by appetites thus indulged, and habits contracted, they are carried on perpetually further and further, till they come to be guilty, and fometimes merely for the fake and the name of being guilty, of what they would once have trembled to hear propofed. เ But fuppofing they keep within the limits of what they at firft imagined to be allowable: is imagination (and reason, when biaffed by paffions, is nothing better) the test of truth? Suppofing their behaviour could be harmless otherwise, is not the example dangerous? Will or can the world around them take notice of all the pretended peculiarities that diftinguish their cafe, and preferve it from being a fin, while other crimes, to which at firft fight it is very like, are confeffedly great ones? or will not all, 'who have bad inclinations or unfettled principles, take shelter under their practice, and either despise their refinements, or eafily invent fimilar ones for their own ufe? But further yet: if it be argued, that offences of this nature may by circumflances be rendered excufable, why not others alfo? why may not robbery, why may not murder be defended, by faying, that though undoubtedly in general they are very wrong, yet in fuch or fuch particular occurrences, there is on the whole very little hurt, or none at all, done by them, but perhaps good? And what would become of the human race, were fuch pleas admitted? The ends of government can be attained by no other than by plain, determinate, comprehenfive laws, to be fteadily obferved: and no one's inclination, or fanciful theories, are to decide, when they bind, and when not: but deviations from them are criminal, if on no other account, yet because they are deviations though differently criminal indeed according to their different degrees. Thus, in the matter before us, what approaches nearer to marriage is, ordinarily fpeaking, fo far lefs blameable, than what is more distant from it: but nothing can be void of blame, and of great blame, that breaks the ordinances of God or man.. For even the latter, if they oblige the conscience in any cafe, muft oblige it in this, where public and private welfare is fo effentially concerned. And as to the former, though fenfual irregularities may fuit very well with fome forts of fuperftition, yet their incon inconfistence with any thing that deferves the name of religion, is confessed 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 preserve the reality of it? Offences of this kind, how plaufibly foever palliated, yet, being committed against known prohibitions, wear out of the mind all reverence to God's commandments, all expectation of his future favour, nay, the very defire of spiritual happiness 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 fins 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 fhame; all immodesty 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 smaller offences of this kind, the more heinous will be too likely to force their way: as our Lord very strongly warns us. Te 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, bath committed adultery with her 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 hall Jee Godt. All perfons therefore fhould be very careful to turn their minds from forbidden objects, to fix their attention fo conftantly and steadily on ufeful and commendable employments, as to have no leifure for vices, arid to govern themselves by fuch rules of temperance and prudence, that every fenfual apVOL. IV. 3 G petite petite may be kept in fubjection to the dictates of reafon and the laws of religion; always remembering that Christianity both delivers to us the strictest precepts of holiness, and fets before us the strongest motives to it; our peculiar relation to a holy God and Saviour; our being the temples of the Holy Ghoft*, which temple if any man defile, him will God destroy† ; our being pilgrims and ftrangers on earth ‡, not intended to have our portion here, but to inherit a fpiritual happiness hereafter and every one that hath this hope, must purify himfelf 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 faints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jefting, 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 these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them: walk as children of light, and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness ||• 1 Pet. ii. II. || Eph. v. 3, 11. +1 Cor. iii. 17. I Cor. vi. 19. 3. LECTURE XXVI. THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT. [NDER the eighth commandment is comprehended our duty to our neighbour, in refpect of his worldly fubstance. And, to explain it distinctly, I shall endeavour to fhow, I. What it forbids: and, II. What, by confequence, it requires. I. As to the former. The wickednefs of mankind hath invented ways to commit fuch an astonishing variety of fins against this this commandment, that it is impoffible to reckon them up, and dreadful to think of them. But moft, if not all of them, are fo manifeftly fins, that the least 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, eafily may. The most open and fhameless crime, of this fort, is robbery; taking from another what is his, by force: 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 largeft: and he ought no more to be wronged of one, than of the other. Befides, little inftances of dishonesty cause great difquiet: make the fufferers diftruftful of all about them; fometimes of those who are the fartheft from deferving it: make them apprehenfive continually, that fome heavier injury will follow. And indeed almost all offenders begin with flight offences. More heinous ones would fhock them at firft; but if they once allow themselves in leffer faults; they go on without reluctance, by degrees, to worfe and worse, till at laft they fcruple nothing. Always therefore beware of small fins. And always remember, what I have already obferved to you, that when any thing is committed to your care and truft, to be dishoneft 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 disguised in the world under gentler names. Thus, in the way of trade and bufinefs: if the feller puts off any thing for better than it is, by falfe 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 profeffes, or is understood to give the frequency of fome of these 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 declara 3 G 2 tion L tion of fcripture against the laft of them is extended, in the fame place, to every one of the reft. Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a fmall: thou shalt not have in thine houfe divers measures, a great and a fmall. For all that do fuch things, and all that do unrighteoufly, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God *. T On the other hand: if the buyer takes advantage of his own wealth; and the poverty or prefent diftrefs of the feller, to beat down the price of his merchandife beyond reafon; or if he buys up the whole of a commodity, efpecially if it be a neceffary one, to make 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 opprèss one anothert. Again, Borrowing on fraudulent fecurities, or falfe repre fentations of our circumftances, or without intention, or without proper care afterwards to repay; preferring the gratification of our covetousness, our vanity, our voluptuoufnefs, our indolence, before the fatisfying of our juft debts: all this is palpable wickednefs. And just 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 neceffitous ones, whofe neceffities it must 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 fcripture hath particularly forbidden it in the last cafe, and enjoined a very different fort of behaviour. If thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then halt thou relieve him: yea, though he be a firanger, or a fojourner. Thou shalt not give him thy money apon vfury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase; 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 *Deut. xxv. 13,--16. † Lev. xxv. 14. Lev. xxv. 35, &c. |