66

does not omit this duty: James ii. 15. "If a brother or fifter be naked, and "deftitute of daily food: And one of you fay unto them, Depart in peace, be ye "warmed, and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not thofe things which are "needful to the body: what doth it profit?" And the apostle John, whofe temper feems to have been peculiarly benevolent, fays, 1 John iii. 17. “Whofo hath this world's σε good, and feeth his brother have need, "and fhutteth up his bowels of compaflion “from him, how dwelleth the love of God "in him?"

The obligation of veracity feems to have been but weak in the heathen world, and therefore the apoftles are careful to caution their chriftian converts very particularly on this head. Eph. iv. 25. Wherefore,

66

66

putting away lying, fpeak every man "truth with his neighbour: for we are "members one of another:" ch. iv. 15.

66

Speaking the truth in love." Col. iii. 9. "Lie not one to another, fecing that ye have put of the old man with his deeds.”

Laftly,

Laftly, the moft explicit rules are laid] down for our conduct, with refpect to the various relative duties of Ife, as those of husband and wife, parent and child, master and fervant, magiftrate and fubject, minister and people; recommending, in general, to superiors, a regard to equity, and an affectionate attention to the intereft of those who are under their power; and to inferiors, a reasonable fubmiffion, and a faithful attachment to thofe to whom they are subject; but a detail of all the particulars is not neceffary in this place. See 1 Pet. ii. 13. to the end, iii. 1--7. Eph. v. 22. to the end, vi. 1--9. Coll. iii. 18. to the end, vi. 1. &c.

SECTION III.

Of the duties which refpect ourselves.

WH

HEREAS very little account was -made by the heathens of the duties of temperance and chaftity, and in general of thofe duties which refpect a man's government of himfelf, in cafes where others are not immediately concerned, we find that thefe duties make a confiderable figure in the fyftem of the revealed will of God, and that the utmost purity of heart, as well as of life and converfation, is required of us in thefe refpects. More especially, as the gentile converts had not been used to put any reftraint upon their private paffions, from a principle of confcience, the apostles, in writing to them, are particularly careful to enforce a regard to thefe virtues.

"Bleffed," fays our Saviour, Matt. v. 8. "are the pure in heart for they shall fee

"God."

"God." The apostle Paul cautions Timothy, 2 Tim. ii. 22. " to flee youthful "lufts, and to keep himfelf pure." 1 Tim. v. 22. To the fame purpose the apoftle Peter, ep. ii. 11. "Dearly beloved, I befeech "you, as ftrangers and pilgrims, abftain from

fleshly lufts, which war against the foul." And Paul to the Ephefians, ch. v. 3. "For"nication, and all uncleannefs, or covetoufnois, let it not be once named amongst

66

you, as becometh faints: neither filthinefs, "nor foolish talking, nor jefting, which "are not convenient." And lastly, he gives the Corinthians a moft folemn warning, concerning the extreme danger of an addictedness to thefe, as well as other vices. 1 Cor. "Be not deceived: neither fornica

vi. 9. tors, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor ef"feminate, nor abusers of themfelves with mankind,---nor covetous, nor drunkards, "--fhall inherit the kingdom of God." And, whatever fome modern libertines may plead in favour of what they call gallantry, the apoftle peremptorily fays, Heb. xiii. 4. that "Whoremongers and adulterers, God

" will

will judge." Nor is this doctrine, as fome have pretended, peculiar to the apoftles, as if they had made the doctrines of the gospel more rigorous than their mafter; for our Lord himfelf enumerates fornication along with murders, adulteries, thefts, falfe witness, and blafphemies, which come from the heart, and defile the man, Matt. xv. 19.

Every other irregularity of paffion, befides the irregular indulgence of the bodily appetites, is alfo exprefly forbidden in the fcriptures, and a variety of virtues, difpofitions, and habits, which have their feat more properly in the mind, are ftrongly inculcated upon us, as humility, meekness, contentment and diligence.

Admonitions refpecting pride, or too high an opinion of ourselves, and the confequence of it, arrogance with refpect to others, are very frequent both in the Old and New Teftament. To affift us to reprefs this improper disposition of mind, which is the fource of fo much uncafinefs, both to ourfelves and others, we are more especially reminded,