It is not neceffary to recite the precepts of scrip ture which relate to the universally acknowledged duties of justice or equity, which are very full and explicit; but I fhall obferve, that the obligation of compaffion and charity, which is variable in itself, and which might be disputed and evaded by subtle cavillers, is frequently infifted upon both in the Old and New Teftament. Some of the paffages in which this duty is inculcated, are peculiarly affecting. Deut. xv. 7. "If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren, within any "of thy gates, in thy land which the Lord thy "God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thy

66

heart, nor fhut thine hand from thy poor bro"ther: But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto " him, and shalt surely lend him fufficient for his "need, in that which he wanteth." Lev. xix. 9. "And when ye reap the harveft of your land, thou

fhalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, "neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy "harvest. And thou shalt not glean thy vine❝ yard, neither fhalt thou gather every grape of "thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor "and stranger: I am the Lord your God." Ifa. lviii. 6. &c. "Is not this the faft that I have "chofen--to undo the heavy burdens, and to "let the oppreffed go free, and that ye break every "yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, " and that thou bring the poor that are cast out

"to thy houfe: when thou feeft the naked, that "thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself "from thine own flefh? Then fhall thy light "break forth as the morning, &c." Pf. xli. 1. "Bleffed is he that confidereth the poor: the Lord " will deliver him in time of trouble."

Our Saviour is far from being forgetful of a duty, which has fo near a relation to that affectionate fympathy and brotherly love, which enters fo much into the fpirit of his gospel. Upon occafion of the rich making feasts for the entertainment of others, as rich as themselves, he says, Luke xiv. 13. "When thou makest a feast, call "the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; And "thou shalt be bleffed; for they cannot recom"penfe thee: for thou fhalt be recompenfed at "the refurrection of the just." The apostle James, whofe whole epiftle is a recommendation of good works, 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, De"part in peace, be ye warmed, and filled; not"withstanding ye give them not thofe things "which are needful to the body: what doth it

profit?" And the apostle John, whose tempér feems to have been peculiarly benevolent, fays, I John iii. 17. "Whofo hath this world's good, and "feeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his "bowels

" bowels of compaffion from him, how dwelleth "the love of God in him?”

Eph. iv. 25.

The obligation of veracity feems to have been but weak in the heathen world, and therefore the apostles are careful to caution their chriftian converts very particularly on this head. "Wherefore, putting away lying, 66 man truth with his neighbour: for "bers one of another:" ch. iv. 15. "the truth in love." Col. iii. 9. "to another, seeing that ye have put off the old "man with his deeds."

speak every we are mem"Speaking "Lie not one

Laftly, the moft explicit rules are laid down for our conduct, with refpect to the various relative duties of life, as those of husband and wife, parent and child, mafter and servant, magistrate and subject, minifter and people; recommending, in gegeneral, to fuperiors, 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 those to whom they are subject; but a detail of all the particulars is not neceflary in this place. See 1 Pet. ii. 13. to the end, ii. 1-7. Eph. v. 22. to the end, vi. 1-9. Col. iii. 18. to the end, vi. 1. &c.

SEC

SECTION III.

Of the duties which respect ourselves:

THER

W

EREAS

very little account was made by the heathens of the duties of temperance and chastity, and in general of thofe duties which refpect a man's government of himself, in cases 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 life and converfation, is required of us in these respects. More efpecially, as the gentile converts had not been used to put any restraint upon their private paffions, from a principle of confcience, the apoftles, in writing to them, are particularly careful to enforce a regard to these virtues.

"Bleffed," fays our Saviour, Matt. v. 8. " are "the pure in heart: for they fhall fee God." The apostle Paul cautions Timothy, 2 Tim. ii. 22. to flee youthful lufts, and to keep himself "pure." 1 Tim. v. 22. To the fame purpose the apoftle Peter, ift ep. ii. 11. "Dearly beloved, "I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain "from fiefhly lufts, which war against the foul." And Paul to the Ephefians, ch. v. 3.

"Fornica

❝tion,

<tion, and all uncleannefs, or covetoufnefs, let "it not be once named amongst you, as becometh "faints: neither filthinefs, nor foolish talking, nor "jefting, which are not convenient." And laftly, he gives the Corinthians a most folemn warning, concerning the extreme danger of an addictedness to thefe, as well as other vices. 1 Cor. vi.

9.

"Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor "idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor "abufers of themselves with mankind,-nor co66 vetous, nor drunkards-shall inherit the king"dom of God." And, whatever fome modern. libertines may plead in favour of what they call gallantry, the apostle peremptorily fays, Heb. xiii. 4. that Whoremongers and adulterers, God will

judge." Nor is this doctrine, as fome have pretended, peculiar to the apoftles, as if they had made the doctrines of the gofpel more rigorous than their mafter; for our Lord himself enumerates fornication along with murders, adulteries, thefts, false witnefs, 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 exprefsly 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.

Admo