full of mifery. Our beginning is fhameful, and our end frequently difaftrous. We come into the world in fin; moft live like beafts, and many alfo make an exit like them; but with this difference, that brutes vanifh into nothing, and these unfortunate creatures die eternally.

Our bodies are of the fame alloy with the earth we tread on. Kings, queens, lords, and ladies, are of the fame mould with the peafant: fome difference may lie on the furface; but there is none in nature. What then is beauty, but a fair impoftor, but artifice, but deceit, but a loathfome deformity under a pleafing varnish? When death tears off the vizard, complexion will vanish into a ghaftly palenefs, and be changed into one mafs of contemptible duft and ashes !

Our foul is indeed immortal, endowed with liberty, but condemn'd to flavery: it knows good, but chufes evil. By the affiftance of God's grace it may be happy, and, by abufing it, will be eternally miserable. Have we not therefore more reason to blush, than to be vain; to tremble with fear, than to fwell with pride? In a word, my vices are my own, my virtue is the work of God: fo that every thing preaches to me humility on the one fide, and gratitude to my great Benefactor on the other.

Hitherto St. John had replied in negatives; he told the deputies what he was not; they infifted to know what he was. If you are neither the Meffias, nor Elias, nor a Prophet; tell us at least who you are; that we may give an answer to them that fent us. What fay'st thou of thyfelf? I am (reply'd he) the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ftrait the way of the Lord. A found: one remove from nothing. Thus this man of God forgets his high prerogatives of grace, to contemplate the imperfections of his nature; and tho', in the opinion

of

of God himself, he was more than a prophet, in his own, he was only a degree from nothing. Yet thefe low thoughts made him greater than he was, and, by affecting to appear the least of men, he raised himself above the greatest: Among them that are born of women, there hath not rifen a greater than John the Baptift, Matth. xi. 11.

It is ftrange, that, tho' thefe deputies were by publick order in fearch for the Meffias, and that St. John affured them he was come; nay, and food in the midst of them: yet we find not upon record, that they made any further enquiry after him; which is a convincing argument that this parade of a folemn embaffy was not intended to difcover the truth, but to conceal fome hidden intrigue; and that at least curiofity had a greater hand in the bufinefs than fincerity. For why did they take no notice of Chrift the next day, when John fhewed him to the Jews, Behold the Lamb of God, that taketh away the fins of the world.

How many in the world fteer their courfe in the fearch of religion by the conduct of the Jews; they are in a continual queft after it; religion is the common topick of their difcourfe; they chafe it in every conventicle; yet, in the room of truth, they generally light upon error, and abandon one fchifm, to ftrike in with another. The reason of this miscarriage is, that people feldom carry fincerity about them in the fearch; intereft is their guide and prejudice their privy-counsellor and when these two paffions domineer, our understanding abandons us, and fo we grope in the dark. Our heart reasons, not our head; our will difcourfes, and the intellect acquiefces to its fophifms.

O my God! I had no right to be, much less to be great, beautiful, or rich: whatever I poffefs is the effect of thy power on the one fide, and of thy goodness on the other. Muft I therefore be

D 3

vain,

vain, because thou art bountiful? or boaft of my riches, because thou haft given me a large alms? Oh no; to glory in the gifts of nature or fortune, is folly; to appropriate thofe of grace, a facrilege.

I. EPISTLE to the Corinthians, Chap. iv. Ver. 1. Let a man fo account of us, as of the minifters of Chrift, and flewards of the mysteries of God. 2. Moreover it is required in fewards, that a man be found faithful.

3. But with me it is a very small thing that I Should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not my own felf.

4. For I know nothing by my felf, yet am I not hereby juftified: but be that judgeth me is the Lord.

5. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the bidden things of darkness, and will make manifeft the counfels of the hearts, and then shall every man bave praife of God.

The MORAL REFLECTION.

CARCE had St. Paul left Corinth, when other preachers step'd into the pulpit, and stole the people's affection by chiming periods and quaint expreffions. They had more of the fophift than of the apostle, and rather taught eloquence than the gofpel. However, this new way took; and many preferred this pedantick oratory to St. Paul's fimplicity fo that at last the infant church of Corinth fell into factions: fome stood up for Paul, others for Apollos, and every lady gave the preference to her director.

St. Paul heard of the scandal, and, to put a stop to the growing evil, he fends this epiftle, and

blames

blames the diforder. He tells them with warmth, it is not their bufinefs to difpute, whether he or others preach better, or difcharge the duty of apoftles with more fruit, or greater edification; that fuch heats promife no good, and threaten much harm; that it is their concern not to follow the doctors, but the doctrine, not to idolize those who preach well, nor to despise those who preach ill; that they ought to regard them barely as minifters of Chrift, and to refpect alone the character. Let a man fo account of us as of the minifters of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. This relation impowers us to declare thofe truths God has revealed, and to administer those facraments he has inftituted. To what purpose therefore (continues he) fuch heats, fuch contentions whether I preach worfe, or live better than Apollos; For, in a word, I neither value your efteem, nor fear your contempt. With me it is a very small thing, that I fhou'd be judged of you. Why then do you raise factions, and divide into fchifms for my fake, who am neither concerned at your blame, nor moved by your applaufe? I labour for God's honour and your profit; and I had rather carry off the name of a bad preacher, if you profit, than of an able one, if you do not.

St. Paul gives thofe, whom God calls to the care of fouls, a rare leffon, viz. They must preach God by works as well as words, at home as well as in the pulpit. Men will with reafon suspect a paftor is in jeft, who continually holds forth upon the excellence of virtue, and at the same time practifes vice; who lafhes the vanities of the world, yet prostitutes his character to purchase them.

2dly, They muft deliver the myfteries of God, not the fancies of their own brain, nor obtrude human errors for divine truths; they must not screw up the morals of the gospel to a stretch'd severity;

nor yet unbend them to a fcandalous laxity. Chrift never empowered his minifters to coin new maxims of manners, but only to explain his, and, as it is criminal to widen heaven-gate, fo it is not lefs finful to ftraiten it. New principles are dangerous, and a new way to heaven leads immediately to hell.

3dly, They muft draw profelytes to God, not to themselves; their zeal must be fweet, and their charity univerfal. The Corinthian teachers feem unprovided of these qualities; they marched at the head of their partizans, and kept up the divifions, to maintain their own reputation; but whofoever courts esteem, is unqualified for a preacher of the crofs; and, if he regards his own intereft, he has no concern for that of Jefus Chrift.

They must square the exercise of their function by the example of St. Paul, who protested he nei ther feared the cenfure of the Corinthians, nor was ambitious of their esteem.

Nay, the faint durft not pronounce upon himself, altho' he was furnifh'd with better evidence for a true judgment than the Corinthians: yea I judge not my own felf. How dare you ufurp a power to judge me, who am not qualified to frame a right judgment of my felf; My confcience indeed feems clear; it neither reproaches me with neglect of my charge, nor with any tranfgreffion of the laws of my profeffion; tho' therefore I cannot condemn myself of a crime, I dare not bring myself in, Not guilty. Yet am I not hereby justified. We must ftand or fall by God's fentence alone, who difcovers, without mafk or difguife, our guilt, or innocence, and will reward this, and punish that. He that judgeth me, is the Lord.

St. Paul had been rapt up into the third heaven, and distinguished with a hundred marks of particular affection; yet he durft not pretend to acquit himself