SERMON V.

Of fome other Things contrary to Sobriety; viz. (8.) Of a disrespectful Behaviour to Superiors. (9.) Of Falfehood and Lying. (10.) Of rafh and immoderate Anger. (11.) Of Envy. (12.) Of Intemperance in Eating and Drinking. (13.) Of Uncleannefs. (14.) Of Fraud and Injuftice. (15.) Of Covetoufness. And (16.) Of Enthusiasm.

TITUS II. 6.

YOUNG MEN likewise exhort to be foberminded.

N the foregoing difcourfe I mentioned to you feveral fins and exceffes, against which young

men need to be particularly warned, as inconfiftent with that fobriety to which they are to be exhorted. In doing this it was my defign, not merely to fhew you what you ought to avoid, as contrary to chriftian fobriety; but also pofitively, what manner of life you ought to lead, as agreeM

able

able thereto And, at the fame time, in a curfory manner, to diffwade you from the one, and excite you to the other. There are many more vices, follies and criminal exceffes, my beloved young brethren, against which you may need to be cautioned; confidering the depravity of your hearts, and the many fnares and temptations of this evil world. I fhall accordingly, by God's leave and affistance, proceed to fspeak of fome others of them in this difcourfe, with the fame view; not to accufe, but to warn and advise you. And may He, from whom all light, and true wisdom are derived, cause you to profit by these friendly inftructions!-The next fin, against which I would particularly caution you, is, · VIII. A DISRESPECTFUL or contemptuous behaviour towards your fuperiors, whether in age or in office. Refufing, or even neglecting to give honor to thofe, to whom it belongs, is an heinous offence against the laws of God, and against fociety, as well as against the particular perfons, to whom the difrefpect is fhewn. And fuch refufal, or neglect, generally, tho' not always, proceeds from great pride of heart. Sometimes it may be owing to mere ignorance, or inadvertence; in which cafe it is much more eafily excused by all, than when formally defigned; for then it is justly confidered as the effect of envy, pride and infolence. But it can hardly be accounted quite innocent, even when it proceeds from inadvertence only: Becaufe all the members of fociety in general, ought to know and confider what is due from them to others; and therefore

い

therefore the giving honor to whom honor is due, and fear to whom fear, is the subject of a chriftian precept.

SOME perfons have, indeed, made a strange pretence of religion and confcience for declining the ufe of most of those external geftures, motions, &c. which cuftom has established as marks of refpect, civility or good manners; fcrupling to bend their bodies, to uncover their heads, or the like, even in the prefence of their king: Tho' the great patriarch Abraham, the father of the faithful, ftood up, and bowed himself even to the children of Heth. On the fame On the fame pretence they decline giving the cuftomary titles, expreffive of civil regard and honor, fuch as Sir, Master, and the like; fearing that this alfo would be a kind of idolatry. These are at best groundless and fuperftitious conceits, tho' there is doubtless a medium to be observed as to things of this fort ; for there is hardly any thing, however innocent in its nature, in which there may not be a foolish, or even criminal excefs. But in general it is, doubtless, not a fin but a duty, to fhew regard to thofe to whom it is due, in all thofe ways which the different customs of nations have established as external marks and figns of a civil refpect; provided only, that they are not in their nature evil. To refuse to give those tokens of respect, which are thus established, if innocent in themfelves, is actually contrary to the true spirit of the apostolic precept before mentioned, concerning giving honor to thofe to whom it is due. For this giving of honor, cannot be thought to refer M 2

† Gen. XXIII. 7.

intirely

intirely to an inward eftecm or veneration, of which there are no vifible tokens or figns; but must be supposed to comprehend the customary external proofs and manifestations of fuch a regard; only under the restrictions hinted at above. And let me add, that wife and good men in former ages, to speak in the most moderate terms, were never fo whimfical and fuperftitious as to think what is now commonly called decency and good manners amongft men, offenfive to God. It is plain that they conformed to all the innocent civil customs in general, established in the countries where they lived; and particularly to thofe, the neglect of which might have juftly been conftrued into pride, fournefs, an undue contempt of, or difrefpect to thofe, with whom they had any intercourfe. Not to fhew courtesy to our equals, and much more, to decline giving due honor to our fuperiors in fuch ways as thefe, may be justly accounted an immoral thing, a violation of God's commandments.

ALL other circumftances being alike, age has doubtless a right to expect regard and deference from youth. This is agreeable to that order which the Author of nature has established. It is alfo required in the word of God, that the young fhould honor the aged. And there is one command to this purpose, expreffed in fuch a manner as is worthy of a very particular attention: "Thou shalt rife up before the boary head, and "honor the face of the old man, and fear thy God." A difrefpectful treatment of the aged, is reprefented in fcripture as no light or trivial misdemeanour,

↑ Levit. XIX. 32.

66

misdemeanour, but an heinous fin in the young; more especially if the aged, whom they treat with contempt, are alfo good men, the fervants of the moft high God. For" the hoary head is [most eminently] a crown of glory, if it be found in "the way of righteoufnefs." And all the young would do well to remember the curfe of God, which befell thofe children who, in contempt and derifion, formerly faid to the venerable man of God, "Go up thou bald-head, Go up thou "bald-head."§

IF then, you would deferve the character of being fober-minded, or rather, if you would actually be fo, you are not to treat your fuperiors in age with contempt or neglect; but to pay all due honor to them: And efpecially those, to whom you owe honor and fubjection on account of the particular relation which they bear to you, as well as on account of their years. in this cafe, there is a two-fold obligation lying upon you to regard and honor them; and the neglect hereof will be proportionably criminal.

For

AND here, in the first place, I would particularly remind you of the honor which you owe to your natural parents, your fathers and mothers; and which is due to them by fuch a double bond and obligation, as was referred to above. It will be highly criminal in you to despise them, to treat them with any kind of mockery or difrespect, tho' you fhould discover some weaknesses and infirmities, or even vices in them; a fuppofition which, however, I do not make without reluctance. You would do well to remember the

+ Prov. XVI. 31.

M 3

2 Kings II, 23, 24,