concerned. And as to the former, though fenfual Irregularities may fuit very well with fome Sorts of Superftition, yet their Inconfiftence with any Thing that deferves the Name of Religion, is confeffed in Effect by the Perfons guilty of them. For if fome few fuch do hypocritically, in vain Hope of Concealment, keep on the Appearance of it, yet who amongst them can preferve the Reality of it? Offences of this Kind, how plaufibly foever palliated, yet, being committed against known Prohibitions, wear out of the Mind all Řeverence to God's Commandments, all Expectation of his future Favour, nay the very Defire of fpiritual Happinefs hereafter. And though many, who indulge in Licentiousness, have notwithstanding very good Qualities; yet, would they review their Hearts and Lives, they would find that they have much the fewer for it; and that those which remain are often made ufelefs, often endangered, often perverted by it.

But the Sins already mentioned, are by no Means the only ones to be avoided in Confequence of this Commandment: whatever invites to them, whatever, approaches towards them, whatever is contrary to Decency and Honour, whatever taints the Purity of the Mind, inflames the Paffions, and wears off the Impreffions of virtuous Shame; all Immodefty of Appearance or Behaviour; all Entertainments, Books, Pictures, Converfations, tending to excite or excufe the Indulgence of irregular Defires, are in their Proportion prohibited and criminal. And unless we prudently guard against the fmaller Offences of this Kind, the more heinous will be too likely to force their Way: as our Lord very ftrongly warns us. Ye have heard, it was faid by them of old Time, Thou shalt not commit Adultery: but I say unto you, that whofoever looketh on a Woman to luft after her, hath committed Adultery with her already in his Heart'. And though vicious Inclinations were never to go further than the Heart; yet, if, instead of merely intruding

against our Will, they are defignedly encouraged to dwell there, they corrupt the very Fountain of spiritual Life; and none but the pure in Heart fhall fee God.

All Perfons therefore fhould be very careful to turn their Minds from forbidden Objects, to fix their Attention fo conftantly and fteadily on ufeful and commendable Employments as to have no Leifure for Vices, and to govern themfelves by fuch Rules of Temperance and Prudence, that every fenfual Appetite may be kept in Subjection to the Dictates of Reafon and the Laws of Religion; always remembering that Chriftianity both delivers to us the ftricteft Precepts of Holiness, and sets before us the ftrongeft Motives to it; our peculiar Relation to a holy God and Saviour; our being the Temples of the Holy Ghost', which Temple if any Man defile, him will God deftroy"; our being Pilgrims and Strangers on Earth", not intended to have our Portion here, but to inherit a fpiritual Happiness hereafter; and every one that bath this Hope, must purify himself even as God is pure °. I fhall conclude therefore with St. Paul's Exhortation : Fornication, and all Uncleanness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh Saints; neither Filthiness, nor foolish Talking, nor fefting, which are not convenient: for this ye know, that no Whoremonger, nor unclean Perfon, hath any Inheritance in the Kingdom of Chrift and of God. Let no Man deceive you with vain Words: for because of thefe Things cometh the Wrath of God upon the Children of Difobedience. Be not ye therefore Partakers with them: walk as Children of Light, and have no Fellowship with the unfruitful Works of Darkness P.

* Matth. v. 8. 1 Pet. ii. II.

1 1 Cor. vi. 19. • 1 John iii. 3.

m

I Cor. iii. 17.

PEph. v. 3-11.

LE C

LECTURE

U

XXVI.

The Eighth Commandment.

NDER the Eighth Commandment is comprehended our Duty to our Neighbour, in refpe&t of his worldly Subftance. And, to explain it diftinctly, I fhall endeavour to fhew,

1. What it forbids: and

II. What, by Confequence, it requires.

I. As to the former. The Wickedness of Mankind hath invented Ways to commit fuch an aftonishing Variety of Sins against this Commandment, that it is impoffible to reckon them up, and dreadful to think of them. But most, if not all of them, are fo manifeftly Sins, that the leaft Reflection is enough to make any one fenfible, how much he is bound confcientiously to avoid them. And he, who defires to preferve himself innocent, easily may.

The most open and fhameless Crime, of this Sort, is Robbery; taking from another what is His, by Forc:: which, adding Violence against his Perfon to Invafion of his Property, and making every Part of human Life unfafe, is a complicated Tranfgreffion, of very deep Guilt.

The next Degree is fecret Theft: privately converting to our own Ufe what is not our own. To do this in Matters of great Value, is confeffedly pernicious Wickedness. And though it were only in what may feem a Trifle; yet every Man's Right to the smallest Part of what belongs to him is the fame, as to the largest and he ought no more to be wronged of one, than of the other. Befides, little Inftances of Dilhonesty cause great Difquiet: make the Sufferers dif

K

truftful

trustful of all about them; sometimes of those, who are the fartheft from deferving it: make them apprehensive continually, that fome heavier Injury will follow. And indeed almoft all Offenders begin with flight Offences. More heinous ones would fhock them at firft: but if they once allow themfelves in leffer Faults; they go on without Reluctance, by Degrees, to worfe and worse, till at last they fcruple Nothing. Always therefore beware of fmall Sins. And always remember, what I have before obferved to you, that when any Thing is committed to your Care and Truft, to be dishonest in that, is peculiarly base.

But, befides what every Body calls Theft, there are many Practices, which amount indirectly to much the fame Thing, however difguifed in the World under gentler Names. Thus, in the Way of Trade and Bufinefs: if the Seller puts off any Thing for better than it is, by false Affertions, or deceitful Arts: if he takes Advantage of the Buyer's Ignorance, or particular Neceffities, or good Opinion of him, to infift on a larger Price for it, than the current Value; or if he gives lefs in Quantity than he profefles, or is understood to give the Frequency of fome of thefe Things cannot alter the Nature of any of them: no one can be ignorant, that they are wrong, but fuch as are wilfully or very carelessly ignorant: and the Declaration of Scripture against the laft of them is extended, in the fame Place, to every one of the reft. Thou shalt not bave in thy Bag divers Weights, a great and a fmall: thou halt not have in thine Houfe divers Measures, a great and a fmall. For all that do fuch Things, and all that do unrighteously, are an Abomination unto the Lord thy Goda.

On the other Hand: if the Buyer takes Advantage of his own Wealth; and the Poverty or prefent Diftrefs of the Seller, to beat down the Price of his Merchandife beyond Reafon; or if he buys up the Whole of a Commodity, especially if it be a neceffary one, to make

a Deut. xxv. 13-16.

immo

immoderate Gain of it; or if he refufes or neglects to pay for what he hath bought; or delays his Payments beyond the Time, within which, by Agreement or the known Course of Traffic, they ought to be made: all fuch Behaviour is downright Injuftice and Breach of God's Law. For the Rule is, If thou felleft ought unto thy Neighbour, or buyeft ought of thy Neighbour's Hand, ye Shall not opprefs one another.

Again: Borrowing on fraudulent Securities, or fal ́e Reprefentations of our Circumstances; or without Intention, or without proper Care afterwards, to repay; preferring the Gratification of our Covetoufnefs, our Vanity, our Voluptuoufnefs, our Indolence, before the fatisfying of our juft Debts: all this is palpable Wickednels. And juft as bad is the contrary Wickedness, of demanding exorbitant Intereft for lending to ignorant or thoughtlefs Perfons; or to extravagant ones, for carrying on their Extravagance; or to neceflitous ones, whofe Neceffities it muft continually increase, and make their Ruin, after a While, more certain, more difficult to retrieve, and more hurtful to all with whom they are concerned. The Scripture hath particularly forbidden it in the laft Cafe, and enjoined a very different Sort of Behaviour. If thy Brother be waxen poor, and fallen in Decay with thee; then shalt thou relieve him: yea, though he be a Stranger, or a Sojourner. Thou shalt not give him thy Money upon Ufury, nor lend him thy Victuals for Increafe, but fear thy God, that thy Brother may dwell with thee. And the Pfalmift hath expreffed the two oppofite Characters, on thefe Occafions, very briefly and clearly. The wicked borroweth, and payeth not again: but the righteous fheweth Mercy, and giveth.

Another crying Iniquity is, when hired Servants, Labourers, or Workmen of any Sort, are ill ufed in their Wages: whether by giving them too little; or, which is often full as bad, deferring it too long. The Word of God forbids this laft in very ftrong Terms. Thou

b Lev. xxv. 14.

Lev. xxv. 35, &c.

K 2

d-Pfalm xxxvii. 21.

fhalt