XI. ed; and his adversity will be clouded with SERM, double darkness. He will be uneafy and troublesome to all with whom he is connected; and will be more troublesome to himself than to any other.Let me particularly advise those who wish to cultivate fo neceffary a virtue, to begin their cultivation of it, on occafions when small offences and provocations arife. It is a great, but common, error to imagine, that we are at liberty to give loofe reins to temper, among the trivial occurrences of life. No excufe for irritation and impatience can be worse, that what is taken from the perfon being inconfiderable, or the incident being flight, which threw us off our guard. With inconfiderable perfons we are furrounded. Of flight incidents, the bulk of human life is compofed. In the midst of thefe, the ruling temper of the mind is formed. It is only by moderation and selfcommand then acquired, that we can inure ourfelves to patience, when the great conjunctures of life fhall put it to a feverer trial. If neglected then, we fhall after wards XI. SERM. wards folicit its return in vain. If thou haft run with footmen, and they have wea→ ried thee, how canft thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou truftedft, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the fwellings of Jordan* ? In order to affift us in the acquisition of this grace, let us often contemplate that great model of it, which is difplayed in the whole life of our Saviour Jefus Chrift. Whose temper was ever tried by more frequent provocations, more repeated disappointments, more flagrant injuries, or more fevere diftrefs? Yet, amidft them all, we behold him patiently enduring the contradiction of finners; to their rudeness, oppofing a mild and unruffled, though firm, fpirit; and, in the cause of mankind, generoufly bearing with every indignity. Well might he say, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart †. Having fuch a high example before our eyes, let us be ashamed * Jer. xii. 5. + Matth. xi. 29. of XI. of those fallies of impatience which we fo SERM. often fuffer to break forth, in the midst of profperity. By a more manly tranquillity and felf-command, let us discover to the world, that, as men, and as Christians, we have learned in patience to poffefs our fouls. SERM. SERMON XII. On MODERATION. Let your PHILIPPIANS, iv. 5. Moderation be known unto all THE prefent ftate of man is neither doomed to conftant mifery, nor defigned for complete happiness. It is, in general, a mixed state, of comfort and forrow, of profperity and adverfity; neither brightened by uninterrupted funshine, nor overcaft with perpetual fhade; but fubject to alternate fucceffions of the one, and the other. While fuch a state forbids despair, it alfo checks prefumption. It is equally adverse to defpondency of mind, and to high XII. high elevation of fpirits. The temper which SER M. best fuits it, is expressed in the text by moderation; which, as the habitual tenor of the foul, the apoftle exhorts us to discover in our whole conduct; let it be known unto all men. This virtue confifts in the equal balance of the foul. It imports fuch proper government of our paffions and pleafures, as fhall prevent us from running into extremes of any kind; and shall produce a calm and temperate frame of mind. It chiefly refpects our conduct in that state which comes under the description of ease, or profperity. Patience, of which I treated in the preceding difcourfe, directs the proper regulation of the mind, under thé disagreeable incidents of life. Moderation determines the bounds within which it fhould remain, when circumstances are agreeable or promifing. What I now purpofe is, to point out fome of the chief instances in which Moderation ought to take place, and to show the importance of preferving it. |