among brethren, Prov. vi. 16, 17, 18, 19. This laft fin, fo common, is more deteftable in the fight of God, than the fix former; and yet murder and perjury are fins of a very deep die. Nor are these whifperers difpleafing only to God; they are defpicable even to men. A whisperer not only defileth his foul with fin, but shall be hated of all, Ecclus. xxi. 28. Nay, and not only he, but even those that converfe with him, fhall fall under the univerfal averfion of mankind. And what wonder this fot of people would become thus hateful to God and man, feeing they violate directly the great law of charity, and undermine the very foundation of friendly fociety and commerce. I do not fpeak here of reports in matters of concern for fuch carry their condemnation along with them; but I caution you against a liberty of fpeech in things that feem lefs important, yet oftentimes are not lefs prejudicial to peace and union; for oftentimes feuds and enmities arise from trifles, and are spread even through provinces and kingdoms by contagion. The words of a talebearer, fays the wife man, are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly. Prov. xxvi. 22.

;

I heard fuch a one (fay fome) accufe your judgment, doubt of your discretion, and difesteem your merit this feems no great matter; notwithstanding, these speeches, which fhew more contempt. than malice, will raise a bitterness, if not an averfion, against the perfon that spoke them; and God fend the refentment go no farther. Few people take it well, to be thought unfurnish'd of those qualities; and fome would take it lefs unkindly to be thought void of grace, than of wit. Keep therefore your tongue in difcipline, speak nothing that may displease God, or mortify your neighbour,

And

And as you must not take the freedom to descant on your neighbour's failings; fo never prefume to entertain a company with your own merits. If God has favoured you with natural talents, thank him a thousand times for the favour; and be not vain, because your Maker has been liberal; but be fure, keep your virtues to your felf: It is fufficient they are known to God, who one day will declare them in publick, and crown you with glory in the face of the univerfe. Imitate not the Pharifees, by promulging your good works. Such an unfeasonable intemperance of the tongue fhews you have nothing good but the appearance, and that you had been much more perfect, if your humility had been greater, and your vanity lefs. If any man feem to be religious, and bridleth not bis tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father, is to protect orphans, to comfort widows in their tribulation, to affift them with your counfel, and, if indigent, with your purfe; to use your authority in their defence, and to protect them against violence and oppreffion. These are acts of true piety, if done out of a motive of charity, not of intereft or oftentation: they extort praise even from the worst of men, and will receive a reward in time from the hands of God.

But even these acts of virtue, tho' in themselves fublime, tho' joined with faith, will not fave us: And therefore St. James tells us, we must besides keep ourselves unspotted from the world; for, as St. John fays, If any man love the world, the love of God is not in him, 1 John ii. 15. Our Saviour has declared it his enemy; he has thrown his curfe upon it: Woe to the world, and laid it, as it were, under excommunication. Good God! how many give large alms, comfort the diftrefs'd, pray often, frequent

D 4

frequent the facrament, and yet are not unspotted from the world? To thefe virtues they join great vices: they intrude themfelves into companies continually, often into thofe that are dangerous, and fometimes prophane. They pafs their time in indolence, eafe, and idlenefs, affect grandeur, hate conftraint, and are wedded to all the vain amufements of the world. Let fuch people practife a hundred virtues, their religion is not pure and undefiled. No: they must wean themfelves from the love of the world, preferve their hearts from its corruption, and not only do good, but alfo abstain from evil.

I am fure, O God, my religion is pure; thou haft revealed it. Thy infinite knowledge hinders thee from being deceived, and thy veracity from deceiving me. Oh! that my behaviour was as unfpotted as my faith; and that I had been as careful to comply with what thou doft command me to do, as with what thou doft oblige me to believe. But oh! neither thy menaces have been able to fright me into my duty, nor thy promises to allure me. To gratify fenfuality, to oblige my paffions, I have trefpaffed upon thy goodness, contemn'd thy laws, and withdrawn my neck from the fweet yoke of thy obedience. However, I caft my felf at thy feet; and tho' my infidelities call aloud for vengeance, I trust thy mercy will feal my pardon. Amen.

GOSPEL of St. John, Chap. xvi. Verse

23. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing: Verily, verily, I fay unto you, Whatsoever ye fhall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

24. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name : ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

25. These

25. These things have I Spoken unto you in proverbs: the time cometh, when I fhall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall fhew you plainly of the Father.

26. At that day ye shall ask in my name, and I fay not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you.

27. For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.

28. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father.

O

The MORAL REFLECTION.

UR bleffed Saviour feems concerned his

apoftles had been so long in his company, without having the confidence to ask him a favour: Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name. By this he shews the excefs of his kindness; that he is more prone to give, than we can be to afk, and that he tenders our good, more than we our felves.

And that we may be fure to obtain of his Father all our petitions, he fhews us an infallible expedient, which is to interpose his name: Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Without his mediation, the Father will grant nothing; and with it all things. Nay, he affures them, he will intercede himself: I will ask my Father; he will fhew him the wounds he has received, the death he has fuffered, by his Father's command, and for our fakes. How different is thy conduct, oh amiable Jefus, from that of men ! Abfence wears off not only love, but the very memory of friendship. Our inclinations change with our fortunes; and we not only forget friends, and

relations

relations in profperity, but even our felves. But thou, O Lord, in heaven, doft remember thy poor friends upon earth: thou doft employ thy power to ease their afflictions, and impart thy grace that they may ask thy heavenly Father a release from their miseries, and thou doft make thy interceffion that they may obtain it.

:

We must indeed defire all favours in Chrift's name; and if we ask St. Austin, he will tell us : "Those do not afk in the name of our Saviour, "who demand any thing hurtful to their falva"tion." Such people, tho' they pray from morning till night, deferve the reproach our Saviour made to his apoftles: Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name. Ye have prayed for wealth and honour but alas! ye have afked nothing in the name of Jefus, because ye have asked those things, that are fo far from contributing to your falvation, that, in all probability, they will lead you to damnation. Ye fhould have afked a contempt of the world, and an entire difengagement from the love of all temporal things, that often ruin our fouls, and never give the fatisfaction we expect.

Sinners! ye have afk'd nothing; because ye have not implored his mercy; because ye have not conjured his goodness to mollify your hearts, to melt your eyes into tears of a fincere repentance, to give you a true deteftation of your paft enormities, and a firm refolution to avoid them for the future. Demand this favour with humility, demand it with perfeverance: you will certainly obtain your request. You have Chrift's word for furety, Ask and ye fhall receive. And how can we afk more properly in his name, than when we defire thofe things that are neceffary for our falvation?

Let