of thy law, and never use it but to ask thy pardon, and praise thy mercy. Be ye angry, and fin not. Let us not imagine, the apoftle commands us to be angry; no! he inculcates mildnefs and sweetness, almost in every epiftle, as an indifpenfable duty. St. Auguftin tells us, in this place he means, that, if the paffion of anger rifes in us, in punishment of our fins, and if we cannot hinder it, we must at least refuse our confent, endeavour to fupprefs the ftorm, and procure a calm immediately. Thus we fhall be angry, but without fin, and give no entrance to the devil. We shall stop the dangerous effects, that follow this blind and unruly paffion, that are always unseemly, and often mortal: the philofopher calls it a short madness, brevis infania; it blinds reason, it unmans us, and levels us with beafts, without underftanding, or difcourfe. Good God! How eafily do we let loose this violent paffion? for how flight provocations? A child, a domeftick, has committed a small overfight, and presently the parents, or mafter, put all the houfe into a ferment; nothing is heard but noife and clamour, but oaths and imprecations: why this tumult? It had been more wife to have overlook'd the fault, and ten times more Chriftian to have pardoned it; but, if a correction was neceffary, it should have been done in the fpirit of mildness and charity, not in that of heat and fury; charity may raise repentance, and give more caution for the future; but a reprimand, in anger, raifes indignation. O God! how often haft thou parÓ doned in me not only innocent overfights, but even malicious offences? Why then fhall I treat my inferiors with inhumanity and outrage? why fhall I correct their offences against me, by committing a real offence against thee? Thou haft recalled

recalled me from my tranfgreffions with bounty and goodness: I will imitate thy example, and perfuade my inferiors to their duty, by complying with my own.

Rather let him labour, working with his hands. The apostle diffuades us from idlenefs, by entering on some innocent employment: it is the highest folly (fays the wife man) to let one's life run out in idlenefs. An idle man is exposed to a thousand dangers, to a thousand temptations; he lies open to all the affaults of the devil, to all the allurements of flesh and blood; fo that, if no good object takes up his thoughts, bad ones will. It is ftrange to It is ftrange to fee fo many Christians idle, nay tired with their idleness; notwithstanding, have neither leifure nor patience to pray, or to hear a fermon; nay, they are always in a hurry, yet always idle, because they do nothing for heaven, which is their only bufinefs; all their youth paffes in fports and pleafures, always vain, and often criminal; and when age interrupts their diverfions, they are then idle by neceffity, as before by pleasure.

O my Saviour! what extravagance to believe what we believe, to fear what we fear, and to live as we do! All my days are paft as a fhadow, and what remains now but a coffin? But the cause of my grief is, that fo many precious moments are pafs'd in idleness and indolence, which I might have employed in the purchase of heaven: but feeing, O God, thou haft given me these faving reflections, I will from this moment change my conduct, and hope by thy grate to execute my refolutions.

GOSPEL of St. Matthew, Chap. xxii. Verfe

1. And Jefus answered, and spake unto them again by parables, and faid,

2. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his fon:

3. And fent forth his fervants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

4. Again be fent forth other fervants, Saying, Tell them which were bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready, come unto the marriage.

5. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise.

6. And the remnant took his fervants, and entreated them fpitefully, and flew them.

7. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and be fent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city.

8. Then faith he to his fervants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden, were not worthy. 9. Go ye therefore into the high ways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

10. So thofe fervants went into the high-ways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests.

11. And when the king came in to fee the guests, he faw there a man which had not on a wedding garment,

12. And he faith unto him, Friend, how cameft thou in bither, not having a wedding garment? and he was Speechless.

13. Then faid the king to the fervants, Bind him band and foot, and take him away, and caft bim into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

14. For many are called, but few are chofen.

The

TH

The MORAL REFLECTION.

HE parable fhews, that God invites all nations to the gofpel, but that all will not embrace it; and that few of thofe that are called, are chofen. The refufal, my God, lies at our own door, and confequently our reprobation; thou haft invited us, may prefs'd us to come. Thou haft fupplied us with all neceffaries; with instructions, inspirations, graces; fo that we can only complain of our own folly; we will not come; nothing is wanting but our will, to compleat our happiness.

What hindered thofe that were invited to come? One went away to his farm, another to his merchandife, Matt. xxii. 5. Temporal concerns, covetoufness, and intereft, fway'd more with them, than their eternal happiness: and fo they poftponed their only concern to beeves and agriculture.

Is not this a lively picture of our conduct, my God? Haft thou not drawn my folly to the life in this parable? Thou haft fent thy fervants to invite me to thy gofpel: they have inftructed me; they have convinc'd me there is no falvation by any other name, than that of Jefus. Why then have I refused to embrace the truth, thy goodness has revealed to me, and thy grace has fo often prefs'd me to profefs? Alas! I have had more deference for human refpects, than for thy invitation; more regard for a fortune in this world, than an eternal kingdom in the other. I will dally no more with thy goodness, nor tire thy patience with delays; I will embrace that faith, thy apoftles preached, and millions of martyrs have feal'd with their blood; I lie under the fame obligation to profefs it; thou haft made me the fame promifes; thou suppliest

the fame grace, and will, I hope, give me th fame courage and patience.

The most confiderable for wealth and honour, on trivial pretexts, refufing the invitation, the king fent his fervants into the high-way, and they gather'd all as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests.

It is not without reafon, my God, thou haft favoured the poor with a beatitude, bleed are the poor, and laid a heavy woe on the rich pride and profperity withdraw thefe from thy fervice: mifery and indigence perfuade those to embrace it hoping for nothing in this world, they raise their eyes and hearts to heaven, and refolve to be happy hereafter, tho' they are miferable here; having nothing to lofe, what have they to fear? They are below notice, and confequently out of the reach of human refpects. Luxury and vanity, that tie fo many to the world, are unknown vices to them; they are out of reach, and merely incident to those who live in grandeur and plenty. Fishermen firft preach'd thy gofpel, and the poor firft embrac'd it: in fine, thou haft defigned heaven for the poor, and left this world to the rich. I chufe to be here a Lazarus both in poverty and fickness, to fecure heaven in reverfion, rather than to be the rich glutton with his unhappy exit, the fequel of his riot and luxury.

But even all, who came to the feast, were not well received; for one ventured to appear without a nuptial garment, and the king commanded his fervants to bind him hand and foot, and to caft him into outer darkness: What does this fignify, my God, but that even all thofe, who receive thy faith and facraments, who profefs thy religion, will not be faved? alas! no! By faith we are members of thy body; but without good works we are dead; obedience to thy commands, and charity, is the nuptial