XVI.

SERM. derate in our pursuits of intereft; mindful of our duty to God, and, at the fame time, just, humane, and generous to our brethren; then, and then only, we use the world, as becomes men and Chriftians. Within these limits, we may fafely enjoy, all the comforts which the world affords, and our ftation allows. But if we pafs beyond these boundaries, into the regions of diforderly and vicious pleasure, of debafing covetousness, or of oppreffive infolence, the world will then ferve only to corrupt our minds, and to accelerate our ruin. licentious, the avaricious, and the infolent, form the three great claffes of abusers of the world.

The

Let not thofe who are in wealthy and flourishing circumstances, complain of the restraints which religious doctrine attempts to impofe on their enjoyments. For, to what do these restraints amount? To no more than this, that, by their pleasures, they would neither injure themselves, nor injure others. We call not on the young, to relinquish their gaity; nor on the rich

tą

to forego their opulence; nor on the great,
to lay aside their state. We only call on
them, not to convert gaiety into licentiouf-
nefs; not to employ opulence in mere ex-
travagance; nor to abuse greatness for the
oppreffion of their inferiors: While they
enjoy the world, not to forget that they are
the fubjects of God, and are foon to pass
into another state. Let the motive by
which the Apostle enforces the exhortation
in the text, present itself to their thought;
Ufe this world as not abufing it; for the fa-
fhion of the world passeth away.
Its pomp
and its pleasures, its riches, magnificence,
and glory, are no more than a tranfient
fhew. Every thing that we here enjoy,
changes, decays, and comes to an end. All
floats on the furface of a river, which, with
swift current, is running towards a bound-
lefs ocean. Beyond this prefent scene of
things, above these fublunary regions, we
are to look for what is permanent and
stable. The world paffes away; but God,
and heaven, and virtue, continue unchange-
ably the fame. We are foon to enter into

eternal

SER M.

XVI.

XVI.

SER M. eternal habitations: and into these our works fhall follow us. The confequences fhall for ever remain of the part which we have acted as good, or bad men; as faithful fubjects of God, or as fervants of a vain world.

SER

1

SERMON

XVII.

On EXTREMES in RELIGIOUS and MORAL
CONDUCT.

PROVERBS, iv. 27.

Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left.

I Will behave myself wifely, faid the Psalmist

David, in a perfect way*. Wisdom is no less neceffary in religious, and moral, than in civil conduct. Unless there be a proper degree of light in the understanding, it will not be enough, that there are good difpofitions in the heart. Without regular guidance, they will often err from the right scope. They will be always wa

* Pfalm ci. 2.

SER M.

XVII.

1

vering

XVII.

SERM vering and unfteady; nay, on fome occafions, they may betray us into evil. This is too much verified by that propensity to run into extremes, which fo often appears in the behaviour of men. How many have originally fet out with good principles, and intentions, who, through want of difcretion in the application of their principles, have in the end injured themselves, and brought difcredit on religion? There is a certain temperate mean in the obfervance of which, piety and virtue confift. On each fide there lies a dangerous extreme. Bewildering paths open; by deviating into which, men are apt to forfeit all the praise of their good intentions; and to finish with reproach, what they had begun with honour. This is the ground of the wise man's exhortation in the text. Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eye-lids look Straight before thee. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established, Turn not to the right hand, nor to the left; remové thy foot from evil. In difcourfing from these words, I purpose to point out fome of the

extremes