not only are delighted with the Odour, that SERM. III. breathes from them; fome of the very Fragrancy cleaves to, and remains with them: They become fragrant themselves, by staying long among Objects, that are fo.

Carry then their Minds upwards from yourself, who are the Head of a small Family, to him, of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is called. Confider that the joint Prayers of a Family are as neceffary to derive a Bleffing upon, or avert a Calamity from, a Family; as public Prayers are to deprecate the Judgments, or conciliate the Favour of the Deity to a Nation. So may He, who maketh Men to be of one Mind in an Houfe, preserve you from all the Miseries, that must fall upon a Family embroiled,and a Houfe divided against itself!

Thus, when you have tinctured their Minds and your own with Religion, you will find that the Union of Souls was but begun here; it will be perfected above, where Love and Charity never fail. And Death, which diffolves the Union of Soul and Body, cannot diffolve the inviolable Union of virtuous Hearts joined together in pure, unfully'd Friendship. Thofe, who were lovely and loving in their Lives; shall not be,

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even

SERM. III. even by their Deaths, divided for ever. Separated for a while, they fhall meet again, where there fhall be no fecond Separation, where they shall continue to be of one Heart and of one Mind.

SERMON

The Duty of an uniform and unre ferved Obedience.

73

St. JAMES H. 10, :11.

Whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one Point, he is guilty of

S

all. For he, that faid, do not commit Adultery faid alfo, do not kill.

T

HERE is this Difference be SERM.IV. tween mére Tafte and Judgment:

That the former is our liking one Thing more than another, without being able to affign any fufficient Redfon why we do fo; mere Tafte being an arbitrary Agreement between the Faculty and the Object. Whereas Judgment is a real Agreement between the Faculty and the Object, founded upon Reafon, Truth, and the Nature of

Things.

SERM.IV. Things. Thus there is often an unaccountable Agreeableness of one Sort of Food, more than another, to the Palate, where both Sorts are perhaps equally good in their Kind, and conducive to Health. Thus too, an arbitrary Relish of one Virtue more than another, and an undue Preference often takes Place, without bringing Things to the Bar of impartial Reason.

The Defign of the Text is therefore to guard against that Biafs of Temper, which, if we are not upon our Guard, may miflead us to over-rate fome Duties, merely because they fall in with our Taste and Inclination; and to undervalue and difregard others, merely because they do not.

The Apostle does not enjoin an unfinning Obedience; but only enters a Caveat against a wilful Difobedience to any of the divine Laws, under a Pretence of keeping the rest. Farther, the Text does not take in Sins of Surprize and Infirmity: It is plainly confined to deliberate Crimes, by the next Verfe, where none but fuch are specified. Great Allowances will be made for the Weakneffes of Nature: Life is a great Journey, and there is no fuch Thing as travelling through the feveral Stages of it, without

without making one falfe Step. It is the SERM. IV. Property of God that his Wisdom never Slumbers nor fleeps: Ours alas! often lyes in a great Measure dormant. In this Senfe therefore a Refpect to all God's Commandments is enjoined, that we do not indulge ourfelves in an habitual Breach of any one of them, knowing it to be fuch: For that is not the Weakness of Nature, it is an obftinate Rebellion.

The Meaning then of the infpired Writer is this: "Whofoever knowingly, deliberately, and habitually offends in one Point, upon an impious Prefumption of com"pounding with God for that Sin, which " is most palatable to him, by a strict Ob"fervance of other Duties, that do not "crofs his reigning Paffion; fuch a Man's Religion is vain." Then follows the Reafon. For be, that faid, do not commit Adultery; faid alfo, do not kill, i. e. "If "thou haft any Regard for the divine Lawgiver, his Sanction is alike impreffed upon all his Laws; and he giveth thee no more a Dispensation to commit this

"

one Sin, than he does to commit every "other. But, if thou haft no Regard for "him; then thy Actions, however feemingly "virtuous,