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 case, must oblige it in this, where public and private welfare is so essentially concerned. And as to the former, though sensual irregularities may suit very well with some sorts of superstition, yet their inconsistence with any thing that deserves the name of religion, is confessed in effect by the persons guilty of them. For if some few such 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 plausibly soever 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 desire 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 useless, often endangered, often perverted by it.

But the sins already mentioned, are by no means the only ones to be avoided in consequence 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 passions, and wears off the impressions of virtuous shame; all immodesty of appearance or behaviour; all entertainments, books, pictures, conversations, tending to excite or excuse the indulgence of irregular desires, 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. Ye have heard, it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her already in his heart*. And although vicious inclinations were never to go further than the heart yet if, instead of merely intruding against our will, they are designedly encouraged to dwell there, they corrupt the very fountain of spiritual life and none but the pure in heart shall see Godt.

All persons therefore should be very careful to turn their minds from forbidden objects, to fix their attention so constantly and steadily on useful and commendable employments as to have no leisure for vices, and to govern themselves by such rules of temperance, and prudence, that every sensual appetite may be kept in subjection to the dictates of reason and the laws of religion; always remembering that Christianity both delivers to us the strictest precepts of holiness, and sets before us the strongest motives to it; our peculiar relation to a holy God and Saviour; our being the temples of the Holy Ghost ‡, which temple if any man defile, him will God destroy §; our being pilgrims and strangers on earth ||, not intended to have our portion here, but to inherit a spiritual happiness hereafter; and every one that hath this hope, must purify himself even as God is pure ¶. I shall conclude therefore with St. Paul's exhortation: Fornication and all uncleanness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: for this 1 Cor. vi. 19. , 1 John in. 3.

Matth. v. 27, 28. § 1 Cor. iii. 17.

+ Matth. v. 8.

1 Pet. ii. 11.

ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ 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 *.

Eph. v. 3-11.

LECTURE xxvi.

EIGHTH COMMANDMENT.

UNDER the eighth commandment is comprehended our duty to our neighbour, in respect of his worldly substance. And, to explain it distinctly, I shall endeavour to shew,

I. What it forbids and

II. What, by consequence, it requires.

I. As to the former. The wickedness of mankind hath invented ways to commit such an astonishing variety of sins against this commandment, that it is impossible to reckon them up, and dreadful to think of them. But most, if not all of them, are so manifestly sins, that the least reflection is enough to make any one sensible, how much he is bound conscientiously to avoid them. And he who desires to preserve himself innocent, easily may.

The most open and shameless crime of this sort, is robbery; taking from another what is his, by force: which, adding violence against his person to invasion of his property, and making every part of human life unsafe, is a complicated transgression, of very deep guilt.

The next degree is secret theft: privately convert

ing to our own use what is not our own. To do this in matters of great value, is confessedly pernicious wickedness. And though it were only in what may seem a trifle yet every man's right to the smallest part of what belongs to him is the same, as to the largest and he ought no more to be wronged of one, than of the other. Besides, little instances of dishonesty cause great disquiet: make the sufferers distrustful of all about them: sometimes of those, who are the farthest from deserving it: make them apprehensive continually, that some heavier injury will follow. And indeed almost all offenders begin with slight offences. More heinous ones would shock them at first: but if they once allow themselves in lesser faults; they go on without reluctance, by degrees, to worse and worse, till at last they scruple nothing. Always therefore beware of small sins. And always remember, what I have before observed to you, that when any thing is committed to your care and trust, to be dishonest in that is peculiarly base.

But, besides what every body calls theft, there are many practices, which amount indirectly to much the same thing, however disguised in the world under gentler names. Thus, in the way of trade and business if the seller puts off any thing for better than it is, by false assertions, or deceitful arts: if he takes advantage of the buyer's ignorance, or particular necessities, or good opinion of him, to insist on a larger price for it than the current value; or if he gives less in quantity than he professes, or is understood to give the frequency of some of these things cannot alter the nature of any of them: no one can be ignorant, that they are wrong, but such as are wilfully or very carelessly ignorant: and the decla