have nothing which can then bring him peace, he will find it a time of great diftrefs. He hath thrown his happiness behind him.

Were you to see a man exchange a gem for a pebble-or an estate for a rattle, what name would you find strong enough to denote his folly? Whatever name you would give him, endeavour to find one, which expreffes a thousand times more folly, to denote him, who gives up his peace at the laft, for the fake of any pleasure, which his paffage through life can give him. The gem, and the estate are worldly things; and cannot be compared with the eternal nature of those things, which will bring a man peace at the laft.

LXXXIV.

Keep innocency, and do the thing that is right, for that fhall bring a man peace at the laft.Pfalm xxxvii. 38.

IF this world were to last for ever, we need only enquire, what would bring a man peace for the prefent. Peace at the laft would be out of the queftion. But as this world is not to laft for ever, it is the part of wisdom furely to confider, what will bring us in the happiest manner to the end of it-or, in the words of the text, what will bring us peace at the last.

As it must be something therefore that has connection with another world, it is evident, that the things of this world are excluded. Its riches, honours, and pleasures have certainly no connection with a ftate of future happiness; and therefore cannot bring us peace at the last.

Lifelefs forms alfo, and ceremonies-outward profeffions of faith, and zeal for this, or that sect― are all matters, which have little connection with a

future

future ftate of happiness, and generally serve the purposes only of this world. These therefore cannot bring us peace at the last.

External actions likewife, prayers-alms-giving and pious donations, unless connected with the heart, are all of the fame kind. They have reference only to this world, and cannot therefore bring a man peace at the laft.

In short, to attain this defireable end, we are to look only within ourselves. Those holy difpofitions, which are formed in the heart on gospel-principles, and ready to break out into action, whenever opportunity serves-are connected with a future ftate of happiness; will furvive this world; and are alone through the merits of Chrift, what can bring a man peace at the laft.

LXXXV.

Judge not, that ye be not judged.-Matthew, vii. 1.

WE have here a rule guarded by a threat. Let us examine both. The rule is judge not—be not cenforious in examining and publishing your neighbour's faults.

But how far does the rule extend? Are we allowed to cenfure crimes? Or fuch crimes only as have been judicially examined? Or may we examine Levities, and ridicule the smaller failings of our neighbour? In all these matters the scripture is silent. It cannot indeed defcend to particulars. It gives us a general rule, judge not; and God Almighty has given us the faculty of reason to detail this rule: while our confciences allow, or difallow the liberties we take. The injury, that enfues to our neighbour's character from the indulgence of this liberty, feems to be the criterion of the plus or minus in the offence.

Such is the rule, let us next confider the threat : Judge not, that be not judged. By the letter then

ye

of

of this threat it should feem, that whatever our other offences may be, the tenor of our fentence fhall be altogether guided by our mode of judging others.

But this cannot poffibly be the cafe: for tho' cenfuring others may in many cases be a great offence; yet it is by no means equal to many other offences. The fact seems to be, that this severity is expreffed in a jewish proverb, (with the fame measure that ye mete, it shall be measured to you again*) which being applied to different cafes, takes its precife meaning from the different modes of malignity in each cafe.

The antithefis alfo was much in use among the Jews. The reward, or punishment due to different virtues, and vices, is expreffed often under a fimilarity of idea and tho' with no great exactness, yet liable to no mifapplication. They that mourn, fhall be comforted. They that hunger after righteousnefs, fhall be filled. And in the fame manner, they that judge, fhall be judged.-It is evident therefore that the expreffion in the text, must not be interpreted in the full extent, which the form of the words holds out: but only that a punishment equal to the offence, fhall certainly follow.

* See LIGHTFOOT's Heb. and Talmud. Exercitat. in Locum,