XXVIII.

PROV. xii. 26.

THE RIGHTEOUS IS MORE EXCELLENT THAN

HIS NEIGHBOUR.

HIS implies, that his neighbour is not righ

THIS

teous; for if they had both been righteous, there could have been no difference in point of excellence.

The word excellence implies general fuperiority: but at present, I mean only to confider that fuperiority, which the righteous man enjoys over his unrighteous neighbour, in point of character and efteem.

However inclined men are to knavery themselves, they all like to deal with people of character; for religion is always fuppofed to be the best guard to honefty. When men of licentious

manners,

manners, therefore, laugh at the religious man, it is only with a view to take off the edge of obloquy from themselves, and to bring down his character to a level with their own. When things come to proof, and they have any dealings to fettle, the righteous man is the person they wish to employ. In business of any kind, in which knavery may be praised, it is evident the righteous man (unless under fome difqualification) is the man to be employed. The greatest knave would think the religion of his merchant, or his attorney, a great fecurity to him. Perhaps, indeed, the knave, judging by himself, will confider the appearance of religion as hypocrify. But this brings no difcredit on the righteous man; because, if the knave had really believed him righteous, he would have employed him.

It is not however in business only, in which the righteous man is more excellent than his neighbour, Religion throws a glory round every cha-. racter. The religious foldier, for instance, is a character in high esteem. Religion interferes with none of the duties of his profeffion, but gives a polish to them all. The good centurion Cornelius, we have no reason to doubt, was as

* Acts, x. I.

good

good an officer as any in the Italian band.-How exemplary a part does the naval commander exhibit, who difcourages vice in his fhip, by his own example the vice of fwearing particularly, which is so prevalent; and enforces on his crew, as far as he can, all thofe duties of religion, which his country enjoins!-The country gentle. man too will always meet with high esteem, who, instead of a life of diffipation and attachment to his pleasures, spreads the example of a religious and useful life among his tenants and dependents.

As for the clergyman, he is out of the question. If he be an irreligious man, he is of all characters the most deteftable.

XXIX.

I TIM. vi. 6.

GODLINESS, WITH CONTENTMENT, IS GREAT

GAIN.

WE

E have here the whole fum of human happiness, both here and hereafter, comprifed in two words.

Contentment draws in all our unruly defires, which are the great disturbers of life-it makes us fatisfied with what we have, which riches alone cannot do-it roots out envy, anxious care, com petitions, and other invaders of our quiet; and, in fhort, fets us at reft with the world. When godliness is added to contentment, the ladder reaches from earth to heaven. Our affections are purified, and our thoughts are expanded with the hopes of a blessed immortality.The refult of this union between godliness and contentment is certainly great gain. What can be more? It is the gain both of heaven and earth.

XXX.

LUKE, viii. 18.

TAKE HEED HOW YOU HEAR.

HE Scriptures are the great fource of all our

THE

religious knowledge. They are alfo the great source of all our religious errors. We are cautioned therefore to take care how we hear, or how we read, as we find we may imbibe error, as well as truth. In short, the difficulties of Scripture feem to be among the means of a state of trial, and, like the other means of a state of trial, should continually exercise our diligence, integrity, and care.

Now the most probable means of reading the Scripture with advantage is, constantly to attend to the general scope of it-not to particular passages. It is an attention chiefly to particular paffages,