'I he fure-'Irial of Vprighmefs. 37 r Mcafurc of the Means, and a worldly Mini!l:cr will ("rame his S-e,-m-on-s,-a-nc'io-r-de-r1-lis___::...:.__ Affairs roobrain the World. If it be for his Secular Interefl:, he will appear as an Apo11:1e, full of Zeal again!l: Errors and Sins : but if the preaching rhe DoCtrines of Truth ~;::li~:J~e:fbU:,~j~~;~\~~~d i;~~vd~~;ra~v~~~,:~,;:e I;~~;~i]le,~~~fi~i:b~~hr~~t~J,~~~r~~ S~dprure, rebate their E?ge, and thereby harden the Hearts of prcfumptuons Sinn~rs. As .. Pravi_ras !l.t- ~~5;0~~e;;~~a;P~~a~t~r~~~7t~' c~1;~~~ ~h~~~~Fv~~r~~:d':n~~~~~~ ~~~c~~r~1~7tl;~fc ~~0o: ~i=»~E~~:= wl~~;n~~~~sf~;~~Zc~~~~~:d~hc Temptations are intimated iu rhc wife Advice of Jetbro to ~;:~e~.sL.a~~ .. Mojes, lhat he jhould chufe Mm fearing God~ and hating Covetoufnefs. Without the ovcrrulmg Fear of God, Judges will not do rhm Duty evenly and couragioufly: Human RcfpeCts will tempt them to bend the Rule to the obliquity of their Minds and D efires. When they are 1nRuenc'd by the Fear or Favour of Men, they will parr with Ju!hce, and Confciencc, and true Honour, and their SOuls. And how often does the weight of GoiJ turn the Scales in Judgment, and preponderate the Rcafon of the Caufe with thofc whO are mofl: folemnly obliged ro uni vcrfal ReCtitude in the di\charge of their Office! Judges :fhould fo impardally, and with that noble Refolurion perform their Du~y , <\S to difcourage all Attempts ro pervert them. Zeuxes l~aving painted a Boy carrying fomc GrJpes, . fo coloured according to Nature, that the Btrds peck'd at them: An OMerver faid, The ~~:!~~~c~~: Birds difcredited the PiCture; for if the Boy had been drawn wi th equal Life, they had bula, non ad~ ~~~n~~d~1 f~?,~~d,:~o~~~:\~~~:\1~}~ w~1~gfi1r r:;~)u~~~;~eudr;t;~ ~~~~;~:t~~1jh~t1l~s,tld~~~~ i;~:t~~!~.i~~~ Ges their Dignity, and confirudivcly decl.ares that he efieems them to have an appear- H· ance of Vercue without lincerc Zeal for tt. And how many who are Pleaders , by fallacious Colours commend a bad Caufc, and difcredit a Good, and thereby expofc rhemfdves to that terrible Denunciation, Woe be to them tbat call Good E'Vil, and E'Vil Good. a degenerous Mind, and rilercenary Tongue, will plead any Caufe to obtain the Ends of Avarice and Ambition : as if, according ro what anItalian Lawyer faid of himfc!f, They were the Advocates of their Clients, and not of Ju!l:ice. . In :fhort, every Calling has its Temptations : In the various ways of Commerce, there arc deceitful Arts which an upright Man obfervcs and abhors. Some Callings cxpofe ro more Temptations than others; fo that wtrhout Circumfpedion and Care, Men arc undone in the way of rhcirCallings. Some ingage Perfons in fuch a Throng of Bufinefs, that from one ri(ing of the Sun to another, they never feriou!ly remember God or their Soul: 'Tis therefore a Point of gr::at Wifdom in the choice of a Calling, with a free. Judgment to confider what is leaft !table to Temptations, and affords more freedom of fCrving God, and regarding our Spiritual Stare ; for the Body is not the inrire Man, and rhe prefcnr Life is nor his only Duration. The Apo11:1e direCts Chri!l:ians to dmfe fuch a . Stateof Life, thatrhey mayhavc an advantage of attending upon the Lord without Di-1 Cor. 1· 1s . jlraflion. I fl<all add, Tharrhe fcvcral Relations wherein we Jland, as Husbands, Patents, Ma- ~~;:f c~~;~;;a~~~~~:!~~c~~'irSae~da~~~~~l~~s~ ~~~u~~: ~b~~~~~~~~5f;tl~~i~ ~~{~{h~~l~~et~~~ A Husband may be harfh and unkind, a Parenrfond and vicioufly indulgent, ('rwasE/i's Sm that brought Ruin upon his Family) a Mafl:>r may be fcvcre and rigorous. Supcrifcr;. ~~;~~r ~~,:~ tn~'d'~y a,l,~i~~:~~~~:,~~~~s Fe~ ~c%i~:;::~1;~~~~ ~hf1T!c 1,~;nd~~~~~~f; tranfcribc, and derive a woful Guilt upon themfelves from their multiplied Sins. And how often are rhofe in lower Relations carelcfs of their proper Duties : \Vives di{i:cfpcdful, and nor obfervant of their Husbands, Children difobedient, Servan" unfaithful ? If Confcicnce be inlighrned and render, it will regard the whole comeafs of our Dury, " Will fee and feel our finful negleCts m any kind, and make us careful according to rhc extent of its Obligation. _ . • The oppofirc Stares of Profperiry :ind Adverfity, have fuitablc Temptations adherent to them. Profperiry is befer with the rhickefl: and mofl: dangerous Temptations. In a Garden t!ie Tempter lay in ambu01, and made ufe of the Fruit that !Vas pleafant to the iajle andpleafont to the Eye, anddejiraMe for KnoJV!edge; and by rhofe Alluremenrs corrupred'and ruin'd our firfl:Parenrs, rorhe lofsof their Innocence and Felicity. Although Profperiry be a ~Jelling 111 1t fc!f, yet 'tis often more defiruCt1Ve than Advetfiry, by rhc mieparable and mgagmg Snares that fu'rround the Perfons that enjoy it : Pride, LuXury, Security, JmpierJ,
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