cerning this, or many other things, fo as to include all persons and cafes.

I cannot prefume to prescribe to another person, what fum of money he shall give away in charity, or what perfons in particular he must make the objects of it: yet alms giving is nevertheless a neceffary duty; and, as we may fee by our Lord's account of the last Judgment, it will be fatal to have neglected it.

It will be hardly faid to me, that I am obliged to attend the publick worship of God, every time when it is poffible; or even always when I might do it without very confiderable inconvenience. It must be left to myself to be the judge: and it may be difficult to cenfure me fafely in any particular inftance. And yet furely I may make myself highly culpable upon the whole. A total neglect is scarce confiftent with the bare profeffion of Chriftianity; and a backwardness in this attendance

tendance is a fign of a cold regard to it's interests, and a flender proficiency in it's power and fpirit.

Who will prefume to fpecify what exercises, vifits, occupations, except those prohibited by law, are inconfiftent with the decent, godly, and reasonable obferv. ance of the Lord's Day; or how great a portion of it every Christian is bound to confecrate to acts of piety, and employ in the publick or private duties of Religion? The determination, if it were made, would not be the fame for all, nor for the fame perfon upon all occafions. And in any inftance it would allow fome latitude.

What may we hence infer? that there is nothing wrong? That we are at full liberty, with refpect to this branch of our conduct, to act just as we shall think fit, or rather, as we may fancy? That engagements, at the beft of no ufe, and

amufe

amufements hardly innocent upon any day, may yet engross and fill that time, which by the laws and cuftoms of our country, and by the practice and injunctions of the chriftian church, in all nations, and from the firft ages of it, has been fet apart, for the purposes of cultivating piety, and giving honour to Almighty God? If the Scriptures were filent; if there were no traces of this custom in the practice of the Apoftles, who indeed gave all their time to Religion, and continued daily with one accord Acts ii. in the temple; I had almost added, if 46. there were no Revealed Religion upon earth, this day is now, by fo many reafons, so long a prescription, and for fuch important purposes, appropriated and confecrated to God, that it is a facrilege to profane it.

Let me juft add, that to the inferiour part of mankind this inftitution of the Lord's Day, though intended even chiefly

for

for their advantage, is most dangerous. In this it but resembles many other means of grace, which being misapplied, become pernicious. Some rich men, it 'is probable, had been happier if they had been born to labour: and the poor fometimes find reason to wish, they had had no day at their own difpofal. Brought to the most deplorable end, and become examples and a fpectacle for the good only of others, they have been heard to acknowledge, with their dying breath, that their first engagements in iniquity were contracted at a time when they were, too much, alas! for them, their own Masters on the Lord's Day: they were corrupted, and undone by the abuse of God's mercy, and the very mean's which he had appointed for their amendment and falvation.

SER.

HONOUR THY FATHER AND THY MOTHER: THAT THY DAYS MAY BE LONG IN THE LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE.

HERE is fome diverfity, it seems,

Tin the arrangement of the com

mandments. They are divided into ten after a different manner by Catholics and Proteftants; and diftributed differently VOL. II. H

into