that they might have been or may be sò, but oftener from a certain generosity and tenderness of nature which difpofes us for compaffion, abftracted from all confiderations of felf: fo that without any obfervable act of the will, we fuffer with the unfortunate, and feel a weight upon our fpirits we know not why, on feeing the most common inftances of their diftrefs. But where the spectacle is uncommonly tragical, and com plicated with many circumftances of mifery, the mind is then taken captive at once, and were it inclined to it, has no power to make resistance, but furrenders itself to all the tender emotions of pity and deep concern. So that when one confiders this friendly part of our nature without looking farther, one would think it impoffible for man to look upon mifery without finding himself in fome meafure attached to the intereft of him who fuffers it-I fay, one would think it impoffible for there are fome tempers-how fhall I defcribe them? -formed either of fuch impenetrable matter, or wrought up by habitual felfishness to fuch an utter infenfibility of what becomes of the fortunes of their fellow creatures, as if they were not partakers of the same nature, or had no lot or connection at all with the species. SERMON, III. P. 43.

THE UNMERCIFUL MAN.

LOOK into the world-how often do you

behold a fordid wretch, whose strait heart is open to no man's affliction, taking fhelter behind an appearance of piety, and putting on the garb of religion, which none but the merciful and compaffionate have a title to wear. Take notice with what fanctity he goes to the end of his days, in the fame selfish track in which he at first set out-turning neither to the right hand nor to the left-but plods on-pores all his life long upon the ground, as if afraid to look up, left peradventure he should fee aught which might turn him one moment out of that strait line where intereft is carrying him ;-or if, by chance, he ftumbles upon a hapless object of distress, which threatens such a disaster to him-devoutly paffing by on the other side, as if unwilling to truft himself to the impreffions of nature, or hazard the inconveniences which pity might lead him into upon the occafion.

SERMON, III. P. 46.

PITY.

IN benevolent natures the impulse to pity is fo fudden, that like inftruments of mufic which obey the touch-the objects which are fitted to excite fuch impreffions work fo inftantaneous an effect, that you would think the will was fcarce concerned, and that the mind was altogether paffive in the fympathy which her own. goodness has excited. generally in fuch cafes fo bufily taken up and wholly engroffed by the object of pity, that she does not attend to her own operations, or take leifure to examine the principles upon which she acts. SERMON, III. PAGE 51.

The truth is the foul is

I

COMPASSION.

N generous fpirits, compaffion is sometimes more than a balance for self prefervation. God certainly interwove that friendly softness in our nature to be a check upon too great a propenfity towards felf-love.

OF the many revengeful, covetous, falfe, and ill-natured perfons which we complain of in the world, though we all join in the cry against them, what man amongst us fingles out himself as a criminal, or ever once takes it into his head that he adds to the number?-or where is there a man fo bad, who would not think it the hardest and most unfair imputation, to have any of thofe particular vices laid to his charge?

If he has the fymptoms never fo ftrong upon him, which he would pronounce infallible in another, they are indications of no fuch malady in himself-he fees what no one else fees, fome fecret and flattering circumftances in his favour, which no doubt make a wide difference betwixt his cafe, and the parties which he condemns,

What other man fpeaks fo often and vehe mently against the vice of pride, fets the weaknefs of it in a more odious light, or is more hurt. with it in another, than the proud man himself?

It is the fame with the paffionate, the designing, the ambitious, and fome other common characters in life; and being a confequence of the nature of fuch vices, and almost infeperable from them, the effects of it are generally fo grofs and abfurd, that where pity does not forbid, it is pleasant to obferve and trace the cheat through the several turnings and windings of the heart, and detect it through all the fhapes and appearances which it puts on.

SERMON, IV. p.

72.

HOUSE OF MOURNING.

LET us go into the house of mourning, made fo by fuch afflictions as have been brought in, merely by the common crofs accidents and difafters to which our condition is expofed,where, perhaps, the aged parents fit brokenhearted, pierced to their fouls with the folly and indifcretion of a thanklefs child-the child of their prayers, in whom all their hopes and expectations centered:-perhaps a more affecting fcene a virtuous family lying pinched with want, where the unfortunate fupport of it having

M 3