injuries, and will certainly degrade us in the public opinion. It is contrary to the established maxims of honour; and a man is no longer well received if he has forfeited his character in fo delicate a point. My brethren, let me beg your patience a moment, while I combat the truth of these remarks; at leaft fo far as they regard a good man, who has acquired an established character for piety and prudence, who is cautious of giving offence, and who is ready to acknowledge his fault, if he has inadvertently fuffered himself to be betrayed by his paffion. We rarely fee examples of that innate and inveterate malice which will pursue benevolent worth of this kind, with unrelenting injuftice. The vicious world itfelf refpects goodness that is fupported with dignity. If there are a few iuftances of fuch atrocious fpirits, their own violence. difgraces themselves, and faves the reputation of a worthy character. Even in that point, in which modern mannners have peculiarly placed the idea of honour, more real glory, and more public esteem will follow from forgiving than revenging affronts. That affectation of meeknefs, indeed, which flows from pufillanimity, is a contemptible character.-It is easily distinguishable from the mild and benevolent temper of the Gofpel, which may be affociated with the highest bravery. And much of the reproach which has been poured upon those who, in the ftyle of the world, have not properly refented injuries, has arifen from their own weak and unequal conduct. Rash enough, perhaps, to give unneceffary offence, they are not believed when they plead principle, for refufing to make the customary fatisfaction. A good man fhould be uniform throughout. He fhould be equally inoffenfive in his conduct, as he is careful not to violate the law that forbids retaliation and violence.-There is a mild way doing every thing-even of oppofing the world. And

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of

when

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when steady virtue is fupported by a calm and placid conduct; when equal pains have been taken to avoid offering an offence, as there is reluctance fhown to answer for it; when readiness is shown to acknowledge and correct every inadvertent transport of the paffions;—and when, on other occafions, permitted and approved by religion, a proper firmness of mind has been discovered, no degradation can refult from refusing to comply with the common but falfe maxims of honour.-It was an excellent reply made by a brave and virtuous officer, to one who had challenged him to fingle combat." You know I am not afraid to die; but I am afraid to commit a fault. If you wish to bring our perfonal courage to the proof, I challenge you to fhew, in the next battle, which of us fhall lead our troops with the greateft bravery to the charge."-Many weak minds are capable of putting their lives to hazard in a fudden impulfe of rage; but it requires much higher fortitude to encounter great and real dangers with coolness at the call of duty, and to display a fhining virtue in the service of our country, or of mankind.

The maxims of revenge have been formed, if I may fpeak fo, by the populace of the world. And whatever comes from that school, is always marked by its native characters of ignorance and weakness. Is not this remark verified by obfervation? Where are those doughty combats for honour found? Are they not ufually among those who have little other claim to merit? who, having forfeited the real honour of wife and good men, are the more furious for the name? Are they not most frequently at the termination of thofe bacchanalian debauches, where men have given up not only the honour, buț almoit the character of human nature? Are they not, at

best,

beft, in those moments of blind and intemperate paffion, when man is no longer rational?

On

These are not merely profeffional declaimings, or the narrow reflections of a religious spirit unacquainted with the manners of the world. If the celeftial purity of the Gofpel-if the Divine Majesty of truth can receive fupport from earth, they will find it in the opinions of the wifest philofophers, and the braveft men of antiquity. The elder Cato had it for a maxim, " that we ought to pardon the faults of every other man, but never our own." "Revenge," fays Plato," although approved by the world, is never proper; nor can any injury justify retaliation." Seneca declares, that " revenge is inhuman, however it be authorised by a pernicious cuftom." the other hand, fays he, "How amiable is it when a man is incapable of being penetrated by any weapon, or of being hurt by injury or reproach!"-When Dion, that celebrated general and philofopher, had conquered Syracufe, two of his moft inveterate enemies fell into his power. His friends perfuaded him to take vengeance on them. But mark the wife and magnanimous reply of a great foldier-" Other generals delight in war and arms alone; but I, who have employed fo much time in the pursuits of science, have ftudied, by its aids, to overcome anger, revenge, envy, obftinacy, and other pernicious paffions of this kind. The fureft proof of my fuccefs is, not only kindness to my friends, but lenity and forgivenefs towards my unjust and inveterate enemies." Cleomenes, king of Sparta, once faid, "It is the office of a good prince to confer favours on his friends, and to inflict punishments on his enemies." "How much better would it be," replied Socrates, who heard him, " to do good to your friends, and to make friends of your enemies?" And no principle of conduct can be more wife and noble than

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than that fuggested by Diogenes, to a man who enquired how he might beft be revenged on his enemy?-The philofopher answered, " By being better than he."—J could fill the time of a long difcourfe with quotations to the fame purpose. And it muft afford a good man pleafure in reading the works of antiquity, to observe the conduct of the greatest men refuting the falfe maxims of modern honour, and to fee the conclufions of reafon, aided by philofophy alone, coinciding with the mild and beneficent precepts of the gospel. Although it may be beyond our fphere to emulate thefe illuftrious men in the fame of their writings, or the glory of their atchievements, is it not however the duty of every Christian to emulate them in the admirable fpirit of their morals? If nature could guide them by her feeble lights to this high degree of excellence, to what perfection may we arrive, if we faithfully follow the clearer lights of the Sun of Righteousness.

4. In the last place, the reasonableness of this duty is illuftrated from its refemblance to that beneficent attribute in God that is most interesting to man.

All our offences against heaven are freely forgiven us through the redemption that is in Chrift Jefus. When God affumed a vifible form, it was to promulge the law of forgiveness and love-It was to give the most affecting example of it by offering his life to obtain the pardon of those who had offended him. My brethren! if God fo loved us, we ought alfo to love one another. Behold him dying for his enemies, and while they are perpetrating the moft cruel of all injuries, hear him with infinite dignity and goodness, pronounce their forgiveness, and even make the apology of their crime-Father forgive them, for they know not what they do! Interefting example to us, whofe fins were obliterated by that act !-who were rescued

rescued by it from the flames which our offences against him were, at that moment, kindling around us! With what force does it recommend to you from the cross, that divine precept, to love your enemies, to bless those who curfe you, to do good to those who hate you, and to pray for thofe who defpitefully ufe you and perfecute you, that ye may be the children of your heavenly Father, who maketh his fun to rife on the evil and the good, and his rain to fall on the juft and the unjuft. The apostle beautifully applies it to this use in his epistle to the Ephefians-Be ye bind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Chrift's fake bath forgiven you. Can any character be more honourable to human nature than to resemble the perfection of God? Can any duty be more just than to forgive as we have been forgiven.

So many principles concur to recommend and urge this amiable exercife of Chriftian charity. The reafonableness of this duty appears, however, not only from the excellence, and amiableness of the difpofitions from which it is derived ;-but

II. From the infufficiency of the causes on which revenge is justified. These may be ranked under the following claffes,-contradiction to our habits and opinions, -oppofition to our pleasures or interests,-and injustice to our character and reputation.

1. Contradiction to our habits and opinions, in the first place, is apt to create an alienation of mind from thofe who oppose us, and to nourish the refentful paffions.

What implacable oppofitions have we feen grow up among men from diverfity of fentiment in Religion, or in civil policy? Society, that was defigned for the protection and peace of mankind, feems frequently to inflame the paffions with greater ardour, by bringing them

nearer