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fes, in the law, and Chrift in the gofpel, feem to have enlarged greatly on morals: and each of them, especially the latter, to have added many practical rules, which do not obviously fall under any of the commandments.

But though we cannot call the decalogue a compleat rule of duty, we accept it with the utmost reverence, as the firft great written law that ever God communicated to man. We confider it as an eternal monument, infcribed by the finger of God himself, with a few ftrong, indelible characters; not defining the minutia of morals; but injoining thofe great duties only, which have the moft particular influ. ence upon the happiness of society; and prohibiting thofe enormous crimes, which are the greatest fources of its diftress.

The ten commandments are divided into two parts, from their being originally written upon two tables. From hence one table is fuppofed to contain our duty_to God; the other our duty to man. But this feems to be an unauthorized divifion; and hath a tendency to a verbal mistake; as if fome duties were owing to God; and others to man: whereas in fact we know that all duties are equally owing to God. However, if we avoid this mifconception, the divifion into our duty to God, and our duty to man, may be a convenient one. The four first commandments are contained in the first table: the remaining fix in the fecond.

At the head of them ftands a prohibition to acknowledge more than one God.

The fecond commandment bears a near relation to the firft. The former forbids polytheifm; the latter idolatry: and with this belief, and practice, which generally accompanied each other, all the nations of the earth were tainted, when thefe commandments were given: efpecially thofe nations by whom the Jews were furrounded.

. The third commandment injoins reverence to God's name. This is a ftrong religious reftraint in private life; and as a folemn oath is the ftricteft obligation among men, nothing can be of greater fervice to fociety, than to hold it in general respect.

The fourth commands the obfervance

of the fabbath; as one of the best means of preferving a fenfe of God, and of religion in the minds of men.

The fecond table begins with injoining obedience to parents; a duty in a peculiar manner adapted to the Jewish ftate, before any regular government was erected. The temporal promife, which guards it, and which can relate only to the Jews, may either mean a promife of long life to each individual, who observed the precept: or, of ftability to the whole nation upon the general observance of it: which is perhaps a better interpretation.

The five next commandments are prohibitions of the moft capital crimes, which pollute the heart of man, and injure the peace of fociety.

The firft of them forbids murder, which is the greateft injury that one man can do another; as of all crimes the damage in this is the most irreparable.

The seventh commandment forbids adultery. The black infidelity, and injury which accompany this crime; the confufion in families, which often fucceeds it; and the general tendency it hath to destroy all the domeftic happiness of society, stain it with a very high degree of guilt.

The fecurity of our property is the ob ject of the eighth commandment. The fecurity of our characters, is the object of the ninth.

The tenth reftrains us not only from the actual commiffion of fin; but from those bad inclinations, which give it birth.

After the commandments follows a commentary upon them, intituled, "our duty to God," and "our duty to our neighbour;" the latter of which might more properly be intitled, "Our duty to our neighbour and ourselves."-Thefe feem intended as an explanation of the commandments upon Chriftian principles; with the addition of other duties, which do not properly fall under any of them. On thefe we fhall be more large.

The first part of our duty to God, is, "to "believe in him;" which is the foundation of all religion, and therefore offers itfelf first to our confideration. But this great point hath been already confidered.

The next branch of our duty to God, is to fear him. The fear of God is impreffed equally upon the righteous man,

"as if the ten commandments were fo wide, as to ftand ready to receive every thing, which either the "law of nature, or the gospel commands. A juft ridicule on those practical commentators, as they are "clid, who include all moral and religious duties within them."

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and the finner. But the fear of the finner confifts only in the dread of punishment. It is the neceffary confequence of guilt; and is not that fear, which we confider as a duty. The fear of God here meant, confills in that reverential awe, that contant apprehension of his prefence, which lecares us from offending him.-When we are before our fuperiors, we naturally feel a relpect, which prevents our doing any thing indecent in their fight. Such (only in a higher degree) fhould be our reverence of God, in whofe fight, we know, we always ftand. If a fenfe of the divine pretence hath fuch an influence over us, as to check the bad tendency of our thoughts, words, and actions; we may properly be faid to be impreffed with the fear of God. -If not, we neglect one of the beft means of checking vice, which the whole circle of religious restraint affords.

Some people go a step farther; and fay, that as every degree of light behaviour, though fhort of an indecency, is improper before our fuperiors; fo is it kewife in the prefence of Almighty God, who is fo much fuperior to every thing that can be called great on earth.

But this is the language of fuperftition. Mirth, within the bounds of innocence, canrot be offensive to God. He is offended only with vice. Vice, in the lowest degree, is hateful to him: but a formal fet behaviour can be neceflary only to preterve hunan diftin&tions.

The next duty to God is that of love, which is founded upon his goodness to his creatures. Even this world, mixed as it is with evil, exhibits various marks of the goodness of the Deity. Most men indeed place their affections too much upon it, and rate it at too high a value: but in the epinion even of wife men, it deferves fome eitimation. The acquifition of knowledge, in all its branches; the intercourfe of fociety; the contemplation of the wonderful works of God, and all the beauteous fcenes of nature; nay, even the low inclinations of animal life, when indulged with fobriety and moderation, furnish various modes of pleafore and enjoyment.

Let this world however go for little. In contemplating a future life, the enjoyments of this are loft. It is in the contemplation of futurity, that the chriftian views the goodness of God in the fulleft light. When he fees the Deity engaging himself by covenant to make our fhort abode here a preparation for our eternal happinefs

hereafter-when he is affured that this happiness is not only eternal, but of the pureft and most perfect kind-when he fees God, as a father, opening all his ftores of love and kindness, to bring back to himself a race of creatures fallen from their original perfection, and totally loft through their own folly, perverfenefs, and wickedness; then it is that the evils of life feem as atoms in the fun-beam; the divine nature appears overflowing with goodness to mankind, and calls forth every exertion of our gratitude and love.

That the enjoyments of a future flate, in whatever thofe enjoyments confift, are the gift of God, is fufficiently obvious: but with regard to the government of this world, there is often among men a fort of infidelity, which afcribes all events to their own prudence and induftry. Things appear to run in a stated courfe; and the finger of God, which acts unfeen, is never fuppofed.

And, no doubt, our own induftry and prudence have a great firare in procuring for us the bleflings of life. God hath annexed them as the reward of fuch exertions. But can we fuppofe, that fuch exertions will be of any fervice to us, unless the providence of God throw opportunities in our way? All the means of worldly happinefs are furely no other than the means of his government. Mofes faw among the Jews a kind of infidelity like this, when he forbad the people to fay in their hearts, " My power, and the might of my hands hath gotten me this wealth" whereas, he adds, they ought to remember, "That it is the Lord who giveth power to get wealth.”

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Others again have objected to the goodnefs of God, his permiffion of evil. good God, fay they, would have prevented it; and have placed his creatures in a fituation beyond the diftreffes of life.

With regard to man, there feems to be no great difficulty in this matter. It is enough, furely, that God has put the means of comfort in our power. In the natural world, he hath given us remedies against hunger, cold, and difeafe; and in the moral world, against the mifchief of fin. Even death itself, the last great evil, he hath fhewn us how we may change into the moft confummate blefing. A fate of trial, therefore, and a future world, feen eafily to fet things to rights on this head.

The mifery of the brute creation is indeed more unaccountable. But Lave we

not

Bot the modefty to fuppofe, that this difficulty may be owing to our ignorance? And that on the ftrength of what we know of the wisdom of God, we may venture to truft him for thofe parts which we cannot comprehend?

One truth, after all, is very apparent, that if we should argue ourselves into atheifm, by the untractableness of thefe fubjects, we fhould be fo far from getting rid of our difficulties, that, if we reafon july, ten thousand greater would arife, either from confidering the world under no ruler, or under one of our own imagin ing.

There remains one farther confideration with regard to the love of God, and that is, the measure of it. We are told we ought to love him "with all our heart, with all our foul, and with all our frength." Thefe are ftrong expreffions, and feem to imply a greater warmth of affection, than many people may perhaps find they can exert. The affections of fome are natuFally cool, and little excited by any objects. The guilty perfon, is he, whofe affections are warm in every thing but religion. The obvious meaning therefore of the expreffion is, that whether our affections are cool or warm, we should make God our chief good-that we fhould fet our affections more upon him, than upon any thing elfe-and that, for his fake, and for the fake of his laws, we should be ready to refign every thing we have, and even life it felf. So that the words feem nearly of the fame import with thofe of the apoftle, "Set your affections on things above, and not on things on the earth." Gilpin.

§ 159. Worship and Honour of God. Our next duty to God is, to worship him, to give him thanks, to put our whole truft in him, and to call upon him.

Since the obfervance of the fabbath is founded upon many wife and juft reafons, what have they to answer for, who not only neglect this inftitution themfelves, but bring it by their example into contempt with others? I speak not to those who make it a day of common diverfion; who, Jaying afide all decency, and breaking through all civil and religious regulations; Spend it in the moft licentious amusements: fuch people are past all reproof: but I fpeak to thofe, who in other things profefs themfelves to be terious people; and, one might hope, would act right, when they were convinced what was fo.

But our prayers, whether in public, or in private, are only an idle parade, unless we put our trust in God.

By putting our trust in God, is meant depending upon him, as our happiness, and our refuge.

Human nature is always endeavouring either to remove pain; or, if ease be obtained, to acquire happiness. And thofe things are certainly the most eligible, which in thefe refpects are the most effectual. The world, it is true, makes us flattering promifes: but who can fay that it will keep them? We confift of two parts, a body, and a foul. Both of these want the means of happiness, as well as the removal of evil. But the world cannot even afford them to the body. Its means of happinefs, to thofe who depend upon them as fuch, are, in a thousand instances, unfatiffying. Even, at beft, they will fail us in the end. While pain, diseases, and death, fhew us, that the world can afford no refuge againft bodily diftrefs. And if it cannot afford the means of happiness, and of fecurity, to the body, how much less can we fuppofe it able to afford them to the foul?

Nothing then, we fee, in this world, is a fufficient foundation for truft: nor indeed can any thing be but Almighty God, who affords us the only means of happiness, and is our only real refuge in diftrefs. On him, the more we truft, the greater we shall feel our fecurity; and that man who has, on juft religious motives, confirmed in himfelf this truft, wants nothing elfe to fecure his happiness. The world may wear what afpect it will: it is not on it that he depends. As far as prudence goes, he endeavours to avoid the evils of life; but when they fall to his fhare (as sooner or later we must all fhare them) he refigns himself into the hands of that God who made him, and who knows beft how to difpofe of him. On him he thoroughly depends, and with him he has a conftant intercourfe by prayer; trufting, that whatever happens is agreeable to that just government, which God has established: and that, of confequence, it must be beft.

We are injoined next "to honour God's holy name."

The name of God is accompanied with fuch ideas of greatnefs and reverence, that it fhould never pafs our lips without fuggefting thofe ideas. Indeed it fhould never be mentioned, but with a kind of awful hesitation, and on the most folemn oc

cafions;

cafions; either in ferious difcourfe, or, when we invoke God in prayer, or when we fwear by his name.

We next confider common fwearing; a fin fo univerfally practifed, that one would imagine fome great advantage, in the way In this last light we are here particu- either of pleasure or profit, attended it. larly injoined to honour the name of God. The wages of iniquity afford fome tempA folemn oath is an appeal to God him- tation: but to commit fin without any felf; and is intitled to our utmoft refpect, wages, is a ftrange fpecies of infatuation. were it only in a political light; as in all-May we then afk the common fwearer, human concerns it is the strongest teft of what the advantages are, which arise from veracity; and has been approved as fuch this practice? by the wisdom of all nations.

Some religionists have difapproved the ufe of oaths, under the idea of prophanenels. The language of the facred writers conveys a different idea. One of them fays, "An oath for confirmation is an end of all ftrife:" another, "I take God for record upon my foul:" and a third, "God is my witnefs."

To the use of oaths, others have objected, that they are nugatory. The good man will fpeak the truth without an oath; and the bad man cannot be held by one. And this would be true, if mankind were divided into good and bad but as they are generally of a mixed character, we may well fuppofe, that many would ventare a fimple falfehood, who would yet be ftartled at the idea of perjury *.

As an oath therefore taken in a folemn manner, and on a proper occafion, may be confidered as one of the highest acts of religion; fo perjury, or falfe fwearing, is certainly one of the higheft acts of impiety; and the greatest dishonour we can poibly fhew to the name of God. It is, is effect, either denying our belief in a God, or his power to punish. Other crimes with to escape the notice of Heaven; this is daring the Almighty to his face.

After perjury, the name of God is moft dihoncured by the horrid practice of curfing. Its effects in fociety, it is true, are fo mischievous as thoie of perjury; nor i. it fo deliberate an act: but yet it conveys a ftill more horrid idea. Indeed, if there be one wicked practice more pecuhaly diabolical, than another, it is this: for no employment can be conceived more fulable to infernal fpirits, than that of fpending their rage and impotence in curfes, and execrations. If this fhocking vice were not fo dreadfully familiar to our ears, it could not fail to ftrike us with the unok horror.

It will be difficult to point out one.— Perhaps it may be faid, that it adds strength to an affirmation. But if a man commonly ftrengthen his affirmations in this way, we may venture to affert, that the practice will tend rather to leffen, than confirm his credit. It fhews plainly what he himself thinks of his own veracity. We never prop a building till it becomes ruinous.

Some forward youth may think, that an oath adds an air and fpirit to his dif course; that it is manly and important; and gives him confequence. We may whisper one fecret in his ear, which he may be affured is a truth-Thefe airs of manlinefs give him confequence with those only, whofe commendation is disgrace: others he only convinces, at how early an age he wishes to be thought profligate. Perhaps he may imagine, that an oath gives force and terror to his threateningsIn this he may be right; and the more horribly wicked he grows, the greater object of terror he may make himself. On this plan, the devil affords him a complete pattern for imitation.

Paltry as thefe apologies are, I fhould fuppofe, the practice of common fwearing has little more to fay for itself.-Thofe however, who can argue in favour of this fin, I fhould fear, there is little chance to reclaim.-But it is probable, that the greater part of fuch as are addicted to it, act rather from habit, than principle. To deter fuch perfons from indulging fo pernicious a habit, and to fhew them, that it is worth their while to be at fome pains to conquer it, let us now fee what arguments may be produced on the other fide.

In the first place, common fwearing leads to perjury. He who is addicted to fwear on every trifling occafion, cannot but often, I had almost faid unavoidably, give the fanction of an oath to an untruth. And though I fhould hope fuch perjury is not a fin of fo heinous a nature, as what, in

They who attend our courts of juice, often fee inftances among the common people of their afferting Soundly what they will either refufe to fwear; or, when fworn, will not affert,

judicial

judicial matters, is called wilful and corrupt; yet it is certainly ftained with a very great degree of guilt.

But fecondly, common fwearing is a large ftride towards wilful and corrupt perjury, inasmuch as it makes a folemn oath to be received with less reverence. If nobody dared to take an oath, but on proper occafions, an oath would be received with refpect; but when we are accustomed to hear fwearing the common language of our fireets, it is no wonder that people make light of oaths on every occafion; and that judicial, commercial, and official oaths, are all treated with fo much indifference.

Thirdly, common fwearing may be confidered as an act of great irreverence to God; and as fuch, implying alfo a great indifference to religion. If it would difgrace a chief magiftrate to fuffer appeals on every trifling, or ludicrous occafion; we may at least think it as difrefpectful to the Almighty. If we lofe our reverence for God, it is impoffible we can retain it for his laws. You scarce remember a cammon fwearer, who was in other refpects an exact chriftian.

But, above all, we fhould be deterred from common fwearing by the pofitive command of our Saviour, which is found ed unquestionably upon the wickednefs of the practice: "You have heard," faith Chrift," that it hath been faid by them of old time, thou shalt not forfwear thyfelf: but I fay unto you, fwear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, neither by the earth, for it is his footstool: but let your communication" (that is, your ordinary converfation)" be yea, yea, nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than thefe cometh of evil."-St. James alfo, with great emphafis preffing his master's words, fays, "Above all things, my brethren, fwear not; neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay, left you fall into condemnation." I fhall juft add, before I conclude this fubject, that two things are to be avoided, which are very nearly allied to fwearing.

The first is, the ufe of light exclama. tions, and invocations upon God, on every trivial occafion. We cannot have much reverence for God himself, when we treat his name in fo familiar a manner; and may.

affure ourselves, that we are indulging a practice, which must weaken impreffions, that ought to be preferved as ftrong as poffible.

Secondly, fuch light expreffions, and wanton phrafes, as found like fwearing, are to be avoided; and are often therefore indulged by filly people, for the fake of the found; who think (if they think at all) that they add to their difcourfe the fpirit of fwearing without the guilt of it. Such people had better lay afide, together with fwearing, every appearance of it. Thele appearances may both offend, and mislead others; and with regard to themfelve:, may end in realities. At least, they fhew an inclination to fwearing and an inclination to vice indulged, is really vice.

$160.

Gilpin.

Honour aue to God's Word—what it is to ferve God truly, &c.

As we are injoined to honour God's holy name, fo are we injoined alfo " to honour his holy word."

By God's holy word we mean, the Old Teftament and the New.

The books of the Old Testament open with the earlieft accounts of time, earlier than any human records reach; and yet, in many inftances, they are ftrengthened by human records. The heathen mythology is often grounded upon remrants of the facred ftory, aad many of the Bible events are recorded, however imperfectly, in prophane hiftory. The very face of nature bears witnefs to the deluge.

In the history of the pat iarchs is exhibited a most beautiful picture of the fimplicity of ancient manners; and of genuine nature unadorned indeed by fcience, but impreffed ftrongly with a fense of religion. This gives an air of greatnefs and dignity to all the fentiments and actions of thefe exalted characters.

The patriarchal hiftory is followed by the Jewish. Here we have the principal events of that peculiar nation, which lived under a theocracy, and was fet apart to preferve and propagate the knowledge of the true God through thofe ages of ignorance antecedent to Chrift. Here too we find thofe types, and reprefentations, which the apoftle to the Hebrews calls the fhadows of good things to come.

To thofe books, which contain the le

See the fubject very learnedly treated in one of the first chapters of Jenkins's Reasonablenest of Christianity.

gillation

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