conceive in the moft affluent station-And I make no doubt, in general, but if the true account of his joys and fufferings were to be ba¬ lanced with thofe of his betters, that the up, fhot would prove to be little more than this, that the rich man båd the more meat, but the poor man the better ftomach the one had more luxury,more able physicians to attend and fet him to rights;the other, more health and foundness in his, bones, and lefs occafion for their help that, after these two articles betwixt them were balanced, in all other things they stood upon a level that the sun shines as warm, the air blows as frefh, and the earth breathes as fragrant upon the one as the other; and that they have an equal fhare in all the beauties and real benefits of nature.

SERM. XLIV. P. 260,

DIFFERENCE IN MEN.

POVER

OVERTY, exile, lofs of fame or friends, the death of children, the dearest of all pledges of a man's happiness, make not equal impreffions upon every temper.-You will fee one man undergo, with fcarce the expence of a figh, what another, in the bitterness of his foul, would go mourning for all his life long :-nay,

a hafty

a hafty word, or an unkind look, to a soft and tender nature, will ftrike deeper than a fword to the hardened and fenfelefs.-If thefe reflections hold true with regard to misfortunes,-they are the fame with regard to enjoyments :-we are formed differently,-have different tastes and perceptions of things;-by the force of habit, education, or a particular caft of mind, it happens that neither the ufe or poffeffion of the fame enjoyments and advantages, produce the fame happiness and contentment ;-but that it differs in every man almost according to his temper and complexion: fo that the self-fame happy accidents in life, which fhall give raptures to the cholerick or fanguine man, fhall be received with indifference by the cold and phlegmatic;-and fo oddly perplexed are the accounts of both human happiness and mifery in this world,—that trifles, light as air, fhall be able to make the hearts of fome men fing for joy ;-at the fame time that others, with real bleffings and advantages, without the power of ufing them, have their hearts heavy and difcontented.

Alas! if the principles of contentment are not within us--the height of station and wordly grandeur will as foon add a cubit to a man's ftature as to his happiness.

SERMON XLIV. P. 258.

AGAINST

!

T

AGAINST HASTY OPINION.

HERE are numbers of circumstances which

attend every action of a man's life, which can never come to the knowledge of the world, -yet ought to be known, and well weighed, before fentence with any juftice can be paffed upon him.-A man may have different views and a different fenfe of things from what his judges have; and what he understands and feels and what paffes within him, may be a fecret treasured up deeply there for ever. A man, through bodily infirmity, or fome complectional defect, which perhaps is not in his power to correct, may be fubject to inadvertences,to starts

and unhappy turns of temper; he may lay open to fnares he is not always aware of; or, through ignorance and want of information and proper helps, he may labour in the dark :-in all which cafes, he may do many things which are wrong in themfelves, and yet be innocent; -at least an object rather to be pitied than cenfured with severity and ill-will. These are difficulties which ftand in every one's way in the forming a judgment of the characters of

others.

VANIT Y.

VANITY bids all her fons to be generous, and brave, and her daughters to be chafte and courteous-But why do we want her inftruetions?-Afk the comedian who is taught a part he feels not.

SERMON XVII. P. 45.

AFFECTED HONESTY.

OOK out of your door,-take notice of that man: fee what difquieting, intriguing, and fhifting, he is content to go through, merely to be thought a man of plain-dealing three grains of honesty would fave him all this trou ble-alas! he has them not.

SERMON. XVII. P. 45,

AFFECTED PIETY.

EHOLD a fecond, under a fhew of piety hiding the impunities of a debauched life: he is just entering the house of God:-would he was more pure-or lefs pious:-but then he could not gain his point.

IBID. P.

46.

AFFECTED SANCTITY.

BSERVE a third going on almost in the fame track, with what an inflexible fanctity of deportment he fuftains himself as he advances: every line in his face writes abftinence; -every ftride looks like a check upon his defires; fee, I beseech you, how he is cloak'd up with fermons, prayers, and facraments; and fo bemuffled with the externals of religion, that he has not a hand to fpare for a worldly purpofe ;he has armour at least-Why does he put it on? Is there no ferving God without all this? Muft the garb of religion be extended fo wide to the danger of its rending;Yes truly, or it will not hide the fecret-and, what is that?-That the faint has no religion at all.

SERMON XVII. P. 46.

OSTENTATIOUS GENEROSITY.

-BUT

UT here comes GENEROSITY; giving not to a decayed artift-but to the arts and sciences themselves.-See, he builds not a chamber in the wall apart for the prophet'; but whole fchools and colleges for those who come after. Lord! how they will magnify his Q3 name !