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This joy muft flash in our faces, and fit on our mein and behaviour; an open countenance and a free air fhew we efteem it a favour to confer one; a fmooth face prompts people to difclofe their miferies, and a four one to conceal them. A man, who fears a repulfe, will ftifle his want, and rather fuffer with patience, than fue for a relief, that at once forces him to blush and tremble. Enquire therefore into your neighbour's condition with charity, compaffion, and cheerfulness, that, by this easy and winning conduct, you may gain their love and confidence: for the very fufpicion of being thought poor, oftentimes weighs harder on fome people, than poverty itfelf; and many chufe rather to ftarve in filence, than to purchase a fupply at the expence of their credit and reputation.

Your speech must be no lefs winning than your behaviour, and your words must relieve, as well as your purse. Infult not over a poor creature, but compaffionate him; cenfure not his conduct, tho' it threw him into want; but pity his misfortune. Some will not part with a penny, till they have hung a poor creature on the tenters, and rack'd out a confeffion of his mifcarriages. One would think he stood at the bar before a judge in commiffion, he is fo crofs-queftioned. Why all thefe formalities? If he has brought himself into want by mifmanagement, prodigality, or debauchery; what is that to you? he committed the fault, and feels the punishment. Add not confufion to want; and let him not buy a fmall relief at the price of a mortification.

The apoftle, having inftructed the clergy, directs his discourse to all Chriftians; let love be without diffimulation: let not your kindness fit only on the tongue, but lodge in the heart; it muft not be confined to civil expreffions, but ftand the teft of actions. Fine words often veil traiterous defigns; nor

is

is it a new device to prefent the olive of peace with one hand, and a dagger with the other. You must do your neighbour all the good you can, and when your circumstances permit you not to do more, at leaft defire it. One of the moft pleafing fights to the very angels, is a man, who does good and bears evil, and fcorns to revenge ill turns, but by good ones.

Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. Altho' you love your neighbour's perfon, you must hate his vices; for these being offences against God, have nothing amiable, but that they may be cancelled by a fincere repentance. Remind him therefore of his duty and of his danger, and apply the most convenient remedies charity can suggest to his diftemper, and never flatter his lewdness out of a view of any petty interest or favour.

Not flothful in bufinefs. Give affiftance to your brother, not only with care and diligence, but also without intreaty or procraftination. A benefit, received without afking, is doubled, because it relieves neceffity, and cofts not the very fhame of afking. And then, if it comes in the very nick of time, it is tripled. Some put off their charity till their neighbour be undone, like the fountain of Narny, which never flows, but at the approach of famine: they are willing to fet him again upon his legs, but not to with-hold him from falling. But phyfick comes too late, when the patient is paft cure: when a poor man's fortune totters, it may eafily be fupported; but when it is fallen, it is hard to be rebuilt.

Rejoycing in hope. St. Paul means not that we muft hope, with pleasure, for those things that are finful: a fon muft not wifh his father's death, that he may enter upon his eftate, and live at large with out restraint or dependance; nor a lewd debauchee fuccefs

fuccefs to his criminal Intrigues. It is monftrous to rejoice at the expectation of crimes, and a pleafure calculated for the damned. If our hope foars not up to heaven, at least let it not fink into hell. If it is not divine, let it not be inhuman.

St. Paul will have us wean our thoughts from the expectation of worldly amusement, and place our joy in the fole hope of heaven. And certainly, as the conqueft of this happy kingdom is an enterprize worthy of a Christian, fo the hope of fuccefs cannot chufe but be a fubject of joy. What content do men draw from the profpect of a tranfitory and inconfiderable preferment? what pleafant, what gaudy landskips does it paint in the imagination? it fends joy through every limb; and the very hope of being great and happy, affects more than greatnefs and happiness themselves. For worldly goods charm at a distance, and furfeit when enjoyed: the poffeffion comes not up to our expectation; it wears off the impofing varnish, and represents things in their native deformity. If, nowithstanding, the hope of these toys is able to overfet a man with joy, what tranfports ought the hope of heaven to raise in the foul of a Chriftian, whom God, in fpite of his baseness, has raised to so vaft, so noble a fortune?

In this happy region will I lodge my thoughts; my treasure lies above the ftars; my heart fhall accompany it: I hope for nothing in this world (my God!) but thy affiftance, and fear nothing but infidelity to thy grace. But, as you give me power to overcome my enemies and your own, fo I befeech you, by the merits of your Son Jefus, grant me an an entire victory.

GOSPEL

GOSPEL of St. John, Chap. ii. Verse

1. And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jefus was there.

2. And both Jefus was called, and his difciples to the marriage.

3. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jefus faith unto them, They have no wine.

4. Jefus faith unto her, Woman, what have Ito do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.

5. His mother faith unto the fervants, Whatsoever he faith unto you, do it.

6. And there were fet there fix water-pots of fione, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

7. Jefus faith unto them, Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

8. And he faith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governour of the feaft. And they bear

it.

9. When the ruler of the feaft had tafted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was (but the fervants which drew the water knew) the governour of the feaft called the bridegroom:

10. And faith unto him, every man at the beginning doth fet forth good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou haft kept the good wine until now.

11. This beginning of miracles did Jefus in Cana of Galilee, and manifefled forth his glory, and bis difciples believed on him.

TH

The MORAL REFLECTION.

HE moft palpable errors have always had the fortune to find fome abettors. Mens underftandings are as lawless as their wills; and as no command

command can conftrain these, fo few truths are able to fubdue those. Good is the object of the one, truth of the other: yet evil runs away with that, and fafhood with this. And tho' it be easy to see through the cheat, they rather chuse to be imposed on with pleasure, than to be at the trouble of tearing off the deceiving difguife. What can be more clear than that marriage is lawful? nature proclaims it, and the very author of nature made the first marriage in paradife. Yet in the very dawn of Christianity, there fprung up Gnofticks and Manicheans, who oppos'd it, and, which is ftrange, whilft they contemned wedlock, they canonized lewdness, as if pleasure were unpalatable, unless finful.

To stop the mouths of future hereticks, our Saviour would be prefent at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It is unneceffary at present to prove a truth no Chriftian calls in queftion; but fome instructions cannot be unseasonable to thofe, who either are, or intend to engage themselves in this holy ftate.

Marriage is like courts; men never live content in it, and feldom fatisfied out of it. Scarce is the nuptial knot tied, but they wish it broken. Yet no fooner are they at liberty, but, by a new engagement, they put on new chains, as if they placed their pleasure in repentance, and all their fatisfaction in defpair.

God made the two fexes, not only as a means to propagate the fpecies, but affo for mutual fupport and content: but, as our diforders have almost turned all God's bleffing into curfes, and by ill ufage inverted the defign of the whole creation; fo they have abused this divine inftitution, and metamorphofed wedlock (intended for our happinefs) into a state of flavery and bondage. I confefs, as it is now managed, matrimony is a foil fertile in thorns,

and

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