by Mofes's law, yet Christ forbad it. Matthew v. 34,-37. But I fay unto you, fwear not at all.—But let your communication be yea, yea; nay, nay: for whatsoever is offered, in fupport of truth, more than thefe, more than barely to affirm or deny, cometh of evil, cometh of that lying and falsehood, that diftrust and jealousy, that prevail among men, by which mutual confidence hath been greatly impaired, which evil oaths were introduced as a remedy to. This being the cafe, the prefent question is, whether truth is better fupported, and mutual confidence better secured, by non-fwearing, or by such religious fwearing as aforefaid? And, confequently, which of thefe, when become general, will contribute most to the publick good? If the former be the case, then it gives it for Chriftian* morals; but if the

* Suppofing St. Paul did fwear, after the law was given, which for bad it, all that it proves is, that St. Paul tranfgreffed this law, which, as he was peccable, he was liable to. Besides, St. Paul may have been altogether ignorant of this law against swearing. The precept, referred to, was recorded by only one Evangelist, which makes it probable the other three had forgot it, or elfe that they knew nothing of it. And as St. Paul could not know any thing of Chrift's ministry, but at second or third hand, and as, upon his converfion, he was very little among the Apostles and companions of Chrift, but was chiefly among the Gentiles; fo it is not at all unlikely, but that he may have heard nothing of this law of Chrift against fwearing.

latter be the cafe, then it gives it againf Christian morals; that is, if religious fwearing contributes more to the fupport of truth and mutual confidence, than non-fwearing; then, in this inftance, Chriftian morals are lefs excellent, and perfect, than thofe morals that come in competition with them.

AGAIN, Matthew v. 43. Ye have heard that it hath been faid, thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. By neighbour, here, must needs be meant friend ; because it is a friend, and not a neighbour, which is the oppofite to an enemy; and because the same perfon may be both neighbour and enemy. The precept before us is plainly founded in nature, as it required the Jews to direct each affection or paffion to it's proper object. He who does me a kindness, thereby becomes my friend, and renders himself, by so doing, the proper object of my approbation or love; he who caufelefly does me an injury, thereby becomes my ene my; and, in fo doing, renders himself the proper object of my averfion or hatred. But then, this precept Chrift hath, in part, reverfed, Matthew v. 44, 45. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray

for

for them which despitefully use you, and perfecute you: that ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven, for he maketh his fun to rife on the evil and on the good, and Jendeth rain on the just and on the unjuft. Whether this precept can be complied with, may, perhaps, admit of some doubt; that is, whether a man can love an unlovely object, when perceived to be fuch. That the fun rises, and the rain falls, on all, promiscuously, on good and bad, on juft and unjust men, is true, as in the prefent constitution of things, without a Miracle, it cannot be otherwife; but that the perfection of the fupreme Deity, (Be ye therefore perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect,ver.48.) confifts in, and arifes from, his being affected towards, and his treating all, his intelligent creatures alike, whether good or evil, just or unjust, as is here supposed, this is very far from being a clear cafe.

does, and will be affected to,

And if God

and treat, all both good and

his intelligent creatures alike, bad, then there can be no place for a future retribution. The worldly eftate of good and bad men is fo mixed and blended, that the benefits, which arife from the fun and rain, muft, of neceffity, be common to them both but

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but that this should be a reafon, or an example to us, to be affected to, and treat them alike, when we have it in our power to make a proper discrimination betwixt them, and when, perhaps, this is the only ftate in which we shall be capable of doing it, this is past my conception. As the conduct and behaviour of men are greatly different, fo nature seems to require, and direct, that our affection to them, and treatment of them, should be greatly different alío. However, the prefent question is, whether the being affected to, and treating perfons of all characters alike, whether good or bad, friend or enemy; or whether the being affected to, and treating perfons differently, and suitably to their respective different Characters; I fay, which of these contributes most to human happiness? If the former be the cafe, then it gives it for chriftian morals; but if the latter be the cafe, then it gives it against christian morals; that is, if the being affected to, and treating men, according to their different behaviours, contributes more to the publick good, than being affected to, and treating them all alike; then, in this inftance, Christian morals are less excellent,

and

and perfect, than those morals that come in competition with them.

AGAIN Matthew vi. 19. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and fteal. ver. 25. Take no (or little) thought for your life, what Je fhall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body what ye skall put on. ver. 26,-28. Behold, (or take for an example) the fowls of the air,-the lillies of the field: the former of these take thought only for the prefent time, the latter take no thought at all; yet both are fuftained. ver. 3. Take no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself, fufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. In these rules of life, laid down by Jefus Christ, men's thoughtfulnefs, care, and concern for the things of this life, and their collecting, and laying up, earthly treasures, or worldly goods, are fo limited and reftrained, as that, comparatively speaking, they may be faid to be none at all. Men's thoughtfulness, care, and concern for, and their laying up of earthly, and heavenly treasures are to be fo greatly disproportionate*, as that the for

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Chrift feems, at leaft, not only to forbid his difciples and followers the laying up earthly treasures, Matthew vi.

19.