can, for the reducing the Apoftle's Exhortation into Practice, as it doth concern us at this Dav.

But that you may fee plainly what I drive at, I will yet ftate the Matter a little more particularly.

Our Cafe in this World, is this; The Laws of Vertue and Religion, do allow Men all reafonable Liberties in the Gratification of their Natural Paffions and Appetites, and in the Ufe and Enjoyment of all the good Things of this Life. But all unreasonable Gratifications, all Exceffes and immoderate Liberties are forbidden by Religion, and therefore are finful and criminal.

If now in all Cafes a Man could readily and certainly fix the precife Bounds and Landmarks of what is reafonable and moderate, and what is unreasonable and exceffive in the Use of his Liberty; fo as that upon all Occafions, and in all Emergencies, he could fay within his own Mind, Thus far I may lawfully and innocently go in the Gratification of fuch an Appetite, or in the Enjoyment of fuch a Pleasure, or the like; but if I proceed a Step farther, I become a Tranfgreffor: 1 fay, if this was the Cafe of a Man, in the Ufe of his Liberty, it would be no hard matter for any well-difpofed Perfon to take all that Liberty that was moderate and lawful, and to forbear all that which is exceffive and unlawful.

But now this is not always an eafie Matter to be done. For many Cafes happen, in which a Man cannot precisely determine

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where it is that his lawful Liberty ends, and where it is that it begins to be extravagant and exceffive. So that while a Man is only defigning to gratifie his Defires in lawful Inftances, he is often carried beyond his Bounds, and proceeds to Excess.

This now, I fay, is one great Occafion of Sin to Mankind; and yet there is no avoiding of it, because it is fuch a one as doth neceffarily arife from the Nature of Things.

Thus for Inftance: It is certainly very lawful for a Man to drink Wine and ftrong Drink, not only for his Health's Sake, when his Conftitution doth require it; but alfo for Chearfulness, and the Enjoyment of his Friends.. But, on the other fide, Drunkenness and Intemperance are grievous Crimes, and utterly forbid by our Religion. Whilft now a Man on one hand hath a Defire to take that Liberty that is allowed him, and to gratifie his natural Inclination to Mirth and Pleasantness, or to fhew Civility, as he terms it, to his Company; and on the other hand, he has no certain unalterable Measures to proceed by, for. the ftinting himself in this Cafe; (as furely it is a very hard Matter to prescribe or define,. either to a Man's felf or others, the exact Pitch or Limits where Temperance ends, and Intemperance begins :) by this means, I fay, he is often betrayed into Sin. Thinking with himfelf, that there is a great Latitude and Compass in the Exercife of Temperance and Sobriety (as indeed there is,) and that therefore he may go on fome Time Jonger with the

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Company; the Wine by this means fteals upon him, and he is, before he was aware, fallen into the Sin of Intemperance and Excess.

And thus it is, not only as to the Use of our Liberty in Things allowed, but as to the Performance of our Duty in Things command

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Every Man is fenfible, that it is a principal Law of our Religion to be Charitable, and to give Alms out of our Substance. But now it is not fo eafie a Matter for any Man to define, and fet out the Quantum, or the precife Proportion of Alms, which every one is bound to give; fo as to be able to pronounce, that if a Man give fo much, he performs his Duty, and is a Charitable Man, for one in his Circumftances; but if he gives lefs than that, he is Covetous and Uncbaritable. Now, I fay, becaufe this Duty of Charity is thus indefinitely left, and there is fuch an Affinity and Undiftinguishableness between the leaft Measures of Charity, and the Sin of being uncharitable; Men do from hence often take Occasion to fall fhort in the Performance of it. And as in the former Inftance I gave about Drinking, they áre apt to take more Liberty than is allowed them; fo in this, they are apt to do less than is commanded them. For if they do but give fomething to the Poor out of their Yearly Income, they think they give enough to fatisfie the Command of Charity; and fo they make no Confcience of faving and hoarding without End or without Measure.

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There are a Hundred more Inftances befides thefe Two that I have named, wherein there is fuch a Latitude left to our Practices, and the Difference between Lawful and Unlawful, Duty and Sin, lies in fo fmall a Compass, that it is hard to feparate and diftinguish them, unless a Man be both very wife and very honeft.

We have not any Law of God, which defines how often we are to pray; or when it is our Duty to faft; or to what Degree we may be angry; or how we are to govern ourselves as to the Quantity or Kinds of our Meat and Drink; or how far we may comply with the Cuftoms of the World; or how fplendid we may be in our Apparel and Equipage; or what Games and Recreations may be used, and how often; or what Rules we are to go by in Buying and Selling, and our other Dealings with Men; or how far we may feek our own, when our Right cannot be obtained without Prejudice to our Neighbour.

In thefe, I fay, and abundance of other Cafes, we have no exprefs particular Laws of God to fteer and measure our Actions by; nor indeed is it poffible we should have: Because what is fit and reasonable to be done in these Cafes, admits of fo great a Difference from the infinite Variety of the Circumftances of particular Men.

What now muft we do in thefe Cafes? How muft we order ourselves, that we may perform our Duty, and keep out of Sin?

Why,

Why, in Anfwer to this, I fay, We have only general Rules to direct us in thefe Matters; and thofe Rules we are to apply to our own particular Cafes.

In this Latitude that Things are left in, we are to use our Liberty as carefully and as prudently as is poffible; taking our Measures from the Principles of Reason, and the general Rules of the Gospel. Now what those general Rules and Meafures are, it is my Bufinefs at this Time to treat of.

And Three Things I have here to propose for the Use of our Liberty, which will, I think, be a fufficient Direction to us in all Cafes of this Nature; and which if we do carefully obferve, we shall never ufe our Liberty for an Occafion to the Flesh; but we fhall both come up to what is our Duty, and fhall likewise avoid all thofe Sins which Mankind are fo frequently betrayed into, through the too great Affinity that there is between Vertue and Vice, and the indifcreet Exercife of their Liberty upon Occafion thereof.

And the First Thing I would poffefs you all with, and which indeed, as it is the most general, fo it is the best Advice that can be given in this Matter, is this; That we would endeavour to be heartily honeft and ferious in the Bufinefs of Religion: That we would fincerely devote ourselves to the Service of God: That we would purifie our Minds, as much as may be, from all fenfual and selfish Principles; and in all our Actions and Purfuits have more refpect to the doing our Duty, and the approvP 3 ing