Shall be in danger of the Fudgment. Which we are not to understand of fuch Anger as is without any Caufe at all (which feldom happens) but of being angry without fufficient Caufe, or immoderately angry, either in refpect of the Degree or Continuance of it, beyond the Merits of the Caufe whatever it be.

III. Now for the Use of this, we ought to confider how far any of us may be guilty of the Breach of this Commandment. It has been faid of old, That one Man is a Wolf or a wild Beaft to another. And indeed while Men continued in a State of Nature, this Saying was but too often verified, or rather less than the truth: For they were then more brutish in this refpect than the Beafts themselves, fince there are but few among them who will prey upon thofe of their own kind. But af ter Men had form'd themselves into Societies, and became Subject to Laws and Government, thofe Enormities were lefs frequent, and we now find but few private Perfons, in comparison, either in this, or any o ther Civiliz'd Nation, who are guilty of actual Murther. Those who are moft culpable in this kind, are Tyrants and Perfecuters; fuch as Murther Men by Hundreds and by Thoufands, which are daily Sacrifi'd to their Pride and Ambition, their Bigottry and Humour, their Avarice and Luxury, and other Vicès. And if we confider the Lawless Power which fome Princes affume, and many others are fo free to give them, we can expect no better from it. Indeed one would wonder that any People should be fo fond of making their Princes fo Abfolute and Uncontroulable in their Power and Authority over them; which is in effect only to render 'em the more capable of doing the greater Mifchief. For confidering the Weakness and Corruption of Humane Nature fince the Fall, this is the most natural Confequence of it. 'Tis true, if they could indue them with a boundless Wifdom, Fuftice, Goodness, and other Attributes of the Deity, as eafily as they can inveft them with an unlimited Power and Authority, it were ano

ther

ther matter. But fince thofe are Qualifications which they can neither give, nor expect to find, 'tis unaccountable Folly and Madness to bestow the one, without any Security of the other. Yet this has been the Humour of many among ft us of late Years, and 'tis pitty they were not born in Turkey, or fome other Eaftern Country, where they might have had the honour to have their Lives and Eftates, and all that is dear to them, every Hour intirely at the Difpofal of their great Mafter, or any of his Ministers. Or if they pleafe, 'tis but removing into a Neighbouring Nation, where they may enjoy all the comfortable Effects of that bleffed fort of Government they fo much admire. But however Tyrants may flatter themfelves, or be impos'd on by others, yet for all their prefent Power and Greatness they muft one day give an Account of all the Innocent Blood they have fhed, which has fo long been calling down that Vengeance, which at length will most certainly fall up, on them.

But tho' moft private Perfons (as I have faid) be reftrain'd by Humane Laws from venturing upon Actual Murther, yet how many are there who too freely indulge themselves in fecret Thoughts of Malice and Revenge! How apt are they to harbour that Anger, and Hatred in their Hearts, which if it were not for incur ring the Penalties of the Law, would foon break forth into violent Actions! And how often do they enter tain fecret Wishes, that the Judgments of God would light upon thofe that injure them! To fay nothing of thofe bitter Curfes and Reproaches which Men ufually fend after those whom they look upon as Enemies, especially when they think they are out of hearing.

But there are fill two other ways by which we may be guilty of the Breach of this Commandment, and that with respect to the Soul or Body, either of our felves or others. For as by wilful Sinning, Neglect of the Means of Grace, and Unbelief, we may be guilty of the Murther of our own Souls; fo by a fcandalous Life,

OF

or an ill Example, and provoking others to Sin, we may occafion the Ruin of others Souls. And as to the Body, we may destroy our own by Carelessness, Intemperance, and many other ways; and ruin others by Oppreffon of the Poor, and denying Relief to them that are in Diftrefs, according to the Saying of the Son of Syrach, The poor Man's Bread is his Life, and he that deprives him of it is a Murtherer. Now tho' we may all be able to clear our felves of actual Murther, yet fince there are fo many other ways of being guilty of the Breach of this Commandment, we have reafon enough to Pray, Lord have Mercy upon us, and incline our Hearts to keep this Law.

LECTURE XVIKA

Com.VII. Thou shalt not commit Adultery.

N this Precept we are enjoyn'd the Prefervation of our own Chastity, and that we do not attempt to violate the Chastity of others.

1. We are commanded to preferve our own Chaftity. And this is the beft, and indeed the only way to prevent our attempting the Chastity of others. For as on the one fide, if we be unchaft our felves, and indulge our felves in loofe Defires, and wan ton Imaginations, we can have no Security, but that if we meet with Temptations and Opportunity, we may be drawn to actual Fornication or Adultery: So if we be Chaft our felves, we shall never feek to violate the Chaftity of others. And as we cannot violate another's Chafity, without defiling our felves at the fame time; fo we fhall never go about to attempt another's Chastity, till we have violated our own, or at least have given over all Care of preferving it.

Now

Now the way to preferve our own Chaftity, and to keep our felves Pure and Undefiled from all manner of Filthinefs, both of Flefh and Spirit, Is,

(1.) To avoid all Means and Occafions of Corrupting it, especially these that follow:

1. Slotb and Idleness, which tho' it may feem a harmless thing in it felf, and a Man is then as it were a fleep; yet we may fay, Non omnibus dormit, 'tis not altogether unactive, being productive of many Evils, and in particular of this, in giving Occafion to Luft and Concupifcence.

Would you know why Egiftthus became guilty of Adultery? The Reafon is evident, he was idle, and had nothing else to do. As Children, when they are unemploy'd, are always thinking of their Bellies. Another Inftance of this we have in David, 2 Sam. 11. 2. Who was indulging himself on his Bed, when he fhould have been at the Head of his Army; and thereby receiv'd a greater Defeat than was afterwards given to the Ammo nites.

2. Intemperance and Excefs in Eating and Drinking, which adds Fewel to the Flame, and yields Food and Nourishment to wanton Defires. Vina parant animum Veneri. Ovid. And the like may be faid of Eating, efpecially of fome forts of Meats which many pamper themselves withal, That they difpofe the Mind to Wanronnefs and Lafcivioufnefs. And thus God complains of the Jews, Jer. 5. 7, 8. When I bad fed them to the full, they then committed Adultery, and affembled themfelves by Troops into the Harlots Houfes: They were as fed Horfes in the Morning, every one neighed after his Neighbour's Wife. So we find Rioting and Drunkennefs, and Chambering, and Wantonnefs, join'd together

* Quæritis, Ægiftthus quare fit factus Adulter? In promptu caufa eft: Defidiofus erat. Ovid.

by

by the Apoftle, and following one another in the fame Verfe, Rom. 13. 13. From whence he takes occafion to exhort us, Not to make any provifion for the Flesh, fo as to fulfil the Lufts thereof.

3. Wanton Difcourfe, and loofe Company are another great Inconvenience to Luft, and are apt to infinuate into our Minds before we be aware? 'Tis to no purpose to think to guard our felves from their Allurements: There is no way but to Flee, if we would prevent the Danger of Infection; efpecially from those by whom we are most likely to be Enfnar'd.

I procul, & longas carpere perge vias. Ov.

Which is the fame Advice that Solomon gives in the like Cafe, Prov. 5. 8. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the Door of her House. To thefe we may add wanton Poems, and lafcivious Songs, which have fuch an Influence in this Matter, as few young Perfons are able to refift. Which forc'd this Counsel from a great Mafter in the Art.

Eloquar invitus, teneros ne tange Poetas:
Carmina quis potuit tutò legiffe Tibulli?
Quis potuit telo durus difcedere Gallo?

But the Danger is ftill greater, when the Charms of Mufick and Poetry meet together, and a fair Face, and a fweet Voice do both at once conspire to betray an unwary Heart. But we are alfo,

(2.) To use the Means appointed by God for the Prefervation of our Chastity. And they are fuch as thefe that follow,

1. Diligence in our feveral Callings, with a due Performance of all thofe Duties of Religion,and the civil Life, whichmay keep our Minds and Thoughts fo well employ'd,that we may have no leifure to hearken to the Temptations of Satan, or the Incitements of our own

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