In focial life we have, fourthly, the most diverfified opportunities for exercifing ourselves in many good difpofitions and virtues; and every thing that confirms us in good difpofitions and induces us to practife the virtues, is indifputably of very great value. In the stillness of retirement I certainly may and should reduce the propenfities of my heart to order, give them all their proper direction, kindle and inflame my love for whatever is true and beautiful and good; that is, to virtue. But only in focial life, in converse with my brethren, can I confirm my propenfities in this good direction, and fettle my love of truth, of moral beauty, of virtue, by a ready and faithful obedience to its precepts. Good fentiments that remain locked up in the heart, virtues that never exhibit themselves in action, can poffefs no fignal value, but may easily appear better and greater than they really are. In focial life they are put to the test; there we are fummoned to bring them forth; there, in the practice of them, we meet with obftacles to vanquish, difficulties to furmount, and oppofitions to encounter; and the oftener we ftand out these trials, obey thefe fummons, and come off victorious, or at least maintain our ground, fo much the better and more virtuous fhall we be, and fo much the more fafely may we rely on our virtue.

And how various are the opportunities thus afforded us in focial life! Here are weak brethren, whom may eafily offend, and who therefore exercise me in circumfpection in my difcourfes and judgments:

I

there

ence.

there are numberlefs defects and failings, which call for my little forgiveneffes, my patience and indulg Here I perceive eminent qualities of mind and heart, the advantages of perfon, of station, of fortune, which raise others above me, which I fhould refpect and admire without jealoufy or envy, but with inward fatisfaction, with hearty delight: there I dif tinguish myself from others by fimilar advantages, receive approbation from others, conciliate their affection; and this esteem and affection should neither fubject me to a falfe humility, nor lead me into fool. ish pride. Here I may be surprised into displeasure, betrayed into anger, înto violence, or ill-humour, and fhould learn from thence to govern myfelf: there irregular defires and concupifcence may be excited in me, which I fhould encounter and fubdue. Here I may be called upon to speak with undaunted resolution in some good caufe, to be ashamed of the truth before no man, to plead the caufe of the perfon unjustly accufed or calumniated, without respect of perfons: there will prudence and humanity impofe an uninterrupted filence on me, bidding me reprefs any fally of wit, though never so happy, any jeft, though never fo pleasant, which may vex or injure another. Here I meet with a perverfe being, to whom I muft yield for the fake of peace; there a quarrelfome perfon, whofe paffion I must reftrain. Here fome great or proud man, before whom I fhall not cringe; and there an humble, timid creature, whom I must not despise or confound. Here a man

of

of high defert, whom I fhall refpect, though deftitute of rank or station; there an injurious, a contemptible person, whom I fhall not flatter though surrounded by glittering pomp. Here I have an opportunity to let another fhine when I might fhine myfelf: there an opportunity to facrifice my own pleafure and conveniency to the pleasure and conveniency of another, and thus to exercife myself in felfdenial and magnanimity. And who can reckon up all the opportunities and occafions that prefent themfelves in focial life for confirming us in fome good fentiment, for exercifing ourselves in fome virtue, for refifting and weakening fome bad propenfity, and thereby for promoting our intrinfic, our spiritual perfection? Certainly he who makes his own amendment his main concern, will find opportunities and incentives to it in every company, in his intercourfe every perfon.

with

No lefs numerous are, fifthly, my pious hearers, the opportunities afforded us by focial life for being useful to others in various ways; and this alfo must give it a great value in the eyes of the benevolent and affectionate man. And, in reality, how vaft a multiplicity of fervices may we not there render to each other, and thus advance our mutual welfare! And how important are they not frequently in their consequences! We are there enabled, by inftructive, entertaining, and familiar difcourfe, to free one perfon from an error, to clear up fome doubt to another, and to remove from a third fome fcruple that

gave him pain, conduct a fourth into the track of · truth, and furnish him with an elucidation of matters it highly concerned him to know. There may we often raise the dejected, encourage the timorous, chear the defponding, advife the wanderer, give refolution to the irrefolute, information to the ignorant, warmth to the cold, and fresh vigour to the almost expiring. There may we often bring the giddy ta reflection, the flothful to activity, the frail to the fentiment and abhorrence of their failings, comfort the fallen, and animate those that are humbled by their fall to a chearful profecution of their course. There one while, a prudent and timely admonition, at another an affectionate fuggeftion, at another a friendly intreaty, at another a difcreet remonstrance, at another deferved praife, at another a powerful word of comfort, at another an encouraging and animated addrefs, at another a hearty concurrence in the defigns, an intereft in the concerns and actions of others, may obviate many faults and tranfgreffions, may ward off many a misfortune, prevent many an uneasiness, restrain and abate many a hurtful pas fion, or occafion and reward many a good deed, unite many hearts together, and open to them vari, ous fources of happinefs and joy. There often, by the prefence and operation of eminently intelligent and virtuous men, the nobleft qualities of the human heart are difplayed, and purposes brought to maturity in actual effects, which otherwife would have remained in the intention alone. And how much

1

may

may we not there effectuate by our example! What influence may we not obtain on others! When they fee and obferve the beauty, the complaifance, the generofity, the gentleness of virtue, in the lineaments of our face, in our judgments, in our whole deport-, ment; when they perceive the harmony fubfifting in all the parts of our conduct, how tranquil, how fatisfied, how chearful the enjoyment of a good confcience and the affurance of the divine approbation render us; how chearful our hopes, and rational our devotion; how refpectable, how amiable, must not virtue and piety appear to them! what an impreffion must not these observations, this fight, make on the good and the bad, on the ftrong and the weak, on the wavering and the refolute? What a falutary compunction must it not excite in one, what a generous emulation in another, what firmness and perfeverance in a third!

Social life, in short, when properly used, is productive of very many innocent and real pleasures to us. The various advantages it procures us, is already the richest and the pureft fource of them. This greater knowledge of mankind, this extenfion of our perceptions and sphere of obfervation, this approximation of our hearts and minds to each other, this inward fentiment of our mutual relationfhip, this difcipline in the nobleft fentiments and virtues, this opportunity to do good and to promote felicity; what pleasure muft it not procure to the friend of truth, the friend of virtue, the friend of mankind!