tale, to the prejudice of thy neighbour's character. And, perhaps, many of the Jews, in our Saviour's time, in like manner as they conceived that perjury, or swearing falsely, was the only crime forbidden in the third Commandment, imagined, that the only practice, prohibited in the ninth, was defamation, or calumny. There may also be modern Christians, in name, at least, whose scruples do not extend much farther. "I bear no false witness against my neighbour; but—may I not bear true witness against him?" Certainly, on due occasion! When it will manifestly answer some good purpose; when it is more consistent with true charity, to display his faults, than to conceal them ; when it is become necessary to caution the unwary against his iniquitous and crafty designs. But, when the question is this-whether I may lawfully disseminate a tale (however well founded) adapted to lay open a good man to the scorn of the profligate, and to bring him into suspicion with the prudent and scrupulous;-whether a single act, or a few acts, or even a habit of infirmity, which I happen to have detected in a person generally useful, benevolent, and respectable, may properly be exposed

-the answer

to the gaze and censure of the vulgar :must be decidedly in the negative. Such an exposure could not conduce to any desirable end, but might goad a feeling and irritable mind into recklessness and despair. Observe the character of Christian charity, as it is described by St. Paul : Charity thinketh no evil:- rejoiceth not in iniquity; beareth all things; believeth all things; hopeth all things; endureth all things.”

It is by no means, therefore, the mere truth of a fact, which will always justify the publication of it and, in most cases, less injury will be done by an improbable falsehood, than by a malicious. truth.

But Christian love will go much farther, than to the suppression of needless, unseasonable, or dangerous communications of truth on its own part. It will endeavour to counteract the malice of others; to repair the breaches thus made in a deserving character, and to cheer the spirit that it sees drooping under reproach: reserving its severity for the reformation, if possible, of those

fools described by Solomon, who "cast about firebrands," and say—“ Am I not in sport?"

We are now arrived at the TENTH COMMANDMENT, which points out the way to the most perfect compliance with all that have preceded it. When it is said-" Thou shalt not covet"-it is virtually said-Thou shalt "keep thy heart with all diligence," that thou fall not into that carnal and corrupt state of mind, which may endanger thy obedience to any of God's commandments.

Desire, or concupiscence, is the gate of sin : but he, who never covets what is unlawful, is in little danger of any criminal pursuit. And here, again, "love is the fulfilling of the law;" for no man, who truly loves God, can cherish hopes and encourage desires, which he knows to be highly displeasing to Him: nor is it possible, that any one, who loves his neighbour as himself, should harbour even a secret wish, inconsistent either with his rights, or with his happiness.

With respect, then, to the religious and social duties, so briefly but clearly enumerated in the

1 Prov. iv. 23.

Ten Commandments, the advantage of an interpretation, derived from the principles laid down by our blessed Lord, is already sufficiently plain. But the refined and enlarged view of moral obligations, resulting from this process, will by no means terminate here. It forces upon our notice a numerous and important class of duties, which, though not distinctly named in the Commandments, are every where implied in them; more especially, in the seventh and tenth and that, by plain and cogent a necessity of inference, that, were they denied or neglected, the whole fabric both of religion and morality must fall to the ground. These are-the duties of TEMPER

ANCE.

I shall here barely remind you, that the faculty, by which our duties either towards God or man are originally understood; by which the rules of duty must be remembered and kept in readiness for practice; and, lastly, by which the application of them to the conduct of life must be adapted to the exigencies of the moment; is that of Reason.

But, herein, reason finds not its path uniformly

I

smooth and easy. It meets with no small opposition in recommending and enforcing what is right and this opposition proceeds entirely from the influence of the appetites and passions. No act of religion, of justice, or of charity, can be required of us, which some sensual desire or perverse inclination may not endeavour to impede or counteract. Hence arises the necessity of selfcontroul, in the several branches of temperance, soberness, and chastity ;-duties, which thus appear to be strictly connected with all others, and essential to their fulfilment. Can a man intoxicated with wine-I may add-with anger, with envy, with avarice, with ambition, with voluptuousness-be capable of rational piety; or, indeed, of any piety at all? Can he engage to be either just or benevolent towards his neighbour ;in short-to refrain from any species of injury, either to his person, his property, his rights as a husband or as a father, his good name, or his peace of mind?

Hence, therefore, we may collect, that the love of God and of man equally urge us to adopt the admirable counsel of St. Paul: "Walk in the