II. This obligation is alfo founded on that part of justice which requires veracity, and the performance of our promifes. All we, who, in the most peculiar fenfe, are members of this collegiate fociety, have folemnly engaged ourselves at our admiffion thereinto, to obferve the pious rules and ftatutes of our foundations; and do our utmost alfo to induce all others of our body to obferve the fame. And tho' the change of times and circumstances may fometimes make it lefs neceffary to urge the actual obfervance of the letter of every ancient conftitution; yet the main defign of the foundation itself, and all thofe rules and ftatutes which really tend to promote the fame, I mean, all which are neceffary or useful for the peace, the difcipline, the fobriety, and diligence of the members of the fociety; or, in fhort, are proper to encourage the good, and difcourage the bad; to advance true religion, and discountenance ungodlinefs and impiety amongst us: all these rules and ftatutes, I fay, we are to obferve inviolably; or elfe we muft needs incur the heinous fin of perjury: and be not only unjuft intruders into others poffeffions, but perfidious and forfworn perfons alfo. And tho' this obligation does chiefly belong to those who are most strictly members, and have by their own voluntary engagement and oath particularly bound themfelves to the rules and ftatutes of the fociety; yet even thofe others, who are members in a lefs degree, ought not to think themfelves, even on this account, wholly free and at liberty; the very defire and acceptance of admiffion into a fociety, which is known to be under certain laws and inftitutions, being a tacit agreement to them, and implying some kind of promife of the obfervation of the fame. So that So that upon the whole, no one among us can intirely be difengaged,

even in point of veracity and faithfulness to his promifes, from obeying the pious rules of our fociety, from the endeavouring with all zeal and fincerity to promote the great ends of this, and all other fuch like religious and charitable foundations, the advancement of virtue, learning, and true religion in the world.

III. This obligation is alfo founded upon gratitude, or the fenfe of favours beftowed upon us. And this particular, to be fure, reaches every oneof us, and ought to fecure our univerfal compliance to all that is good and ufeful in this fociety, of which we are members; and that whether we regard thofe generous founders and benefactors, by whofe immediate bounty we are maintained, or whether we go a ftep farther, and have respect to the providence of God; which is the ultimate fource and original of all our bleffings. And fure, in the first place, if we go no farther than our immediate founders and benefactors, we have fuch mighty obligations to them, as should be abundantly fufficient, even tho' they had only desired, and not at all commanded any of thofe duties which are proper in such societies; according to all the rules of generofity and good-nature, to fecure their performance. If we had been only told by their laft wills and teftaments, that they, out of a fense of God's mercy, in bestowing this world's goods upon them, and for the continual advancement of the chriftian religion, and promoting of all those sciences, thofe offices, that virtuous behaviour, and unblameable converfation, which fhould moft adorn and advance the fame; and particularly, in order to the strict and regular, the fober, pious, ftudious, and religious education of those who might afterwards enter upon the most facred function of the miniftry, and become learned and ex

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emplary preachers of the gofpel, that they, for thefe great and noble ends and purposes, did bequeath fuch large portions of their eftates for a collegiate foundation; conjuring all thofe who fhould in future ages, to the end of the world, be partakers of the benefits of their endowments, that, without any other force or tie upon them, as ever they had any fenfe of gratitude to themselves, and inclination to fulfil the laft requefts and dying words of their benefactors, they would strictly and conftantly perform the duties of their places, and anfwer the ends of their inftitution. [Nay, as ever they hoped to fee them with alacrity and comfort at the laft day.] If, I fay, we had no other obligations laid upon us, than fuch parting defires of our founders and benefactors (which are no other than the juft conftruction, if not fometimes alfo the proper fenfe of those writings, thofe wills and teftaments, by which our colleges were settled and established for us) we muft forfeit our pretence to all that is humane, if we reject these obligations of gratitude, and can refolve to behave ourfelves ftill, as if we owed no acknowledgments to them. And fhall even the moft preffing and affectionate intreaties of our beft and moft generous benefactors, have no manner of influence upon us; even when they importune us only to take care of our duty, and fo, by confequence, to fecure our prefent and our future happiness! But if this part of gratitude, which regards men, and those who are the bare inftruments of our bleffings, fhould be too weak to affect us; yet fure the other part, which regards Almighty God, the fountain and origin of all our enjoyments, will prove ftronger, and engage us effectually to a ready return of duty and obedience, in confideration of his peculiar bounty to us, and that plentiful provifion he has made for us in this place. We, indeed, can only fee

the

the external means which confer thefe benefits upon us; but cannot fo readily observe that invisible hand, which fecretly, but most properly, orders and difposes of all events, and beftows the good things of this life on whomfoever it pleaseth.

It was the complaint of God, by his prophet Hofea, Ch. ii. 8, 9, 12. concerning the people of Ifrael in their plentiful ftate, that they did not take notice of his fecret providence and bounty in that affluence they enjoyed, nor ufe it to his fervice as they ought to have done; and threatens, that, to convince them of their ingrateful and wicked miftake, he would take it away from them. She did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her filver and gold: therefore will I return, and take away my corn in the time thereof; and my wine in the feafon thereof; and will recover my wool and my flax, and will destroy her vines and ber fig-trees. And the like complaint, I am afraid, the Almighty may but too juftly take up against the prefent, as well as the past generations; nay, against us in particular, who in this place enjoy fo many of his bleffings, and are fo abundantly provided for by his gracious providence over us. And I wish we may every one be for the future fo deeply fenfible of the divine Goodnefs to us, in these our great advantages here, that eafe and fecurity; that maintenance and leifure; that freedom from the cares and troubles of life; that happy opportunity of an ingenious and learned education, as may in fome good measure correfpond to the proportion of God's mercies, and oblige us to fhew our grateful refentment of them, not only with our lips, but in our lives; not only with verbal praifes and acknowledgments, which yet are very fit and fuitable in our cafe; but with a great zeal for God's honour, with a fervent endeavour of doing good in our places, with a hearty dedication of our time and

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lives to the service of our Saviour; and, in one word, with leading a godly, a righteous, and a fober life, both during our ftay here, and in our future behaviour in the world: which are the best expreffions of our thankfulness to God; the best returns to the kindness of our benefactors; and will yield us the greatest comfort both now in our own mind, and at the laft day of account. Which brings me to the

Ild general head of my difcourfe, which is to enquire what our principal obligations themselves are; or to what duties and offices we are in particular obliged by the enjoyment of these advantages of our religious foundations. And here, be,cause the time will by no means give me leave to be at all large, I fhall confine myself to a few particulars; and only take occafion to recommend to your practice three things, the obfervance of which will be of fpecial advantage in a collegiate fociety, and will, in great part, fecure the main defigns of thefe charitable endowments.

And those three things I fhall pitch upon fhall, agreeably to the known divifion of our duty to God, to ourselves, and to our neighbours, be (1.) The conftant attendance upon the worship of God in this place. (2.) A ftrict temperance and fobriety towards ourfelves. (3.) A diligent improvement of ourselves in learning for the advantage of others.

(1.) We, who by the good providence of God are here fo plentifully maintained, and secured from the cares and bufinefs of the world, are under a mighty obligation to a conftant and serious attendance upon the worship of God in this place. This is one of the principal defigns of all retired and monaftic focieties, and was undoubtedly a main part of the intentions of our religious founders,

that