thefe two Commandments, right Affection to God and to Man, both which imply it towards ourfelves, hang all the Law and the Prophets".

But still, it may be, you will plead, "how

happy foever the World would become, were "all Men influenced by these Principles; yet, "fince they are not, why muft we?" Because the Whole can be amended only by the feparate Amendment of each Part. "But, you "will fay, unless the reft will amend, of

which, to speak moderately, there is no "Likelihood in our Time, the Wickedness "and Mifery of Mankind muft, if we are to "love them fo well, and feek their Good fo earneftly, occafion us much fruitlefs Pain, innumerable Disappointments and melancholy Reflections." Why, fo it will, if we engage in too great, or too difficult, or too many Undertakings; if we raise our Expectations too high; or fuffer Oppofition, either to kindle us into Vehemence, or plunge us into Defpair. But we may go on very comfortably, if we preserve the true Temper: exerting a calm fettled Benevolence on all fit Occafions, because we ought; without hoping to fucceed very often, or to produce on the whole any remarkable Change for the better: but

labouring the more conftantly for this very Reason, that not a little of what we do will, to all Appearance, with Refpect to others, be Labour loft. In the Morning fow thy Seed, and in the Evening withhold not thine Hand: for thou knoweft not, whether fhall profper, this or that; or whether they both fhall be alike good". But thus much we know however, that the feemingly moft unprofitable Exercises of Kindness will not only be of unfpeakable Benefit to ourfelves in the Upfhot, which might surely fuffice us, but will prove fome Means in the Hands of Divine Wifdom for bringing forth at length general Good out of all Evil. Being therefore thus Labourers together with God, why should we not be happy in our Proportion; as he is perfectly, notwithstanding the Failure of his gracious Purposes towards a World, which he loves infinitely better, than the best of us can?

But you will argue further yet: "Whatever "Peace we may have within, we fhall have

none without, but be laughed at for poor "tame Wretches, and trampled on fecurely." No fuch Thing. Though few may imitate you, very few will in earneft defpife you, and fewer kill attack you in any material Point. Love to

Man.

And

P

all Men cannot often provoke any Man. in Cafe of Affault, you are not forbidden the juft Methods of Self-prefervation; you are commanded to be prudent, as well as harmless : you have the Laws to protect you all the good to fupport yoù, from Inclination; and moft of the bad, if for no better a Reason, yet left they should fuffer next. You will fcruple, I own, taking fome Advantages, by which they often fucceed: but yoù will also avoid fome Difadvantages, by which they are often ruined. And, befides human Helps, you will have the Providence of God on your Side, both to defend you, and perhaps to reward you openly even here. Or, fhould he fee it best for you to go without temporal Recompences, nay to fuffer temporal Inconveniences ever fo grievous: bear but all patiently from a Senfe of Duty to Him, and you will be filled. with Confolation in this World, and affured of Glory in that which is to come.

Truft him therefore boldly with the abfolute Direction of your Hearts and Lives. Let thofe, who refolve to be too cunning for their Maker, fupprefs and extinguish every friendly Sentiment in their Breafts, be blind and deaf to the

Diftreffes of all around them, pursue with unrelenting Fervour their own Interefts, their own Pleasures, their own Schemes of Malevolence, hateful and hating one another. But let us be fimple concerning Evil, and wife only unto that which is Good: fhew Mercy with Cheerfulness, love without Diffimulation, be kindly affectioned, in Honour preferring one another, diftributing to the Neceffities of the Saints: rejoice with them that rejoice, weep with them that weep; be not high-minded, but condefcend to Men

of low Eftate': look with Pleasure on the Virtues, the Accomplishments, the Succefs of others; be flow to believe their Faults, think of them with Concern, and treat them with Mildnefs love even our Enemies, bless them that curfe us, do Good to them that hate us, and pray for them that defpitefully ufe us, and perfecute us. For fo fhall we be the Children of our Father, which is in Heaven; who maketh his Sun to rife on the Evil and the Good, and fendeth Rain on the Juft and on the Unjust.

SERMON V.

MATTH. iv. 1.

Then was Jefus led up of the Spirit into the Wilderness, to be tempted of the Devil.

A

S the Word of God acquaints us with many Things of great Importance, concerning our present and future Condition, which we could not elfe have known: foit opens to us particularly, a very interefting Scene, in the Discoveries which it makes of our Connexions with the Inhabitants of the invifible World, both good and bad. Indeed, that various Orders of rational Beings befides Man, and fuperior to him, exist in this Universe, is of itself extremely probable. That fome, even of the highest of them, should become wicked, is only a Wonder of the fame Kind, as that too many of the best Abilities amongst Men should make the worft Ufe of them. That for their Wickedness they should be cast down from their first