To men of every rank and station the Christian will endeavour to render their due: "Custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour." Let his own situation in this world be what it may, he is the only gentleman in heart, whatever others may seem to be in outward grimace and manners: "He is gentle, showing all kindness to all men." This is the golden polish; and, without this, the rest is nothing but daubing or tinsel.

It will appear from hence, that the Christian school teacheth the most punctual good manners of any in the world. It inculcates the laws of the purest honour and integrity, and enforces every moral obligation, not by a harsh and unpleasant constraint, but by the far more prevailing and happy impressions of duty and love. It not only insists upon a decent outside, but leads to the correction of the heart, and to the strictest adjustment of all things into a right order within. No lax morals, no licentious conduct, no ill words, no indecent looks, no, nor yet one evil thought, are tolerated for a moment to the disciple of Jesus Christ. He would be, if he could, and he grieves because he cannot be, in this life, all holiness and perfection. Thus, though no part or cause of his final salvation depends upon what is done by him or what is done in him; yet he desires to "abound in all the fruits of faith, which are by Christ Jesus, to the praise and glory of God." And if these things be so, how can any presume to say, "That the doctrines of grace are pregnant with immorality!" It is the ignorance or relinquishment of these doctrines, which, like the absence of the sun, occasions most of the moral darkness, together with

the speculative and practical atheisms, or philosophisms, that now obscure and torment the world.

CHAPTER XV.

The Christian's conduct to the tempted and distressed in mind.

THE members of the same body have a natural care and sympathy for each other: and so have the members of the church of Christ, which is his spiritual body. They cannot know of the sorrow and trials of a brother's soul, without some concern of spirit, or feeling of compassion.

Godly conference and discourse are often rendered the means of comfort and relief. The Lord indeed usually works in this way, that his people may see it to be their greater privilege and duty thus to help each other's faith, and so be joint partakers of his joy. This mutual regard and assistance tend also to unite the flock of Christ, and to make them more and more dear to each other. For want of this, many congregations are like scattered sheep, unaffectionate, disregarding, and careless of their brethren's true happiness and prosperity.

If

Whatever be the trial or the disorder, the word and promises of God are the appointed help and remedy, which must chiefly be used and applied. God's word cannot relieve the troubled mind, vain indeed must be the word of man. But experience

shows, that this word, through the aid of divine grace, hath been blessed to the souls of his distressed people, when all other helps have failed.

And as the blessing must descend from above, so all discourses, if not begun, should at least be ended in prayer. Very often in the prayer, the trouble shall be lightened, which the previous discourse did not seem in the least to remove.

There is not a possible case of distress into which a believer may fall, but there is something in the Holy Scripture which can meet it. It is the wisdom, then, of a gracious person, in all conferences with the afflicted, to have a store of suitable passages with him or in his mind, that out of it he may be able to draw what may tend, under God's blessing, to remove or to lessen the trial.

Where the body as well as the soul is affected, proper remedies must be administered to both, and especially to the latter, that it may be encouraged to support the frailer and the weaker part. Generally

in cases of sickness, the mind above all things must be attended to; for if that be well, it will not only enable the person to bear the other better, but it will have this noble cordial within, that "all shall be well at the last." It is an abominable wickedness in some physicians, that they order all religious discourse out of the chambers of the sick and dying, lest it should lower the spirits, as they think, and perplex the mind. Are the dying, then, to be deceived into death, if they are ignorant of God and salvation? Or, if they know God, are they to have no comfort of his word, when they have most occa

sion for it? It is equally wicked to flatter with life, when death itself is at the very door. I remember a man who seemed to have some serious impressions from religious discourse, under a near prospect of dying; but, when a deceiving physician had assured him of his recovery, he threw away all concerns for heaven, received with disgust any mention of the state of his soul, and was found with cards and idle company in the very evening of that night in which he fell speechless and died. Did not such a physician contribute what he could to the murder of a soul? And is not this the worst, because the most lasting cruelty?

Certainly religious discourses, at such seasons, should not be thrust in at random, but by discreet persons, or (if they can be had) by pious ministers, who will neither be too long at one time in their attentions, nor offer what may be unsuitable or impertinent.

When the soul is relieved and consoled, every one knows how much it will sometimes contribute to the health of the body. But if it be the will of God to remove the party from this world; surely in the acts of faith, and of the comforts which faith brings, it is the more meet to ascend up to another. Why should a Christian go off thoughtless and sad to celebrate the marriage-supper in heaven?

All trials and troubles are meant to take out the

dross from the Christian. By grace they have this effect, more or less, throughout his life and his various distresses likewise are exactly proportioned to his need of them. The last refinement is in death,

in which he is perfectly cleansed and purified from every corruption, and removed to enjoy that pure state, which is equally void of sorrow and sin throughout eternity.

CHAPTER XVI.

The Christian's Conduct to Old Age.

IT is the Lord's express command, "Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God." The experience and gravity, the judgment and wisdom, frequently found in old age, demand veneration; and even where these are in some measure wanting, the infirmities and inquietudes of that state, call upon people of younger years to abound in compassion towards them.

I know not how it may be with others; but for myself I ever loved the company and conversation of the ancient, preferable to the gay humours of the young, and have been exceedingly delighted at their explanations and informations of circumstances and events, which no books could possibly have given me.

To this day, I cannot meet an aged person, especially if he be infirm, without feeling some kind emotions of heart towards him; and these are always heightened by an anxious pity, if it appear that he hath not yet felt any true concern for himself. All this may be mere nature, it is true; but, however, I do not wish to suppress

it.