Duty; and your Guilt will be the fame, if you mif-fpend your Time, though you difcourfe upon Subjects ever so great and mo

mentous.

But, Laftly, Let us confider the Nature of Man in general, and the different Degrees of Senfe and Understanding that different Men are endowed with. This Confideration must have place in this Question, because the Tongue cannot speak better than the Understanding can conceive; which infers a Proportion between the Abilities of our Mind, and the Soundness of our Speech; the latter must be judged by the former; for a Man cannot be obliged to utter more Wifdom than God has given him.

Now to difcourfe profitably upon the most profitable Subjects requires a good Share of Reason, a clear Conception, and a diftinguishing Judgment: Without these Qualifi cations Men do but expose the noblest Subjects they take in hand; and, in proportion, there are but few Men thus qualified. I ask therefore, what muft the reft do? Would you have them chufe great and noble Subjects, which they do not underftand? Or would you have them hold their Tongues? The first, I think, they ought not to do;

the

the last I am fure they will not do. It remains then that they must talk of such Things as lie level to their Capacities, that is, of mean and every-day Subjects: For thefe Men are fitted for Society, and have a Relish of Conversation, as well as brighter Spirits, and they ought not to be excluded from it; and therefore they must be allowed to follow their Genius, which is not likely to lead to any very useful or improving Topicks of Difcourfe. It is fit, you may say, that these People fhould learn, and that others should inftruct them; fo fay I too: But to be always under Instruction is not very diverting, and not many will fubmit to it; and when Men of the fame Stamp meet together, who fhall be the Instructor?

I think it would be a good Compofition, if we could prevail fo far with the meaner People, as to restrain them from envious and malicious Discourse, from lewd and filthy Jefting, which are great Ingredients in their Conversation: For, fince God has defigned them for Society as well as you, and given them no great Share of Understanding, you can neither restrain them from Society, nor exact more Wisdom from them than they have received.

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FGH 2

This

your

This Confideration will likewife reach the Cafe of wifer Men: You must not defpife weak Brother. Charity obliges you to be civil and courteous to him; and when a Man of Understanding is joined in Society with a weak Man, the Discourse must be according to the meaneft Capacity; and it is fometimes a piece of Charity to submit to the Conversation of Men of much lefs Ability than yourself.

From all these Confiderations together then it appears, that the Conversation of the World, upon common and trivial Subjects, is not blame-worthy. It is a Diversion in which we must not spend too much Time; if we offend in this Refpect, we shall be anfwerable for the Neglect of weightier Matters; but otherwise, if we tranfgrefs not the Bounds of Innocence and Virtue, we trust in Chrift that our harmless, though weak and unprofitable Words, shall not rise up in Judgment against us.

DISCOURSE

EPHESIANS iv. 28.

Let him that ftole, fteal no more; but rather let him labour, working with his Hands the Thing which is good, that he may have to give to bim that needeth.

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HE Words now read to you make up a complete Sense, without depending upon what goes before, or comes after, They contain a Confirmation. and Explication of the eighth Commandment: For what the Apostle enjoins concerning Labour, and working with our Hands, is no more than the neceffary

H 3

Confequence

Confequence of the Command, Thou shalt not fteal. For fince all Men are equal Sharers in the Wants and Neceffities of Life, and the Things which should supply thefe Wants are unequally divided, fo that fome have more than enough, and fome much lefs; it follows, that the Neceffities of the one muft be fupplied from the Abundance of the other. Steal you must not, and give perhaps he will not. The only Way then by which you can come at the Things you want, is by Purchase or Exchange; and the only Thing a poor Man has to exchange, is the Work and Labour of his Hands: And therefore it follows as a Confequence of the Law, that fince you muft not steal, you must work, and purchafe by your Labour and Industry the Things which are neceffary for your Support and Subfiftence. In all that rich Men do, they want the Help and Affiftance of the Poor; they cannot minifter to themselves either in the Wants, or Conveniencies, or Pleasures of Life: So that the poor Man has as many Ways to maintain himself, as the rich Man has Wants or Defires; for the Wants and Defires of the Rich muft be ferved by the Labour of the Poor,

But

then