig, and are afhamed to beg." And they are to be relieved in fuch an endearing manner, with fuch a beauty of holiness, that, at the fame time that their wants are fupplied, their confufion of face may be prevented.

"

There is not an inftance of this kind in history so af fecting, as that beautiful one of Eoaz to Ruth. He knew her family, and how fhe was reduced to the lowest ebb: when, therefore, fhe begged leave to glean in his fields, he ordered his reapers to let fall feveral handfuls with a feeming careleffnefs, but really with a fet defign, that the might gather them up without being afhamed, Thus did he form an artful fcheme, that he might give, without the vanity and oftentation of giving; and the receive, without the fhame and confufion of making ac-\ knowledgments. Take the hiftory in the words of lerip ture, as it is recorded in the book of Ruth. when she was rifen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, faying, Let her glean even among the fheaves, and rebuke her not: and let fall alfo fome of the handfuls of purpose, and leave them that the may glean them, and reproach her not." This was not only doing a good action; it was doing it likewife with a good grace.

"And

It is not enough we do no harm, that we be negatively good; we must do good, pofitive good, if we would "enter into life." When it would have been as good for the world, if such a man had never lived; it would perhaps have been better for him, "if he had never been born." A feanty fortune may limit your beneficence, and confine it chiefly to the circle of your domeftics, relations, and neighbours; but let your benevolence extend as far as thought can travel, to the utmost bounds of the world: juft as it may be only in your power to beautify the fpot of ground that lies near and close to

you;

you; but you could wish, that, as far as your eye can reach, the whole profpect before you were cheerful, that every thing difagreeable were removed, and every thing beautiful made more fo.

IV. On Happiness.

THE great purfuit of man is after happiness: it is the first and ftrongest defire of his nature;-in every stage of his life he fearches for it as for hid treafure; courts it under a thoufand different fhapes ;and, though perpetually disappointed,-ftill perfiftsruns after and enquires for it afresh-afks every paffenger who comes in his way, "Who will show him any good?"-who will affift him in the attainment of it, or direct him to the discovery of this great end of all his wifhes?

He is told by one, to fearch for it among the more gay and youthful pleafures of life; in fcenes of mirth and fprightlinefs, where happiness ever prefides, and is ever to be known by the joy and laughter which he will fee at once painted in her looks.

:

A fecond, with a graver afpect, points out to him the coftly dwellings which pride and extravagance have erected tells the enquirer that the object he is in fearch of inhabits there;--that happinefs lives only in company with the great, in the midft of much pomp and outward fate. That he will eafily find her out by the coat of many colours fhe has on, and the great luxury and expence of equipage and furniture with which he always fits furrounded.

The mifer wonders how any one would mislead and willfully put him upon fo wrong a fcent-convinces him that happiness and extravagance neves inhabited under the fame roof;-that, if he would not be disap pointed in his fearch, he must look into the plain and thrifty dwelling of the prudent man, who knows and understands the worth of money, and cautionfly lays it up against an evil hour that it is not the prostitution of wealth upon the paffions, or the parting with it at all that conftitutes happiness-but that it is the keeping it together, and the having and holding it fast to him and his heirs for ever, which are the chief ats

tributes

tributes that form this great idol of human worship, to which fo much incenfe is offered up every day.

The epicure, though he easily rectifies fo grofs a miftake, yet, at the fame time, he plunges him, if poffible, into a greater; for, hearing the object of his purfuit to be happiness, and knowing of no other happiness than what is feated immediately in his fenfes-he fends, the enquirer there ;-tells him 'tis in vain to fearch elfewhere for it, than where nature herself has placed it— in the indulgence and gratification of the appetites, which are given us for that end: and in a word-if he will not take his opinion in the matter he may truft the word of a much wifer man, who has affured usthat there is nothing better in this world, than that a man fhould eat and drink, and rejoice in his works, and make his foul enjoy good in his labour-for that is his portion.

To refcue him from this brutal experiment-ambition takes him by the hand and carries him into the world, fhows him all the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them,-points out the many ways of advancing his fortune and raifing himself to honour,-lays before his eyes all the charms and bewitching temptations of power, and asks if there be any happiness in this world like that of being careffed, courted, flattered, and followed?

To clofe all, the philofopher meets him bustling in the full career of this purfuit-ftops him-tells him, if he is in fearch of happiness, he is far gone out of his way that this deity has long been banished from noise and tumults, where there was no reft found for her, and was fled into folitude far from all commerce of the world; and, in a word, if he would find her, he must leave this bufy and intriguing fcene, and go back to that peaceful fcene of retirement and books from which he first set out.

In this circle, too often does a man run, tries all experiments, and generally fits down wearied and diffatisfied with them all at laft-in utter defpair of ever accomplishing what he wants-nor knowing what to trust to after fo many disappointments—or where to lay the

fault,