ter acquainted with the reasons and circumftances of my conduct, than I am with thofe of the conduct of my fuperiors? But fuppofe them in fault, fhould I be willing to have all my faults exaggerated to the utmost; without any confideration had, how natural it is to commit them, how hard it is to avoid them; without any regard paid to what I had done or meant well? And fhould I further think it reafonable, that my betters should be attentive folely to the errors of my behavi our, without weighing their own towards me! If not, it behoves me to wach over mine towards them: and promote the welfare of fociety in the fmall sphere that belongs, to me, leaving others to do it in their larger ones. Nay, were they to mifmanage ever so grofsly, yet if I contribute, either through refentment, ambition, or inconfideratenefs, to make bad worfe; I fhall treat, if not thofe whom I fuppofe to be guilty, yet many whom I know to be innocent, as I fhould esteem it very wrong for them to treat me.

The

Thus much of fuperiors and inferiors in public life. firft private and domeftic relation of inequality is that between husbands and wives: with refpect to whom our Saviour's rule most evidently directs, that, on one fide, the inequality be as oblingly concealed; on the other, as cheerfully acknowledged as poffible; and that on both, that fidelity, that agreeableness, that mildness, that prudence, that conftant attention to their common interefts, temporal and eternal, and thofe of their joint offspring, be fhewn, which each of them hath so very just reafon to claim, from the nature of the thing, from the precepts of fcripture, from their mutual, deliberate, folemn promises and vows. There is no ftate, in which the two parties have fo painful a fenfe of the wrongs they fuffer; there is none, in which they are so often reminded, one way or other, of the wrongs they do therefore few words are needful to inftruct them how to apply the direction before us; and none can exprefs fully enough their obligation to apply confcientiously; and to fearch the bottom of their fouls, whether they have or

not.

The fecond fpecies of domeftic authority is that of parents over their children. Now parents may easily suppose themfelves in their childrens condition: for they have been in it. Whatever therefore appeared to you grievous then, and on cool reflection appears fo ftill, you will furely never fo much as

think

as think of doing; but remember, not only what you underwent; but how wrong it was, that you should. If indeed you have feen the wifdom fince of reftraints, that you once thought harsh ones; and found cause to be forry afterwards for indulgencies, with which at the time you were pleafed: you must follow your maturer deliberate judgment, not your early rash one; treat your children as you would now be defirous to be treated, were you in their cafe, not as you did defire during your ignorance; and by no means think it a reafon, for expofing them to ruin by dangerous pleasures and amufements, or for condemning them to infignificance by conniving at their idleness, that you were extremely glad to be thus ufed yourselves. But then, on the other hand, if you are convinced of this, you ought to confider, as impartially as you can, whether you do not carry it too far: whether your present severer notions be not the effect of prejudices, as natural to riper years, as the oppofite ones are to youth: and however certain you are of the contrary, ftill do your beft, to make what is needful for your children eafy to them, by telling them the reafons of your proceeding when they can fafely be told: and when they cannot, you must give fuch proofs on other occafions, of judicious tenderness towards them, as may gain their implicit confidence in the fitnefs of whatever you require; and must not be much offended, if, after all, the obedience, which you receive, be too like that which probably you paid, fomewhat unwilling and imperfect. Another duty of parents, which the rule of the text cannot fail of recommending to them, is, making a due and timely provifion for the decent fubfiftence of their children. Either this was done for you, or you ftrongly felt, that it ought to have been done for you. Which foever was the cafe, you are inexcufable if through extravagance or indolence you neglect to do it for them: and you are equally fo, (for the fame plain reafon) unless you endea vour with your utmost care and skill, to guard them against all forts of dangers, and fecure to them all forts of happiness, in the world, into which you have brought them.

But then, children fhould alfo think; (and, as they are extremely apt to forget it, fhould often call upon themselves to think,) were there any one, for whom I had the fame anxiety and folicitude, that my parents appear to have for me; and who had the fame obligations to me, that I have to my parents:

fhould

fhould I be willing to have all my kindness received with contempt or indifference; to have that perfon prefer every fancy of his own to my comfort and peace? Should any one ever be put under my direction, fhall I be content, that before he can poffibly be capable of judging, he should infift on following his own judgement, and pay no deference to mine? Nay, fuppofing I had faults, many and great ones, would I in earnest be willing to lose all obedience and respect on account of them? Do I not already, notwithstanding all my faults, expect more regard than a little from thofe that are younger than myself? Do I not fee all parents expect it from their children? All fuperiors from their inferiors? And fhall I not moft certainly think hereafter, as they do? Why should not my actions therefore now be suitable to what my fentiments will be then?

A third relation in domeftic life is that between mafters and fervants. Now is it not exceeding natural for each of the former to ask himself, Were I a fervant, as I might have been, fhould I hold it reasonable to be treated roughly and haughtily, to be blamed or fufpected without caufe, to have every fault aggravated and treasured up for ever, and little notice taken of my behaving ever fo well; to have immoderate labour or attendance exacted, or what is fitting in any kind, withheld, or what is due for my fervice detained from me; to be neglected in fickness or old age, to be expofed without redress to injuries from my fellow-fervants; to have no inftruction in my duty given me; perhaps no opportunity afforded me of learning thofe great truths of religion, which are the beft ection and fupport through this life, and the only means of being happy for ever in a better? If I fhould think, and justly think, myself intitled to receive the reverse of this usage, let me be fure to give it; and study to make that subjection, which cannot be a very pleasing state, as tolerable as can be to those who are in it; for mine would be a very intolerable one, were there none fuch.

And furely, on the other hand, all fervants, in whatever ftations, ought to ask their hearts with equal fairness: Would it Teem to me fit, were I a mafter, that my fervant fhould be difhoneft or undutiful, quarrelfome or diforderly, negligent or wasteful in my family, when I had covenanted with him for the contrary good qualities, and was bound to pay him a valuable confideration for them? Would I be willing, he fhould VOL. I betray

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betray my fecrets, hurt my reputation, corrupt my children; or any way prove my enemy, when I had brought him under my roof to be my friend? Would I be content, he should quit me without reasonable notice; or bear nothing from me, who perhaps must bear much from him; murmur at every inconvenience, and appear fenfible of no advantages? If not; what I fhould require, that let me do.

But I proceed now to fuperiors, not in authority, but in rank only; on account of fome one or more of the various preeminences, that raife men one above another. For these alfo, and their respective inferiors, have great need to form their conduct first, and try it ever after, by this excellent rule.

They who challenge reverence on account of their years, ought frequently to reflect, how ill they would digest, were they young, that affuming carriage, which they fometimes use: how unjust they would deem it to be treated penuriously and rigidly; to be condemned, and it may be, caft off, for mere indifcretions, or even a few groffer faults. But then young people, in their turn, cannot confider too much, and very feldom confider nearly enough, how bitter it would be to them were they already in years, how bitter it will be to them, when that time comes, to have their experience and wisdom flighted, and be objects of diflike and ridicule to every raw and thoughtlefs creature, perhaps for those very things, which ought to procure them honour and love.

Again, perfons of fuperior quality or wealth fhould bring themselves down in their imaginations to the middle and lower condition of life: confult their breafts, what degree of refpect they would like to pay thofe above them; what forts of condefcenfion and fubferviency they would think it hard to have exacted from them; what claims of privilege they would judge oppreffive and injurious: and let the feelings, which they will thus acquire, and which perhaps will be new to them, regulate their conduct. They fhould examine well what the real state of the industrious, the needy, the helpless part of the world often is; then place themselves in it a while; and they would have a strong fenfe, how criminal it must be in any way to increase their difficulties, how requifite in every way to leffen. them. But at the fame time, meaner perfons alfo have full as much occafion to confider, how grievous they would find it, were they in higher ftations, to be defrauded and imposed on,

how

how provoking to be complained of without caufe, how irkfome to be teized with unreafonable requests and expectations; and what a fhocking thing it is for them to ufe fuch infolence towards their betters as they would think infupportable, should even their betters use it towards them.

A third fort of pre-eminence without authority, is that which arifes from personal accomplishments of mind or body. And here again the rule most clearly directs those who excell, never to be contemptuous or oftentatious; and thofe who are deficient, never to give offence by unequal competitions, or marks of envy; for each would account them extremely injurious, were he in the other's place. But let us now go on to the

IId. General head, the influence of this precept, where perfons are equal, or however may be confidered as fuch. And thefe are chiefly, either near relations, friends, and intimates, or fuch as have occafional intercourfe, in bufinefs, in converfation, in matters of party difpute, civil or religious, in fubjects of private offence and resentment, in cafes that call for goodnature and compaffion.

Near relations always claim peculiar affection, and regard, but too feldom pay it. Negligence, ill-temper, emulation, mutual jealoufy in point of intereft or favour, alienate and four their minds and each complains of the reft, because none will apply our Saviour's direction to fearch and reform himself. Intimacies, and what people call friendships, are on the fame account perpetually liable to be broken off by difgufts, frequenttly very groundlefs ones; and while they laft, are very commonly, either infincere and treacherous, or by wrong partiali ties and compliances dangerous and pernicious: all which things the plain queftion, "would it be right, that we fhould be treated, as we treat others?" might eafily prevent. But I proceed to thofe, who have only occafional intercourse.

In bufinefs, every one would think it hard, even to be obstructed and delayed, much more to be over-reached, or oppressed: whether by taking advantages of law against common juftice, or of his neceflity, his ignorance, his mistake, his inadvertence, his forgetfulness, or any other way. Every one would be willing to make a reasonable profit of his labour, his goods, or his fkill; and unwilling to allow another more than is reasonable. EN 2

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