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on him more load, by engaging himself in the affairs of SERM. others; he will thence be forced, either to fhake off his XXII. own bufinefs, or to become over-burdened and oppreffed with more than he can bear. It is indeed hence obfervable, and it needs muft happen, that those who meddle with the business of others are wont to neglect their own; they that are much abroad can seldom be at home; they that know others most are least acquainted with themfelves and the wife Hebrew, The wisdom of a learned Ecclus. man comes by opportunity of leifure, (oopla copi50 év eúxαι- xxxviii. 26. pia oxoλñs,) and he that hath little business shall be wife; (ὁ ἐλασσούμενος πράξει αὐτῷ σοφισθήσεται. Whence it is scarce poffible that a pragmatical man fhould be a good man; that is, fuch an one who honeftly and carefully performeth the duties incumbent on him.

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Philofophers therefore generally have advised men to fhun needless occupations, as the certain impediments of a good and happy life; they bid us endeavour ånλõv é«vTous, to fimplify ourselves, or to get into a condition requiring of us the leaft that can be to do. St. Paul intended the fame when he advifed us, μὴ ἐμπλέκεσθαι ταῖς το 2 Tim. ii. 4. βία πραγματείαις, not to be entangled in the negociations of life and our Saviour, when he touched Martha for being Luke x. 41. troubled about many things. So far therefore we fhould g be from taking in hand the affairs of other men, that we fhould labour to contract our own, and reduce them to the fewest that we can; otherwise we shall hardly attain wisdom, or be able to perform our dutya.

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πολλά,

faith of the

bidos et ne

11. But fuppofe us to have much spare time, and to Tacitus want bufinefs, fo that we are to feek for divertisement, and must for relief fly to curiofity; yet it is not adviseable—quæ turto meddle with the affairs of other men; there are divers gotiorum other ways more innocent, more safe, more pleasant, appetentes more advantageous to divert ourselves, and fatisfy curiofity b.

• Ο σοφὸς, ιδιοπράγμων, καὶ ἀπράγμων. Democ. Sen. Ep. 72, 22. Tertullian calleth Stoicifm, Quietis magifterium. De Pall. v.

Omnium occupatorum conditio mifera eft, eorum tamen miferrima, qui ne fuis quidem occupationibus laborant. Sen, de Brev. Vita, xix.

facit.

SERM.

Nature offereth herself, and her inexhaustible store of XXII. appearances to our contemplation; we may, without any harm, and with much delight, furvey her rich varieties, examine her proceedings, pierce into her fecrets. Every kind of animals, of plants, of minerals, of meteors prefenteth matter, wherewith innocently, pleasantly, and profitably to entertain our minds. There are many noble fciences, by applying our minds to the study whereof, we may not only divert them, but improve and cultivate them: the histories of ages paft, or relations concerning foreign countries, wherein the manners of men are described, and their actions reported, may afford us useful pleasure and pastime; thereby we may learn as much, and understand the world as well, as by the most curious inquiry into the prefent actions of men; there we may observe, we may fcan, we may tax the proceedings of whom we please, without any danger or offence: there are extant numberless books, wherein the wifest and most ingenious of men have laid open their hearts, and exposed their most secret cogitations unto us; in pursuing them we may fufficiently busy ourselves, and let our idle hours pafs gratefully; we may meddle with ourfelves, studying our own difpofitions, examining our principles and purposes, reflecting on our thoughts, words, and actions; ftriving thoroughly to understand ourselves; to do this we have an unquestionable right, and by it we shall obtain vaft benefit, much greater than we can hope to get by puddering in the defigns or doings of others. Pragmaticalness then, as it is very dangerous and troublefome, fo it is perfectly needlefs; it is a kind of idleness, but of all idlenefs the most unreasonable: it is at least worfe than idleness, in St. Gregory Nazianzen's opinion. For, I had rather, faid he, be idle more than I should, than over-bufyd. Other confiderations might be added; but these, I hope, may be fufficient to restrain this practice,

Ο Ανδρὶ Λυδῷ πράγματα οὐκ ἦν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἐξελθὼν ἐπρίατο. Adag. apud Suidam.

4 'Αργὸς εἶναι μᾶλλον τῷ δέοντος, ἢ περίεργος δέχομαι, Greg. Naz. Οr. 26.

fo unprofitable and uneafy to ourselves, and, for the most SERM. part, fo injurious and troublesome to others. XXII.

Now the God of peace make us perfect in every good word and work, through Jefus Chrift, to whom be glory for Ever. Amen.

SERMON XXIII.

OF THE LOVE OF GOD.

X. 12.

πειράζων αὐτόν. πρώτη ἐντο

λή.

MATTH. xxii. 37.

Jefus faid unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.

SERM. THIS text is produced by our Saviour out of Mofes's XXIII. law in answer to a question, wherewith a learned Pharisee Deut. vi. 5. thought to pose or puzzle him; the question was, Which was the great and first commandment in the Law? a queftion which, it feems, had been examined, and deternire mined among the doctors, in the schools of those days, Luke x. 27. (for in St. Luke, to the like question intimated by our Saviour, another lawyer readily yields the fame answer, and is therefore commended by our Saviour, with a recte refpondifli, thou haft anfwered rightly;) fo that had our Saviour answered otherwife, he had, we may suppose, been taxed of ignorance and unskilfulness, perhaps alfo of error and heterodoxy; to convict him of which feems to have been the design of this Jewish trier or tempter (for he is faid to ask TipάZwv avtòv, trying, or tempting, him.) `But our Saviour defeats his captious intent, by answering, not only according to truth and the reason of the thing, but agreeably to the doctrine then current, and as the lawyer himself out of his memory and learning would have refolved it and no wonder, fince common fenfe dictates, that the law enjoining fincere and entire love toward God is neceffarily the firft and chief, or the moft fundamental law of all religion; for that whofoever doth believe the

being of God, according to the most common notion that SER M. name bears, muft needs difcern himself obliged first and XXIII. chiefly to perform thofe acts of mind and will toward him, which most true and earnest love do imply different expreffions of love may be prescribed, peculiar grounds of love may be declared in feveral ways of religion; but in the general and main substance of the duty all will confpire, all will acknowledge readily, that it is love we chiefly owe to God; the duty which he may most justly require of us, and which will be most acceptable to him. It was then indeed the great commandment of the old (or rather of the young and lefs perfect) religion of the Jews, and it is no lefs of the more adult and improved religion which the Son of God did institute and teach: the difference only is, that Christianity declares more fully how we should exercise it; and more highly engages us to obferve it; requires more proper and more fubftantial expreffions thereof; extends our obligation as to the matter, and intends it as to the degree thereof: for as it represents almighty God in his nature and in his doings more lovely than any other way of religion, either natural or inftituted, hath done, or could do; fo it proportionably raises our obligation to love him: it is, as St. Paul speaketh, Tò Téλ® Tũs tagayyexías the last drift, or the 1 Tim. i. s. fupreme pitch of the evangelical profession, and institution, to love; to love God first, and then our neighbour out of a pure Coloff. iii. heart, and good confcience, and faith unfeigned: it is the 14. bond, or knot of that perfection which the Gospel enjoins Matt. v. 48. us to aspire to: it is the first and principal of those goodly fruits, which the Holy Spirit of Chrift produceth in good Galat.v. 22. Chriftians. It is therefore plainly with us alfo the great commandment and chief duty: chiefly great in its extent, in its worth, in its efficacy, and influence: most great it is, in that it doth (eminently at least, or virtually) contain all other laws and duties of piety; they being all as branches making up its body, or growing out of it as their root. St. Paul faith of the love toward our neighbour, that it is Rom. xiii. πλήρωμα το νόμο, α full performance of the laws concerning

him; and that all commandments, àvaxeçaλaivai, are re- Gal. v. 14.

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