I.

not to fall behind his equals; but rather, SERMON if he can, to surpass them, so as to command consideration and respect from his neighbours. This, among the vain and ambitious, is always the favourite aim. With them it arises to immoderate expectations, founded on their supposed talents and imagined merits. But perhaps, in the hearts of all men, some wish of this nature lurks ; some wish not to be overlooked in the crowd, but to attain that degree of distinction which they conceive they might reasonably claim.

With respect to claims of this sort it is to be apprehended that, among persons of all characters and descriptions, many an expectation must perish, and many a disappointment be endured. For such is the power which the sophistry of self-love exercises over us, that almost every one may be assured that he measures himself by a deceitful scale; that he places the point of his own merit at a higher degree than others will admit that it reaches. All are jealous of the high pretensions of others. He who suspects a rival in his neighbour, will study every method of bringing him

SERMON down to what he takes to be his proper

I.

more mo

level; nay, often of depreciating him be-
low it. Hence the endless mortifications
which the vain and self-conceited suffer.
Hence the spleen and resentment which is
so often breaking forth, disturbing the peace
of society, and involving it in crimes and
miseries. Were expectations more
derate, they would be more favourably
received. Did we more rarely attempt to
push ourselves into notice, the world would
more readily allow us, nay sometimes assist
us, to come forward. Were we content
sometimes to remain in the shade, we would
with more advantage come forth into sun-
shine, and find the brightness interrupted by
fewer clouds.

In the closer connexions which men form of intimate friendship and domestic life, there is still more reason for due mo deration in our expectations and hopes. For the nearer that men approach to each other, the more numerous the points of contact are in which they touch, the greater indeed will be the pleasure of perfect symphony and agreements of feelings; but, at the same time, if any harsh and-repulsive

sensations

sensations take place, the more grating and SERMON pungent will be the pain. If you look for a friend, or a partner of your life, in whose temper there is not to be found the least inequality, who upon no occasion is to be hurt or offended by any frailties you discover, whose feelings are to harmonize in every trifle with yours, whose countenance is always to reflect the image of your own, you look for a pleasing phantom, which is never, or, at most, very rarely, to be found; and if disappointment sour your mind, you have your own folly to blame. You ought to have considered that you live in a region of human infirmity, where every one has imperfections and failings. You assuredly have your own. What reason had you to imagine, that the person whom you love and esteem was to be the only exception from the common fate? Here, if any where, it becomes you to overlook and forbear; and never to allow small failings to dwell on your attention so much as to deface the whole of an amiable character. From trifling misunderstandings arising from the most frivolous causes, springs much of the misery of social and

domestic

SERMON domestic life. Hence is blasted
Hence is blasted many a

I.

pleasing blossom of hope; and many an expectation, which once promised unbroken harmony, is left to perish. I shall only mention,

III. ANOTHER instance of what we are not to expect in the ordinary course of human affairs; that is, constant gratitude from those whom we have most obliged and served.-I am far from saying that gratitude is an unknown, or even a rare virtue among mankind; I think not so ill of human nature. On the contrary, it is my belief, that grateful sensations for favours received are very generally felt; and, when no strong passion counteracts those sensations, that grateful returns are generally intended, and often are actually made. But then, our expectations of proper returns must be kept within moderate bounds. We must not carry them so far as to imagine, that gratitude is to produce unlimited compliance with every desire which we choose to indulge; or that they whom we have obliged will altogether desert their own interest for the sake of their benefactors.

J.

benefactors. Many circumstances, it is to SERMON be remembered, tend to cool the grateful emotion. Time always deadens the memory of benefits. Sometimes they are considered as having been fully recompensed, and the debt of gratitude repaid. As benefits conferred, are often under-rated by those who receive them, so they are sometimes over-valued by those who confer them. On persons of light and careless minds, no moral sentiment makes any deep impression; with such, the remembrance of both benefit and benefactor is apt to pass speedily away. With the proud spirit, which claims every thing as its due, gratitude is in a great measure incompatible. From persons of this character, we are never to expect it; and indeed from persons of any character, we are not to be surprised, if, in the present state of the world, it rises not so high as we thought we had reason to hope.

HAVING thus shown in some material instances what we have no reason to expect in the ordinary course of human affairs, I turn next to the brighter side of the sub

ject,