loveth the peace and welfare of men, and very offensive to men, who do the mischiefs springing from them.

To this law may be reduced our obligations to be candid in our opinions and discourses concerning others, according to St Paul's excellent description of charity,1 to forbear all rash and harsh censure, as our Saviour in his most divine sermon on the mount chargeth us, to be veracious, sincere, and faithful in all our conversation, which duties are so often taught and pressed in both Testaments; "Ye shall not" (saith the law) "steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie one to another," and, "To walk uprightly, and work righteousness, and speak the truth from his heart," are the first lineaments in the good man's character drawn by the Psalmist; and, "These are the things ye shall do" (saith God in the prophet), 66 speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour, execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates ;" and in the New Testament, "To lay aside lying, to speak the truth every man with his neighbour, to lay aside all malice, all guile, all hypocrisies, envyings, and backbitings" are apostolical commands.5

1 1 Cor. xiii.

2 Levit. xix. II.

8 Psal. xv. 2.

4 Zech. viii. 16.

5 Ephes. iv. 25; Col. iii. 9; 1 Pet. ii. 1.

COMMANDMENT X.

THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOUR'S HOUSE, THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOUr's wife, NOR HIS MAN-SERVANT, NOR HIS MAID-SERVANT, NOR HIS OX, NOR HIS ASS, NOR ANYTHING THAT IS THY NEIghbour's.

THIS law is comprehensive and recapitulatory, as it were, of the rest concerning our neighbour, prescribing universal justice toward him, and this not only in outward deed and dealing, but in inward thought and desire, the spring, whence they do issue forth;1 for, "from the heart," as our Saviour teacheth, "do proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies." We are obliged to be so far from depriving our neighbour of any good thing belonging to him, that we are not so much as to wish or desire it, not only to abstain from injurious action, but to repress covetous inclinations; wherein is also implied that we should have a delight and complacence in our neighbour's good, not envying him any enjoyment, being in our minds content with the portion God pleaseth to vouchsafe us, and entirely trusting in him, that he will supply us with what is needful or befitting to us, without the damage of our neighbour. Thus God's law is, as St Paul observeth, spiritual, not only

1 Mark x. 19.

2 Matt. xv. 19.

118

AN EXPOSITION OF THE DECALOGUE.

restraining exterior acts, but regulating our inmost thoughts, quelling all inordinate appetites and affections of heart within us; so as to import that, which in the Christian law is so frequently enjoined us, as the life of our religion, " circumcising our hearts, crucifying the flesh with its passions and desires, mortifying our earthly members, putting to death by the Spirit the deeds of the body, putting off the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; " thou shalt not unlawfully or irregularly desire,—doth, according to the spiritual intent, import all this.

I only add, that the sum and end of these, and all other good laws of all religion, is comprised in those two rules, of "Loving God with all our heart," and, "Loving our neighbour as ourselves," seriously and honestly attending unto which we can hardly fail of knowing what in any case our duty is. It remains that we employ our best care and endeavour on the conscientious practice thereof, imploring therewith the assistance of God's grace, and that good Spirit, which God hath most graciously promised to those who ask it, by which alone we can be enabled to keep God's commandments. To him be all glory and praise. Amen.

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD

TIDINGS OF GREAT JOY.

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.-LUKE ii. 10.

THE proper business of a festival is spiritual joy, conceived in our hearts by reflection on some notable blessing conferred on us, accompanied with a grateful sense of expression, answerable to the special bounty and mercy of God, in due proportion to the nature and degree of that blessing.

Such joy is a duty, or a part of religious devotion, required by God, and very acceptable to him; for as God would have his servants perpetually content, well satisfied and cheerful in all states and upon all occurrences; so he doth especially demand from us, that we should entertain his favours with delight and complacence; it being proper, it being seemly, it being just

so to do. For since joy is a natural result of our obtaining whatever we do apprehend good, or esteem and affect; the conception of it is a plain argument, that we do well understand, do rightly prize, do cordially like, do thankfully embrace God's favours; as, on the contrary, a defect of it doth imply that we do not mind them, or take them to be little worth, that we do not sensibly relish them, or accept them kindly. And if ever we are obliged, if ever we are concerned so to rejoice, then surely it is now; when the fairest occasion and highest cause of joy that ever was is presented to us; when certain news from heaven, and the best that ever came from thence, of the most admirable, the most glorious, the most beneficial event that ever happened in the world, is, in a manner suitably rare, conveyed to us; “for behold," saith the "angel, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."

Upon which words (each whereof is emphatical and pregnant with matter observable) we shall first make a brief descant or paraphrase, supplying the room of a curious analysis;, then we shall urge the main duty couched in them.

Behold this is a word denoting admiration, exciting attention, intimating assurance. Behold and admire; it is no mean, no ordinary matter, that I report, but a most remarkable, a very marvellous event. Behold and attend; it is a business not to be passed over with small regard, but most worthy your consideration, of high moment and concernment to you.

Behold