to be distinguished precisely and accurately by the Human Eye, which cannot, in all Degrees of Light and Shade, measure the Quantities of each; tho' it can judge of the greater Degrees of each with the utmost Security. So that when Virtue is faid to be placed between Extremes, when it is called the Golden Mean, and a frait and narrow Path; when we would conceive or describe the Line of Duty, we must not imagine it to be a Mathematical Line; no, it must be of fome Width, and drawn with fome Coarfeness and Rudeness for fuch Creatures as we are. Thofe Beings, whose Understandings are much larger than ours, and whofe Affections are attended with less Frailty, their Rule of Duty must be much more particular; and very minute Circumstances of Action, as they may appear to us, may be grossly extreme in them. But in Mankind, it is fufficient if their Course be such

as

as does not lead them from the Mark, or set them backward. All Conduct, in which the further we proceed, the wider we are from it, must be extreme and immoderate; but where we are continually advancing towards the Point in view, tho' it be by flow Steps, and not in an absolutely straight Line; we are deemed virtuous. Our directest Road has some Turnings and Windings in it. Winged Beings may move with more Speed, and more Directness; they have none of our Obftacles in their Course. As for Man, he must be contented with the Conditions of his Nature; nay, he may be delighted with them, and ought to be thankful for them, seeing there is no Virtue required of him that is unfuitable to his Circumstances. His belt endeavours, tho' they do not fuc ceed, are accepted, as if they did; and Repentance atones for his Devia

tions.

So

So that by Moderation, we are not fo much to understand, the critical Obfervation of a precife and Mathematical Mean, as the avoiding, as much as we can, all Extremes; all things which appear to be Extremes to

us.

Thus when we would defcribe a Man who is moderate in Eating and Drinking, we do not fay that he weighs all his Provifions, or that he fupplies his Body by Drams and Scruples, or lives like Sanctorius in a Scale; no, this we should condemn as a very great Extreme, as a Conduct wholly unfuitable to the common Circumstances of Mankind; but a moderate Man in this Particular, is one who avoids the grofs Extremes of Surfeiting and Drunkenness on the one hand, and Penury on the other; who maintains an ordinary Course of Temperance in his Station and Circumftances of Life. The fame is it in all other Particulars of Moderation. Virtue

Virtue has of late Years been treated in a new Manner; we hear now of nothing but the Truth of things, of the abstract Reasons and Relations of things, as the Rule of all Free Action. It must be allow'd that this is a curious Entertainment for fome few refin'd Heads; but it must be allowed alfo, that it is by no means a proper Method to teach Virtue to the Bulk of Mankind. It fuppofes them to be what they are not, pure Intelligences; whereas they have neither Leifure nor Capacity to be always philofophizing upon these Relations. And to expect from Men a Mathematical Conformity to the Reasons of things, thro' their whole Conduct, would be as abfurd, as to enjoin them, heavy and giddy Creatures, to cross the Ocean upon a Thread. Was it not for Repentance, and Faith in God, the Reafons of things would ferve only to condemn and torment us.

Ano

Another Set of Men treat us, as if we had no Intelligence at all; as if we were mere Machines, a Compofition of Paffions without any Power to direct them.

When therefore we fay, That Moderation confifts in obferving the Mean or Middle-courfe in all the Particulars of our Conduct, a very strict and rigorous Mean, fuch as might be expected from mere Intelligences, is not to be understood; but fuch only as fuits the Circumstances of Human Nature, our weak Capacities, and the various Temptations we are expofed j to. He who confiders and avoids the groffeft Extremes, will foon improve his Capacity and his Strength, to dif cern and avoid those that are less grofs, and will every Day be contracting his Path of Duty, and making it more direct; tho' perhaps no Obfervation or Diligence will ever make it abfolutely fo; however, the nearer we

approach