to expose that man to the scorn and contempt of your fellow creatures, whom you recommend to the favor of God in your prayers.

From these considerations we may plainly discover the reasonableness of this doctrine; Whosoever shall say unto his brother, Racha, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. We are not to believe that every hasty word, or unreasonable expression, that slips from us by chance, or surprise, and is contrary to our intention and temper, is the great sin here signified. But he, that says, Racha, or thou art a fool, must chiefly mean him, that allows himself in deliberate, designed acts of scorn and contempt toward his brother, and in that temper speaks to him, and of him, in reproachful language.

Who would think it hard, that a Christian cannot ob tain the favor of God for himself, unless he esteem his brother Christian, as one, that bears the image of God; as one, for whom Christ died, as a member of Christ's body, as a member of that holy society on earth, which is in union with that triumphant church in heaven? Yet all these considerations must be forgot, all these glorious privileges disregarded, before man can treat him, that has them, as an object of contempt. So that to scorn or de. spise a brother; or, as our Lord says, to call him Racha or fool, must be looked upon, as among the most odious, unjust, and guilty tempers, that can be supported in the heart of a Christian; and justly excluding him from all his hope in the salvation of Jesus Christ. For to despise one, for whom Christ died, is to be as contrary to Christ, as he, that despises any thing, that Christ has said or done.

You would certainly think it a mighty impiety, to treat a writing with contempt, that had been written by the finger of God; and can you think it less impiety to contemu a brother, who is not only the workmanship, but the image of God? You would justly think it great profaneness to trample upon an altar, because it was ap propriated to holy uses, and had had the body of Christ so often placed upon it; and can you suppose it to be

less profane to trample upon a brother, who so belongs to God, that his very body is to be considered, as the temple of the Holy Ghost?

If you despise a brother, you are chargeable with the impiety of despising him, for whom Christ laid down his life. Now, if this scornful temper is founded upon a disregard of the relations, which every Christian bears to God, and Christ; can you wonder, that a Christian, who thus allows himself to despise a brother, should be in danger of hell fire ?

Though in these words, whosoever shall say, thou fool, &c. the great sin, there contemned, is an allowed temper of despising a brother; yet we are also to believe, that all hasty expressions, and words of contempt, though spoken by surprise, are by this text condemned as great sins, and notorious breaches of Christian charity.

They proceed from want of Christian love and meekness, and call for great repentance. They fall as directly under the condemnation of this text, as gross habits of uncharitableness. The reason, why we are to call ourselves to strict repentance for these hasty expressions of anger and contempt, is this; because they seldom are, what they seem to be, that is, mere starts of temper, occasioned purely by surprise or accident; but are much more our own proper acts, than we generally imagine.

A man says a great many bitter things; he presently forgives himself, because he supposes it was only the suddenness of the occasion, that carried him so far beyond himself. But he should consider, that perhaps the surprise, was not the occasion of his angry expressions; but might only be the occasion of his angry temper showing itself. Now, as all haughty, angry language generally proceeds from some secret habit of pride in the heart; so people, that are subject to it, have great reason to repent of more than their present behaviour, and to bring themselves to such mortification, as is proper to destroy a haughty spirit. This may be the rea

son, why the text looks no farther, than the outward language; why it only says; whosoever shall say, thou fool; because few can proceed so far as to the accidental use of haughty, disdainful language; but they, whose hearts are full of pride and haughtiness.

Intercession is not only the best promoter of true friendship, the best cure and preservative against angry and haughty passions; but is also of great use to discover to us the true state of our own hearts.

There are many tempers, which we think innocent; which, if they were to be tried by this devotion, would soon show us, how we have deceived ourselves.

Susurrus is a pious, temperate, good man, remarkable for abundance of excellent qualities. No one more constant at the service of the church, or whose heart is more affected with it. His charity is so great, that he almost starves himself, to be able to give greater alms to the poor. Yet Susurrus had a prodigious failing with these great virtues. He had a mighty inclination to hear and discover the defects and infirmities of all about him. You were welcome to tell him any thing of any body, provided you did not do it in the style of an enemy. He never disliked an evil speaker; but when his language was rough and passionate. If you would whisper any thing gently, though it was ever so bad in itself, Susurrus was ready to receive it. When he visits, you generally hear him relating, how sorry he is for the defects and failings of such a neighbour. He is always letting you know, how tender he is of the reputation of his neighbour; how loath to say that, which he is forced to say; and how gladly he would conceal it, if it could be concealed.

Susurrus had such a tender manner of relating things, the most prejudicial to his neighbour, that he even seemed, both to himself and others, to be exercising a christian charity, at the same time, he was indulging a whispering, evil speaking temper.

Susurrus once whispered to a particular friend in great secrecy, something too bad, to be spoken of publicly. He ended with saying, how glad he was, that it

had not yet took wind, and that he had some hope it might not be true, though the suspicions were strong. His friend made him this reply; you say, Susurrus, that you are glad it has not yet taken wind; and that you have some hope, it may not prove true. Go home therefore to your closet, and pray to God for this man, in such a manner, and with such earnestness, as you would pray for yourself on the like occasion.

Beseech God, to interpose in his favor, to save him from false accusers, and bring all those to shame, who by uncharitable whispers and secret stories, wound him, like those, that stab in the dark. When you have made this prayer, then you may, if you please, tell the same secret to some other friend, that you have told

to me.

Susurrus was exceedingly affected with this rebuke, and felt the force of it on his conscience in as lively a manner, as if he had seen the books opened at the day of judgment. All other arguments might have been resisted; but it was impossible for Susurrus either to reject, or to follow this advice, without being equally self condemned in the highest degree. From that time to this, he has constantly used himself to this method of intercession; and his heart is so entirely changed by it, that he can now no more privately whisper any thing to the prejudice of another, than he can openly pray to God to do people hurt. Whisperings and evil speakings now hurt his ears, like oaths and curses; and he has appointed one day in the week, to humble himself before God, in the sorrowful confession of his former guilt. It may well be wondered, how a man of so much piety, as Susurrus, could be so long deceived in himself, as to live in such a state of scandal and evil speaking, without suspecting himself to be guilty of it. But it was the tenderness and seeming compassion, with which he heard and related every thing, that deceived both himself and others. If people of virtue, who think little harm of themselves, as Susurrus did, were often to try their spirit by such an intercession, they would

often find themselves to be such, as they least of all suspected.

I have laid before you the many and great advantages of intercession. You have seen what a divine friendship it must needs beget among Christians; how dear it would render all relations and neighbours to one another; how it tends to make clergymen, masters, and parents, exemplary and perfect in all the duties of their station; how certainly it destroys all envy and ill natured passions; now speedily it reconciles all differences, and with what a piercing light it discovers to a man the true state of his heart,

These considerations will, I hope, persuade you to make such intercessions, as is proper for your state, a constant matter for your devotion.

CHAP. XXI.

Recommending, as the subject of prayer, resignation to the divine pleasure. The nature and duty of conformity to the will of God in all our actions and designs.

I HAVE recommended certain subjects to be made the fixed and chief matter of your devotions. As thanksgiving and oblation of yourself to God; Christian humility; the graces of universal love; you are now desired to consider the necessity of resignation and con