OF THE Theological Seminary, PRINCETON, N. J. Case, J^ C.-^C- Booh, -Div-LS-ion D O ISf AT I O N y,^^//^ C S-.' ^ .i:^ /^^P^^ J S E R M O N S= BY THE LATB JOHN GELLATLY5 MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT TEALING, PUBLISHED FROM THE AUTHOR S OWN MANUSCRIPT. To which is Prefixed, A SHORT ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE. aberOeen: PRINTED BT J. CHALMERS, AND CO. CASTL£STR££C. 1800. i^*,.fs-».Ai?M*J' ■■«■ *>rA ' .k '^■^■^ ' ■^ ..-,: : * •^S^sf^: CHARACTER C%|J1R. AUTHOR, BY A FRIEND. \X THEN a new publication is announced, the read- er naturally wifhes to know fomething of the writer. To gratify this defire, is the defign of the following flight fketch, which is founded on perfonal knowledge. The Revd. John Gellatly, the refpedlable author of this pofthumous volume, was born at Forgan in Fife in the year 1742. He was the fecond fon of the Revd. John Gellatly and Mrs Ifabella Scrymfoure, daughter of John Scrymfoure, Efq; of Tealing. He was edu- cated at the Grammar School of Dundee, to which city his father had been tranflated in 1 745. In early youth, he applied himfelf to learning with great dili- gence ; and foon became an eminent proficient in claiTical literature. He was fent to the univerfity of St. Andrews when only 14 years of age. In paffing through the different gradations of academical educa- tion, he made great progrefs in the feveral branches of philofophy and fcience. Mr [ii] Mr Gellatly, having brought to his favourite pro- feffional ftudy, theology, a mind richly furnifhed with the choiceft endowments of nature, duly cultivat- ed by a hberal education, and the more valuable gifts of grace, was foon diftinguifhed as an accurate, elo- quent, and able preacher. At the age of 22, he received a prefentation to the church and parifh of Tealing ; in which charge he oiE- ciated with univerfal approbation 32 years. During this period, Mr Gellatly's reputation as a clergyman was defervedly high ; and his real merit, which his diffidence long concealed, ftill higher. But the acquifition of applaufe was not his objedl ; on the contrary, he was more folicitous to improve his ta- lents, and employ them ufefuUy, than to difplay them. To glorify God on earth, by recommending and enforcing the fublime dodrines and pure precepts of the gofpel, and iinifh fuccefsfully the work of him that fent him, was his noble and well direded ambiti- on. For this honourable office he poifelTed every re- quifite qualification. His underftanding was found, his imagination chafte and correcl, his tafte fimple and pure, and his memory retentive. His converfation was lively, engaging, and inftruc- tive. Seldom has any perfon, in any ftation, discovered a more juft and dehcate fennbility to what is orderly, agreeable, and graceful in behaviour. It was evident to all that enjoyed the pleafure of his acquaintance, that [ iii 3 that his character and deportment were formed upon the principles of that divine religion, which he taught. If we fairly eftimate his intellectual endowments, his folid, manly and Chriftian virtues, his amiable manners, and his inflexible integrity, we may juftly pronounce him one of the moft refpeClable clergymen of the Scottifh church, to the interefts of which he was uniformly and warmly attached. Having performed with affiduity, and godly fince- rity, the various duties of the paftoral office, he was feized with a violent difeafe, in July, which, to the inexprefTible grief of his congregation and friends, cut him off on the i6th of Dec. 1796, in the 54th year of his age. " Bleffed are the dead, who die in the Lord." Mr Gellatly married Mifs Mary Graham, daughter of David Graham Efq; of Meiklewood, by whom he had a fon who died in his infancy, and a daughter who furvives him. '^^^mw^, # CONTENTS. SERMON I. James i. i6.— D(? not err^ my beloved brethren. i SERMON II. Heb. iii. 1 3 — But exhort one another daily ^ while it is called to-day; lejl any of youjhould be hardened through the deceitfulnefs of fin. 2 1 SERMON III. Gal. vi. 3. — If a man think himfelf to befomething^ when he is nothings he deceiveth himfelf 41 SERMON IV. James li, 23 — And he was called the friend of God. 5 1 SERMON V. Luke xix. 41, 42. — And when he was come near^ he beheld the city^ and wept over it ; faying^ If thou hadfl known^ even thou^ at leafi in this thy day^ the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 69 SERMON VI. Job xiv. I.— M^w that is born of a woman^ is of few days^ and full of trouble. ' 85 SERMON VII. I Theff, i. 2z.'^AbJiainfrom all appearance of evil. 105 SER- CONTENTS. Page SERMON VIU. 2 Cor. vii. lo^-^^For godly forrow worketh repen* iance tofalvation^ not to be repented of» 119 SERMON IX. Eph. V. 16. — Redeeming the time^ becaufe the days are evil. 137 SERMON X. Pfal. xiv. 2, 3. — The Lord looked down from hea-^ njen upon the children of men ; to fee if there were any that did imderftand andfeek God. They are all gone afide^ they are altogether become filthy ; there is none that doth good^ no not one. 155 SERMON XI. I Cor. vii. 31. — The fajhion of this world paffeth away. 171 SERMON XII. Prov. xxli. 2. — The rich and poor meet together : the Lord is the maker ofthefu all. 189 SERMON XIII. Mark vi. 6. — And he marvelled becaufe of their unbelief 215 SERMON XIV. From the fame text. ^2f7 SERMON XV. From the fame texto 259 SERMON L James i. i6. i)o not err, my beloved brethren. ^THHESE words have, it is likely, a particular refe- X rence to the error againft which the apoflle warns Chriitians, in the firfl claufe of the 13th verfe of this chapter, viz. that God tempts man to fm. That error he combats and expofes, in the fecond claufe of the verfe juft mentioned, and in the whole of the two which immediately follov/. As however it is one which man- kind in general, naturally eager to excufe their guilt, have ever been prone to entertain, in one fhape or other; and as, poffibly, it was common among thofe to whom the apoflle was writing, he repeats his caution m a very ftrong and affedlionate manner, in our text : Bo not err, my beloved brethren. It will not however, I pre= fume, be deemed improper, if we confider the words in a more extenfive view, and as an exhortation to beware of error in religion in general. .This is the view in which the words appear when coniidered by them- felves; and it is reafonable to think, that it was in- cluded in the defign of the apoflle, who, from the men^ B tion '2 SERMON I. tion of one grofs error of which the people to whom he was writing were in danger, was naturally led to put them on their guard againft error of every kind. W6 fhall therefore underftand the apoflle here as if he had faid, " Do not err in the above-mentioned, or in any " other refped." Error in religion, then, fliall be the fubjedl of our difcourfe. In treating it, we fhall do thefe two things : Firft, fhew you the evil and danger of it : Secondly, lay down rules for preventing it. I. I Ihall fhow you the evil and danger of it. Now this I ihall do by making it appear, that it is diflionour- able to our underftanding, and dangerous both to our morals and our hopes. I. It is difhonourable to our underftanding. Error means literally deviation or wandering; and in fad when the underftanding errs, it wanders from its pro-= per end and aim. That power has truth for its proper obje6l as much as the will and affections have good and beauty for theirs. It is fitted for the fearch of truth, and in the difcovery of it does it find its chief pleafure and improvement. To mifs that objedl, therefore, and to entertain error or fidion in its place, in every cafe at leaft where we might and ought to have prevented it^ muft be as truly diflionourable to the underftanding, as to approve of evil, and to dote on deformity, w^ould be to the will and aftedlions. Accordingly, though flight miftakes only excite our fmiles, yet we feldom obferve the grofs errors of others without contempt or pity, and feldom perceive and acknowledge our own without fhame and reludance. All this is applicable in a particular manner to error in religion. Religious or divine truth is, above all others, the food of the foul, the great objecl of the un- derftanding ; as it is of all truth the moft fublime, the moft SERMON I. 3 moll: important, and the molt neceiTary. It relates im- mediately to God, the greateit and the beft of beings, the creator and governor of the univerfe, ^nd in parti- cular the author of our own exiftence, a^d of all the advantages which we epjoy. Jt includes, or is mod intimately conneded with, the knowledge of ourfelves, of our duty, and of our happinefs. Plence revelation tells us, that this truth is far fuperior to all human wif- dom, and the nobleft acquifition we can make in the prefent flate. Let not the wife man glory in his wifdom, — but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that be under- Jlandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord^, Hence, too, it reprefents the perfection and felicity of that ftate to which it bids us afpire, as chiefly ariiing from this circumitance, that there the whole field of divine truth fliall be laid open to us, that we Jhall then fee face to face, and know even as alfo we are known\. If there- fore error, even in thofe branches of knowledge which are comparatively remote from us, be in foine degree fliameful, how difgraceful muft it be in that branch, which we were fent iato the world to cultivate, and which in every view forms the proper ftudy of man- kind! This reafoning is confirmed by our feelings. The grofs errors of the ancient heathen, who changed the glory of the incorruptible God, i?ito an image, made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four footed beqflsy and creeping things: — rwho alfo changed the truth of God into a lie, and worfoipped andferved the creature more than the Creator : the errors of thofe men, I fay, fill our minds with a mixture of wonder and contempt. And when we read the hiltory of the herefies of the Chrifiian church, efpecially thofe which difgraced the middle * Jer. ix. 23, 24. f 1 Cor. xlii. 12. and 4 ' SERMON L and darker ages, do we not feel for the honour of hu^ man nature, and blulh to think that it fhould have, been capable offuch extravagance? 2. Error is hurtful to our morals^ With refped to error in our notions of morality, which is fometimes confidered as a part of rehgion, there can- not be the leall doubt that this is the cafe ; it corrupts our pradice immediately and inevitably. But the fame thing may be affirmed, with a great degree of confi- dence, concerning error in rehgion ftridly fo called. Such error generally poifons morals at the root, and corrupts us both in principle and in praclice. Of this we have evidence in almofl every form of religion that has exifted. The heathens entertained very falfe and difhonour- able notions of the Deity : they imagined to themfelves a variety of gods, and thefe labouring under many im- perfedions both natural and moral. The confequence was, they often pradlifed the moil infamous vices as rite^ of worfhip, and excufed their own crimes from the ex- ample of thofe of their deities. Among the Jews, the Pharifees received many erroneous traditions down from their fathers ; and by thefe, as our Saviour told them, and proved by particular initances, they made void the law of God. Again, the Sadducees erred fun- damentally in denying the exillence of angels, of fpirits, and of a refurredion. Their moral condud was jufl fuch as might be expeded from thefe principles, or ra- ther this wa^t of principle, and, as an hiftorian of their own nation informs us, exceedingly profligate and de- bauched. The followers of Mahomet are taught to ex- pert fenfual pleafures in heaven : the effed of this is, nor, SERMON I. 2 por need we wonder at it, fuch pleafures form the great objecl of their purfuit on earth. In our own religion we might give many inflances of the fame kind. What numbers have been led into li- cencioufnefs from extravagant notions of the mercy of God, and into defpair from equally falfe notions of his juilice ? What frauds and iniquities have derived their being and their fanclion from this poiition— a pious end fandiiies the means ? And has not the error, that con- fcience is fubjed to human cognizance, been the chief fource of perfecution, and, in the eyes of feme, rendered even murder itfelf meritorious. We give only another inilance, that to which the apoftle has a particular eye in our text, that God tempts man to fm. If God tempt man to fin, he is the author of lin ; if he be the author of it, man cannot be punifhed for it ; and if he cannot be punillied for it, he may commit it without dread or remorfe. Thus does this one miilake lead by a few direct fleps, to the utter fubverfion of the whole moral law. Yes, my friends, it is not in religion as it is in mofl other branches of knowledge, where a man may believe or not believe, believe this or that opinion, without be- ing influenced either to virtue or vice. There is an in- timate conneclion between our faith and our pradice ; the former is the ground- work of the latter ; and it would be almoft as great a folecifm in religion to at- tempt to eftablilli a pure pradlice without a pure faith, as it Vv^ould be in building to attempt to raife a ftrudure in the air, or v/ithout a proper foundation. Nay we may venture to affirm, that though there is fome reafon for the common diflindion of religious principles into fpeculative and pradical, yet by far the greater part of thofe principles is of the latter kind : und that to this kind 6 SERMON I, kind may be referred, without exception, all the pecu- liar dodtrines of the gofpeL It is likely we fhall be told here, that confcience will be a fufficient check upon corrupt principles in re-, ligion. But, alas I it is much to be feared, with regard at leaft to the greater part of mankind, that if wx take away religion, confcience will prove but a feeble guard to virtue! It is true notions and juft imprellions of God, of providence, and of a future flate, which arm that povv^er with a whip and fcorpions, and give to its re- monflrances all the energy of the voice of heaven. Without thefe it is generally a w^eak and defpifed mo- nitor. The boailed fenfe of honour, or a regard to re- putation, and even the dread of human laws, will alfo in many cafes be found ineffeciual for the purpofe men- tioned. We allow that thefe are of great ufe, and that in a variety of fituations they ferve as powerful reilraints on human depravity ; but it is plain that they are not principles of conftant operation, and fuch as neceflarily influence ,us at all times, and in all circumitances ; and w^hen they do fail us, they leave our rehgious errors to adl upon us with all their unhappy force. Neither can it here be alleged with reafon, that many who admit erroneous principles rejed the immoral con- fequences of fuch principles; and as a proof of this, that the morality of all religions is nearly the fame. We al- low the truth of the fads mentioned, but deny the con- fequence meant to be drawn from them. Men truly good will indeed endeavour to preferve themfelves, and will through the grace of God be preferved, from mak- ing their wrong opinions the means of difgracing their profellion and charader (though even this does not liold in every cafe) i but it is much to be feared that the greater SERMON r. j greater part of thofe who aflume a profeflion of religion, will ad very differently. The Pharifees received the whole ten commandments as well as we do; but we know, that their falfe tenets in religion not only enabled them to break fome of the greateft of thofe command- ments with a quiet confcience, but alfo to teach others to do the fame. The church of Rome profelfes to receive all the precepts of the gofpel equally with any church of the reformation : but what avails that, if the dodrines of difpenfations, indidgences, penances, and the exchange of duties, enable her teachers to loofe the obligation of thofe precepts on all fuch occalions as they fee proper? The truth is, when men come to entertain notions in rehgion inconfiilent with the plain written law of God, their lulls and paffions will, on every ftrong temptation, prompt them to take advantage of that circumilance, and to explain the divine law by their own falfe notions. They will hence be led to make an exception of the par- ticular cafe in hand from the general rule, and thus, by a wretched cafuiitry, go on to the breach of duty with^ out fear or compunction. Thus deep do religious errors draw ! They are not. thofe harmlefs, thofe indifferent things which many are apt to imagine : they may corrupt our confcience, per- vert our reafon, and, ere we are aware, involve us in guilt and ihame. In many cafes, they may prove more pernicious than abfolute ignorance, and equally odious with a dired violation of the rule of duty. It has been faid, that the worft herefy is a wicked life : but furely when herefy leads to a wicked life, it is no lefs dangerous, and no lefs the proper object of our caution. And what fliould make us the more careful to guard againfl it in this view is, that of all corruptions thofe which have their fource in error are the moil difficult to be cured, Vv^hen 8 SERMON I. When men have to plead for their faults, only the llrength of paffion, temptation, or furprife, they are, in their calm moments at lead, fenfible of the evil of thofe faults, and acceffible to reproof: but when they can, as they think, excufe them from principle, and fliew that their religion permits fuch liberties, they commit them without remorfe, and refufe to be correded. 3. Error is dangerous to our hopes. This appears in fome meafure from the obfervations which v/e have jufl been making ; but it may be fully proved in another way, and from the confideration of error limply as fuch. We are far from alTerting that this is the tendency of all error whatever ; but we aflert that it is the tendency of all fuch as rejed:, or are in- confiilent with, the elTential and fundamental princi- ples of our religion ; and which we are furnifhed with fufficient means of avoiding. That there are principles of the kind jufl mentioned, or fuch as are neceifary to be beheved in order to our being entitled to the charader and hopes of a Chrillian, is acknovvl edged by all parties. Moil of the different parties indeed into which the Chriftian world is divided, are averfe to fpecify thofe principles, and when they do it, are apt to run intO' extremes ; fome reducing them to a very fmall number, and others multiplying them be- yond truth and reafon. But whoever admits the ne- cellity of revelation mufl, to be confiflent with himfelf, allow that fome parts of that revelation are neceffary to be believed. Scripture itfelf puts the matter beyond all doubt, by defcending to mention fome of thofe indif- penfable articles : that Chriil is the Son of God, that he came in the flefli, that he died for our fins, that he rofe from the dead, that we are accepted of God in and through SERMON I. V 9 through hun, and that faith, repentance and holmefs are neceffary to our falvation ; thefe among others are fundamental articles of a Chriftian's faith, according to the declaration of the New Teftament itfelf. If we err then in thofe, it is plain the confequence muft be fatal, and our hopes, like thofe of the hypocrite, muft periih. Agreeably to this, fcripture not only fpeaks of cla??inabie berefies, but fometimes fixes an ana- thema on fuch as dare to reje^l or deny fome of the particulars we have mentioned. But to prove the danger of error of any kind in re- ligion, it is neceffary to (hew that we are provided with fufficient means of coming to the knowledge of the truth. To condemn a man for involuntary and unavoidable error, would be as abi'urd and cruel, as to condemn him for any defed or deformity of body j in both cafes he is alike the objed, not of blame but of compafTion. On the other hand, and with refped to errors that are voluntary, error and fm become al- mod the fame thing, and we are punifhable for the one as well as for the other. Now, we maintain that errors in the great eflentials of religion are of this lat- ter kind. The means of inilrudion which God has appointed for this purpofe are fufficient, and, in this land of light and liberty at lead, placed within the reach of every perfon who is willing to make ufe of them. Scripture, as we have feen, contains a full de- claration of all the articles of faith that are neceffary ; and aflerts its own clearnefs in this refped, telling us, that it is able to make us wife unto falvation. An or- der of men has been fet apart for the important ofEce of public inftrudors in thefe matters, and God has C promifed 10 SERMON I. promifed to alFifl: them in the execution of that ofEcc even to the end of the world. To fupply every defed in external, teaching, v^e are aflfured of being favour- ed with the enlightening aids of the holy fpirit, if we afk them in faith, and are actuated by a fmcere defire of moral improvement. Let me add, that as the gof- pel was revealed for the benefit of the low and illiterate, which are by far the moll numerous clalTes of mankind, as well as for that of the high and learned ; it would not be confident with the divine wifdom and goodnefs to fuppofe that thofe parts of that religion which are neceifary to falvation, are either very numerous, very intricate, or not delivered with fufficient plainnefs. It is indeed molt reafonable to fuppofe, and I prefume the candid and intelligent on all fides will agree in it, that ic is with religion as it is with thofe profeilions which are mod neceifary to the fupport and well-being of na- tural life j thofe principles and rules which are chiefly requifite to the accomplifhment of its great end, are foon and eafily learned, and the difliculties which are to be found in it, relate only to its circumftances, its niceties, and its refinements. If this be the cafe, error in matters of importance mufl be ultimately and originally from choice, from criminal negligence, or from a rooted averfion to the truth. If our go/pel be hid, it is hid only tofuch as are loft ; and if we remain in darknefs, the caufe mufl be, that we love darknefs ra- ther than light. The fecond head was to lay down fome general rules for the prevention of error. Let me here ihortly premife, that it is not to be ex- peded that any rules whatever , will prefer ve us from error SERMON I. II error in every degree. Infallibility is the prerogative of God only : with refpedl to man, the common ob- fervation is certainly a true one, and applicable to reli- gion as well as to other things, To err is human. Would we however guard againft all errors of dange- rous confequence, let us obfervfe the rules following. I. Let us feek after truth in its fource : let us fearch the fcriptures. It is only in thefe, by the acknow-- ledgement of Chriftians of all denominations, that di- vine truth is to be found with certainty. Reafon, philofophy, and forms of human authority, may be of ufe to illuftrate that truth ; but to draw our notions originally from any of thefe fources, or to fhape the doctrines of chriflianity fo as to make them fquare with any received fyilem, is to advance the fervant to the place of the mailer, and a ready v/ay to run into a mif- take. The facred ftream, in pafling through the pureft human channels, is in danger of being tainted with hu- man imperfedion. 7^e do err^ faid our Saviour, riot knowing the fcriptures"^* Beware^ lays the ^oftle Paul, leji any ?nanfpoil you through philofophy and vain deceit^ after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Chriji\, It was a want of atten- tention to thefe admonitions, and an attempt to blend philofophy with chriflianity, that was one of the chief caufes [of the corruption of the latter ; in the early ages of the church. And as in thofe things, which fcripture reveals to us, we are flri6tly to adhere to its declarations ; fo in thofe V, hich it has thought fit to coneal, Vv^e are to remain * Matt. xxii. 29. f Col. ii. 0. C 2 contented 12 SERMON I. contented with our ignorance. It has, in a general way, revealed to us the myftery of the trinity and fome others ; but men have not refted fatisfied with believ- ing the general truths ; they have attempted particular explanations. Hence all the miftakes, abfurdities, and blafphemies, which have been uttered on thofe fubjedls. Let us never attempt to be wife beyond what is written. This is the firfl and great rule for avoiding error : without the obfervance of this, all our after care would not only be ufelefs, but pernicious, and lead us the farther from our aim. 2. Let us fearch after truth with fincerity. Let us fearch for it, not merely to gratify curiofity, or to minifter to our vanity ; but chiefly from a love to the truth itfelf, and a defire to follow it wherever it fhall lead us. If any perfon may hope for the divine affift- ance on fuch an occafion, it is furely the man who a6ls from fuch a pious and laudable motive. Befides, fuch a perfon will naturally be more quick fighted and more induflrious, to difcover the truth, as well as more ready to embrace it when is difcovered. . 3. Let us dived ourfelves of all undue influence. It is not enough that the veflfel (lands diredly towards her port, and even with a favourable wind ; the MU ful pilot knows, that he mufl: alfo guard againfl: the operation of tides and currents, which though per- haps fecret and infenfible, may not only put him out of his courfe, but even occafion his fliip wreck. In like manner, we mufl: not only enter upon our inquiries af- ter truth in a proper diredion, and with a fmcere de- fire of knowing it ; would we attain our end, we mufl alfo SERMON I. 13 alfo be on the watch againft every thing that might bias or pervert our judgement. We mufl not only be honefl, but take care that we be not milled. This requires a more particular confideration. Let us lay afide prejudice. Though a man be well difpofed, yet if he be not flridly on his guard, preju- dice will in fome degree pervert or weaken his judge- ment. It is like a falfe medium which difcolours the objed of fight, though the condition of the eye beper- fedly good. What abfurdities have been, and are every day received and maintained, from prejudice of education, of authority, of party, and of antiquity ? a fubjedion to the power of thefe, has indeed tranfmitted error from generation to generation, and been the grand obftrudlion to the progrefs of divine truth, in every age. It is a mental flavery condemned by fcrip- ture itfelf, which exhorts us to ufe our own under- ftanding, to judge of ourfelves, and to try the fpirits, and beftows great praife on fuch as condud themfelves in that rational manner. Let us fubdue our paffions. The underflanding, in order to difcover truth, muft be calm ; but when under the influence of paffion it is diilurbed, and like the fur- face of the waters in a ftorm, makes every objed ap- pear unnatural and diftorted. A love of admiration, a love of novelty, refentment, and curiofity, have, it may be affirmed without a breach of charity, given birth to many abfurd tenets in religion, and contribut- ed both to their fpread and continuance. Let us keep a flrid: rein on our imagination. A warm imagination, it is well known, has often cor- rupted philofophy ^ and thofe who are acquainted with C3 the 14 SERMON I. the hiftory of the church, will readily own that it has been no lefs hurtful to the interefts of religion. It de- h'ghts in figure and metaphor ; and hence, purfuing thofe of fcripture to an improper length, it has wander- ed wide from the mind of the holy ghoft, and loft itfelf in a creation of its own. By prefenting its ftrong and lively images to the mind, it has fometimes begotten a perfuafion of divine infpiration, and been the parent of enthufiafm ; and enthufiafm we know is fertile in miftake. By the force of imagination too, fome infi- del writers have been able to clothe feveral of the doc- trines and fads of our religion in a ridiculous garb, and in that garb to hold them forth to the world ; by which means they have not only impofed on them- felves, but unhappily alfo, on many of the young, the thoughtlefs and the gay, whofe imagination is ever ftronger than their judgement. Let us next endeavour to conquer our pride. Pride, efpecially that which confifts in a high opinion of our own underftanding, is a ftrong bar to our improve- ment in knowledge of every kind, in as much as it per- fuades a man that he is already fufficiently inftruded. But a reafon may be aftigned for its operating in this manner in religion, with pecuHar force. Many of the truths of the gofpel prefs hard on this tumour of the mind, and place human nature in a very humbling, tho' in a very juft point of view : they reprefent it as much impaired in all its faculties, and as funk both in igno- rance and fm. This made the Greeks defpife the doftrines of the crofs as fooliflmefs, in ancient times; and in our day, it feems to have the fame efFe£t on many who profefs chriftianity. Let SERMON I. 15 Let us, in the lafl: place, beware of the mfluence of an evil confcience. Erroneous principles, as we faw a little ago, lead to bad practices ; but it is no lefs true, that bad pradices lead to erroneous principles. When men depart from the road of virtue, and feel a ftrong inclination to continue in their devious courfe, they naturally, and for their own quiet, feek about for principles by which they may juftify, at leaft ex- cufe themfelves ; and fuch is the influence of our wifh- es on our opinions, that if the cafe be not very glaring, there is a great probability of their finding them. The apoflle Paul tells us of fome in his time, who having -put away a good confcience^ made Jhipwreck of faith. The fame circumflance would perhaps, upon examination, be found the caufe, not only of much of the deifm of our times, but alfo of the loofer tenets of many who call themfelves Chriftians. 4. To avoid error, we ought to proceed in our inqui- ries after truth with deUberation and diligence. Pre- cipitation and negligence are the caufes of half the errors men entertain, as well as of half the faults they commit. Though truth in matters of chief impor- tance be generally attainable without much difficulty, yet it is not always fo by one glance of the eye, in re- ligion more than in other things. God has thought fit to reveal it to us in fuch a manner as to furnifh fome occafion for the exercife of meditation and reafoning ; by which means our minds are not only improved in general, but alfo receive from the truth deeper and more lading impreffions. If then we will judge hafli- ly and without proper examination, it will be no won- C 4 der l6 SERMON !• der if we fhall fometimes judge wrong, and grofsly miflake one thing for another. Hence the earneft and repeated exhortations in fcripture, to hear, to feek, to wait for, to fearch after, and to take heed to divine truth. Laflly, let us implore the illuminating influences of the fpirit of God. This is a rule for preventing error, delivered by God himfelf; if any of you lack wifdom^ lei him afk it ofGod^ that givetb to all men liberally^ and up- hraideih not.* To encourage our compliance, it is immediately fubjoined, and it fhall he given him. How neceflary it is, that we comply with it, will appear to every one who confiders how few there are in compa- rifon, who have ftrength of mind fufficient to diveft themfelves of all undue influence, and to enquire after truth, with that calmnefs and integrity of fpirit, which we have jufi: been recommending. Let it then be our frequent confefTion and prayer, Who can underfiand his errors? Thy fpirit is good; lead us into the land of liprightnefs. Conclufion. From what has been faid we may learn the reafonablenefs and advantage of eflablifhing ftan- dards of orthodoxy. If error be fo difhonourable in its nature, and if it may be fo dangerous in its confe- quences, as we have endeavoured to fliew, it is certain- ly a matter of great importance to prevent it ; and as the meafure juft mentioned is evidently well calculat- ed for that purpofe, to adopt it is not only juft and advantageous, but in a manner neceflary. Farther, and nearly conne6led with the lafl: obfer- vatioD, * James i. 5. SERMON I. ij vation, we may infer, how much the duty of guarding againfl error is incumbent on every minifter of the gofpel. Private Chriftians are concerned almofl fole- ly for themfelves, and if they err^ to ufe the language of Job, their error generally remaineth with them. But minifters are leaders of others, and if the bhnd lead the blind, both muft fall into the ditch. Befides, the fuperior advantages which they manifeftly enjoy for the difcovery of divine truth, render their errors much more criminal than thofe of other men : if the light that is in them he darknefsy how inexcufable as well as per- niciousy muji that darknefs be! Again, from the view we have taken of error, we may juftly conclude, my reverend Fathers and Bre- thren, how necelTary it is for us frequently to preach on the doctrinal, as well as on the pradical parts of our religion. We have feen the bad tendency of miftake in the former of thefe, even with refped to morals. To confine our attention therefore to the latter, would be fomewhat like attempting to cure the difeafe by at- tacking it in its external fymptoms, while we left it undifturbed in its feat, and ufed no endeavours to rec- tify the conftitution : or ic would be like attempting to preferve the purity of the ftream by keeping clean its channel, while we utterly negleded its fountain- head. Nor let us content ourfelves here with fimply un- folding the truth ; let us watch the rife, let us found the alarm, and endeavour diredly to flop the progrefs, of error. And the times in which we live will in this f efpeft afford fome of us fcope enough for the exer- cife l8 SERMON I. cife of our zeal. We boafl of our living in an enlight- ened age, and in fome meafure not without juflice; but with regard to thofe branches of knowledge, in which light is of the greatefl: importance, candid pofterity, perhaps, willfcarce approve our faying. The fcepticifm wbichfome writers have attempted to introduce into re- ligion and morals, the notion of the indiiference of all religious opinions and forms, the rejection of what are commonly called the peculiar doclrines of Chriftiani- ty, the de|iial of the divinity of our Saviour, the be- lief of materialifm : thefe, and other miftakes of the greatefl: importance, have, it is well known, been pro- pagated of late years, efpecially among people of rank, with no fmall degree of zeal and fuccefs. But befides thefe, which fome of us may feldom have an opportu- nity of combating, there are others which may be cal- led the vulgar errors in religion, and which pervade almofl: every rank in life. In general they are fuch as have a tendency to turn the doctrines of grace into li- centioufnefs, and to fubftitute the exercifes of piety for the duties of morality, and to throw the blame of hu- man conduct upon the appointments of heaven : thefe we can fcarcely expofe too often. Let me only add, that in the difcharge of this part of duty, whether in the pulpit, from the prefs, or in converfation, it is neceiTary to condud ourfelves with prudence. Let us, in all our endeavours of this kind, mix the wifdom of the ferpent with the harmlefsnefs of the dove. Let us avoid all afperity ; let us pre- ferve a perfeft calm of temper ; let us be juft to the merit of our adverfary ; let u« be charitable to his in- tentions. SERMON I. 19 tentions. This would fhew him, that we aimed not at vidlory, but at truth and his edification ; of confe- quence it would remove his prejudices, engage his love to us, and fecure us an attentive and favourable hearing. Thus might we be happy inftruments of con- averting the firmer from the error of his way^ offaving a foul from deaths and of hiding a midtitude of fins. SERMON II Heb. iii. I Bat exhort one another daily^ while it is called to- day; leji any of you be hardened through the decertfulnefs of fin. TT is, I prefume, unlverfally acknowledged, that here we are in a ftate of trial. There is one thing how- ever relating to that ftate, of which, though it be of great importance, many of us, it is to be feared, are not fufficiently aware. It is this ; our trial does not arife merely from the ftrength of the temptations to which we are expofed, but alfo, and in a great mea- fure, from the art with which thofe temptations are conduced. Yet this is a point about which Scripture leaves us no room to doubt. All our fpiritual adver- faries are there reprefcnted, as no lefs formidable on account of their cunning, than of their power, and of their violence. The tempter, as Satan is fometimes emphatically called, is defcribed as uniting to the rage of the lion the fubtilty of the ferpentj and correfpon- dent 22 SERMON II. dent to this, we fometimes read of his wiles, of his depths, of his fnares, and of his devices. Wicked men are mentioned in almcft the fame terms; and we are warned againfl the enticement of fmners, and the cunning craftinefs of fuch as go about to deceive. — Our Saviour fpeaks of the deceitfulnefs of ri hes ; the apoftle Paul, in another pafTage, of the deceivablenefs of unrighteoufnefs ; and we fee, that in our text the chief fubjed to which the fame apoflle direds our at- tention is, the deceitfulnefs of fm : But exhort one another dally ^ Effr. In difcourfmg from thefe words, I fhall I. Endeavour to expofe the deceitfuhefs of fm ; il, I fhall ihew you the tendency of that quality of fin to produce the unhappy eifedl oi hardening us ; III. I fhall illuftrate and urge the meafure here re- commended to prevent that effect, exhort one another daily; Laflly, I fliall makefome application of the fubjed. I. I fhall endeavour to expofe the deceitfulnefs of fm. Let us begin with fixing the notion of it. By the deceitfulnefs of fin, I underftand the various means by which the malignity and danger of fm are often in a conliderable degree concealed from us, and by which, of confequence, we are feduced into the com- mifTion of it. Now thefe means are chiefly, certain falfe colours under v^^hich it appears to us, and which, in flriclnefs of fpeech, are not affumed by fm (for that implies thought and defign) but are communicated to it, by the opinions and example of the w^orld, by the flrength of our own pafTions and imaginations, and by the artifices of our great fpiritual adverfary. Now SERMON II. 23 Now, I. Sin fometimes deceives us. with the appear- ance of being harmlefs or indifferent. To mention a few particulars. Some vices excufe themfelves under the pretence of their being natural : for can there be any thing ofFenfive or unbecoming, we are ready to ailv, in following nature ? Others conceal their deformity under the name of cuftom, (1 mean common practice) or perhaps the ft ill more powerful one of fafhion. — Thefe are two of the moft fatal fnares of fm : for many, either dreading the charge of fingularity, or too indolent and unprincipled to examine for them- felves, chufe as the eafieft rule of life, and that which folves every cafe at once, the practice of others ; and to fuch perfons, common and uncommon, fafhionable and unfafliionable are almoft the only right and wrong. — Nearly conneded with the circumftance laft mention- ed, and almoft equally pernicious, is the influence of authority. If a man, eminent in ftation, or of a fa- cred profeftion, or of reputation for fanftity, depart from the rules of religion and virtue in any remark- able inftance, he draws numbers after him, who pre- tend to think that they can do nothing wrong in fol- lowing fuch a pattern. Once more, do not fome very ferious evils infinuate themfelves into our favour, un- der the innocent appellation of amufement? To call a thing diverfion, it has been faid, reconciles us to tire- fome infipidity. But I believe that every perfon ac- quainted in any tolerable degree with human hfe, will acknowledge that the fame expedient, fimple as it may appear, as often engages us to witnefs, or to mix, in fcenes which are too well fitted to inflame cur paf- ftons, to pervert our judgment, and in many other re- fpeds 24 SERMOK It. fpe£ts to corrupt our morals. Thus do men fcatter firebrands, arrows and death, and think to excufe all by faying. Are we not in fport ? They do not refled that a thing may be confidered by the world, and pre- fented to us, in a fmgle point of view that is innocenc, while initfelf itis in fo me material refpeds exceeding- ly criminal. 2. Sin fometimes deceives us by appearing as a mark of fuperior parts and fpirit. It is a notion too common among young people, and too little difcouraged by thofe whom age and experience ought to have made wifer, that wildnefs and dillipation in youth are proofs of uncommon underftanding and vivacity, and even no bad prognoRics of future eminence. This is a no- tion equally falfe and pernicious. That there are to be found fome young perfons, of great vigour of mind, and yet much enflaved to vice, is unhappily true. — = This however is only a proof, that tho' the parts of fuch perfons may be ftrong, their paffions are ftill ftronger, and their tempers exceeding violent. Befides, I doubt not but it would appear upon examination, that a good underftanding, and even a proper fpirit, excepting where they have been corrupted by the ex- ample or principles of others, are commonly attended with a confiderable regard to virtue. — Farther, tho' many inftances may be produced of men, who, having wafted their youth in vice and idlenefs, have, after all, made a diftinguiihed figure both in virtue and learn- ing ; yet we dare affirm, that many more inftances may be produced, of men, who having pafled their youth in the manner juft mentioned, have continued their career through each fuccelTive ftage of life, and funk at: SERMON II. 25 at laft in fhame and mifery. — It is no lefs true, that the greater number of thofe who have rifen to eminence, are perfons who had fpent the fir ft part of life in a virtuous application to the duties and exercife? pro- per at that period. Common fenfe, as well as reli- gion, fays it muft be fo. Youth is the fit feafon for cultivating both the underftanding and the heart: and, generally fpeaking, it holds true with regard to this life as well as to the next, whatfoever a manfoweth^ that jhall he alfo reap, 3. Sin fometimes deceives us even under the ap- pearance of religion and virtue. This, it muft be owned, is a bold ftroke of infernal policy. It corref- ponds however to the general charader of the grand deceiver and his minifters. Satan himfelfh transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his minijlers alfo he transformed as the minifters of righteoiif nefs*. But, to proceed to our illuftration. Have we not fometimes feen avarice and felfifhnefs pafs for pru- dence and economy ; oftentation and wafteful extra- vagance, for charity and extenfive generofity ; fenfua- lity and intemperance for fociablenefs and good hu- mour ; pride and infolence for dignity and fpirit ; and criminal compliance for complaifance and difcretion ? Have we not obferved fpleen and cenforioufnefs (bel- ter themfelves under the fandified appearance of zeal for God's glory, and compaiTion for the fouls of men? Who knows not, that in many of thofe circles which pretend to give the law in fentiment and manners, profanity too often pafTes for wit, and infidelity for D freedom * 2, Cor. xf. I4> 15. ^6 SERMON II. freedom of thought ? Do we not ahiioft every day hear of men going forth to gratify the moft lavage re- venge, and to commit the moft deliberate murder, un- der the pretence of maintaining their honour ? Such is the power of names, when we are difpofed to favour them ! They can change a thing into its con- trary, and make the law of God fubvert itfelf. Per- haps the fms and vices fpecified, bear, in fome circum- ftance, a diftant or fpurious refemblance to thofe duties and virtues, the names of which we think proper to beftow upon them ; perhaps they are thofe duties and virtues carried to excefs ; and men, eager to catch at any thing which feems to juftify their evil inclinations, heighten the refemblance into a perfedl famenefs. 4, Sin fometimes impofes upon us by appearing ne- ceffary or unavoidable. Thus fome vicious inclina- tions plead for indulgence, that they were born with us, that they are conftitutional, and that therefore it is vain to think of refifting them ; and too often are thefe pleas allowed. At other times, the ftrength of temptation is confidered in the fame view. Many readily grant, that they are bound to a ftri£b obfer- vance of the law of God in all ordinary cafes, but feem to think, that where their temporal intereft is deeply concerned, that where they are tempted either by the fears of great inconvenience, or the hopes of great advantage, they are to be confidered as under compulfion ; and that if they tranfgrefs, the blame is not to be thrown upon themfelves, but upon their fitu- ation ; it is their poverty and not their will that confents. Even the decrees of heaven are fometimes called down to excufe the guilt of men, and fome are neither a- fliamed SERMON II. 27 ihamed nor afraid to talk of their mifcondufl, as if, like the events of life, it were their lot^ and the appoint- ment of an over-ruling providence. But, let us not be deceived. God indeed knows our frkme and our circumftances, and will make every allowan^^ for us that either the one or the other of them requires. Let not however any man fay, that he is impelled to fm, while he is confcious that though he runs into guilt with violence, yet it is with full choice. Let him not blame the counfels of heaven, while he knows the evil counfel of his own heart. Nor finally, let him pretend the force of external temptation, while it is likely he makes no efforts to refift that force ; while he knows, and yet negleds to afk, the aids of grace to render his refiftance effe6:ual ; and while he is fully apprized, that whoever loves any thing in this world more than he loves his Saviour, is not worthy of him. 5. Sin fometimes feduces us under the appearance of a trial or experiment, to give us the mod fatisfadory convidion of the vanity and folly of fmful delights,* or in general to enlarge our minds, and improve us in wifdom. There feems to have been fomething of this nature, in the firft temptation that ever prefented itfelf to man. . And when the woman f aw, that it was a tree to he dejired to make one wife^Jhe took of the fruit thereof and dideat^. This feems to have had its fharetoo in cor- rupting king Solomon. I fought in mine heart to give myfelf unto wine, (yet acquaiyiting mine heart with wif- dom) and to lay hold on folly, till I might fee what was D 2 that * Gen.iii, 6. 28 SERMON ir. that good for the fons of men ^ which they fhould do under the heaven, all the days of their life*^ If ever fm fhould approach you under this appearance, awake all your vigilance. Confider, that this is one of the mod art- ful and mod fatal of the many difguifes which it af^ fumes, particularly that, as we have feen, it robbed us of our original innocence, and occafioned us the lofs of paradife, and was fatal even to the wifefl of in- fpired men. Sin, in a few words, is like a vaft and devouring whirlpool ; we approach it perhaps out of merecuriofity, and to examine it with a more minute attention. While thus engaged, we are, by a gentle and almod imperceptible motion, brought Hill nearer to it. We are next drawn within the fphere of its fudion, when it carries us rapidly round, and foon plunges us to the bottom. The particulars mentioned hitherto are moftly pe- culiar to fms of diiFerent kinds ; thofe of which we are now to take notice, are common to (ins of every kind, or to fm in general. 6. Sin deceives us by its fmall beginnings. When men are tempted to the commiffion of heinous crimes at the firft, they reject the thoughts of fuch crimes with abhorrence, and are ready to reply to the tempter, in the words of our blefled Saviour to Peter, Gdt thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offence to me! The evil> the danger, the infamy of fin appear fo glaring iii fiich cafes, that all the powers of the foul, though weak and degenerate by nature, yet little impaired by vicious pradice, immediately take the alarm, and unite to re- pel the temptation. But when a fmaller tranfgreflion prefents i Eccles. li. 3, SERMON lU 29 prefents itfelf, efpecially to a flrong and favourite paf- fion, our danger of fedudion is very great. We are then apt to afk ourfelves, or thofe around us, Is it not a little one? and one therefore which cannot injure ma- terially a character that is in general virtuous ? It is common too, on fuch occafions, to think of allowing ourfelves only in one tranfgrelTion, a circumflance which encourages us the more to depart from the line of duty : We mean not (thus we corrupt ourfelves) to enter on a courfe of fin, God forbid ! our righteoufnefs we hold faji^ and will not let it go : where then is the hazard of venturing ? accordingly thofe bad men who take a pleafure in corrupting others, (and the more abandon- ed have generally fuch a prepoflerous pleafure) when they mark out any unfufpeding young perfon as their prey,feldom think of beginning their attack, with deiir- ing him to join with them in an a6l of atrocious guilt ; but commonly content themfelves with drawing him in to bear a part in their loofe converfation ; or to witnefs the criminal fcenes in which they themfelves are engaged ; well knowing, that this is the fureft way to throw him off his guard, and fo for them to obtain their end. To prevent our being thus deceived, let us remem- ber, that no fm, whatever it may be in comparifon of others, is abfolutely and in itfelf fmall : that the fmal- lefl: a£l of guilt is a breach of the law, and a caufe of the difpleafure of almighty God ; and that fuch a£ts, by ftirring our pailions, and defiling our imagi- nations, foon prepare the way for others that are more heinous. Let me obferve here, that there are two refpedls in D 3 which 3© SERMON II. which fin deceives us ; the one in drawing us into its fervice, the other in detaining and carrying us greater lengths, in that fervice, than we originally intended. The devices already mentioned, have chiefly, though not folely, a relation to the former : what I am now to add, relates entirely to the latter. Depraved as mankind are by nature, 1 believe there are few individuals who enter on a vicious courfe, with a pofitive determination to fet no bounds to their ca- reer. The greater part, I prefume, limit themfelves in that courfe with regard both to its extent and its duration ; and that many only mean to gratify fome youthful pafTions. But thefe intentions or refolutions, are in procefs of time broken or forgotten, by means of feveral circumftances, which we fhall here throw to- gether, under one head, as our 6th and lad inftance of the deceltfulnefs of fin. The gradual and infenfible progrefs of fin has a power- ful tendency this way. When we firft deviate from the paths of virtue, we feel ourfelves ftillour own maf- ters, and capable of returning. Confcious of this abi- lity, however, we are in no hade to return, and are even tempted to proceed a little farther in our way- ward courfe. By this delay, in other words, by thus repeating our finful indulgences, our evil inclinations e;ain new (trength, and the force of habit is added to that of nature. This habit again prompts us to new a6ts of guilt, and thofe, it is likely, of a deeper die than any v/e ever ventured on before. Thus our guilt goes on in rapid progreflion : but yet in a manner not fo very apt to alarm us, as the tranfition from one ftage of vice to another is neither fo great nor fo fenfible, as that SERMON II. , 31 that by which we pafs from a (late of innocence to a ilareofvice in general. Farther, our guilt is often much increafed, by the connexion which one vice and one fm has with ano- ther. The vices as well as the virtues frequently go hand in hand. Nay, fometimes many of the former cannot be indulged in a fmgle indance, without prac- tifmg feveral others of the fame kind, which are found neceiTary to accomplifh, to fupport, or perhaps to con- ceal them. When David was unhappily enfnared with the beauty of Bathfheba, it is likely he refolved only on one criminal gratification ; but having obtained that, he found himfelf thereby drawn in, fir ft to prac- tice the bafefl deceit on the hufband Uriahs and then to murder the brave and unfufpecting man. We might add the well known cafe of Peter, who by de- nying Chrift was led into the complicated guilt of ly- ing, curfing, and perjury. But the world is witnefs to inftfances of the kind every day. A young man re- folves to indulge only his vanity, and his love of plea- fure. In this courfe, however, he proceeds not far, till he finds himfelf led to trample on parental autho- rity, to cover his guilt by a train of diilionourable falfe- hood, and at laft, if the means of gratification fail him, (as is commonly the cafe) to fuch a£ts of fraud or vio- lence, as terminate in his ruin. Nor is this all ; our guilt is much increafed by its conneding us with worthlefs aflbciates. When men are inclined to depart from the road of duty, they na- turally draw to companions, in whofe prefence they may be under no redraint, and by whofe afliftance they may be initiated in the myfteries of iniquity. By D4 . thus ^2 SERMON II. thus taking unto ihem Jpirits more wicked than them-' fehes, their ftate foon becomes worfe, and that in a degree much beyond their firft intention. By this meafure they are led, not only to increafe in the moft dired manner the guilt which may be properly called their own^ but in return for the grateful fervice done them, and by the force of evil communication, to fhare largely alfo in the guilt of other men ; and to become adepts in vices, to which before they were perfe£i: ilrangers. Indeed, I prefume, it is chiefly owing to fuch dark and infamous aflbciations, that vices and crimes of every kind rife in the world to fuch an ex- travagant height as they often do. — Brands, when kept feparate, foon decay, and at laft die out ; but when colleded and thrown together, they form a fierce and deftruclive fire. Thus it appears, that fm deceives us into a continuance and increafe of guilt, much beyond what we imagined to ourfelves when we firft felt its fafcinating power. IVe come now to our IF. General head, which was to {hew you the ten- dency of the deceitfulnefs of fm to harden us, or to render us irreclaimable. Sin keeps us in fubjedion, in fome meafure, by thofe arts by which it at firft fubdued us. Thofe fpecious and falfe appearances, under which it infinuated itfelf into our favour at the beginning, ftill ferve in fome de- gree to cover both its deformity and its danger ; and, of conftquence, to render us proportionably infen- fible to the means of reformation. But it is chiefly to the circumftances laft infifted on, viz. the long con- tinuance, and the great increafe of our guilt, that this melancholy effcd is to be afcribed. Thefe confirm our SERMON II. 33 our ftnful habits, — The power of confirmed habit, which is fo frequently explained on occafions of this kind, and which is fo well known as to be proverbial, we fhall not detain you with confidering particularly. Suffer me only to obferve, in a fummary manner, thefe few things. Habit can in fome cafes overpower and fupplant nature itfelf. It fometimes creates appetites ilronger than thofe we bring into the world with us. Mofl habits of fenfuality derive great flrength from the change which they produce, even upon our bodily conflitution ; to the prefent eafe and comfort of which, they become fo neceffary, that unlefs we gra- tify them, we are miferable. The ftrength of habit often continues increafmg, even while the pleafure of indulging it is diminifbing. Laflly, the force of habit often mafters even the love of life, as we fee many in- fiances of the fenfuaUfl continuing his career, though he knows, and even feels, that every indulgence hap- tens his diffolution. Thefe circumftances confidered, it is eafy to fee, that evil habit mull o£itfelf contribute much to harden us, and form a very powerful obflacle to our reformation. But this is not the only way, by which great and long continued guilt operates in producing that effedl. While fm is thus gaining ftrength, every power and principle of our nature, which could in any degree check its progrefs, is daily becoming more weak. Confcience, by being frequently and violently oppof- ed, lofes its fenfibility. Our regard to character, our love of honour, and our fenfe of fhame, are, by the fame means, almofl extinguifhed. Our underfland- 5ng, by conftantly viewing things thro' the medium of our 34 SERMON II. our vicious inclinations, is miferably perverted, and calls light darknefs, and darknefs light. All refped to authority, to friendly counfel, to good example, and, what is flill more deplorable, often all remains of religious belief, are banifhed from the mind. Con- cerning this laft, it is proper to obferve, that it be- comes exceedingly troublefome, \yhen a man begins to feel himfelf much averfe to reformation. To believe, even fo much as that there is a God, a providence, and a future judgement, mud, to a man that is confci- ous of enormous guilt, be worfe than gall and v^orm- wood. Of fuch belief therefore he endeavours to rid himfelf by all means ; and by doing violence to his ov^^n underftanding, he is in this too often unhappily fuccef- ful. Having put away a good confcience, he makes fhip wreck of faith ; and the fool perhaps learns at lad to fay in his heart, There is no God, I fhail clofe this part of the fubjeci:, with the moft lamentable confide- ration of all. God deals with wicked men, by his providential difpenfations, both of mercy and of judge- ment. He fpeaks to them, even in the ftill fmall voice of his fpirit. Now it appears from fcripture, particu- larly from the cafe of the Ifraelites who perifhed in the wildernefs, (the very cafe which gave occafion to the exhortation in the text) that upon the fmner's obftinate refiftance, the fpecial meafures of providence are given i]p, and alfo that the fpirit, grieved and quenched, withdraws his influences from the foul. This is the lail: Piage of the moft dreadful of all evils. If God does not now interpofe by a wondrous difplay of grace and clemency, the obdurate wretch goes on treafuring up to himfelf wrath againft the day of wrath j and at length SERMON II. 35 length defcends into the pit^ uncircumci/ed, '■juith his ini'^. quities upon his bones. I fhall now, in the laft place, explain and urge the meafure recommended by the apoflle for preventing the fatal confequences juft'confidered : Exhort one am- ther daily^ ^c. You fee it is addreffed, not to paftors* particularly, but to Chriftians in general. I (hall fup- pofe it implies, mutual reproof for what is wrong, and mutual encouragement in what is right. The fir ft of thefe is, I prefume, the chief thing intended. To that only we mean for a little to dired your atten- tion. This, my brethren, is an important, but much ne- gledled duty. Many cenfure their falling brother, fome even make a mock of him, but very few venture candidly to reprove him. The greater part are apt to think, that this is no office of theirs, and that at any rate it is a very ungracious one. — It is true indeed, a confiderable degree of judgement is required to enable us to difcern, when it is that we are called upon to re- prove ; and after that is difcovered, great delicacy as well as judgement are neceflary in the manner of per- forming the duty. When there is any thing for inftance in our own character and fituation, or in thofe of the party offending, which forbids all rational hopes of fuccefs from it, we fhould never attempt it. When we find we can do it with propriety, we fliould fet a- bout it in a fpirit of meeknefs ; we fhould only hefitate our diflike, and infmuate our reproof; or rather, if polTible, condud the matter fo, as that the offender fhall reprove himfelf. If proper attention be paid to thefe circumflances, private brotherly admonition may be 36 SERMON II. be of great advantage. It may be adminiflered at a period, when no other rebuke can, and may happily prevent the neceflity of all others. Mens tranfgreffi- ons do not commonly attra6t the notice of the public, or reach the ears of thofe whofe peculiar province it is to watch over the manners of the people, till they have made confiderable progrefs, and acquired great bold- nefs in fin ; when, alas 1 exhortation is generally of fmall avail. They may, however, be obferved by friends, neighbours, and acquaintances, in the com- mon intercourfe of life, at a very early period j and fo may be cenfured, as it were, upon the fpot, with- out any odious formality, and before the tranfgreflbr has learned to defpife reproof. Ye then who have the advantage of experience, and of an eftablifhed good character, let me call upon you at lead, to take this office upon you. Ye can do it with propriety, and your word of exhortation would, I am perfuaded, not only be fuffered, but even receiv- ed with great refpeQ:. And can you perform to your brother an office of greater charity ? this is charity to his better, his immortal part. Did you fee him ready to fwallow a draught of poifon, you would flrike the cup from his hand ; did you fee him walking carelefsly along the brink of a precipice, you would inftantly en- deavour to draw him back ; and fhall you fee him rufliing on the boffes of the almighty's buckler, and pulling down upon himfelf ever lading deftruftion, and not think it your duty to warn him of his danger ? If you are fuccefsful, he himfelf will blefs you while he lives. How pleafmg, how noble a fervice will it be, in the fight of God ! you fhall fhare in the charader and SERMON II. 37 and bleffednefs of thofe, who turn many to righteoufnefs^ and who Ihall ihtr dor q Jhine as thejiars for ever and ever. He which converteth a /inner from the error of his way^ fhallfave afoul from deaths andfhall hide a multi- tude of fins. Let me now draw to a conclufion. From what has- been faid we may all learn the neceflity of watchfulnefs. The fnares of fm are fuch, we fee, as might, if poflible, deceive the very ele6l. Let us beware of receiving and pradifmg any thing, merely becaufe it is recommended to us by a fair appearance, and refpedable authority ; let us examine it alfo by the law and the teftimony, and fee that it be agreeable to thefe. Let me recommend this caution particularly to the young and unexperien- ced. 'Tis for you chiefly that the net is fpread, and the fnare is laid \ and, from the ftrength of your paf- fions and the warmth of your tempers, together with your want of fufpicion, your danger is certainly great. To men of all ages and denominations I would fay. Watch efpecially over your own hearts : Be true to yourfelves, and you fhall have no great reafon to fear the devices of others : Cultivate a good confcience, I mean a fmcere defire to know and to pradife your duty. This is one of the beft fecurities againft (in as well as againft error. I fhall clofe all with a few words to the Hardened. I will not, however, allow myfelf to think, that there are any perfons here who deferve that name in its ftrongeft fenfe, I mean, any perfons who are abfolute- ly abandoned of heaven. And, ah, what form of addrefs fliall we employ? how 38 SERMON II. how fhall we fpeak fo as to make a fuitable impreffion on thofe, whofe very name fo ftrongly implies, that they are not fufceptible of any ! What avenue to the foul have you left open to us ? What power of the foul undepraved and unimpaired ? If we attempt to reafon with you, your underftanding is darkened ! If we try to move your paffions, they are all engaged on the fide of fm! If we fpeak to your confcience, it is feared ! If to your honour, you have learned to glory in your fhame ! Nothing indeed can juftify our fpea- king to you at all at prefent, if it be not, that the mer- cy of God is boundlefs, his grace irrefiftible, and that his word, which we have juft now the honour of preaching, is the ordinary mean by which that grace is communicated. Let me expoflulate with you only on the inconfif- tency of your conduct : this is addrefling you on prin- ciples to which you flill pretend. You pride your- felves upon your fuperior ihrewdnefs, and fmile at the fimplicity of the virtuous ; but it is demonftrable, that you have been in a good meafure deceived into your prefent ftate ; nay that you have deceived your- felves into it — You glory in ^o\xx freedom ; but we have feen that you have ignominioufly fold yourfelves, that your fouls are in bondage, and that to the mod dif- graceful mafters, divers lujis and paffions — Your pro- fefled aim has all along been happinefs ; but that hap- pinefs you dare not fay you have attained ! You wifh to forget the earlier period of your life, becaufe you are ftrangers to the fweet ferenity which you then enjoyed. But it is impoffible you can be happy ; all the SERMON II. 39 the good and wife look on you with horror ; virtuous parents dread your approach to their children, as they would the approach of peftilence or poifon ! you live in the tumult of contending pafTions ; amidft irregula- rities, often attended with difeafe and pain, deftitute of any refource againfl the common calamities of life, having nothing before you at laft but the profped of eternal mifery, or the gloomy horrors of annihilation I SERMON III. Gal. vi. 3. If a man think him/elf to hefomething^ when he h noth'mg^ he deceiveth himfelf* 'T^UE heart"^^ faith God, by the prophet, h deceitful above all th'mgs. — This is no amiable pidure of the human heart ; obfervation and experience, however, bear ample teftimony that it is but too juft. Not to infift on the numberlefs impofitions which men are continually carrying on upon one another, nor upon that mixture of pity and contempt which is generally cad upon a guilelefs finiplicity, nor upon that habit of refined diffimulation commonly contracted by frequent intercourfe with the world ; not to infill: on thefe, fo prone is the heart of man to deceit, that it often prac- tifes it on itfelf, and that too in matters of the lad im- portance. It may at firfl view appear incredible that a man (hould impofe upon himfelf in any thing. The E , impoftor * Jer. xvii. 9. 42 SERMON 111. impoiftor and the dupe, it is certain, are in all other cafes, two different perfons, and the latter is fuppofed to be ignorant of the defigns of the former : neither of which it is obvious can take place here. The fadl, however, is indifputably and literally true. It is dif- cernible even in our common language ; for few ex- preffions occur more frequently than that of a man's deceiving him/elf, or flattering himfelf. We often obferve it operate with refped to natural talents. How often do men perfuade themfelves into an extravagant opinion of their own wifdom, knowledge, genius, and wit \ and perhaps retain that perfuafion, till experi- ence and general contempt convince them of their er- ror ?— Juft fo it happens in religion and morals ; and men are apt to flatter themfelves, not only that they are wifer^ but alfo, that they are better than they are in reality. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes^ fays the wife man, and yet are not wajhedfrom their filthinefs* . The cafe of the whole church of Lao- dicea is flriking and well known. Who does not re- coiled: the pointed, but juft reproof of our Saviour, addrefled to that body ? Thoufayefl^ lam rich, and en- creafed with goods\, ^c. Our text may be confidered as another teftimony to the fame truth. Indeed the apoftle fpeaks only on fuppofition, if a man think ; but he would never have expreffed himfelf thus, if he had not thought the deception common, and likely to happen even in the church of Chrift. In difcourfing on the fubjed of felf-deceit, I (hall confider its origin and manner of operation; its fhame * Prov. XXX. I a. \ Rev. iii. r. and SERMON III. 42 and danger ; and laftly, the means that may be mod efFeQual either to prevent or to remove it. I. I am to confider its origin and its manner of operation. It may not be improper to obferve previ- oufly, that felf-deceit mud not be confounded with felf-ignorance. The latter fimply implies, a man's not knowing himfelf, which may fometimes proceed from want of experience, and of opportunity of obfer- vation. But the former implies, not only felf-ig- norance, but alfo, a man's being himfelf the caufe of that ignorance ; an evil certainly of greater magnitude than the other. Let me farther obferve, that this evil admits of de- grees, and that to a great latitude. The deceit fome- times extends itfelf to the whole general character, as in the cafes mentioned above, and in the fuppofition of our text ; whereas in other inilances it confines it- felf to a few particulars. Let us now enquire whence, and how it is, that mankind deceive themfelves. I. The great and original fource of felf-deceit is a blind and inordinate felf-love. What a flattering pic- ture does that paflion draw to almoft every man of himfelf? How artfully does it conceal the blemifhes, heighten the beauties, and fupply the defeds of his chara£ler ! It has on this account been called the arch- flatterer, and the one that gives fuccefs to all others. It is, in fad, the tendency of every fort of love, to make us think more favourably of its obje£t than it de- ferves. How blind are we to the faults of our relations, our friends, our benefactors, and thofe with whom we have formed hafly and partial attachments ? and in what a flrong Hght, and firiking colours, do we be-^ E 2 hold 44 SERMON III. hold their virtues? Now, as felf-love is the ftrongefi: and mod uniform love of all, its partiality muft be greateft and mofl frequent. This is illuilrated and confirmed by common obfervation. It is univerfally allowed to be very honourable, but at the fame time, very difficult, for a perfon to judge temperately and candidly in his own caufe, or to 2.8: with flridl proprie- ty where he is both judge and party. In fuch cafes, even the modeft and unafiuming are in danger of pafs- ing a fentence coo much in their own favour. This is precifeiy our fituatian when we confider our moral charader and fpiritual (late ; excepting only this cir- cumftance, that there is not always another party con- cerned. Of confequence, we are in great danger of being partial in our own decifion. 2. Another fource of felf-deceit is to be found in the ftrength of our vicious inclinations on the one hand, and a certain, though too weak a degree of re- ligious principle on the other. In all bad men, the flrength of thofe inclinations is very great. Such men find their chief enjoyment in the gratification of them: tbey work wickednefs with greedinefs. This is efpecially the cafe with regard to thofe vices, which are founded in their conftitution, ftrengthened by inveterate habit, and in thofe to which they have peculiar external temptations ; — fuch become ruling ox predominant. On the other hand, as even the word can feldom fucceed in razing all traces of religion and virtue out of their minds ; fo in fome perfons , thefe flill exifl: in fuch flrong characters, as to prove exceedingly trouble- fome to them in their criminal purfuits. What is to be done here l they cannot prevail upon themfelves to relinquiih SERMON III. 45 their vices ; and yet, while any refpe£l to religion re- mains, they cannot gratify thefe without much uneafi- nefs. Men endeavour to extricate themfelves out of this difficulty in various ways, according to their differ- ent tempers, or, perhaps, according to their different degrees of depravity. The more wicked and deter- mined plunge into vice more deeply and defperately, in order to extinguifh altogether that fenfe which gives them fo much pain — others, and thofe not a few, endeavour to pacify this internal monitor with ample promifes of future reformation — a third clafs earnefl- iy wifli to reconcile the two jarring principles together, the love and indulgence of vice, with the feehngs and profpeds of religion. Even the two former, as might be eafily fhewn, are a fort of felf-deceivers, but the lafl are the perfons who efpeciaily deferve the name. — From the moment in which they firil form the wifh, they begin lo think of themfelves differently from, and much above, what they ought to think ; and to per- fuade themfelves that there is nothing in their temper or condud inconfiflent with the charader and privi- leges of a chriftian. Nor will this appear very ftrange to any one who confiders the powerful influence which our wiflies, when ardent, have, not only upon our hopes, but upon our opinions and belief. How often do we believe a thing, merely becaufe we cannot bear to think it ihould be otherwife ? the force of vio- lent or paflionate defire has often been noticed by the philofopher, as one of the chief hindrances to the dif- covery of truth in general ; and as fuch a defire cer- tainly exifls in the cafe before us, it is not furprizing E 3 that 46 SERMON III. that there too, it fhould produce its common and na- tural effed. Thus it appears that felf-love, and an eager defire to reconcile our vices with the advantages of religion and virtue, are the fources of felf-deceit, and difpofe men to beheve much better of themfelves, than they deferve. But perhaps the deception vi^ould be of lliort continuance, did not the fame principles prompt to the ufe of a variety of artifices, in order to fupport and confirm it. For this purpofe, for inftance, men keep their favourite obje6l perpetually in view, and filence the whifperings of fufpicion, by fond and re- peated affirmations of its reality, faying to themfelves. Peace, peace, tho* there he no peace ! — / am rich and en- creafed with goods, andjiand in need of nothing ! — They liflen attentively to the voice of flattery, and fliut their ears againfl juft reproof; like the ancient Jews, who faid to their prophets, prophefy not unto us right things ; /peak unto usfmooth things; prophefy deceits."^ They be- gin to fearch for, and to difcover in their groffefl: faults, circumftances which take away their malignity, and make them quite different from what they are in other men. Their intentions, their temptations, and their fituation are by no means the fame with thofe of others ; and thus the cafe is altered. — But fome of the artific- es, by which men impofe upon themfelves, deferve a more particular confideration. I. Neglecting, or rather avoiding, the plain, but important duty of felf-examination. Inclined to be- lieve the beft, butfecretly fufpicious of the worfl, the * Jer. XXX. 10. bulk SERMON III. 47 bulk of mankind feem carefully to fhun a formal trial of their own charaders. The man of bufmefs, and the man of pleafurc, the man of rank and his humble dependant, are, in this refpeQ:, blameable alike ; and even the idler, whofe time renders him a burden to himfelf, mufl plead guilty to the charge. Nay, too many ftudiouily fhun whatever has even a tendency to lead them to the duty in queftion : fuch as folitude and ferious company, efpecially that of the honeil and friendly monitor. In this cafe, men mud necelTarily entertain too favourable an opinion of themfelves. The trader who will not examine his books, may imagine himfelf worth thoufands, at the very time when he is about to become bankrupt. The judge who will hear no evidence againft a party, will of courfe pronounce that party innocent. And if I may ufe one other com- parifon, if we Ihun all converfation with any perfon, we can never get properly acquainted with him. 2. Another meafure which men take to deceive themfelves is, trying themfelves by wrong ftandards. Tho' few, as we have jufl feen, examine themfelves with leifure and attention, yet fcarcely any man can avoid throwing curfory glances on his own charac- ter, and comparing it with fome rule to which he fup- pofes it ought to be conformed. Now the fupreme, the only true ilandard of condud to the Chriftian, holy fcripture, many carefully decline ; and from a motive fimilar to that which made the king of Ifrael reje£i; the fervices of the prophet Micaiah ; I hate him^ for he doth not prophefy good concerning me^ but ev'iL To ufe the language of oar faviour, thej come not to the light, E 4 M 4B SERMON HI. left their deeds Jhould be reproved. They apply other rules, imperfedl and without authority ; but which will prove much more favourable to their chara6:er. They compare their conduct, for imiance, with general pradice. Thus the Pharifee in the gofpel thanked his God, that he was not as other men, extortioners, &c." forgetting, or rather wifhing to forget, that in a world which lies in wickednefs, a man may be better than many others, and yet far from the kingdom of God. Sometimes again, to aid the deception, they bring in- to view their fair reputation ; and think they may be- lieve well of themfelves, becaufe the world does fo : without refle£l:ing, that men judge only according to appearance, which is far from being always righteous judgement. — Sometimes they draw favourable conclu- fions from a falfe internal peace, which they may en- joy at intervals, but which, in reahty, is one of the worft fymptoms of their cafe, as it is chiefly owing to a want of proper feeling ; and as infenfibility is often the lafl ftage of a mortal difeafe.— -Laflly, fome build much on their high external privileges Thefe they Gonfider as almoft certain marks of the divine favour. When the ancient Jews were reproved by their pro- phets, they repeated, with confident boafting, the tem- ple of the Lord^ the temple of the Lord! When in the days of the Baptift the fame people were threatened with the vengeance of heaven, they thought within them- felves^ ive have Abraham to our father^ and all becime quiet. Our Saviour fignifies, in very ftrong terms, that the fame deceit would prevail in his church; tho' what he immediately fubjoins, ought certainly to have pre- vented it. Many Jhall begin to fay ^ (to himfelf at the day of SERMON III. 49 6f judgement) we have eaten and drank in thy prefence, and thou haji taught in ourjireets. But to thefe vain pretenfions he declares he would reply, I tell you I know not whence you are ; depart from me^ all ye workers of ini- quity, Laftly, men deceive themfelves in religion, by fub- flituting fomething in its place. This is perhaps the moft common art of felf-deception, and pradlifed by almofl all who are liable to the charge. Perceiving the relation in which they (land to God, they know they mud offer him fomewhat ; but tho' they have a male in their flock, thefe deceivers offer a corrupt, at lead a very imperfe6l thing. Some, for inflance, appear to think that a mere pro- feflion of religion, if carried to a great height, will be accepted in full both for profeflion and pradice. — Others perfuade themfelves, that a minute attention to fome parts of duty will compenfate for the total ne- gledl of others, and for a free indulgence to all their favourite paffions. Numbers, it is to be feared, truft to certain fpiritual talents or gifts, as they are fome- times called, fuch as a found fpeculative faith, a large meafure of religious knowledge, and a readinefs of ex- preffing themfelves, either in their addreffes to God, or in their converfation with men. — How many again feem difpofed to think, that whatever their general con- dud: be, if, at certain periods, they exercifc a fort of mechanical forrow for their fms, pay a drift attention to the rules of virtue, and perform the folemn a6ls of devotion with peculiar fervour, nothing more is necef- fary to preferve them in a date of favour with their imaker ? Ladly, there are fome who altogether indif- ferent ^O SERMON 111. ferent about religion, place their fole confidence in what is commonly termed, goodnefs of hearty or natu- ral benevolence of difpolition. It is, I prefume, unnecefTary to ule many words in order to expofe the grofsnefs of this particular expedi- ent of felf-deceit, and to fhew how utterly inconfiftent it is both with fcripture and reafon. Suffice it to fay, that its exidence is one of the ftrongeft proofs we have, of the weaknefs and depravity of human nature ; and its abfurdity, fuch as would draw down the utmoft contempt upon us in any other profeflion but that of rehgion, in which, it feems a man may be guilty of any folly without fhame or cenfure. It certainly pro- ceeds upon the fuppofitions following ; that the form is of equal value with the fub fiance ; that a part is equal to the whole ; and that the God of truth and purity will give a fanclion to the breach of his own laws ! I come now, Ildly, to Ihew you the Iharae and danger of felf-deceit. It is (hameful, as it implies, in fome degree, igno- rance of ourfelves. We fhall eafily forgive you for mif- taking in your judgement of others : you cannot fee their heart; you cannot even fee their whole conduct. But who fhould know the things of a man, if it is not the fpirit of a man which is in him ? thefe are matters which he immediately under your eye, and which one would think it impoffible for you either to overlook or .to miftake. Know you not yourfelves ? you are per- haps at much pains to acquire a knowledge of the world, and of the different arts and faiences ; yet thefe are comparatively remote from your interefl. Will you then remain ftrangers to your own hearts and lives, on which SERMON III. ^i which depends your condition throughout eternity ! — Farther, 'tis that fort of deceit which refleds upon us the greateft difhonour. We reckon it (hameful to de- ceive others : it is an impeachment upon our hearts. — We reckon it fhameful to be deceived by others ; it is an impeachment upon our underftanding. But he who deceives himfelf, evidently unites the infamy of both. Let it not be alledged here, that felf-deceit is a com- mon weaknefs, and one to which we lie under ftrong temptations, from fome of the original propenfities of our nature. For have we not reafon given us to watch over and corredt our vicious propenfities ? and if fre- quency and temptation were a fufficient excufe for any evil, we might excufe almofl every evil in the world. 2. Self-deceit obftru^ls our reformation. Even in good men, in fo far as they are under its power, (and they are not entirely exempted from it) it has the bad confequence of preventing improvement. They never think of correcting faults which they do not fee, nor of afpiring at virtues of which they already believe themfelves in polTeffion. But we here fuppofe the evil at its worft, and con- iider, chiefly, the cafe of bad men who flatter them- felves with the notion of their goodnefs, or at leafl: with that of their poflefling fomething, which fecures them againfl: all the bad effeds of the want of it. Many, fays an ancient philofopher, would have attained true wifdom, if they had not believed they had already ac- quired it.* See/l thou a man zvife i?2 bis own conceit ? * Cicero. fays ^^ SERMON III. fays Solomon, there is more hope of a fool than of hhn,% What motive indeed can a perfon have to fet about reformation, who believes himfelf already refor- med ? while under that perfuafion, he is proof againfl: all convidion. This certainly is the cafe, where the delufion has been long continued. Though men are fenfible of it in fome meafure at firft, (otherwife in- deed it would fcarcely deferve the name oifelf deceit^ and walk into the fnare with their eyes open ; yet by degrees, and by means of the artifices enumerated a- bove, they come at laft, and in good earneft, to be- lieve their mifconceptions to be reaUties. The per- ception is weakened, the judgement is warped, and confcience, weary of remonftrating in vain, either re- mains filent altogether, or, which is flill more danger- ous, learns the language of flattery. Thus, at the end, the foul ftands in the midft of an enchantment of its own formation, fo flrong, that the power of divine grace only can diffolve it. On this chiefly, I prefume, is founded the obfervation, that it is generally more difficult to reform the hypocrite than the openly vici- ous. The latter is commonly beyond the power of felf-deceit, at leaft in its highefl degree ; the impofi- tion would be too grofs ; and therefore he allows that there is a necefTity for his repenting at one time or other. But the hypocrite, the man of fpecious deportment and feeming devotion, (and fuch is commonly the felf-deceiver) having got fomething which he thinks ferves all the purpofes of religion, has fcarce any in- ducement to feek after real fandity. All this we have ^ Prov. xxiv. iz. exemplified SERMON III. r-? exemplified in the cafe of the Pharifees, in the time of our Saviour. They trujied in themfehes that they were righteous^ and that therefore they needed no repentance ; they believed themfehes to be whole, and therefore that they did notjiand in need of a phyftcian. And this in- deed, I am apt to think, is one great caufe of the fmall fuccefs of all our preaching at prefent. It is not always from obduracy of heart, nor from a want of a general perfuafion of the truth and importance of religion, that men continue to carry to and from the houfe of God, the fame faults and the fame vices ; it is often alfo from their thinking, that what they hear there does not immediately concern them, or is not ap- plicable to their character. Let me farther obferve, that if we perfifl in this un- happy delufion, we have reafon to fear, left God withdraw from us his grace, and render our cafe in- curable. It is certainly more than once intimated to us in fcripture, that when men violently oppofe their confciences, and abufe their other nobler faculties, God, to punifli them, leaves them entirely to their own way, and gives them up to a ftrong delufion and a reprobate mind. To whatever caufe it Ihall have been owing, if continued to the very laft, who can paint the horrible confequences ! The fatal bandage drops from our eyes at once ; we find our character and our fate, not trufted to the decifion of our own felfifh inclinations and perverted powers ; but to the determination of him who can neither deceive nor be deceived ! we find ourfelves v/eighed m the balance of the almighty, and found wanting, and fmk beneath an eternal weight of wretchednefs and defpair ! I come 54 SERMON III. I come in the Hid and laft place, to point out the proper remedies for felf-deceit. The firft thing to be done here is to prevail upon ourfelves, every individual of us, to admit that poffi- bly we are in one degree or another tainted with the difeafe. And this is a matter of fome difficulty. Self- deceit is a fweet intoxication, an agreeable delirium, and we are both unwilling, and from ihe ftate of our faculties, incapable in part, of being convinced that we labour under it. Let us remember, however, that we all have the natural fources of the evil within us ; that it is a common one ; and that we can obferve, in even the belt of men, prejudices and foibles, which they wifh to cover from themfelves as well as from others. Thefe things confidered, he muil be far gone indeed, who will not fo much as admit, that he may in any degree feel its influence. 1 beg leave to ob- ferve here, that there is one fort of men who have flrong reafon to fufped themfelves ; I mean, men of a warm and fanguine temper. Such perfons love, and defire, and hope, with greater ardour than others ; they are lefs capable of a cool and deliberate examina- tion ; they are more impatient of viewing any thing difagreeable ; and they are poffeffed of more lively imaginations ; all which circumftances difpofe them to entertain very favourable notions of their own excel- lence. Now the invefligation of the caufes of felf-de- ceit which we attempted above, will enable us in fome meafure to point out feveral other remedies. 2. Let us apply ourfelves carefully to the fludy of our own characters. Let us commune with our own hearts. Let us confider our ways. Let us accuilioni ourfelves SERMON III. 5j ourfelves to this neceflary difcipline, and fet apart the moll proper feafons for it. To give it the more weight and folemnity, let us do it under an impreflion of the prefence of God, as the fearcher of hearts, our fupreme governor, and our final judge. 3. Let us try ourfelves hy the word of God. It is by that word we ought to live here, and are to be judg- ed hereafter. Befides, the apoftle feems to afcribe to it a peculiar and facred effed in this matter. The word of God ^ fays he, is quick and powerful^ and jharper than any two-edged /word ^ and is a difcerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart\, 4. Guard againft the influence of felf-love, efpeci- ally while engaged in the important talk above-menti- oned. The paffion I mean is that blind, that inftinc- tive felf-love, which we bring into the world with us, and which is condemned in fcripture, when it gives as a ftrong mark of degeneracy in the lail times, that men Jhotdd be lovers of their ownfelves*. It has been recom- mended as a good meafure to avoid the influence in quefl:ion, to remove the cafe from ourfelves to fome perfon unconnected with us, and then with our hand upon our heart to afli ourfelves, What we would think of it ? The wifdom of both God and man ap- proves of this method, which has given birth to half the moral fables and allegories of which the world is at prefent in poflTefllon. I beg leave, however, to add another for the fame purpofe, and that is, to enlighten and regulate our felf- love : or, to fpeak with greater precifion (as no paf- fion {] Heb. iy. i%> * 7, Tim, ili. i. 56 SERMON iir. fion can, properly fpeaking, be enlightened) to enlight* en our underflandings with refpe£k to our true honour and intereji ; which are the things which ielf-love al- ways aims at, but frequently miftakes. Let us parti- cularly be convinced, and carry it about with us as an unqueilionable truth, that our honour and our happi- nefs confift in religion and virtue, the reality, I mean, not the femblance of them ; and efpecially in the mor- tification of all our unlawful appetites and paffions. — Were this the cafe, felf-love, inflead of being hurtful, would be advantageous ; and inftead of leading us to admire every thing that is our own, merely becaufe it is fo, and pitifully to ufe every art to cover, or perhaps to dote upon our faults ; it would prompt us, with a wife and noble candor, to fcan ourfelves with an eye of unfpar.ng feverity ; to (trip ourfelves of every fancied excellence ; to give no quarter to our favourite foi- bles ; and with the utmofl affiduity to acquire every- thing that tended to our moral improvement. For, in truth, my friends, the real chriftian is, in the jufteil fenfe, the moil interefted perfon in the world. True felf-love is in the eye of wifdom the fame, not only with focial, but with the love of God, nay, with the love and pra6i:ice of univerfal holinefs. As I haften to a period, I iliall, laftiy, throw together feveral direc- tions which, otherwife, I would, have confidered with particular attention. Endeavour to preferve the fen- fibility of confcience, which is beft done by treating its dilates and its rebukes with proper refped. Be not inattentive even to the eftimation in which you are held by others. Fame is faid to be a liar ; yet, ftrange as it may feem, it may tell you new truths even of yourfelves. SERMON III. 57 yourfelves, and lead you to a difcovery of faults in your charadler, which your felfifhnefs made you over- look. Attend particularly to the advice of candid and judicious friends. Throw your eye frequently on the unqueftioned and eminent worth of others; avoid- ing the fault of thofe mentioned by the apoftlcj who commended themf elves ^ and who were betrayed into it by very unwifely meafuring them/elves by themfelves. But who can underjiand his errors? cleanfethou us^ God^ from fecret faults ! Search us, God^ and teach us to know the -plagues of our own hearts I See if there be any wicked way in us^ and lead us in thy way everlajiing ! SER= SERMON IV. JAMES II. 23. — lat. claufe. 'And he was called the friend of God, A MONGST all the faints whofe names are record- ^ ed in fcripture, there was none more eminent than the patriarch Abraham. In proof of this, we need only allege the titles with which he is there honoured by God himfelf. Thefe are chiefly two. The one is, that of The father of the faithful ; an appellation more truly honourable to him, than either his being the founder of two mighty nations, or anceflor to a double race of kings. The other is that which is mentioned in our text. The friend of God, The apoflle feems here to have in his eye two paflages of the old teftament, in which Abraham is thus exprefsly called. The one is, 2 Chron. xx. 7. where Teholhaphat addrefTmg him- felf to God fays, Art fiot thou our God who didji drive out the inhabitants of this land, and gaveji it to the feed of A- hrahani thy friends The other is, Ifaiah xli. 8. in which God himfelf fays, But thou Ifrael art myfervant^ the feed F 2 ,/ J2 SERMON IV. of Abraham my friend, Abraham was called the friend of God, becaufe he was fo in reality. This too, like every true friendfhip, was reciprocal ; and God might with equal juftice have been called the friend of Abra- ham, as Abraham was called the friend of God. I (hall therefore, in difcourfmg on this fubjed, [. Enquire into the nature of that friendfliip that fubnfled between God and Abraham ; II. Shew you how far the fame is attainable by us ; Laftly, I fhall recommend it to your earneil purfuit. I. I am to inquire into the nature of that friend- fliip which fubfifled between God and Abraham. — This fublime connection appears to have included in it the following particulars. I . A high degree of mutual and peculiar love. — This is the root of true friendfliip ; that without which it cannot exift, and from v/hich all the other parts of that defirable relation rife, by natural and neceflary confequence. Now, of the love of God to Abraham we may judge, from the favours which he beftowed upon him. He called him from among the idolatrous heathen, and favoured him with the knowledge of himfelf. He entered into covenant with him, and ratified that covenant to him and to his defcendants, by a folemn and perpetual feal. He gave him rhe mod fatisfadory affurance of protection to his perfon, and bade him not fear, for he would be his Jhield, He bleffed him in his fubftance, and made Jjim very rich in cattle ^ in filver^ and in gold. He favoured him, by advancing his friends and deprefTmg his enemies : he hlejjed them that bleffed him^ and curfed them that curfed him. He bleffed . him SERMON IV. 53 him in his pofterity, which he afTured him fiiould be multiplied as the ftars of heaven, and be the means of communicating the richell bleflings to all nations. — Laftly, he promifed him fupreme and eternal happi- nefs in the enjoyment of himfelf; even that he would be his exceeding great reward. Nor was the patriarch wanting in teftimonies of his love to God. It is true, a man cannot be profitable to his maker, as he that is wife may be profitable to him- felf; but God has a kingdom and a glory to be promo- ted, and Abraham promoted both with the mod ardent and unwearied zeal. Wherever he came, he ereded altars to the honour of God. He honoured him in his fervants, and gave tythes of all to Melchifedec, as to the prieft of the mofl high God. He trained up his family in the knowledge and fear of God, and would not allow his fon Ifaac to conned himfelf by marriage with the inhabitants of Canaan, on account of the cor- ruptions of that people in religion and manners. — Other (till more (Iriking proofs of his love to God, we fhall have occafion to mention afterwards. 2. Another part of that friendihip which fubfifled between God and Abraham, was the clofeft and mofl intimate communion. Friends frequently meet toge- ther, and unbofom themfelves to each other with un- referved freedom. God frequently appeared to Abra- ham, fometimes in a real external form, fometimes in vifions, and fometimes in dreams. On thefe occa- fions, he not only converfed with him freely on what immediately concerned the patriarch himfelf, but alfo on the defigns of his providence with relation to others. Thus, having determined to deRroy Sodom and the F 3 other ^2 SERMON IV. Other cities of the plain, he is reprefented as faying, Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do? and as communicating to him, in confequence, his determina- tion. The remarkable words jufl quoted lead us to think, that God often revealed himfelf to the patriarch in this manner. And thus Abraham, on the other hand, communicated himfelf to God. He unfolded to him the fecret diflrefles of his foul, and earneftly implored his diredion and affiftance. It was thus he applied to God, when anxious about the life and fate of Ifmael ; and when afflidted at the want of an heir of his own body. Thus too, with the ardour and freedom of a friend, tho' with becoming humility, he interceded for Abimelech and the men of Sodom. 3. And nearly conneded with the particular jufl mentioned, an unfhaken mutual confidence made part of the friendfliip that took place between God and A- braham. God intrufted Abraham with the moll im- portant concerns that could be committed to mortal. He intrufted him with the care of preferving among mankind the important knowledge of himfelf, and of the true religion. Such indeed was his confidence in him, that he not only revealed to him in a clearer man- ner than had ever been ^one before, his grand plan with refpe£l to the redemption of mankind j (thus preaching the go/pel to him^ as the apoftle Paul exprelTes it) but alfo fignified to him, that the illuftrious perfon who was deftined to accomplifh the glorious purpofe, was to be one of his own defcendants. The truft which Abraham placed in God, is one of the mofl fhining parts of his charader. This is that principle, for the ftrength and excellence of which, un- der SERMON IV. £^ der the name of faith, he is fo highly celebrated in fcripture, and which gained to him the well-known name of the father of all fuch as believe. Nor was this without reafon. At the command of God, he left his father's houfe and his native country, and went in- to a land far diflant and unknown. When as yet he had no child, and at a time when he could have no na- tural expectations of any, Sarah being paft age, and himfelf as good as dead 5 yet upon God's telling him, that he fhould have an offspring countlefs as the flars of heaven, he received the promife with the moll un- qaeftioning faith. Farther, fuch was his confidence in the power and veracity of God, that at his command he was ready to offer up in facrifice, that very fon whom he had received from him by a miracle, his only lawful fon, and the deftined heir of all the promifesj ftill believing that thofe promifes wxDuld be fully ac- complilhed. It was this effort of faith, that drew from God the nobieft teftimony of approbation, that was ever beftowed upon any mere human character; and which, according to the apoflle in the context, crown- ed the patriarch with the diflinguifhed name which is the fubjedl of our prefent difcourfe. Laftly, this friendfliip included a careful endeavour to conform to each other's will. God appears to have gratified to the full the wiflies of the patriarch ; who whoever feems never to have violated that indif- penfible rule of pure friendfhip, never to afk any thing of a friend, incoRfilknt with reafon or with virtue. — Nay God, on (ome occafions, prevented, or exceeded the defires of Abraham. Thus, when the patriarch only afked, that Ifmael might live before thee, God not F 4 \ only 56 SfiRMON IV. only granted his requeft, but added, that he would make Ifmael a great nation ; and, what would be flill more pleafmg to Abraham, that he would give him a fon by his wife Sarah. Thus too, Abraham lludied a perfed conformity to the will of God. Almofl: every part of his condudl mentioned hitherto is either an inftance or a proof of this. I fhall therefore here only take notice of a general quality of all his ads of obedience, which marks them rather as ads of friend- Ihip, chearfulnefs. No per fon was ever called to the performance of more difficult duties ; yet we find the moft difficult could never draw from him a complaint, a murmur, or even the fmallefl: expreffion of hefitation. When commanded to wander from his father's houfe, and to facrifice his own fon, many objedions might have fuggefled themfelves to his mind, but either they did not, or if they did, they were in- flantly fupprefled. He confulted not with flefh and blood ; it was enough to him, that what was required of him was the will of God. Such was the friendfhip between God and Abraham, Let us now, in the lid place, enquire, how far fuch a friendfhip is at- tainable by us. It may at firft view appear prefumptuous, to talk of friendfhip between God and any man whatever, as it feems to put the Creator and the creature too much on a level. The particular cafe, however, which we have juft confidered, removes in a great meafure this difficul- ty. But poffibly it will be alledged, that Abraham was a faint of the firft eminence ; that therefore the privilege was pecuHar to him ; and that accordingly we find he is the only perfon who is called the friend of God SERMON IV. ^y God in holy fcripture. We will venture to maintain, however, that every truly pious man does adually en- joy the fame privilege. Even fome of the wifer heath- en were not unacquainted with this truth, and aflerted, that between God and good men, there was a friend- fhip, nay an intimacy. And ihall we, with all the light and advantages of the gofpel, hefitate to adopt the fame language ? In the new teftament we find expreflions fimilar, and fully as ftrong. There, Chriftians are faid to be efpoufed to Chrift, to h^LVtfellowJhip with the father^ and with his f on Jefus Chrift^ io dwell in God and God in ihem^ nay^ to be one with God and Chriji, If the name,/r/>72Jof God, is in fcripture confined to A- braham, it is not becaufe there were not others on whom it might have been bellowed with juflice, but becaufe it was beflowed on him with eminent and peculiar propriety. Accordingly, while we maintain the reality of this exalted relation, we grant, that we may not attain to the fame degree of it, and can nei- ther receive nor return fuch wonderful expreffions of it as did the ancient patriarch. Tol^e more particular here, and to fhew you that we do not build upon two or three figurative terms, which enthufiafm has often abufed, we may obferve ; That though the love of God to good men in gene- ral, may not rife to the fame height, nor difcover it- felf in the fame aftonifhing effedls y yet flill it is peculi- ar, diflinguifhing, and produdive of the happiefl fruits. He chufes them from the corrupt mafs of man- kind, he calls them by his grace, he enters into cove- nant with them. He loves them with an everlafting love, and nothing is able lofeparate them from the love of 58 SERMON IV. of God which is in Chriji Jefus our Lord, On the other hand, the' good men may not often give fuch heroic proofs of their love to God as Abraham did, yet their love to him is ardent and fupreme. They chufe him as their chief good ; who?n have they in heaven but him^ and there is none upon earth that they defire hefides him^ — They love him with all their heart, and with all their foul, and with all their mind, and with all their flrength. Again, tho' God does not appear vifibly, nor dif- cover the defigns of his providence to good men ; yet between him and them a clofe and tender intercourfe takes place. He dwells in thein^ fo that they are tem- ples of the living God. Ke manifejis himfelfunto them, and not unto the world. He fpeaks to them, not only by his word, but by his fpirit, enlightening, flrength- ening, comforting and guiding them. The fecret of the Lord is with thein that fear him^ and he will Jhew unto them his covenant. On the other hand, the pious Chriftian walks with God, and hves under a conftant fenfe of his prefence. He approaches him in the ex- ercifes of religion with humihty, yet with filial confi- dence. Prompted by the fpirit of adoption, he is ena- bled to fay, ahha^ father^ and encouraged by the new and living way of the blood of Jefus, he has the bold- nefs to enter into the holieji of all He is efpecially at- tentive to the duties of private devouon. Friend(hip is never fatisfied with a public interview ; it delights in privacy and retirement. The Chriflian therefore en- ters his clofet, where he prays to his father which is in fecret^ and has his converfation in heaven. Farther, between God and every pious foul there exifts SERMON IV. 59 exifts an entire confidence. He does not, as he did to Abraham, reveal to fuch, the general defigns of his grace and providence ; yet he intrufts them in fome meafure with the interefls of his kingdom and glory. He fets them forth as champions to fight his battles, and as great examples to inftrud and to reform man- kind. They are the fait ofxht earth, they are tojhine as lights in the worlds and to contend earnejily for the faith which was once delinjered unto the faints. And though they can fcarcely ever be expeded to attain to the fame ilrength and full aflurance of faith as Abraham, yet in this refpea they are dill his children. His faith they follow ; they walk hj faith ^ and not by fight ; the life they lead in the flefh is a fife of faith in the fon of God. Once more, as friends are in a manner actuated by one foul, and endeavour mutually to pleafe, fo God favours the defires of his pedple in fo far and in fuch a manner as is confident with their good, and the ge- neral laws of his government. Yes, the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous^ and his ears are open unto their cry. Jf thou delight thyfelfinthe Lord^ hefhallgive thee the de- fires of thy heart. Correfpondent to this, the righteous endeavours to walk fo as to pleafe God, and to abound therein more and more. While fome ftudy a conform- ity to the world, v^^hile others affe£t to govern them- felves by the dictates of reafon, and a third fort know no rule but their own vicious inclinations ; he is tranf formed hy the renewing of his ?nind^ that he may know the acceptable will of God. The v/rkten word is a light to hisfeet^ and a lamp to his path. He puts himfelf under the guidance of the divine fpirit : for as many as are led l)ythefpirit of God^ they are thefons of God. He thus conforms 6o SERMON IV. conforms to the will of God, not fo much from fear as from love, not as a fervant but as a fon, not as to the commands of a fevere mafter, but as to the counfels of a friend : this is the love ofGod^ that we keep his command- merits ; whatfoever ye do^ do it heartily as to the Lord, Such then is the friendfhip that takes place between God and every true Chriftian. It, no doubt, varies in different perfons according to their degrees of ad- vancement in the divine life. In every cafe, however, it includes all the eflentials of real friendfhip, and is in fubftance, the fame with that which exilled between God and Abraham. Let me only farther obferve here, that pious men never forget the infinite diftance between God and them ; and ever-condud: themfelves towards him, with the deepeft reverence. In this they tread in' the fteps of their father Abraham, who ap- proached God with expVeflions of the mod profound humility, even when admitted to the privilege of in- terceding for others. / have taken upon me^ faid the good patriarch, to /peak unto the Lord^ which am but dujl and ajhes I -—Oh let not the Lord be angry ^ and I will /peak yet but this once ! even a human friend of fupe- rior rank, ought to be treated with a certain degree of refped and delicacy ; and grofs familiarity is injurious to the friendfhip of equals. How carefully ought this to be remembered by the friends of him, who is the high and lofty one^ who inhabits eternity and thepraifes of Ifrael — before whom the feraphims cover their faces ^ and before zvhofc throne the four and twenty elders cafi their crowns. Let me now, in the lad place, recommend this friend- ihip to your purfuit. And I. From SERMON IV. 6l 1. From the honour of it. Of all the connexions you can form, it is certainly the mod: honourable. How proud are we of the friendfhip of our human fuperiors, efpecially, if to dignity of rank they add perfonal worth ? How fond are we of being feen to aflbciate with them, and to receive marks of their favour ? how truly honourable then to be the friend of the beft, of the greatefl of beings, before whom all human diftinc- tions recede to an infinite diftance, and link in one common level ! to be the favourites of the moft emi- nent in virtue and dignity among our fellow creatures, is no certain mark of worth, becaufe ftill fuch are lia- ble to be miftaken in their judgement concerning us ; but to be called with juftice, the friends of God, whofe judgement is as unerring as his purity is untainted, muft convey the nobleft encomium in the feweft words. Thus, in the language of the old teftament, is the Lord of hofts for a crown of glory and a diadem of beau- ty to his people. And hence in the new, the apoftle John glories in the relation we have been confidering, tho' he mentions it under other names. Behold what manner of love the father hath hejiowed upon us^ that we fhould be called the fons of God ! — That which we have feen and heard ^ fays he again, declare we untoyou^ that ye alfo may have fellowfhip with us ; and truly our fellowfhip is with the father, and with his f on Jefus Chri/l, 2. This friendfhip is worthy of your purfuit, on ac- count of the pleafure with which it is attended. Hu- man friendfhip is certainly one of the greateft comforts of life ; and fo necefTary it has been efleemed by fome, that they have queftioned whether there could be any true enjoyment of life without it. Certainly, to 62 SERMON IV. to be connected with one who takes part in all our concerns, and with whom we can converfe as with an- other felf, is a circumftance well fitted to afford us much fatisfadion, and has a flrong tendency to double our joys, and divide our forrows. Superior then fure mufl be the pleafure which arifes from friendfhip with that being whofe nature is love^ whofe truth is inviolate^ whofe w'lfdom is unerring ; in a word, who is poffeffed of all thofe excellencies which recommend a friend, without any of thofe imperfections which lelfen the va- lue of that character among men. It was this which conflituted the primeval happinefs of man. It was not the flowers, the fruits, and the embowering fhades of Eden which rendered that garden fo much a fcene of delight, and the lofs of it fo much the fubjed of re- gret. No, it was the pecuHar favour of our maker, and the intimate communion with him, which we en- joyed there. And it is the reftoring us to that favour and communion, that renders the gofpel a pearl offo great price ^ and the tidings which it hnng^^ tidings offo great joy. It is true, the means of converfmg with God^ with which w€ are furnifhed at prefent, are imperfeft : they are only meditation, prayer, and the other exer- cifes of worfhip. Yet even in thefe the lover of God finds a fatisfadtion much fuperior to what the world can either give or take away. Infinite perfedion is certainly a pleafmg fubjed of contemplation ; it fills, it expands, it gives the noblefl exercife to the under- ftanding ; it calls forth, it brings into adion the mofl generous affedions of the heart. But to think too, that this is the perfedion of our befi friend^ and of con- fequence, that it is in a manner our own, mufl make a very SERMON IV. 63 a very folid addition to our enjoyment. Nay, tho' the dull cold formalifl may term it enthufiafm^ we have reafon to aflert, that in every true worfhipper, the pure joys of devotion are heightened by commu- nications of divine grace. Yes, God draws near unto its^ when we draw near unto him ; he has promifed to make his people joyful in his houfe of prayer ; and fpeaks often of \htfatnefs and of the goodnefs of his houfe. — Hence the rapturous expreffions made ufe of by pious men, even under the old teftament difpenfation, when fpeaking of the pleafures of devotion which they expe- rienced. — Hence particularly, thofe which burfl from the mouth of the pfalmift, as when he fays, addrefling himfelf to God, a day in thy courts is better than a thou- fand ; — and in the following words, where he feems to affirm that the joys under confideration were the only joys for which he wifhed to live ; one thing have I defired of the Lord^ that will I feek after ^ that I may dwell in the houfe of the Lord all the days of my life^ to behold the beauty of the Lord. Under the new tef- tament difpenfation, where we have free accefs to the throne of grace, a more fpiritual worfhip, more pre- cious promifes, and where we have a facred inftitu- tion exprefsly termed the communion and the table of the Lord ; fuch language may be ufed with flili greater propriety. Laflly, let me recommend this friendfhip to you, from its advantages. It is of fmgular advantage under afflidion. The idea of afflidion here, may furnifli the ignorant and thoughtlefs with, what they fhall think, an invincible objection againft the very exiftence of that friendfliip, which we have been confidering. How, will they be 64 SERMON IV. be ready to fay, can we fuppofe that an almighty and an all-gracious being fhould ever permit his friends to fall into a ftate of afflidion, efpecially that he Ihould actually afflidt them himfelf ? But the new teftament throws the cleared and mofi: fatisfa6lory light on this circumftance. It informs us, that God vifits his friends with afflidion, in order to try them, that is, to difcover, to exercife, and to ftrengthen their grac- es ; and fometimes alfo, in order to chaftife them for their tranfgreflions. It affures too, that all things work together for good to them that love God, Thefe confidera- tions may furely enable the good man to welcome the ftroke of adverfity, and to fay, if the righteous God finite me^ itfhall he a kindnefs^ and if he reproves me^itfhall he an excellent oil -.-^faithful are the wounds of a friend. Befides, and which is a matter of the utmoft confe- quence, the friends of God have the flrongell affuran- ces, that in their affliftion he is ever prefent with them, and ever ready to comfort and affift them. Here we cannot but obferve, how much the friendfhip of God is fuperior to all others. Our worldly friend may be rendered ufelefs to us by diftance ; oceans may roll, and regions ftretch themfelves, between him and us. But God is a prefent help in time of need ; in him we live^ and?nove^ and have our being. Our human friend is apt to change his difpofition towards us ; fometimes with our circumftances, fometimes with his own, and fometimes without any apparent caufe at all. Who is fo fortunate, as not to have occafion fometimes to complain of the caprices and humours of his friend ? — With God, there is no variablenefs , Jieither fhadow of turning. The mountains fhall depart, and the hills he re- moved; SERMON IV. 6^ moved ; but ?ny kindnefs jhall not depart from thee^ faith the Lord that hath mercy upon thee. He is a friend that Jiicketh clofer than a brother, — Laftly, there are fome things, which perhaps fhame, or fear, or other caufes, may prevent our difcovering to our moft confidential friend on earth, though the communication would be of much eafe and advantage to our minds^. But, if we obferve due reverence in our fentiments and ex- preffions, we need be under no reftraints with our heavenly father. If there be any fecret thing with thee^ tell it to thy God. Cafi thy burtheyi upon the Lord, In every things by prayer andfupplication^ let your requefis be known unto God, 2. This friendfhip would heighten our enjoyment of profperity. The good things of this world are ever to be confidered as coming from the hand of God : every good gift and every perfed gift cometh down from the father of lights. With men of piety this circumflance mud increafe the value of thofe things, as even a trifle from the hand of a friend is peculiarly acceptable ; and as they have good reafon to believe, that in their cafe, God accompanies his gift with that blejfing which inaketh rich^ and addeth notforrow. Indeed this friend- lliip would throw a cheerful light on every objeQ: a- round us, and on every, event of providence. Thofe objeds and events being, on fuch a fuppofition, confi- dered as the works of our belt friend, and ferving conftantly to keep us in mind of his being and pre- fence, would be regarded with fingular attention and fatisfaclion. Lafily, This fublime connection fecures to us fpi- ritual blefiings the mod fubfiantial and permanent. G Friendfhip 66 SERMON IV, Friendflilp with God evidently includes pardon and reconciliation ; and thefe are introdudory to all the bleffmgs of the new covenant. Agreeably to this, the apoftle tells us, conGerning them that love God, thai they are predejiinated^ that they are called^ that they are juftified^ and finally^ that they are glorified. He tells us in another paiTage, that all^ everi death itfelf^ is theirs, — > 1 hefe things are fo plain, that there is no necefficy for infifting on them. Allow me only to obferve, with relation to the privilege lafl mentioned, that it forms another fingular advantage attending the friendihip under confideration* Death diifolves all our bonds of afFeclion with created objeds : but it tends directly and infallibly to ftrengthen and to confummate that which takes place between us and our creator. The fame ftroke that for ever fevers human friend from friend, and divides the foul from the body, tranfmits us to that blelTed abode, where we fhall fee the objeft of our fupreme love, not as here, appearing dimly thro* his ordinances, feebly refleded from his works, or clouded by intervening doubts and fears ; hut fee him as he iSf conie even to his feat^ and hejilled with all the fulnefs of God, I conclude with obferving, from what has been faid, how falfe the notions which men are apt to entertain of religion, and how unjuft their prejudices againft that courfe. Many of you, it is likely, have been ac- cuftomed to confider it only as a fubjeclion of your underftanding to a fyftem of gloomy and myfterious dodrines, or as a careful obfervance of fome external, rites of worfhip, or as an endeavour to conform to a fet of fevere and almofl impradicable precepts, or as a. ftate SERMON IV. 67 ftate of fervitude under an arbitrary and inexorable -mafter. Thefe notions, it mud be owned, have a natural tendency to render religion the objedl of your contempt or averfion. Happily however, they are all of them almoft entirely falfe. Religion, you fee, may bejuftly confidered in a point of view the mod refpec- tableand engaging, as a ftate of friendfhip with God. And this makes it the objeO: of the wife choice of eve- ry rank and condition in life. V/hat ftation fo exalt- ed, as not to receive honour from the friendfhip of the king of kings ? what condition in this unftable world fo profperous, as not to receive advantage from the peculiar love of the great difpofer of all ? Who would not wifh for independency ? it is only this high cennedion with heaven, which can beftow that advantage. The friend of God is, with refped to his chief happinefs, independent of all but his maker. He may be ftripped of every earthly pof- feiTion ; but what can rob him of his God, and of a fenfe of divine favour ? indeed the privilege is every way fo vaft, fo tranfcendent, that when we furvey it attentively, we might well appear as men that dream; and, recoiling with a mixture of joy and aftonifhmenr, ailv ourfelves, will God in n;£ry deed thus dwell with men ? to our infinite comfort, as we have in part feen, this queftion may be anfwered with cer- tainty in the affirmative. Let me only farther fug- geft to this purpofe, that fo defirous has the great God been, to renew the bands of friendfhip which an- ciently fubfifted between him and us, that he has fent his only begotten fon into the world, in order to ac- complifh that gracious end. The meafure has been fuccefsful, in a degree equal to our more fanguine G 2 wilhes : 68 SERMON IVe wlihes : The great mediator has, by his obedience and death, rendered our reconciliation perfedlly con- fident with the juftice and honour of God ; he hath Jlain the enmitj^ and made us nigh by the blood of his crofs* The fame illuftrious perfon tells us, that faith and re- pentance are the only means by which we can enter in- to a ftate of friendfhip with our maker ; he calls upon us, he earneflly befeeches us, to believe and repent ; and, to complete the difplay of his grace, he repeated- ly offers his affiftance to enable us to comply with his calls. Let me intreat you to meet fuch ineffable con- defcending goodnefs, with a fuitable return ; I befeech you, be ye reconciled unto God. Why indeed (hould you Hand in need of intreaties to adopt a meafure, which is not only recommended to you by its honour and advantages, but urged upon you by abfolute ne- ceiTity ? Need the weary be intreated to take reft, the hungry to take food, or the fick to ufe the only means for their recovery ? Why then fhould man, taught by a thoufand proofs that he is in himfelf vani- ty and mifery, need to be intreated to unite himfelf by friendfhip to the all perfed God ? SER. SERMON V Luke xix. 41, 42. And when he 'was come near^ he beheld the city^ and wept over it ; — Saying, If thou had/} known, even thou, at leafi in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! but now they are hid from thine eyes. *nPHESE words are part of Luke's account of our Sa- ^ viour's laft journey to Jerufalem. As our Lord approached that city, he determined to enter it in a fort of triumph. This he accordingly did ; but his tri- umph, in its occafion, its defign, and in the manner in which it was conducted, was very different from what then commonly paffed under that name. He triumph- ed, not for thoufands ll'ain, but for myriads faved \ not for having defeated a hoft of human foes, the enemies of his country, but for having vanquifhed the powers of darknefs, the mod dangerous enemies of the whole human race. His defign was, not to gratify a vain palTion for the applaufe of the multitude, but to obey 70 SERMON V. the appointment of heaven, as intimated m antient pro- phecy ; and perhaps ukimately to exhibit himfelf as the Meiliah, in a manner the moll folemn and public ; now that the evidences of his miffion and the period of his perfonal miniftry, both nearly completed, render- ed fuch an exhibition proper. Here too every thing was adapted to the temper, the condition, and fpiri- tual dignity, of him, whofe heart vi^as ever lowly, whofe victories were obtained v/ithout blood, and whofe kingdom was not of this world. No fplendid chariot, no armed guards, no captives led in chains, no fpoils of the vanquiihed, nor any other circumflance of warHke pomp, graced the triumph of the mighty to fave. The daughter of Sion beheld her king coming to her, meek though triumphant, and fitting upon an afs^ yea a colt the foal of an afs. His attendants were only his own difciples, a little atid a feeble flock, and a num- ber of people from Jerufalem, very great indeed, but, it would appear, chiefly of the lowed fl;ation. Thefe were the perfons who fpread their garments in the way of our Saviour, and, feized feemingly with a di- vine impulfe, burfl: forth at once in this triumphal fong.^ the nobleft, ic muft be owned, ever addrefled to any conqueror. Bleffed he the king that cometh in the name of the Lord : peace in hea^ven^ and glory in the highe/i/-^ It was in the midft of thefe honours, and immediately after our Lord had jufl:ified the multitude in ofi:ering them Jo him, the city of Jerufalem being at the fame time in full view, that the afFeding incident recorded iij our text took place : And when^ l^c. In thefe words we have two things worthy of our fe- rious attention : firft:, the tender compaflion of our Sa- viour SEUMGN \'. viour for the city of Jerufalem ; fecondly, the caufe or ground of that compaliion. I fhall endeavour to illuf- trate both, and then make fome application of the fubjed. It will be proper to begin with the fecond of thefe, though pofterior in the order of the words, becaufe it is evidently the foundation of the other. I. Then, as to the caufe or ground of our Saviour's compaffion for Jerufalem : this was threefold ; the folly, the guilt, and the punifhment of that unhappy city : {he knew not the things that belonged to her peace ; (he knew them not iE her day j and now, they were hid from her eyes. I, She knew not, or (to change the terms once for all) her people knew not the things that belonged to their peace. The things that belonged to their peace. This is the amiable, the interefting view which our Sa- viour gives of repentance and reformation. And it is perfedly j ufl. Thefe things are immediately conducive to the peace of mankind, public and private, fpiritual and temporal, prefent and future. They are indifpen- fably neceflary to this purpofe. There is no peace^ faith the Lord, unto the wicked. No peace, either with God or with themfelves, either in life or in death, either in time or ^eternity ; to the wicked^ whether fo- cieties or individuals, cities or countries. This awful declaration is true both by natural confequence and by the immediate interpofition of heaven. It held true in a very particular manner, with refpe6l to the peo- ple whom our Lord now addreifed, as they were the inhabitants of the capital of that country, which was governed by a very peculiar providence. It were eafy G 4 72 Sermon v. to fhew you from the old teftament, that while the people of Jerufalem were faithful to God, peace was within their walls ^ and profperify within their palaces ; but that when they revolted from \L\m^he hid his face ^ and they were troubled. But what, I prefume, we ought chiefly to attend to here, is our Saviour's intima- tion that the people of Jerufalem knew ?iot thefe things. In one, and that the more common, fenfe of the word, they could not but know them ; but here, as in fome other paiTages of fcripture, not to know is to ad as. if one did not hiow^ i. e. utterly to negle£t ; and this had been the invariable condud: of the people of Jerufalem in almoft every period of their exiftence : they were fliff-necked and uncircumcifed in heart and ears, and did always refifl the Holy Ghoft. They had Mofes continually in their hands % but even Mofes, in whom*** they trufted, accufed them. They had been favoured with a long fucceffion of prophets, who laboured to re- call them to the path of their duty ; but they mocked thofe meflengers of God, defpifed their words, and a- bufed their perfons : it was Jerufalem that killed the prophets J andfioned them that were fent unto her. For upwards of four hundred years after the prophetic times, they were indeed free from their ancient re- proach, idolatry ; but hiflory bears ample teftimony, that during that period, they were difgraced with dif- fenfion, cruelty, and fuperftition. Then came the Baptift, and at lail our Lord himfelf ; but neither the aullerity and referve of the one, nor the mild and focial manner of the other, could charm this generation of vipers : they faid of John, he hath a devil^ and of Chrift, behold a man ghiitGnous and a wine bibber ^ a friend of pub- licans SERMON V. 73 licans andftnners. Their peculiar advantages under the miniflrations of the latter are here particularly alluded to, for it is immediately added, 2. At leajl in this thy day. The people of Jerufa- lefti negleded repentance and reformation, even in that bright, that limited feafon for them, the time of our Lord's perfonal miniftry. This was their mod ac- cepted time, their day of falvation : this, to ufe the ex. prefTion belov^, was the time of their vifitation, Jerufa- iem had been the fcene of half the fermons our Savi- viour preached, and of half the miracles he performed. It was here, eternal wifdom had in a manner built her houfe, and hewn out her feven pillars. Often had fhe cried without in its flreets ; but its people fet at nought all her counfel, and would none of her reproof. Jefus would often, to ufe his own expreffion, have gathered her children together, as a hen doth ga- ther her brood under her wings, but they would not. And it is in this chiefly, they difcover their guilt and folly. Had they been left to the mere light of nature, they might with fome fliew of reafon have pled ignorance : Had they been in poffefTion of only Mofes and the prophets, even in thefe they had only a light fhining in a dark place. But remaining im- penitent under the influence of the/^/;2 of righteoiifnefs ^ under the mod perfect difpenfation of grace, delivered immediately by its great author, they could fcarcely have a cloke for their fm. Befides, it was but for a very limited time, that they were to enjoy this advan- tage. The period of our Lord's miniftry, which is here reprefented as their day^ was only about three years, and was now very nearly completed. We find indeed, that 74 SERMON V. that he delivered feveral difcourfes, and performed fome adions of fome confiderable importance alter this; but it is plain, from the evangelical hiftory, that in a few days he was crucified. Thus jhe day vi^hich they had fo generally negle£led was far fpent, and a night of darknefs was juil: at hand. But this puts me in mind of our Saviour's Laft ground of lamentation over the people of Jeru- falem, viz. their puniihment; but now they are hid from thine eyes. Thefe words imply in the lirft place, that God would withdraw, or rather, had actually with- drawn from them the enlightening and foftening in- fluences of his grace ; that he now left them to that blindnefs of mind, and hardnefs of heart, in which they had fo obflinately perfifted, fo that they would derive no faving benefit from the advantages which might yet be continued to them. What followed, and "is related in other parts of the new teftament, fully juftifies this interpretation. Though the apoftles, very foon after our Lord's afcenfion, and agreeably to his laft inflrudions, began preaching at Jerufalem ; yet v/e find that their labours were in general unfuc- cefsful. A fmall eledion only was converted *, the reft, as is obferved by the apoftle Paul, were blinded ; and in them w^as fulfilled the predidion of the prophet Ifaiah, God hath given them the fpirit of Jlumber^ eyes that theyjldould not fee ^ and ears that they fhould not hear^ unto this day* But this expreffion imphes alfo, that the people of Jerufalem fhould fI:»ortly be deprived, even of the out- ward light of the gofpel, and that in the moft awful and * Rom. xi. 7, 8. SERMON V. 75 and effeflual manner. This appears from what is im- mediately added by way of explanation : For the days Jhall cotne upon thee^ that thine enemies Jhall caji a trench about thee^ Isfc. This refers to that deftrudion of Je- rufalem, which is reprefented both in facred and pro- fane hiftory, as the moft dreadful that ever befel any city ; which our Lord calls the days of vengeance ; and of which he fpeaks in the very fame terms in which he defcribes the future judgment. Nor did that generation pafs away till all thofe things were fulfilled. About forty years after the afcenfion of our Saviour, the Romans, irritated by the frequent fe- ditions and revolts of the Jews, drew together their whole forces in the neighbourhood, and laid clofe fiege to Jerufalem. The miferies which the inhabitants fuffered while the city was fhut up, and the numbers that perifked by famine, peftilence, and fadtion, are almoft incredible : at lafl it was taken by florm, when its ftreets were heaped with flaughter, the remains of its familhed inhabitants fold into llavery, and the very foundation of its walls were ploughed up. Thus was it /wept with the hefom of dejlriitlion^ and thus were its people deprived at once of the Hght of day, and of the light of the gofpel. Thefe were the grounds of our Saviour's lamenta- tion over Jerufalem. They are, it mud be acknowled- ged, jufl and great; yet all things confidered, we have high reafon to admire his compaflion as here expref- fed, and tg the illuftration of which we now in the lid place proceed. When he was come near to the city, he beheld il, lie beheld it for fome time v/ith filent forrow, deeply revolvine 76 SERMON V. revolving in his mind its atrocious guilt, and its dread- ful tho' deferved fate. He remembered the love of its efpoufals, that it vv^as the holy city ^ the joy of the whole earthy the perfection of beauty^ and the chofen refidence of God for many ages : his repentings v^ere therefore kindled together, and he could fltiot give it up without a ftruggle. At length his overcharged heart could no longer contain its emotions : he wept a flood of tears, and burft into the moft pathetic accents of forrow. If thou hadji known ! how happy would it have been for thyfelf, what unfpeakable fatisfadlion would it have afforded to me! He does not indeed fay exprefsly what would have followed; the language is abrupt. But this befpeaks a deeper concern than if it had been completed in the bed chofen words : for it is evident- ly the depth of his concern that flops his utterance. Thou^ fays he, eve^i thou. How emphatic this re- petition ! It calls up to view all the accumulated guilt of the people of Jerufalem, and particularly their inju- rious treatment of our Lord himfelf. Notwithfland- ing the many good works he had done both to the fouis and bodies of numbers among them, and the gracious and invaluable offers he had made to all of them; they had blackened his reputation, they had re- viled him to his face, they had made two attempts upon his life ; and, what is efpecially worthy of re- mark, they were at this very time breathing after his deflruclion, and he was going up to Jerufalem, confci- ous that in a few days they were to put him to a cruel and ignominious death. Were fuch ungrateful, fuch inhuman wretches worthy of one tear, or one figh from their infulted Lord ? Would we have been fur- prifed, SERMON V. 77 prifed, had the very fight of that city which harboured them, raifed in him the keened feeUngs of refentment ; had he rejoiced that now they were about to fill up the meafure of their iniquities, and that thofe towers which he beheld rifmg into the fkies, as if braving heaven itfelf, would by and by be levelled with the ground, and bury his implacable enemies in their ruins ? This was what they deferved ; this would have more refembled the manner of men. In our bofoms, private refentment is generally too flrong for public fpiric ; and we have inftances in the biftory of the world, of fome of the mod eminent patriots, who when they found their fervices repaid with ingrati- tude and injury, have execrated their country, and vowed its deflrudion. How different was the fpirit of our Lord! his love to his country burned amid the deeped waters of ingratitude ; and though the people of Jerufalem had fpurned at the bed bleilings of heaven prefented to them by his hands, and though he well knew that they thirded for his blood ; yet he could not allow himfelf to think even of the jud punifh- ment to be inflicted on them for this their condud, without undergoing an agony of forrow ! j^s the hea- vens are higher than the earth ^fo were his ways higher than our ways^ and his thoughts than our thoughts ! The Jews were didinguifhed among the nations for the drength of their attachment to their native coun- try, particularly to its capital ; and every perfon of fenfibility will admire the beauty and fpirit of the fol- lowing expredions to this purpofe, uttered by one of the captives at Babylon, and it would appear, in name of all the red. If I forget thee^ Jerufalem^ lei my right hand yS SERMON V. hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth ; if 1 prefer not Jerufalem above my chief joy%. But thofe captives had received no injury from Jerufalem, they had feen its adual defolation, and their place of exile was at a vaft diftance from that city ; all which circumftances had a flrong tendency to heighten their compafTion for its fate, and rendered their fituation very different from that of our Saviour. Again, in all the hiftory of our Saviour's life, there are but two occafions that 1 remember at prefent, on which he is faid to have fhed tears. The one was at the grave of Lazarus : for when he came to the fpot where the body of his friend was laid, we are told, Jefus wept. The other is the inflanee now before us. But though the former was a proof of tender compaf- fion in our Lord, and fuch as ftruck even the unfeel- ing Jews who witneiTed it, yet the latter is inexpreiTibly ftronger. In the former he lamented the fate of his friend, in the latter that of his enemy ; in the one he bewailed the death of a good man, in the other the juft punifhment of perverfe and implacable mifcreants, who were a difgrace to human nature. To conclude this part of our fubjed, it was gene- rous companion, confidering the circumftances of the moment in which it was exercifed. Our Lord fung the elegy of his enemies in the midft of his own exalted praife. He mourned their dovvnfal in the midft of his own triumph. He felt this compafTion when he had a near profpedt of agony, crucifixion and death. One would have thought that thefe dreadful events, form- § Pfal. cxxxvii. $,6. mg SERMON V. 79 ing altogether, what he emphatically calls, the hour and po%ver of darknefs^ would have wholly engroffedhis attention, and that if he had been to weep, it would not have been for Jerufalem, but for himfelf and his friends. But thus it was 1 refentment, terror, and felf-prefervation, all were fw allowed up in the depths of divine compaflion ! Divine indeed ! had we no other proof of our Lord's divinity, this almoil might befufEcient. I come now, fecondly, to make fome application of the fubje6t : and to the impenitent in our day and cir- cumffcances, it is capable of being applied very clofely. I. With regard to the ground of our Saviour's la- mentation, let it not be thought that the fmners of Je- rufalem were in fuch a degree fmners above all others, as that though they were in the utmofl danger, ye can be in a ftate of fafety. I tell you nay ; except ye repent, ye too ihall perilh. Your guilt and folly are in fubftance the fame with theirs : ye remain impenitent as they did, under the lad and bed plan which infi- nite goodnefs itfelf could contrive for the falvation of mankind. One fingular advantage indeed they enjoy- ed, the prefence and perfonal miniftry of the fon of God, its immediate author. But have not ye too your advantages? ye certainly have. That gofpel which they received only by the hearing of the ear, and in detached parts, ye poiTefs in writing, and complete in one volume ; a form above all others convenient and well adapted to your inflrudlion. In the accomplifh- ment of the prophecies delivered by our Lord and his apoftles, ye are favoured with evidences of the truth of our religion, which it was^not pofTible for the people of Jerufalem 8o SERMON V. Jerufaiem to enjoy. They were prejudiced againft our Lord and his gofpel ; ye are educated in a veneration for both. They were threatened with perfecution if they dared to profefs the gofpel : ye are protected, ye are encouraged in that profeffion. If then ye reiem- ble them in condud, have ye not reafon to dread a like fare 5 that God Ihould deprive you of that light againft which you wilfully fhut your eyes, and leave your feet to ftumble on the dark mountains of guilt, ignorance, and mifery ? It is true indeed, that the diflblution of a church and kingdom is an awful, an extraordinary event ; and there may be little likelihood of fuch diffolution in our cafe at prefent. But was it not unlikely, as to human appearance, in the very cafe we have been con- fidering ? Jerufaiem, at the time our Lord foretold its downfall, enjoyed a profound peace, and a degree of profperity and fplendor, perhaps unequalled fmce the days of Solomon. Yet in a fhort period, as we have feen, every circumftance of what he pronounced had its accomphfhment. Have not we ourfelves witnelTed more than one revolution among the nations around us, which, had any one ventured to foretell them but a few years before, would have been confidered as ab- furd and improbable vifions ? when the hand of God is made bare for judgement, what is there that we may not expert ? It is true, God feldom interpafes in this manner, but v*^hen a whole people have abufed his favour. But build no fecurity on this ground. He has m.any other ways by which he can chaftife the infolence and obftinacy of individuals. May he not confine you by ficknefs SERMON V. ficknefs from the ufe of all the external ordinances of religion ? May he not deny you that grace, without which all ufe of them would be to no faving purpofe ? May he not take from you that reafon, the exercife of which is fo necelTary to the work of your reformation ? May he not cut you off from all your advantages, by fudden death ? and though you fhould this night com- mit yourfelves to repofe in profound fecurity, may you not awake amid everlafting flames ! This is no ima- ginary terror ; it has often happened ; and where is the daring fmner who will (land up and fay, it Jhall not happen to me ! For your encouragement, there is o;ie circumftance in which your cafe differs much from that of the peo- ple of Jerufalem : their doom was declared to be fixed by our Lord himfelf. This is certainly not the cafe with you ; and 1 prefume there is no infuperable bar to your converfion. But who can tell how foon it may be otherwife, and whether God may not now be pre- paring to lift up his hand to fwear in his wrath, that you Jhall never enter into his reft, Hafle then, before the decree go forth ! Seek the Lord^ while he may be found ; call iipori him while he is near. The confiderations on which we have been infix- ing, are certainly the mod momentous that can. be prefented to the view of reafonable creatures ; the in- finite importance, the invincible neceffity of the mea- fure recommended. And, perhaps, did we attend to the more ordinary operations of the human mind, we fhould hereconfefs that we had nothing more that we could do, and fit down in filence. But the almighty is not confined to one method of working. He has H various 82 SERMON V. various arrows in his quiver, and fometimes, thole which, to purfue the figure, are fledged with the grace of our Saviour, moiflened in his tears, or dipt in his blood, find their way to that heart againft which the fliafts of terror have been discharged in vain. Al- low me, then, 2dly, To bring home to you the other part of our text. Think not then that the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, fo beautifully difplayed in thefe verfes, is no- thing to you : ye are very deeply concerned in it. It is true, ye are not the perfons over whom he immedi- ately poured this aSeding lamentation ; but has he not given you many fimilar proofs of the mod tender com- paffion, when he might long fince have cut you off, and hid from you for ever the things that belong to your peace, the firft moment in which you abufed them ? He has born with your continued infults, and furnifhed you with all the means neceflary for repen- tance ; he has called you by the fuggeftions of reafon, by the remonftrances of confcience, by the ilill fmali voice of his fpirit, by his mercies and by his judge- ments, and at this moment he is calling upon you by his word : if nothing lefs than his tears will convince you of his compaiJionate regard, has he not wept for you tears of blood, in his agony, and on his crofs ! Here then is a fpedlacle well fitted to touch the ten- dered firings of the human heart, the fon of God bath- ed in tears and drenched in blood on your account, and intreating you with outftretched arms only to have mercy on yourfelves ! Certainly the man who can be- hold him thusjwithoutbeing moved in fome degree, has reafon SERMON V. 83 reafon to ftand aftonifhed at his own infenfibility, and to fufped that he is about to be abandoned of his maker. But farther ; does not this reprefentation of the love of Chrift fet the value of the foul in the moll flrik- ing point of view ? we might tell you of its noble powers, its vaft defires, its immortal nature, and its divine refemblance ; but not one of thefe fpeaks fo ftrongly to the purpofe as this fmgle circumftance; the fon of God who formed it, who has the keys of hell and of death, and who knows the blifs it mud lofe and the mifery it muft endure by final impenitence, wept at the profpeft of its impending ruin ! — what jh all a man give in exchange for his foul! To conclude then, do ye feel yourfelves difpofed to melt at the view of fuch tender, fuch difmterefted com- panion ? Oh fupprefs not the beginnings of goodnefs, quench not the fmoking flax ! This perhaps is the fet time to favour your fouls ; yield to the gentle impulfe, and funender yourfelves to him who loved you to the death, one entire offering of contrition and gratitude. The day that unites you to fuch a gracious Saviour, will furely be the moil joyfully memorable in your whole lives. No unkind upbraidings fhall damp your new-born joys, or difpirit your entrance into his fer- vice. How happy mufl you be under fuch a mafler ! he will furely make every tender allowance for the in- firmities of your nature, and the difScukies of your fi- tuation : his yoke will he eaf)\ his burthen will he light, — He will beflow upon you every blefTmg that is not in- confiftent with your beft interefts : if he wept for his enemies, what will he not do for his friends ? H2 SER- SERMON VI Job xiv. i. Man that is born of a woman^ is of few days, and full of trouble, TPHE frequent and heavy complaints which Job ut- ters under his diftrefs, may, at firft view, ap- pear inconfiflent with thofe paflages of fcripture, in which that good man is held forth to us as a proper pattern of patience. But, my brethren, the degree of virtue in any chara6ler cannot be fairly eftimated, without attending to the circumftances in which that charader is placed ; and, all circumftances confidered, the traces of infirmity which we difcover in the complaints of Job, are by no means fuch as deftroy his title to the peculiar praife with which he has gene- rally been honoured ; and are no more, than what might have been expeded in a ftate, where abfolute perfedion in any virtue is unattainable. We are, in the firft place, to confider that his trial was fingularly fevere, and that providence, ftroke fol- H 3 lowing 86 SERMON VI. lowing flroke, fudden and unexpeded, thought fit to reduce him from the highefl: degree of profperity, to the greateft depth of adverfity. In one day he fell from a ftate of princely opulence into the mofl abje£t poverty. Scarcely had he time to breathe after this difafler, when he was informed of the violent and un- timely death of all his children. The pious refignation which he difcovered under thefe afflictions, feems to have raifed the malice of fatan againfl him to the high- efl: imaginable rage. That malignant being there- fore having, to ferve the ultimately gracious defigns of heaven, permiffion to exercife every power over him, but that of depriving him of life ; immediately ren- dered his whole body the feat of painful and loathfome diftemper ; and began to throw into his mind, thofe melancholy and defponding fuggeflions, which fome- times appear in the good man's complaints. Again, Job v/as irritated and driven to the extreme, by theunjud, the cruel invedives of his friends, who unhappily and grofsly miftaking his charader, inftead of pitying feemed toabbor-him, and inftead of footh- ing his forrows, upbraided him with enormous guilt — Nor ought it to be forgotten that he was placed under a very imperfed difpenfation. Deftitute of all written revelation, he perhaps poiTefled, in full of all fpiritual advantages, only the glimmering light of a few oral traditions. — I fhall only obferve farther, in defence of thefe complaints, that in them Job is not wholly en- groffed with his own condition, diftrefsful as it was ; but, which indicates great goodnefs and fenfibility of heart, fometimes expatiates on the calamities of others, and the general haplefs ftatc of human nature. This is 'SERxMON VI. 87 is the fubjedl of the firfl and greater part of this r 4th chap, where he indulges himfelf in a flow of medita- tions upon it, not in any connected train indeed, but fhort, llriking, and disjoined, fuch as we may fuppofe would naturally arife in a mind pierced through with many forrows, and frequently interrupted in its ope- rations, by fighs and tears. Our text confifls of one of thefe. It contains a fiiort, but juft eftimate of hu- man life, and that in two particulars : its brevity, man is of few days ; and its mifery, he is full of trou- ble. We propofe at prefent to illuftrate thefe particu- lars, and then to make fome improvement of them. — And, I. With refped to the fliortnefs of human life. For- mally to fet about proving either that the life of man is fhort, or that it is troublefome, would be a needlefs ta{k : we all of us acknowledge it, we are all of us apt to complain of it. It however fares with thefe, as it does with many other truths of the greateft impor- tance. — We at once acknowledge and neglect them. V\fh2it we defign therefore, is not fo much to fhow you the certainty of thefe things, as to fet them before you in fuch various points of view, as may, thro' divine grace, give you fome affe6ting fenfe of them, and rightly difpofe your minds for receiving thofe pradi- cal inftrudions which naturally arife from the fubje6t. To proceed : even the terms in which Job here expref- fes himfelf, concerning man and the brevity of human life, are not unworthy our attention. Man, hysh.e,tbat is bom of a woman. No doubt both fexes are included in the term man; but by mentioning both as deriving their birth from the v/eaker, he intimates that nothing H 4 but SS SERMON VI. but weaknefs could be expedled in either. Again, he does not fay, man is of few years : that, however juft, might have fuggefled a notion of longer continu- ance : but he mentions it as confiding of but a few, even of the fhorter meafures by which we reckon time ; man, fays he, is of few days. And how great reafon he had to fpeak of life in this diminutive man- ner, will appear if we confider it, I. In itfelf. The utmoft limits of human life re- main much the fame with what they were in the time of the pfalmift. The days ofoiiryears^ fays he, Pfal. xc. ID. are three/core years and ten ; and if by reafon of Jirength they he fourfcore years, yet is their fir ength labour andforrow. Now, tho' thefe numbers may found big, efpecially to thofe who are juft entering upon life, yet we learn from experience that they are foon finifhed, and that though nothing is more foft and filent, yet tjiat nothing is more rapid than the foot of time. How quickly do we glide over the feveral ftages of our ex- iftence ? how foon does the child fpring up to youth and manhood ? he is almofl: furprifed by them, with the toys of childhood in his hand. Ere we are aware, we arrive at the mid-time of our days, and have fcarce laid our plans for life, v/hen we find that the bed of our days, thofe which were moft capable of improve- ir, ent, are pad and irrevocable. As we advance, we become more fenfible of this ; every fucceffive year feems fliorter than that which went before, as if our time accelerated its flight in proportion as it approach- ed its period. In the vigour of life, we lay down numberlefs projects, and flatter ourfelves with the hopes of feeing them all accomplifhed \ but we foon come SERMON VI. 89 come to difcover that our narrow fpan will not ad- mit of this ; we feel ourfelves hurried under the infir- mities of old age -, and muft, with defires unfatisfied, and plans immature, bid adieu to all we hold dear for ever. Nothing indeed fhews the tranfitory nature of human life in a ftrong'er light, and proves how much it falls fhort of our firfl: conceptions of its duration, than mens hdngfurprifed with the infirmities of age, their thinking to go forth, and to do as at other times, un- confcious that their flrength is departed from them ; and their putting the evil day of death far from them, even when loaded with years, and when it is obvi- ous to all around them, that they are tottering over the grave. — So (hort is life in paffing over it, in compari- fon with what it appeared, when ft retched out before us in profped ; even as yejlerday when it is pajfed^ and as a watch of the night. In what has been faid hitherto, we have fuppofed that the whole feventy or eighty years of human life could be faid to be enjoyed or ufed for the great pur- pofes of our being. But that is by no means the cafe : a confiderable portion is to be deduced from every ilage, nay, from every day of it. The firil dawn of it, infancy and part of childhood, fcarce deferves to be taken into the account ; we have not then begun to live ; I mean the hfe of reafon, the proper life of man. Something of the fame kmd may be faid of the lall ftage of it, old age. In that we have in a manner outlived ourfelves ; and if it be extreme, we experi- ence, agreeably to the common expreflion, a fecond childhood. If to this we add, that a confiderable por- tion, perhaps almoil a half, mull be allotted to the purpofes 90 SERMON VI. purpofes of food, deep, and necefTary relaxation, be- fides the accidental parts that may be loft in ficknefs, the days of man will appear to be contracted to a very few indeed. Thus, granting that every man arrived at old age, his continuance here mud be allowed to be (hort.— This however is a concelTion which cannot be made. How many of thofe that are born are cut ofFbefore they attain the exercife of reafon ? not fewer, it has been conjedured, than one third. And how does the pale conqueror thin the ranks of life, as we advance through the fucceeding ftages of it ? It is certainly but a fmall proportion of mankind that arrives at old age. If we look about in any confiderable afiembly of men, we fee but few marked with the hoary head, the wrinkled brow, and the other attendants of exhauft- ed nature. The aged themfelves, we know, complain of it as one of the hardeft circumftances in their con- dition, that they are deferted by almoft all their equals, and companions. Ifhall only add, infupport of what we have advanced, and to fhew that but few of thofe who enter on the race of life, reach what may be term- ed its goal, that its mean period, according to the moft exaO: calculations, does not much exceed thirty years. This is the fpace commonly allowed for a ge- neration, or for the total extinftion of a number of men equal to all that are on the earth at one time. 2. On this head, let us compare the duration of hu- man life, with that of other things. It is certain, that many of the produdions of nature are fcarcely ar- rived at their full vigour, when the hands that planted them are decrepit and worn out ; and that many of the works SERMON VI. gi works of art remain frefh and firm, as if finifhed but yefterday, when thofe who reared them are long ago mouldered into duft ! How inconfiderable the length of life at prdent, in comparifon of what it was ori- ginally, or before the flood ; when men computed life, not by years, but by ages, and faw their child^ rens children^ even many generations I The Patriarch Jacob had attained to the uncommon age, as it would be reckoned now, of an hundred and thirty ; yet, when he refleded on the circumftance mentioned, he feemed to himfelf to have lived but a very fhort fpace ; The days of the years of my pilgrimage j faid he to Pharoah, Gen. xlvii. 9. are an hundred and thirty years : few and evil, added the good patriarch, have the days of the years of my life been. — What are our fixty or feventy years, compared with the duration of the world ? This globe of earth, alTigned us for our habitation, and thofe vaft bodies v/hich roll over our heads, have feen fucceffive generations rife, flourifli, and decay ; and yet continue to perform their revo- lutions with as much force and regularity, as in the firfl moment when they were launched from the hands of the creator. Thus one generation pafleth away „ and another generation cometh, but the earth abideth for ever. When eternity is brought into view, the life of man fhrinks into a mere point — that eternity, which, when earth and fun and moon and all the ftars (hail be extihguiilied ; yea, when millions of ages fhall have revolved, fhall be as new, as far from an end, as in the firfl moment of our entrance upon it ! But how does the fife of man, how do even all generations that have been or fhall be, vanifli, and in a manner become nothing, when we lift up our eyes towards the great God, 92 SERMON VI. God, whofe exiftence is not meafured by the petty revolution of days or years ; but in whofe fight one day is as a thoufand years, and a thoufand years as one day ; who is from eternity to eternity, ay^o knows no fucceflion of exiftence by pafl and future, who exifts with every part of time as well as of fpace, and enjoys one everlafting prefent 1 What is man^ God^ that thou art mindful of him ? and the f on of man ^ that thou vifiteji him ? Thus it is then, my brethren, the more attentively we confider life, the fhorter does it appear. It feems indeed fcarce capable of affording us more *' Than tirne to look about us, and to die/* and fully to juftify thofe paflages of fcripture, where it is compared to a fpan, a hand-breadth, a breath, and a vapour. How beautifully jufl in this view, the illuf- tration immediately following our text, Hi?, man, cometh forth as a flower^ and is cut down; hefleeih as afhadowy and continueth not. We come now II. To confider the troubles of human life : man i% full of trouble. To reprefent the life of man as one continued fcene of mifery, would be both ungrateful and unjuft. Un- juft, becaufe we have the bed evidence, even that of experience, that life has its joys and comforts, as well as its pains and forrows. Ungrateful, becaufe it would be bafely concealing or denying thofe advanta- ges which providence has undefervedly mingled in our lot. Nay, it would be doing no good office to mankind themfclves, as it has a tendency to four the temper, and to fet men a murmuring at that power which difpofes of all things here below. Still how- ever ^ SERMON VI. 23 ever, the general pofition holds true. That human life abounds in trouble, and that man is born to it, as the fparks fly upward. It is on this we fhall now be- How a few thoughts. And may we not take up the tale of woe at the very entrance on life ? we come into the world, as has been often obferved, with cries and wailings, as ifwefadly prefaged the evils which we are to fufFer in it. What an objedt of pity the new born infant ! its tender frame is liable to be difcompofed by the flighted accident : its complaints may be eaflly mifl:aken, becaufe only ex- prefled by inarticulate founds : it is incapable of doing any thing for its own prefervation, and mufl: for that be beholden entirely to the compaflion of others, par- ticularly to that aflionifliingly fl:rong afFedion which God has purpofely infufed into the breafl: of the parent. In this ftage of exifl:ence, it has to pafs through a fuc- ceffion of pecuHar difeafes, feveral of them tedious, painful, and as has been hinted, often fatal. The feafons of childhood and youth are generally thought to abound with enjoyment more than all others. This is in fome meafure jufl: ; but may we not overrate the happinefs of thofe periods ? and is it not a prefumption of this, that perfons come to years are not more prone to look back with regret to youth, than young perfons are to look forward with impatience to a fl:ate of man- hood ? Into what a variety of perilous and painful fi- tuations are we then thrown, by the fl:rength of paf- fion, the weaknefs of reafon, the want of experience, and by that very thoughtlefsnefs which frees us from long continued and corroding cares ? The pains, the uneafmeffes of young perfons may indeed be the fub- jea 54 SERMON VI. jeflk of fport to others, but they are matters of real and ferious concern to themfelves. But let us fuppofe this llippery, this dangerous period paffed over with fome meafure of eafe and fafety, and that man becomes an a6tor in this bufy fcene ; into what a fea of cares does he then generally plunge ? It is acknowledged, that fome degree of care and labour is neceffary to our happinefs, as alfo that there are confiderable num- bers whofe fituation exempts them from thefe ; it is certain however, that the far greater part of mankind are fubjeded to both, in fuch a degree as makes them feel the full force of that fentence which w^as pronoun- ced upon us immediately after our lirft apoftacy. In forronvjhalt thou eat — In thefweat of thy face fo alt thou eat breads till thou return unto the ground. The pains of acquiring, the care of preferving, and the fears of loiing, with the numberlefs interferences of interefl, which neceiTarily occur to one engaged in the affairs of life, keep the mind in continual agitation : and, tho' fometimes it is in vain, the man rifes up early^ and fits up late^ to eat the bread of for rows. One thing which commonly fupports men, under the toil which they endure in the vigour of life, is the thought of acquiring an eafy fubfiftence againft ihe dechne of their days. In this period, they think they (hall reft from their labours ; and that while all around them is peaceful and fecure, they (hall hear and behold the noife, the tumult, and the troubles of the world at a diftance. But when that time arrives, they find them- felves difappointed, and that in every flage of his ex- iftence man is doomed to difquiet. With perhaps all the means of enjoyment about them, they find their relifh SERMON VI. 9^ relifb, their appetite for it decayed : the grafhopper becomes a burthen, and defire fails. Health, the foun- dation of earthly happinefs, is now no tnore ; ftrength is exhaufted; fenfe, reafon, and memory are impaired; the endearments of fociety, their relations and friends, have for the greateft part paid the debt of nature; a new generation has fprung up, with which they find it difficult to form any intimate connection ; and a new fet of manners has taken place, to which they find they cannot accommodate themfelves withput pain.— DilTatisfied and querulous about their prefent conditi- on, their chief pleafure arifes from the remembrance or recital of what they did or enjoyed formerly. At laft the v/eary pilgrims, ftooping under a load of years and infirmities, and convinced of the vanity of life, begin to wifh for difTolution. Nor Vv^ifh they long ; the melancholy fcene foon (huts upon them ; mango- eth to his long home^ and the mourners go about thejireets. But befides thefe troubles, pecuhar to each period of life, there are many common to all of them. Who can defcribe, who even enumerate, the various pains and difeafes of . body to which we are liable ? Who, the diftradion of doubt and anxiety, the bitternefs of difappointment, and the horrors of fear, with the other troubles v>/hich have their feat in the mind ? How much expofed is our reputation to the flings of un- merited calumny and reproach, and our fortune to the violence and fraud of men, and to the rage of the va- rious elem»ents ? Nor are we expofed only to perfonal troubles : the ties of natural affeclion, of friendfhip, of neighbourhood, and even of humanity, often wring our hearts with a forrow for others, fometimes not lefs g6 SERMON VI* lefs poignant than that which we feel for ourfelves. Such are the troubles of life. But what can be ex- peded of a flate, in which all acknowledge they are feeking happinefs, but none dares fay he h2i^ found it i where many of our greateft pleafures are only deliver- ances from pain \ and, laftly, where the virtues which we have moft frequent occafion to pradife, are patience; charity, and compaffion ! It will poffibly be alleged here, that fa6ls are againfl us : that we fee many perfons in profperity, and apparently happy in that ftate : that mirth and levity are the very charader of the age in which we live -, and that men in general are extremely unwilling to die. Let me, in anfwer to this, repeat the obfervation made above, that it would be unfriendly to attempt to perfuade men that they are not happy, if they feel the contrary ; and that in fa6l we have many bleifmgs which deferve their returns of gratitude and praife : that we are far from averting that in every cafe the pains of life overbalance its pleafures ; and that we fpeak of this world confidered in itfelf, and without relation to any other fcheme of things. Let me now put you in mind, on the other hand, that the profperity and joy of human life are in a good meafure public and obvious ; they love to be taken notice of; and many cannot enjoy their good fortune till they have drawn the attention and raifed the envy of others. Diilrefs and forrow, on the contrary, ra* ther (bun the view ; and fometimes from delicacy of feeling, fometimes from neceiFity, fly to the (liade and pine in obfcurity. It may be obferved too, that fome of that mirth and joy under confideration, is affumed, and SERMON VI. 97 and defigned by thofe who alTume It to impofe upon others, nay if poffible upon themfelves ; that many a wretch takes refuge from trouble of mind in the guilty joys of intemperance and debauchery, and that much of the gaiety of life is owing to one of the greateft troubles, at lead one of the greateft follies of our nature, levity, or entire diiTipation of thought. As to mens unwillingnefs to die, it may be accounted for otherwife, than from the great fatisfacllon which they find In life. Good men fometimes fear to die becaufe they doubt if they be prepared for it ; other- wife they lament it as a weaknefs. Bad men fear to die, becaufe they dread the awful reckoning that fuc- ceeds : and, no doubt too, both good and bad are of- ten defirous to continue in life, from that unconquerable hope which ever fprings up in the human breaft, and ever fuggefts, that though our fituation be bad at pre- fent, all will yet be well. Upon the whole, we venture to affirm, that tho' it would be folly to fay, that all the evils mentioned above meet invariably in the per- fon of every individual ; yet the greater part of man- kind fhare in them very deeply ; that many of them are to be found even in the mofl favoured fituations of life, and that this world, in the greateft abundance iuiaginable, never can give entire fatisfaQion. We clofethis part of the fubj eel with an appeal to one who v/ill, I prefume, be deemed an unexceptionable judge, I mean king Solomon. Now, according to him, what is the amount of human life, including all its joys, and all its purfuits, as well as all its forrows ? The well- known fentence will here recur to your minds, vanity of vanities^ all is vanity ! Here is the judgment, not of an inexperienced youth, but of a man now verging to- I ward 98 SERMON VI. wards old age ; not of a philofophic reclufe, condemn- ing from his retirement pleafures, which perhaps he had neither the means nor the inclination to tafte ; but of a great king, who was furnifhed with all the means, and unhappily poireffed of all the inclination to enjoy every human delight. Nay, what efpecially deferves our attention, it is the judgment of one who entered upon the purfuit of pleafure, with the delibe- rate, and, as he feems to have perfuaded himfelf, the wife defign, of difcovering what happinefs this world could beflow. It is thus he expreffes himfelf; I fought in mine heart to give myfelf unto wine, (yet acquainting mine heart with wifdom) and to lay hold on folly ^ till I might fee what was that good for thefons of men ^ which iheyfoould do under the heaven^ all the days of their life^* "With what weight ought the judgment of fuch a per- fon to fall ! and what deep conviftion ought it to pro- duce 1 The fubje61: on which we have detained you fo long, It muft be owned, is melancholy. But you will, I pre- fume, readily recollect here, the words of the wife man concerning the advantage of a .vifit to the houfe of mourning, and the improvement of the human heart by forrow. Indeed, the two affertions in our text are among thofe few plain and important truths, any one of which being conftantly kept in view, would be fuf- ficient to prompt us to almoft every duty, and to pre- ferve us from almoft every fm and folly. Now from what has been faid we may learn, I. The great evil of fm in general. It was fm that produced II Eccles. ii; 3. SERMON VI. 99 produced the fad fcene which we have juft been at- tempting to defcribe. By one man fin entered into the worlds and death by fin ; andfo death paffed upon allmen^ for that all have ftnned\. Nor is it neceflary in every inftance of the kind to have recburfe to our original guilt ; many of the evils which we mentioned above are frequently occafioned by our perfonal tranfgref- lions. Ambition, revenge, injuftice, intemperance, lufl and avarice, are naturally productive of vexation, poverty, difeafe and pain ; and fometimes even abridge that life which our text reprefents as at the'utmoft fo fhort. Let us beware then of charging the evils of life upon the providence of God. The juft governor of the world has in this cafe only permitted things to take their natural courfe, and left man to reap the fruit of his own devices. Let the fame confideration alfo teach us to regard fm as a thing of deep malig- nity, and carefully to abftain from it in prac?cice. 2. We may obferve, from what has been faid, the advantage and neceffity of religion. Human life, we have feen, is (hort and troublefome ; and on the moft favourable fuppofition, far from being capable of af- fording us entire fatisfaQion. Our fituation here then is, in itfelf, melancholy and mortifying ; for man in this view is a creature both wretched and infignificant. But when religion rifes on the foul, and is received by a cordial faith, the day breaks, the fnadows flee away, a chearful light is thrown upon thofe objects which are moft apt to give us pain, and man is exalted into a being of real dignity and importance. Religion, I I 2 mean :|: Rom. 7. \%, ' lOe SERMON VI. mean the religion of Chrifl, powerfully enforces the practice of all thofe virtues, which have an immedi- ate tendency toleffen our forrowSjand to increafeour joys. It teaches the Chriftian, to confider afflidion as the trial of hh faith, a trial more precious than that of filver or of gold ; or as a chailifement of his hea- venly father. It teaches him, that God will never leave him nor forfake him, and not only fupport him under all his troubles, but bring him off more than conqueror over them. It unveils to him the glories of heaven, and affures him that patient fuifering at prcr fent has the happy effed of preparing him for the en- joyment of that blifsful flate ; that bis light afflidion, which is but for a moment^ worketh out for him a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory* It has been alledged indeed, that religion has fome- times operated in a very different manner, depreffed the mind, and produced even the mod fatal effeds. — This is acknowledged ; but then we alTert, that it never happens but when religion is corrupted with miftaken and difhonourable notions of God, or meets with a temper naturally, and perhaps deeply tindured with melancholy. It never can be the effecl of the re- ligion of the new teftament, when well underftood and fmcerely believed ; as that furnifnes at all times even abundant caufe of joy, as is plain from the (hort hints we have jult given. When men are fo far abandoned of heaven as to be guilty of that unnatural crime, the very mention of which under its proper name is apt to fill us with horror, I mean the crime of laying violent hands on themfelves; what is commonly found to be the caufe ? A dejection of mind, occafioned by fome difafter SERMON VI. lOI difafter or difappointment of a temporal nature. Yes, it is a for row of the world which thus worketh deaths a forrow which we cannot eafily imagine to rife to fuch a frantic height but in minds unacquainted, at lead untindured with true religion, and to which the com- fortable doctrines and hopes of the gofpel, were they timely and properly adminiftered, would be the mod efFedual remedy. 3. Learn hence the neceffity of improving your time. Let the fmner be roufed from his fecurity, and apply himfelf without delay to the work of repentance. — Vaft and important as that work is, you have but a few days for performing it : God knows, perhaps fome of you, not one day. What meanefi thou^ then^ OJleep- er ? arife and call upon thy God! Let the righteous be excited to double his diligence. By fuch dihgence you will make progrefs in holinefs, and thus not only make your calling fure, but alfo fecure to yourfelves one of the mod glorious of the m.any manfions which are in your father's houfe. But you fee how fliort the time allowed you for improvement is. Let this thought, ever prefent to your mind, ftimulate you into conitant ardour and exertion. Awake to righteouf- nefs ; give all diligence ; go on unto perfedion ! 4. Befides thefe general inflrudions, there are fome others of a more particular kind, which naturally rife from this important and fertile fnbjed. Let every individual learn hence the exercife of patience. Let each coniider that he is not fmgled out for trouble. Trouble you fee is common, it is the lot of humanity, the lor of the befh and greateft, as well as yours. Let this fociety in, and neceffity of trouble, I 3 teach 102 SERMON VI. teach uSj at lead, tofupprefs our fighs, and filence our complaints. Thus may the afflidions of life be made, in fome degree, a remedy for themfelves. Befides, one part of our text furnifhes confolation againft the evil mentioned in the other. If man b§ full of trouble^ efpecially wh^n that trouble rifes to extremity, it is furely fome comfort to him to think, that he is alfo but of few days. Farther, let all of us be hence perfuaded, to fup- prefs our uncharitable pailions, and to cultivate mutual and univerfal love. We are brethren you fee in trou- ble, as v^ell as in feveral other refpeQs. Ought v^e not then to love as brethren ? Why ihould we fall out by the way, efpecially a way that is fo fhort ? Ought we not rather, like feamen expofed to the fame florm, or foldiers engaged in the fame conflid, to unite againfl the common danger, and cheer and fupport one ano- ther ? 1 his is furely a wifer as well as a more decent conduct. To conclude \ let good men hence fee the unreafon- ablenefs of an ardent love of life, and of an anxious defire of long life. Life, confidering the ends for which it was beftowed, and to which it may be improved, is unqueftionably a blefTmg. But if it abounds \n trouble, furely thofe who have properly improved it, and have the well grounded hopes of another and an infinitely better, can have no juft reafon for any flrong attachment to it, or to be terrified at the thoughts of parting with it. And though fcripture has fometimes proniifed a long life, as a moLive to obedience, yet that cannot juftly be underftood of a life continued, till our very ftrength becomes labour and forrow, and we SERMON VI. 103 are almoft incapable of ferving any one purpofe of our being. This, as we have in part feen, is commonly the effect of a more advanced old age, which therefore, unlefs we fuppofe that an intimation is given at the fame time, that providence will interpofe in an extraor- dinary manner to prevent the evils mentioned, can never be confidered as the fubje£l of a divine promife, nor the objed of a rational defire. Let our defires however refpeding this, as well as every thing elfe, be refigned to the will of heaven : All the days of our ap' pointed time let us waif, till our change come. I 4 S E R. # I SERMON VIL I Thess. i. 22, Abjiainfrom all appearance of eviL T is not without reafon that the friends of our reli- gion glory in the excellence of its morality. It could be eafily fhewn, that in this refpedl, it not only far furpaffes the molt admired fyftems of the ancient heathen, but that it is alfo, in fome points, fuperior even to the law and the prophets ; at leafl as thefe were generally interpreted by the Jews in the time of our Saviour. This excellence is ftrongly difcernable in fome of its general precepts. Thus, with regard to moral good, it commands us to pradlife, hot only what- ever is unqueftionably fuch, but alfo whatever has the fmalleft claim to be confidered in that light j whaU foever things are of good report; if there be any virtue y and if there be any praife. On the other hand, with refpedl to moral evil, it requires us to avoid, not only what it has exprefsly condemned as fuch, but even whatever has the leafl appearance of it. It is this laft particular io6 SERMON vn. particular which we are called upon to confider at pre- fent. Ahjlain^ fays the apoflle in our iQyit^from all ap- fearance of eviL I propofe to explain this exhortation, and to fhew you the reafonablenefs of it. I. Then, by all appearance of evil, we may under- iland, all temptation to evil. Whatever naturally leads to evil, may furely with fome propriety be called the appearance of it, becaufe in fad it in fome degree holds forth the evil to our view. Now, it muft be confefTed, that to avoid this alto- gether is impofTible. There is no imaginable fituation in life, in which we could be entirely free from it. — Profperity and adVerfity, riches and poverty, greatnefs and meannefs, bufmefs and amufement, have each their attendant dangers. Nay, fhould we ihun all com- merce with the world, and fly to folitude and dark- nefs, even there temptations would find us. It is cer- tain, however, that there are many of them which it is in our pov*^er to avoid, and it is no lefs certain, that it is our duty to do fo. He who forbids the end, by that very circumftance forbids the means ; and he who commands us to flee from fm, commands us to flee from whatever diredly leads to it. Compliance with the latter is, in a great meafure, neceflary to our com- pliance with the former. It is true indeed, that this was intended to be a fl:ate of trial; and that temptations have, in feveral re- flects, a tendency to promote our fpiritual improve- ment. But we are to remember, that God is the only- proper judge of thofe which are fuited to our circum- ftances and character ; and that of confequence, it is only SERMON VII. 107 only thofe to which we are expofed in the courfe of his providence, and while we are in th^way of our duty, that we can expeft to combat with fuccefs ; the battle is then the Lord's. But if we place our/elves in cir- cumftances of temptation, and, as it were, dare our enemies to the conflid, we are criminal in more re- fpeds than one : we manifeft, either great negligence, or great prefumption, as alfo (however much we may endeavour to conceal it from ourfelves) a certain de- gree of love to the objeft to which temptation points. Have we not reafon too to fear, that in fuch a cafe God will leave us to ourfelves, and fuffer us to difgrace our charader ? Whence came Peter fo fhamefully to deny his mafter ? It was chiefly hence, as might be eafily fhewn, he expofed himfelf to a dangerous trial, noc only without the authority, but even in oppofition to the counfel of that mafter. The fame account might be given, of fome of the mifcarriages of other emi- nently good men, recorded in fcripture. Agreeably to all this, we are exhorted in the fame fcripture, to pray that we may enter into temptation ; to walk circiim- fpe6lly ; and not to be higb-ininded, but to fear. Let me add, that we ought to avoid temptation, ef- pecially a ftate much expofed to it, even from a pru- dent regard to our own peace. Though we ihould be able to preferve our in-ocence in fuch a fituation, yet if we be poflelfed of a true principle of religion, we ihall be obliged to keep up fuch unremitted attention and exertion, and experience fuch anxiety, as mufi: not only rob us of much of our fpiritual comfort, J)ut alfo fubjeQ us to almoil continual difquiet. Who can Io8 SERMON VII. can bear to be perpetually on the watch, or rather, perpetually in arms and in action ? "2, By all appearance of evil, we may underfland all probable evil, or whatever is juilly fuipeded as evil. Appearance in this fenfe, is oppofed to abfolute cer- tainty. This is one of the mod: common acceptations of the word. Now this we ought to avoid, becaufe, I. In fuch a cafe we may be almofl: certain of the evil. Sin is exceedingly deceitful, and apt to aflume a thoufand forms, in order to infmuate itfelf into our favour. We might fhew this, by alledging many in- ftances of the mofl fhameful vices fheltering them- felves under names, not only innocent, but even re- fpeQ:able ; but if this be allowed, and if we muft be- ware of being impofed upon, even by what prefents itfelf to us under the fair appearance of good -, much more ought we to be on our guard, againfl what boldly offers itfelf to us, under the appearance of the contrary. This, I prefume, will be readily granted, at lead when we are confcious, that we have a ftrong and particular inclination towards the apparent evil. Who has not felt in himfelf, and obferved in others, how much our paiTions, propenfities, and wifhes, in- fluence our opinions ; and how apt they are to juftify, not only themfelves, but almofl every meafure that: contributes to their gratification ? If then any f!ep un- der our deliberation preferves its fufpicious appearance, even when viewed through fuch a deceitful medium, fufpicion in fuch a cafe rifes to certainty, and reafon diftates, fGiic/j not, tajle not, handle not, 1, Such ,a conduct feems to be neceflary to fhew the truth, at leaft the flrength, of our piety. The chief branch. SERMON Vir, 109 branch, or rather the root, of true piety. Is a fupreme love to God. True love is ever cautious of giving- offence to its objed. Even human friendfhip is never confidered as fmcere, at lead as very cordial, when it admits of our doing any thing that will probably dif- pleafe. How tender then, how delicate, fo to fpeak, ought the attention of the Chriftian to be towards that God, whom he profeffes, not only to love, but to love- with all his heart and ftrength ? That God too, who, he well knows, is a jealous God, and v/ill not be fatis- fied with partial affe6lion and external homage. If, in this refpe^l, we are for the greater part, carelefs and inattentive, we certainly furnifh great reafon for fuf- peding, that our hearts are not right with God, and that there is fome other objed which we hold ilill more dear. But why dwell on the reafonablenefs of abftaining from probable^ when we have the authority of fcripture for aflerting that we ought to abftain even from doubt- ful evil ? Let e'nery inan^ fays the apoftle Paul, be fully perfuaded in his own mind. He that doubteth is damned if he eat, becaufe he eateth not of faith; i. e. of a full and clear perfuafion of the lawfulnefs of eating---/or whatfoever is not of faith is Jin*, 3. By appearance here, we may underftand, mere appearance or femblance, in oppofition to reality. It is certain, that adions not only of an indifferent nature, but even fuch as are truly virtuous, at lead fuch as we think fo, may appear evil to thofe around us. This is unavoidable, from difference of educa- tion, fenfibility, information, and other circumftances, which *■ Rom. xly, 5.za, 33, no SERMON VII. which it is needlefs to mention. Now we mufl here make a diftindion. With regard to virtuous adions, thefe we mud perfornij in whatever light they appear to others. — > Whatever compliances we owe to our fellow-crea- tures, certainly our firft; care ought to be, to pleafe our Creator. We are here to adopt the fentiments of the apoftles, in their fpirited reply to the Jewifh council. Whether it be right in the fight of God to obey man rather than God, judge ye» This is alfo agreeable to the ex- ample of our bleifed Lord. His keeping company with publicans and fmners was in itfelf laudable, be- caufe intended and calculated for the bed of purpofes, the reformation. of fuch men. To thePharifees how- ever, this part of his conduft appeared evil. Why eat- ethyourmafter, faid they to his difciples, with publicans andftnners^ ? It appears however, from the evangelic hiftory, that notwithitanding this cenfure, our Lord perfevered fleadily in the fame courfe. It is proper to add, that the cenfure had the effed of making him condefcend to give a mod fatisfa£lory explanation of his condudl. They that are whole, faid he, 7ieed not a phy- fician, but they that arefick, — / am not come to call the righteous, butfinners to repentance. Here too, we arc no doubt to imitate him, and to give thofe who may be offended by our conduct, fuch reafons for it, as may remove mifapprehenfion, and either prevent evil con^ fequences, or enable us to vindicate our chara^^er. With regard to actions that are indifferent, 'and yer; appear evil to others, we ought certainly to obferve the rule in our text. This is the do&ine of the apoflle * Matth. ix. II. iz, 13. SERMON VII. Ill apoftle Paul, as delivered i Cor. chap. g. There he al- lows, that well-informed Chriftians, eating meat which had been offered in facrifice to idols, and their doing it even in the idols temple, was in itfelf a mat- ter neither good nor evil. If however, fuch a pradice fhould lead weaker Chriftians, either to entertain fome degree of veneration for the idols themfelves, or to think that their brethren who followed that pradice entertained fuch ; it was the duty of all carefully to abftain. indeed, that we ought to abftain in all fuch cafes, feems to be the plain didate of both piety and charity, as well as the exprefs dodlrine of fcripture. — For if we do not, it is evident we may be the unhappy caufe of wounding the confcience of our neighbour, of prejudicing him againft religion, and by confe- quence, of endangering in fome meafure his fal vat ion. Let it be remembered however, that here we are not called upon to fubjecl ourfelves to the caprices of the malicious and cenforious, and oiher pretenders to un- common purity ; but only to accommodate ourfelves to the innocent prejudices of our well-meaning bre- thren. Nor ought it to be forgotten, that our duty is laid before us in fcripture, fo fully and fo clearly, that cafes of the kind we have been confidering can but fel- dom occur. 4. By all appearance of evil, we may underftand the nrft or fmaileft degree of evil. This is agreeable to one of the moft common acceptations of the word Appearance. Now, though fome fms may be com- paratively fmall, yet all of them contain a portion of that malignity, which is effential to every thing on which the name o^ftn can be beftowed. The fmaileft is 112 SERMON VII. is an oppofition to the authority of God, who injolned the lighter, as well as the weightier maimers of the law ; and an ad: of ingratitude to that gracious being, who is the author of all our mercies. The general declarations of our religion, we may alfo obferve, fliew us the folly of imagining, that God will overlook our tranfgreflions, however fmall, if they are deliberate and habitual. Whofoever therefore^ fays our Saviour, Jhall break one of thefe leqfl commandments^ andjhall teach men Jo ^ he jhall he called the leafi in the kingdom of hea- •ven\; that is, he Ihall have no entrance into the king- dom of heaven at all. The wrath of God^ fays the apoftle Paul, is revealed from heaven againft all ungodli- nefs and unrighteoufnefs of me7i\. — het us cleanfe ourf elves ^ fays the fame apoftle, /rd?;;z all filthinefs oftheflefh and fpirlt^ perfetling holinefs in the fear of God% . Farther, it ought carefully to be remembered, that frnall fms lead oa to greater. By familiarity with the former, guilt in general lofes to us fomewhatof its de- formitv. Our apprehenfion becomes lefs clear, our confcience lefs feeling, and our refolution lefs fleady. When therefore another, and a more heinous tranf- preffion prefents itfelf, our mind has not jufl views of its greater evil, and of confequence is as eafily led into the commifiion of it, as it was into the commiffion of the former. Thus, a little praQice in diiTnnulation prepares the way for lying ; the negled of fome of the pofitive duties of religion, for indifference a?id irrc- iigion; andloofe converfation for downright debauch- cry. This is the ufual and the natural progrefs of vice ; For as the path of the juft is like the light of the morning, t Mattb. V. 19. X Rem. i.iS, ^ a Cor. vli. i. SERMON VII. 113 morning, which 7^/«^//:> inore and more unto the perfed day ; fo that of the wicked is like the (hades of the evening, which grow deeper and deeper till they end in the folid gloom of midnight. The moft abandoned profligate of whom you have any knowledge, and whom you look upon with a de- gree of horror, began in the manner againfl which we are now endeavouring to put you on your guard; He once had the fame feeHngs and views, with perhaps the moft innocent young perfon here prefent ; he too once fhuddered at the propofal of joining in great tran/gref- Jions^ and felt his ears tingle at the mere recital of them when committed by others; but feduccd by the much fair fpeech of temptation, perfuading him only to a flight appearance of evil, he has now learned to laugh at what he bluihed or trembled at before 5 and, to ufe the language of the prophet, y^«j with brow of hrafs^ refufing to he ajhamed! Blefs your God, you are yet far removed from fuch a ftate. Shun the means that lead to it, as you would fliun deftrudion ! Allow yourfelves in no known fm : hate even the garments fpotted by the fleflil In the 5th and lafl place, by all appearance of evil, we may under fiand every kind ox /pedes of evil. This is one of the moft common meanings of the word which we tranllate, appearance ; and it is perfedly confift- ent with our tranllation. The exhortation in this view is far from being un- neceffary. Many, in their refolutions to abftain from evil in general, are apt, though fecretly, to make ex- ceptions of thofe evils to which from temper, habit, intereft, or other circumftances, they are peculiarly K prone. 114 SERMON VII. prone. With refped to thefe, they are ready to fay with the Syrian of old, concerning his bowing himfelf in the houfe of the idol Rimmon, in thefe things the Lord pardon thyfervant. They feem to hope that God will compound the matter with them, and accept of a ftrift attention to fome of his laws, in place of obedi- ence to the whole. Scripture, however, gives no countenance to fuch exceptions, and though, no doubt, allowance will be made for every thing that has a tendency to alleviate our guilt ; we are therein each of us taught to fay, with the confcientious pfalmift in an addrefs to God, IJhall not be ajhamed when I have refpeB to all thy command- ments'^. The apoftle James tells us, whofoever fnall keep the -ivhole lazv^ and yet offend in one point ^ he is guilty of all. By which declaration the apoftle means, not that by breaking only one law we broke all the reft, though We truly kept them (for that would be a con- tradidlion in terms) but that by breaking one (purpofe- ly and habitually) our obedience to the reft could not be confidered as true obedience, or as proceeding from proper motives. And this is the conclufion of reafon, as well as the dodrine of revelation. True obedience to God neceffarily implies a regard to his authority : it is a compliance, not only with what he commands, but becaufe he commands it. Now, all the laws of God are equally ftamped with his authority ; for, as James obferves, in the verfe immediately following that which we have juft quoted, he that f aid ^ Do not commit adultery^ faid alfo. Do not kill If then we wil- fully and frequently (for furely an exception is to made * Pfal. cxix. 6. SERMON VII. • 115 made of tranfgreflions of infirmity and furprife) def- pife that authority which fandions every precept of the law, in any ^ne precept, it is an evident fign that we have not a true regard to it in any. Indeed, the mortification of thofe very fms which men would mofl of all except from that painful difci- pHne, I mean their favourite and prevaihng fms, is the beft, nay perhaps the only true tefl, of the fm- cerity of their chriftian profeiTion. What merit is there in abftaining from what you have little or no in- clination or inducement to pradife ? what mighty proof does that afford of your fupreme attachment to your God and Saviour ? furely none at all. It is when the lover of pleafure becomes a lover of God, when the covetous becomes liberal, when the intemperate becomes fober, when the proud becomes humble, and the palTionate meek and patient ; it is then, and only then, that we recognife the power of xh2it faith ' which worketh by hve^ which overcometh the worlds and which is mighty through God to the pidling down ofjirong holds, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chriji, Such then is the extent and reafonablenefs of the duty enjoined in our text. To fome the duty may flill appear fevere, efpecially as it makes part of a re- ligion w^hich alTerts its own eafe and pleafantnefs. I therefore beg leave to add the following general obfer- vations. Chriftianity nowhere promlfes an entire exemp- tion from painful reftraints ; and if our Saviour tells us that it is a light yoke, and an eafy burden, thefe very cxprelTions imply, that flill it is a yoke and a burden. K 2 Farther, ii6 SERMON VII. Farther, and what particularly defer ves your attention, our religion has a juft right to infift for a higher degree of purity than any other, becaufe it offers you fuperi- or advantages, and fuch as at once encourage and e- nable you to comply with its demands. If it requires you to manifefl: your love to God by fome inftances of felf-denial, it tells you that God firfl loved you, and fe- cured your pardon and eternal happinefs by the afto- mining gifi of his own fon. If it enjoins you to pay the ftridefl attention to the duties of morality ; it en- tirely frees you from troublefome rites and ceremo- nies. If it requires new duties from you ; it offers you a new heart and a new mind. If circumftances of peculiar difficulty and temptation ihall occur, it pro- niifes extraordinary and proportioned aid ; that the grace of God Jhall be fufficlent for you^ and that his Jirength JJoall be made perfect in weaknefs. Finally, it calls upon you to diredl your view to the recompence and reward^ a ftate of eternal glory and felicity, to which the votaries of no other religion dare with confidence afpire, and in which you fliall take your place, accor- ding to the degree of purity to which you (hail have at- tained in this ftate of trial. Juftly fure may that reli- gion require you to purify yourfelves even as God is pure, which offers you God himfelf as your exceeding great reward. Juftly may he enjoin you to abftain from all appearance of evil, in this (hort life, who pro- tnifes you, in confequence, an eternity of happinefs. In which there fhall not be the leaft appearance of pain orforrovv, I fhall conclude with adverting to two characters, not uncommgn in fociety, and which, though very dif- ferent SERMON VII, 117 ferent from each other, thefubje^l we have been con- fidering leads us equally to condemn. The one is that of thofe who abftain indeed from all appearance of evil, in as far as that implies the con- cealing the evil carefully from the eyes of men, but who pradife it in private, and that perhaps without re- Uraint, and feem to think that in doing fo they are perfedly fafe. Such perfons are certainly more pru- dent, and pofTibly lefs criminal than the openly vicious. But in the firft place, to fave appearances in this man- ner is often very difficult, fometimes more fo than it would be to abftain from vicious indulgence altogether. Again, if fuch perfons imagine that there is no other evil in what is called vice, at leaft in fome forts of it, than the fcandal or offence which it occafions^ and that decency and reputation are the fubftantial parts of virtue ; they are guilty of an impofition on them- felves fo grofs, that one does not knovv^ how to enter -on a ferious detedion of it. Suffice it therefore to fay, that the good or evil, I mean the moral good or evil, of our conduct furely confifts, not in its being known or unknown to others, but in its being agreeable or contrary, to the will of God ; and that as to men of mere decency^ God has declared that he will lead them forth at laji with the avowe4 workers of ■iniquity. Let us now attend to a charader very different from that which we have been defcribing, and which direct- ly oppofes the exhortation of the apoftle in our text, I mean that of the perfon who ajfiimes the appearance of evil, or who affects vices or faults from which he is in reality free. It has been obferved with great pro- K 3 priety. Il8 SERMON VII. priety, that the man of fpecious appearance, who pre- tends to that religion or virtue of which he is deftitute, however culpable his condud, difcovers for th^fe fome fort of efteem ; and as he carefully endeavours to con- ceal his vices, his charadler is not fo generally hurt- ful to others* On the other hand, it may be faid with equal truth, that the man who endeavours to appear worfe than he is in reality, mufl have no efleem for true goodnefs ; and that his condud may have a very pernicious influence on the young, the thoughtlefs, and the profane, whofe applaufe would appear to be the object of his pitiful ambition. Let me add, that as to be regardlefs of charafter, is allowed to be a mark of great degeneracy ; and to boaft of our vices, and try to build ourfelves a fort of name upon them, to be a mark of dill greater ; how truly defpicable mud that man be who adds falfehood to all this, and ac- tually defames himfelf ? But we turn with difdain from a charader which deferves rather a public brand of in- famy, than a rebuke from fuch a place as this. ^^ SER- SERMON VII I. 2 Cor. vii. lo.-— ift claufe. .For godly forrow worketh repentance to fahation^ not to be repented of. ^HOUGH Religion contributes much more than •^ any other courfe to our joys, it is not to be denied that it is attended with its forrows. The fm and mifery thac reign in the world around him, and which are very little heeded by the reft of mankind, often affed the man of piety with the moft poignant fenfations, and make rivers of waters to run down his eyes. If he is af- fedted with the fms of others, he is much more fo with his own. Every new tranfgreffion (for there is no man which fmneth not) is followed with new regret ; and the whole guilt with which he is chargeable is re- viewed in every. period of his life with feelings of inge- nuous remorfe. But the forrow peculiar to rehgion is chiefly at our firft entrance on that courfe ; for, gene- rally fpeaking, a man cannot pafs from a flate of nature to a flate of grace, without experiencing a pain of K4 mind 120 SERMON VIII. mind, though different and more noble in kind, yet perhaps not lefs exquifite, than any that he ever ex- perienced before. This fcrrow we have an opportu- nity of confidering from the vi^ords now read. The word/i/r, with which they begin, leads us back to the context ; and there, verfe 8. and 9, we find the apoftle exprefling to the Corinthians the high fatisfac- tion which he felt, in having by his former epiftle (in which he had reproved them for fome very grofs tranf- greffions) made them forry after a godly fort, and to repentance. In our text he gives in a more explicit manner the reafon of his rejoicing in their forrow, namely, the certainty of fuch a forrow producing in them a change, of a tendency the moft beneficial : for godly forrow worketh^ ^c. In thefe words we have, i . The nature of true for- row for fin, it is godly. 2. The natural and necef- fary efFe6t of fuch forrow, repentance tofalvation^ not to he repented of Both thefe we fhall now endeavour to illuftrate. I. Then we have here the nature of a true forrow for fin, it h godly. In general it is called godly, becaufe it has a fi:rong and immediate relation to God. More particularly ; I. It is derived from him as its author. It proceeds from the work of his fpirit upon the foul. So hard is the human heart by nature, and fo hardened by evil habit, that men are never fuitably afFe61:ed by reflec- tion on fin, till Go4 himfelf condefcends to interpofe. They may indeed, by the exercife of reafbn and the o- perations of natural confcience, be affected by fuch re- fledion in a certain manner, and to a certain degree ; but SERMON VIII. 121 but never fo as to experience that change which fcrip- ture declares to be neceflary to form the true penitent. But when he who touches the mountains, and thev fmoke, and whofe prefence melts down the everlaft • ing hills, defcends upon the foul in the powerful influ- ences of his grace, then, and not till then, the fcales drop from the eyes of the underftanding, the ftony de- parts from the heart,the manboth clearly fees and deep- ly feels the evil and the danger of his guilt, and is dif- folved in genuine penitential forrow. Hence we often find repentance reprefented in fcripture as the gift of God. And I will take thejiony heart out of their Jlejh^ and will give them an heart ofjlejh^* faith God concer- ning the people of Ifrael. Then hath God alfo to the Gentiles, faid the church at Jerufalem, granted repen- tance unto life. Not however that this encourages a continuance in fm, and renders all endeavours on the part of man ufelefs. We may and ought, like the pfalmifl, to pray, create in me a clean heart, God, and renew a right fpirit within me.j We can ufe the fame means to excite this forrow as the Corinthians did ; we can read the epiftles of Paul, we are reafonable crea- tures, and can, as God often exhorted his people of old to do, confider our ways. So much is it our duty to take thefe and fuch like meafures in order to bring a- bout the happy change under confideration, and with fuch fuccefs is the proper ufe of them attended, that the change, both in the old teilament and in the new^, is matter oi precept as well as of promife. Make you a new heart and a neiv fpirit, faith God to the Ifraelites by * Ezsk. xi. 19. t Pi«i-' ^"*' ^o- 122 SERMON VIII. by the prophet Ezekiel||. Be reriewed in thefpirit of your mind J fays the apoille Paul to the Ephefiansf. 2. True forrow for fin may be called godly, is as much as it is occafioned chiefly by the oflFence which fin gives to God, and its inconfiflency with our obli- gations to obey him. There is no doubt but the fin- ner may, and ought to feel forrow for the bad confe- quences of his guilt, fuch as the worldly fhame or lofs, but efpecially the eternal punifhment to which it ex- pofes him. Neither is there any doubt, but that fuch a concern is acceptable to a gracious God. The means made ufe of in fcripture to awaken fuch a for- row, particularly the alarming reprefentations given of the confequences mentioned ; the inftances contain- ed therein of penitents accepted in the exercife of that forrow, interefted as it is, (as the jailor, and the three thoufand converted in one day) as alfo the happy influ- ence which a difpofition of this nature may have upon the will and pradice ; all thefe circumfliances make it plain, that a man may be a true penitent, and yet for- row, in a great meafure, for fin confidered in this light. But we aflirm, that this mufl: not be the only ground of forrow to the penitent : what is called the turpitude or hafenefs of fin, mufl: firfl: or lafl: make a part of it ; and the finner mufl: lament his tranfgrefll- ons as contrary to the law, the purity, and the good- nefs of God. The truth is, this only can be called, with proprie- ty, forrow iox fin. There is, -perhaps, fcarcely any finner but is forry for his guilt, at one time, and on one account or other. The fenfualifl:, when he is fmart- ing . .{1 chap, xviii. 31. f Chap. iv. 23. SERMON VIII. 123 ing under the confequences of his laft debauch ; the cheat, when he is dete<^ed in a6ls of fraud ; the paf- fionate, when he finds that his ungoverned temper has loft him his beft friend, or drawn him into a danger- ous quarrel ; all thefe at the moments fpecified bitterly regret their feveral folHes, and are perhaps ready to execrate the heart that dilated, and the hand that ex- ecuted them. But all this may be confidered as for- row, not for iin itfelf, but for the effeds of it ; not for guilt, but for imprudence. Sin is a tranfgrellion of the law of God : to be truly forry for it, then, we muft be forry for it in that view. Befides, fuch a for- row as this feems to be an eflfential part of the new creature, the only thing which is of avail in Chrift Je- fus ; and to be infeparable from the great command- ment of the love of God. Accordingly, we find that it was this chiefly, which pierced the hearts, and called forth the tears, of thofe illuftrious penitents who are recorded in fcripture. — Behold^ I am vile, fays Job, addreffinghimfelf to God, whatjhall lanfwer thee* ? — Againji thee, thee only have I finned, fays Davidf. Returning Ephraim was a/ham- ed, nay even confounded, becaife he did bear the reproach of his youth\. To give only one other inftance, / have finned againji heaven and in thy fight, faid the prodigal to his father upon his return, and am no more worthy to be called thy fon%. It muft be allowed after all, that it is fcarcely pofiible for a perfon to feel ftrong apprehen- fions of the wrath of God, without coming, at laft, to fuch a forrow as we have been defcribing. If fin de- ferves fuch dreadful punifhment, how natural is it for the * Job xi. 4. t P^al li. 4. X Jer. xxxi. 19. ^ Luke xv. 21. 124 SERMON VIII. the awakened fiftner, to admire the goodnels of God •which has given him time to repent of it ; and how na- tural, of confequence, deeply to regret that ever he offended fo gracious a being ? I Ihall only farther ob- ferve here, that it is evident, from the verfe immediate- ly following our text, the forrow of the Corinthians was fuch an ingenuous feeling, as we have jufi: been confidering. 3. True forrow for fin may be called godly ^ in as much as it is accompanied with apprehenfions of the mercy of God. Evangelical repentance is a very hum- ble difpofition of mind, but it is far removed from de- fpair. The prodigal, though penetrated with remorfe, yet bethought himfelf thus, I will arife and go to my father. The jailor, in the midft of his dreadful alarm, called aloud to be informed of the means of falvation. Indeed, lince the full pubhcation of the gofpel, and now that we are affured he has given his only begotten fon to be a propitiation for us, defpair is as dilhonourable to God as it is injurious to ourfelves ; nor can the blacked: guilt be a fufficient reafon for it. It is certain, and it is remarkable, that the fame confideration which plunges the penitent deepeft in the tide of forrow, prevents him from being intirely fwallowed up by it. It is the view of the infinite goodnefs of God that chiefly oppref]'es his foul ; but as he views that good- nefs manifefting itfelf in the blood of the great atone- ment, he is encouraged, however great his guilt, to hope for pardon. We acknowledge, however, that the penitent, in the firfl fwellings of his foul, may have, and often adu- ally has, but faint expedations of mercy : becaufe at that SERMON VIII. a25 ihat period his attention is turned wholly to his own guilt. But there is a wide difference between this temporary difcouragement, and the dark defponden- cy of a Cain or of a Judas. The latter may render even life itfelf infupportable ; but the former is ming- led with fuch chearing expedations of the divine fa- vour, as the finner would not give up for worlds. Laftly, true forrow for fm may be called godly ^ m as much as it leads us back to God. It leads us back to him, not only, as we have feen, to embrace his mercy, and to place ail our confidence in him, but alfo to ferve him in all the ways of holy obedience. — This is plain from the following verfe, in which the apoflle defcribes particularly, the effects of this forrow on the hearts and lives of the Corinthians ; but as it coincides with the fecond head of difcourfe, 1 fhall not infift on it farther here. Let me conclude this part of the fubjea with obferving, that it now I prefume ap- pears, the apoflle has applied the epithet godly in our text, with great propriety. Juflly, fure, may that forrow be called ^<;(i/y, which originates, centers, and terminates in God ! II. Then let us confider the natural and happy ef- fe(St of godly forow mentioned here, repentance to faU vation^ not to be repented of. As it is common in fcripture, and indeed in ordi- nary language, to put an effential part of a thing for the whole of it ; fo fometimes the very reverfe of this takes place, and the whole is put for an effential part. The latter is the cafe here. Repentance, in the common and moft extenfive meaning of the word, includes that very forrow which we have been confidering. As however 126 SERMON VIII. however it is faid here to be the effe6l of that forrow, it mud be limited to a change of mind ^ as the original word ftridly fignifies, and the neceffary effed of that change, reformation of life. This is evident alfo, as ob- ferved above from the verfe immediately following, where this repentance is defcribed in feveral of its o- perations ; For behold^ fays the apoflle, this fef fame thing that yeforrowed after a godly fort ^ what carefulnefs it wrought in you^ Eff r. It is called here repentance lo falvation^ becaufe it is indifpenfably neceifary to, and certainly productive of falvation. For as on the one hand we are told, that except we repent we fhall perifh^ \ fo on the other we are aifured, that if we do repent^ our fins fhall be blotted c2//||. It is on thefe accounts too, that it is elfewhere called repentance unto life, — It would be improper to em- ploy time in the illuftration of thefe particulars, which are fo generally acknowledged, and which are fo fre- quently inculcated in fcripture. The moil abandon- ed fmnet, if he be not an infidel, does not deny the neceflity of repentance ; he only endeavours to excufe himfelf by vain apologies, for not repenting immedi- ately. Let me obferve, however, with refped to the efficacy ox fifficiency of repentance, that it is nue, faith is as often, at leafl, infilled on in the new teftament, as the grand requifite on our part, to falvation. But there is an infeparable connexion between thefe two graces, nor can we eafily fuppofe a perfon to repent at the calls of thegofpel, without fome previous degree of faith in the promifes and threatenings which that gofpel holds forth to our view. The * Luke xiii. 3. \\ Ads iii. 19. SERMON VIII. 127 The important point here is to fhew, that repent- ance, or an adlual change of heart and Ufe, is the natu- ral and neceffary efFed; of a godly forrow for fin.— Nor will even this require a laboured proof. A for- row which arifes merely from the pain, the fhame, or the lofs, which our guilt occafions to us here, if it produce any reformation at all, it will certainly pro- duce only one that is very flight and partial, one that extends only to thofe fms which expofe us to the evils we have juft mentioned, and even to them only fo far as they thus expofe us. The ihream cannot rife high- er than the fountain ; the effedt cannot be more ex- tenfive than the caufe. Still therefore may fin, in one Ihape or other, fit enthroned in the foul 5 ftill may it reign in our mortal body^ and dill, tho' with more re* ferve, may we obey it in the lujls thereof. But a godly for- row, as is evident even from our imperfed: defcription of it, has an immediate refped to that quality in guilt which is eflential to every kind and to every degree of it. Such a forrow will therefore lead us to univerfal reformation ; to purify our hearts as well as to cleanfe our hands ; to walk perfedly before God, as well as to make our light to fliine before men. Befides, though this forrow will, no doubt, in every cafe be proportioned to our guilt and our fenfibility, yet it is in general reprefented in fcripture as very deep and tender. It is called, 2, wounding of the fpirity a rending of the hearty and, the being in bitiernefs asfor afirft born. Nay, it is not unfrequently fpoken of as rifmg to, or infeparably conneded vvith, an abhorrence both of our guilt, and of our perfons on that account. All this implies a- very flrong averfion to fm, and fuch as will 128 SERMON VIII. will naturally incite us to endeavour to mortify every vicious inclination, however powerful. Agreeably to what we have juft obferved, the prophets in ancient times called upon the Jews to juftify their profeffions of forrow for fm by loofing the hands of wickednefs * and performing all the duties of juflice and charity. And hence too in the new teftament, good works are infift- ed on, 2iS fruits meet for, or neceflarily produced by, re- 'pentance\. But it is now time to advert to the praife bellowed by the apoftle on this repentance ; it is not to he repent- ed of The leaft that this can import is, that we can never have reafon to regret it, or to wi(h it undone. — And confidering that we are placed in a Hate of error and imperfedion, in which even the wifeft are Hable to miftake, it is no contemptible recommendation of any material aftion, that it will fland the trial of a llri6t review, ^nd occafion us no trouble upon reflec- tion, even in the mod diftant period of our lives — But furely fomething more is meant here. Repentance to fahat'wn, the moment the words are pronounced, fug- gefts a title to fomething higher than the mere nega- tive praife of its being a change never to be regretted. Befides, a flight commendation of this kind, beftowed on any thing of undoubted worth, and known to be efteemed as of great importance by the perfon who ut- ters that commendation, is to be confidered as the highefl encomium. The exprelTion then is fuch, as the apoftle would have pronounced with a fignificant fmile, and an air of peculiar fatisfadion j and is the fame as if he had faid, highly to he approved — ever and greatly * Ifulah Iviii. 5 and 6. f Matt. iii. 8. SERMON VIII. 129 greatly to be rejoiced in. And what meafure m truth can upon a review afford us fuch folid and exalted fa- tisfadion ? It is a meafure which infallibly deUvers us from the greatefl difgrace and mifery, and fecures to us the greatefl glory and felicity of our nature. It frees us from our ignominious captivity to fatan, from an abje6t llavery of our noblefl: faculties to our depra- ved incHnations, from the horrors of confcious guilt, and the dread of everlafting punifhment : It reftores reafon and confcience to their proper office in the foul, it transforms us into the likenefs, and initi- ates us in the life of God here, and gives us the well grounded hopes of a much more perfect refemblance and enjoyment of that glorious being in the world that is to come. — Thefe are the bleffings wrapped up in the fignificant termfahation^ and fecured to us by that re- pentance which fprings from godly forrow. They are bleffings, in comparifon of which, the moil fplen- did dwellings, the richefl entertainments, vidories, triumphs, treafures, nay even crowns and thrones, to which they are fometimes likened, are but as the dud beneath our feet. They are bleffings in fad which fcarcely leave any thing for man to afk, or for God to beftow. Is not that repentance then, by which thofe bleffings are made ours, ever to be reviewed with the highefl approbation, and the mod heart felt joy ? this efpe- cially when we confider that we have been enabled by divine grace to take that wife flep, while numbers around us have been left to run the race of guilt and wretchednefs, and that many a6lually feek that way to falvatioa in which we are travelling, but are not able L to 130 SERMON VIII. to find it. Accordingly the Chriftian is called upon in fcripture, to rejoice and to be exceeding glad ^ to rejoice in the Lord always^ and to make his life a continued thank/giving to the father^ who hath delivered him from the power of darknefi^ and tranjiated him into the kingdom of his own dear fon, — Hence the apoftles leprefent themfelves and their converts, as triumphing in Chriji fefus^ as enjoying a peace of God which pajfeth all iinderjianding^ and as contemplating, on fome occafions, the founda- tion and the obje£ls of this hope, with tranfports inef- fable and a-kinto thofe of heavenitfelf 5 even a joy un- fpeakable^ and full of glory. I fliall improve the fubje6l by addrefling myfelf, Firft, To fuch as profefs or think themfelves peni- tents. Enquire into the grounds of your forrow for fin. — Every one allows ih-aX forrow makes an eifential part of true repentance ; but it is of the lad importance to us to know, whether our forrow be genuine, and de- ferve the name of godly, for it is not every one that fows in tears that fhali reap in joy. — If then you fhall upon enquiry find that yours arifes merely from a fenfe of the temporal evils which your guilt occafions to you, reject it without hefitation as inlufficient, as it evident- ly has no connexion either with God or with duty — Again, do you find that your forrow is of a mere me- chanical and temporary nature, that it confifls in little more than a few external expreffions, with a view to prepare for a faft, a communion or fome other particu- lar occafion, and to be difmiffed the moment you think it has ferved it;; purpofe ? This indeed has fome refped to God, but it is a criminal one. It denies either his ^ purity SERMON VIII. 131 purity or his omnifciencej and Is a forrow that de- ferves the name, not oi godly but impious. — Farther, do you difcover that your forrow arifes only from an ap- prehenfion of the eternal wrath of God as the punilh- ment of fm, while your heart is flill in love with fm iti'elf ? This, in fo far as it implies a belief in the power, the purity, and the juftice of God, is commendable, and it may be the beginning of fomething better ; in this If ate however it lacks one thing eifentially necefla- ry, a change of mind. — But laftly, do you find that yt)ur forrow arifes chiefly, from the offence your tranf- greffions have given to God, and does it lead you to a careful endeavour to pleafe him ? If this be the cafe, we congratulate you on your fpiritual condition : yours is the facrifice of God, the broken fpirit and the contrite heart, which he will not defpife. Nay, we. will venture to fay to you, be of good cheer ^ yourftns are for- given you. Do not think that the fearch we recommend delates to a mere 7iicety or refinement. In religion all depends upon the heart : Myfon^ give me thine heart. Human lawgivers generally content themfelves with the out- ward conduct ; and they mufl do it, becaufe they can feldom penetrate deeper. But God is ihtfearcher of the hearty and therefore makes laws for it with great propriety. Ere6l then, each of you, a court within your own bread j put fuch queftions as the above to yourfelves, v/ith force and folemnity, and anfwer theni under impreiiions of the prefence of God, and of an approaching day of judgement. ^ 2. Let me now befpeak ihofe who have never L 2 . thou2;ht: 1-^2 SERMON VIII. thought ferioully either of godly forrow or of repeilt- ance, Ufe all the means in your power to excite fuch a for- row in your hearts. Every perfon of an ingenuous niind thinks it jufl, and even honourable, to feel, and to profefs a forrow, for the offence he may have given . to an equal, or even to an inferior. And will you pre- fume to think it a degradation, to exercife a forrow for the numberlefs offences you have committed againfl the Lord of heaven and earth, the author of all our mercies, and ro whofe long-fuffering it is owing that vou are not at this moment miferable ? A ferious confi- deration of the goodnefs of God, efpecially as mani- fefled in the gofpel, is well fitted to make tender and pious impreffions on the heart: the goodnefs of God leads to repentance. That goodnefs therefore we exhort you frequently to contemplate. There are few things men more generally affe£l to be poffeffed of, and of which the want is reckoned more reproachful, than feeling. He who can contemplate God giving up his only begotten fon to be crucified for us^ without fome de- gree of compundion for having violated the laws of fo gracious a being, muff be an entire (tranger to that amiable quality. Farther, to engage you to exercife this forrow, re- member, that the courfe in which you are going on at prefent, is far from being without its forrows. There is no vice in which you can indulge, no tranfgreffion which you can commit, which is not fooner or later attended with forrowful confequences, either to your mind, your body, your reputation, or your fubitance, nay SERMON VIII. 133 nay perhaps to all of thefe at once. What the apoflle immediately fubjoins to our text, concerning the for- row of the world in general, is efpecially applicable too, to the forrow attendant on fm, // worketb deaths or what is worfe than death, diftradion and defpair. — Yes, were you fo ingenuous as to confefs it, confcience haunts you like a dreadful fpeclre, and pointing, now to your guilt, and now to the tribunal of heaven, makes you even here lift up your eyes, being in tor- ments. This purfues the fmnef, whatever be his con- dition, whatever his ftation in life. It aftoniflied Bel- fhazzar when feafting with a thoufand of his lords ; it alarmed Herod on his throne, it made Felix tremble on the feat of judgment. If after all you deny, any of you, that you ever experience any thing of this nature, we pronounce your condition to be ftill more danger- ous : you mud be either grofsly ignorant, fhamefully incredulous, or dreadfully hardened. Farther, the forrow that faddens the firft entrance on religion is, as may be 'earned in part from what has been already obferved, far from being fo frightful and difcouraging as the fmner is apt to imagine. It is in- deed a deep and exquifite, but it is at the fame time, a tender and an ingenuous diftrefs ; and the penitent, while he indulges it, mull feel iio inconfiderable de- gree of fatisfadion, as he is then confcious, that he is doing what, in his fituation, is the bed. and moil be- coming thing in the world. It alfo includes fuch Yiews as are, not only a fufficient prefervative from all dangerous excefs, but even a juft foundation for much comfort. The pious mourner, though with burfting heart andfwimming eyes, ever direds his view L3 to 134.^ SERMON vni. to mount ZIon, where he beholds- a God enthroned on mercy, and a Lamb as it had been JJairiy which taketh away the fins of the world » Befides, this forrow is attended with the mod plea, fmg and beneficial confequences. It refembles the cloudy morning, which ulhers in the brightell day, or the gloomy Ihade, which prepares us for the mofl delightful gi-ofpeft. It generally, and as we become more confirmed in goodnefs, gives place to a holy joy, which, though we cannot pretend that it is without in- terruption, or without alloy, is yet infinitely fuperior to any thing that this world can beftow. The blef- fmgs of the gofpel, to a participation in which every true penitent is admitted, are the very fame which, as we have already hinted, infufed fuch tranfports into the breads of the apoftles and firfl Chriftians, as almoft extinguifhed ail fenfe of the heavieft calamities, and enabled thofe holv men to throw a defiance at all their enem^ies ; they would have the fame effe6l upon us, had we as firm a faith in their exiftence, and»were we at as much pains to afcertain our intereft in them. This is a joy, indeed, which does not manifefl itfeif in the fame manner as that which arifes from temporal caufes : godly joy differs as much from worldly joy ^ as godly forrow does from ih^ forrow of the world. It does not difcover itfeif in mirth, in levity, and in fondly communicating itfeif to thofe around us. It may exift in full meafure, in the breafl of the man whofe exterior is flrongly marked with gravity and re- ferve. Nor is it difficult to account for this. Re- demption from fliameful guilt and eternal mifery, by the blood of the Son of God, the friendftip of God fe- cured. SERMON VIII. 135 cured, the hopes of the applaufe of the Judge at the laft great day, and the firm expeQation of an abun- dant entrance into the kingdom of heaven ; thefe are the blcffings in which the Chriftian chiefly rejoices. — But thefe are objeds fo vaft, fo fubhme, fo unfpeakably above our imaginations and deferts, that v^hen con- templated, they are apt to ftrike with awe and afto- nifliment as well as with joy, and rather difpofe the mind to be ferious. To conclude then, were 1 called upon to form for you the beft wifh in my power, I would, upon the mod mature deliberation, wifli for you, not an houfefid of filver and gold^ to ufe the language of Balaam ; nor thofe titles and dignities which are heaped by kings on thofe whom they delight to honour ; but this blef- fmg, the name of which founds fo fadly in the ear of the world, a genuine godly forrovv^. Without this qualification, fo indifpenfably neceflary to eternal life, the wealthieft in this world's riches are poor indeed, and kings themfelves are wretched on their thrones. Without this, life is a curfe, and it were better for u? that we had never been born ! L4 SER. SERMON IX. Eph. V, 1 6. , Redeeming the t'wie^ hecaiife the days are evil. T^HERE' is no fubjed in the whole compafs of our duty, of more deep, or of more general concern than this of our text. In difcourfmg on many others, it is neceflary to have an eye to mens different con- ditions and charafters ; to confider them as high or low, rich or poor, righteous or wicked, confirmed or doubtir\g. But in difcourfmg on this, no fuch atten- tion is requifite ; every one has his part and lot in it, and he that hath an ear to hear is concerned to hear it. God has diftribnted his other talents varioufly : to fome he has given honours, to others riches, to others fuperior endowments of underftanding, and to others peculiar advantages in religion. But this mentioned in our text he has bellowed univerfally. Time, as is evident from the very circumftance of our living, he has given to all of us ; all of us therefore are called upon to redeem it. Nor is its importance lefs deep than. 138 * -SERMON IX. than it is extenfive, as it concerns every one of us ; it concerns us in the highefh degree. The redemption of time, like that of the foul, is precious, and as we fhall immediately fee, upon it depends our condition thro' eternity. It is not unlikely that the apoftle, both in this verfe and in that immediately preceding, had fome refped to the (late of perfecution in which the Ephefians were placed, at the time of his writing this epiftle. See, fays he, V. 15. that ye walk circurnfpedly, not as fools ^ but as wife : as if he had faid. Let your condud be cautious and inoffenftve ; this will be your wifdom. In our text he fhews the wifdom of this condu6t. Redeeming the time^ becaufe the days are evil : Thus, as if he had faid, you fhall preferve or lengthen out your life, and without it your life may prove very Ihort, for the days in which you live are full of danger. Let us not however confine the exhortation to fuch circumftances. The redemption of time is a duty in- cumbent on all who are favoured with the light of the gofpel, of whatever character and in whatever (late they may be ; and in every age it may be faid with fufficient propriety, though in a larger fenfe than that juft mentioned, the days are e^oil. It is in this exten- five view I propofe to confider the fubjed at prefent. The words confift of two parts, a duty recommen- ded. Redeeming the time ; and a m^otive to the pradlice of that duty, the days are eviL I fhall illuftrate both thefe, and then apply them. I. Then let me illuftrate the duty recommended, redeeming the time. To redeem the time is, in a literal fenfe, to buy it back SERMON IX. i;J9 back or to recover it. In this fenfe furely we never can underftand it. It is as impoflible for us to recall even one moment of our pad time, and live it over a- new, as it is to create a world. A plain indeed but an important confideration, and one which fhould makc us think well how we employ this invaluable talent- while it is in our hands ! The expreflion then is figura- tive, and the only fenfe in which we can with proprie- ty be exhorted to redeem time pad and loft, is that of making a careful improvement of the prefent, and of what may yet be meafured out to us ; in other words^ it is the ufmg it in fuch a manner as may be produc- tive of our greateil advantage. This may be called redeeming the time, becaufe it in fome meafure com- penfates for and prevents the evil effeds of that part of time which we may have mifpent. Now this re- quires, in the Firft place, that we employ our time chiefly in thofe purfuits which are of the greateft importance to us. — With this we mufl undoubtedly begin. If our pur- fuits be trifling or pernicious, however bufilyor fuc- cefsfully we profecute them, the time beftowed on them is either loft or worfe than loft, as it either does not promote our happinefs, or is the caufe of our mifery. Now the great bufmefs oi life, and that in compari- fon of which every other is mere amufement or labo- rious idlenefs, is religion. This fecures the chief ends of our creation, the glory of our Creator and our own happinefs : it is feeking the kingdom of God and his righteoufnefs, and working out our own falvation. — But part of our time muft alfo be employed in lome honeft fecular vocation. This is generally neceifary both 140 SERMON IX. both to fupply our own wants, and thofe of fuch as de- pend upon us, and is alfo enjoined by religion, which condemns the eating of the bread of idlenefs. and calls upon us to provide for our own. From the lat- ter circumftance we may obferve, that in a large view religion comprehends even a proper attention to our worldly concerns, and that it is hence with great pro- priety termed, the whole ofman^ and, the one thing need- fuU Let me add, that even thofe who are not com- pelled by their circumftances to adopt the meafure juft mentioned, cannot with reafon fuppofe that they are exempted from ferious employment altogether, and at liberty to pafs their whole time in idlenefs or amufe- inent. Something that may interejl^ fomething. that may be called hufinefs^ is neceflary, to fecure us from temptation, to prevent the mind's running to wafte, and our becoming burdenfome to ourfelves, as well as hurt- ful to fociety. 2. The improvement of our time requires, that we engage in our proper employment i?nmediate!y. This may almofl be confidered as included in the preceed- ing particular. I fhall therefore only obferve here — That the time of delay is loft, not only as it fecures to us no advantage, but as it begets habits of vice and idlenefs which retard our progrefs Vvhen we come to fee our folly, and to purfue other meafures. 3. To the improvement of our time it is required, that we be diligent. We fhould embrace every oc- cafion of exercifmg our virtues, and negied no meam of improving ourfelves in grace and knowledge.— And, though there be much iefs necelTity for the ob- fervation, we ought to purfue the fame condud with regard SERMON IX. 141 regard to our temporal concerns. But diligence im- plies farther, and chiefly, attention and earnejinefs. In every hour we ihould mind the bufinefs of that hour, neither allowing our thoughts to be diftradted by dif- ferent objeds, nor our ardour to fmk into lifllefs in- difference. 'Tis this which forms the mod valuable part of diligence, and renders our endeavours both in fpiritual and temporal things fuccefsful. The wife man obferves, that He that hjlothfid in his work is brother to him that is a great wajier. It is cer- tain indeed, that a perfon may be employed in the pro- fecution of very laudable purpofes, but at the fame time, in a manner fo remifs and negligent, that he might almoft as v/eil have remained idle. We can- not better iJluftrate this than by mentioning a well known fad. What numbers are there who pundu- ally attend all the means of fpiritual inftrudion, public and private, folemn and ordinary, and have done fo for years, who yet, when we come to enquire into their meafure of knowledge, can fcarcely give a toler- able account of the fir ft: elements of Chriftianity ? The caufe is both obvious and fhocking to every pious per- fon who throws his eye upon them, while apparently employed in thofe facred ex ercifes— their hearts are not engaged in them. Their employment is only bo- dily exercife^ which in religion tYtr projiteth little : They fit before God as his people^ and they hear his words ^ but their heart goeth after their covetoufnefs. The fame ob- fervadon may be extended to the whole of religion, and eafily accounts for mens making fo little progrefs, not only in knowledge, but alfo in faith and pradice. On the other hand, it is ^ true, that if we be not Hothful 142 SERMON IX. ilothful in bufinefs, but fervent in fpirit ; if tve no£ only do all that our hand findeth to do, but cto i; with all our might, it will be an excellent mean of makmg great progrefs in a fhort time, and be the fame in ef- fect, as if our life were prolonged beyond its appoint- ed period. Here it is proper to obferve, that it is not intended by any tiling hitherto advanced, that our ferious em- ployment Ihould be inceifant, and that no part. of our time iliould be allotted to the purpofe of a?nuferaent. — Scripture feems to allow, that as there is a feaion for every thing under the fun, there is one alto for this ; and no wife man will utterly exclude it from his plan of life. But then we infid, that it be innocent in it- felf, that it be properly timed, and that it be not pur- fued to a criminal length. When it is a dired breach of any one, though even the leail of the command- ments of God ; when it has a natural tendency to fuch a breach, by inflaming our paffions, or otherwife expofmg us to temptation ; or when it is procured at an expence which we can ill afford, then every virtu- ous and prudent perfon will condemn it. No lefs cen- furable is it, when it is indulged at thofe feafons, which the laws of God and of our country have con- fecrated to the folemn and important exercifes of cje- votion ; when it is thrud into the place of bufmefs j or forms, as it does with too many, the chief employ- ment of life. "When amufement is foliov/ed at this rate, it Js a manifeft abufe oi time ; it enfeebles the mind as well as the body ; it renders us at once avcrfe to, and incapable of ferious application ; and, v/hat is not lead worthy of attention, it counteraQs its ovn\ end. SERMON IX. 143 end. Who are the peifons that complain moft that time lies heavy on thdr hands, or, to ufe the common expreffion, are moft at a lofs to kill the time ? Every- one in the leaft acquainted with human Ufe knows, that they are the triiiers of fociety, the profeffed vota- ries of amufement. On the other hand, with the re- flridions mentioned above, amufement is truly profi- table : it then juftly deferves the name of recreation, or the reftoring of our powers to new vigor, and is be- fides attended with luperior fatisfaclion. When we are confcious that we have left no demand of duty unanfwered, that we are at prefent employed innocent- ly, and that we have no reafon to fear evil confequen- ces, we can enjoy ourfelves in the moments of paftime with the moft unreferved indulgence. Laftly, to the improvement of time there is required a prudent difpofition of it, or a proper arrangement of the feveral employments in which it is occupied. We ^ are, for inftance, to take our meafures fo as that our different purfuits may not interfere with one another, and that they may be always profecuted in thofe fea- fons that are moft proper for them. Reafon and ex- perience tell us, that there are hours peculiarly adapted to the exercife of devotion, to worldly bufmefs, to reft, to refreftiment, and to recreation, Thefe we ought to appropriate to their feveral purpofes, and, endeavour to prevent their encroaching upon one another with the utmoft care. The doing of things in their fit fisafon, and proper order, is found indifpenfably neceffary where there is much to be done, and i& of great advantages to us, what- ever be our fituation. By thefe means we fliall often. difpatch 144 SERMON IX. difpatch with facility, what would otherwife cofl as much time and great labour, or perhaps be left un- done altogether. It is exceedingly friendly to virtue, which confifts in a conformity to rule ; while vice ori- ginates and delights in diforder and confufion. The lid general head of difcourfe was, to confider the motive here offered by the apollle to the duty juft explained, becaufe the days are ev'iU The days of man may in general be called evil, on account of the unfa- vourable circumftances with which they are attended. I. They are evil, as they are few. It is the lan- guage of infpiration, reafon, and experience, time is Jhort,, But the (hortnefs of it is a loud call upon us to redeem it. The lefs we poiTefs of any advantage, the more valuable it becomes to us, and of confequenee 'the greater reafon we have to manage it v/ith frugality. The man who is worth thoufands may fpend liberally; but he who has barely a fufficiency will be careful, if he has any prudence, how he difpofes of every far- thing. The wife traveller who is engaged in a jour- ney of confiderabie length, which he mufl accompliih within a certain period, fets out betimes, never flops but for theneceflary purpofes of reft and refrefliment, and goes on Vv'ith expedition to t;he laft. Such ought our conduQ: to be, and fo carefully ought we to guard againft fporting avv^ay the few days that are allowed us here for fecuring the important ends of our being. — Let me only farther notice here, that to get a proper awakening idea of the (hortnefs of life, we ought to mark each portion and ftage of it as it paffes, and to remember this is fo much of our time expended. This is called in fcripture, niimbenng our days ; and the happy SERMON IX. i^t happy effed: there afcribed to it is, the applying of our hearts to wifdom. 2. And nearly conne£led with the foregoing parti- cular, the days of man may be called evil, as they are uncertain. Could you infped the decrees of heaven, and fee the bounds beyond which you cannot pafs, or could you arrelt the fun and the moon in their courfes, and lengthen put the period of your exiflence ; even then a wafte of time would be unjuftifiable ; becaufe every part of this valuable talent is given to be occupi- ed and improved. But your fituation is very different ; no man, however young, vigorous, and healthy, can fay with confidence that he ihall be alive one hour hence ! nay, before 1 fhall have finilhed the fentence I am now uttering, it is pofTible that either I, or any other perfon here, may prefent this audience with the fpedlacle of a ghaflly corpfe. Thus the future being entirely in the hand of God, and the pail known to be irrevocable, it is the prefent moment only we can call our own. This is a confideration which prelfes with force irrefiflible, which fpeaks a language loud and peremptory, and fuch as fhould roufe the greatefl iluggard into adivity. This moment then let us dif- mifs all our follies, and apply ourfeives to the im- provement of our time, left we fhould be called hence fuddenly, our work unfinifhed, and ourfeives undone ! The two particulars jufl mentioned are very impor- tant, but very plain ; we therefore have not enlarged upon them. The foliov/ing circumftance is aifo of great importance, but as it is lefs obvious, we beg your attention while we infill: upon it at greater length. Laflly then, the days may be called evil, in as nuich M as 146 SERMON IX. as they are wicked or corrupt. This manner of expref- fion is not uncommon : Thus we ofteil fpeak of the vices, follies, or depravity of the times. In fuch forms of fpeech, days and times are put for the men that live in them. Now, though this may be affirmed with truth in every age of the world, it may be affirm- ed with greater juflice in fome than in others. In the days when this epiftle was -written, the manners both of Jews and Gentiles were a difgrace to humanity. — This, were it neceffary, we could prove from the writings not only of Paul and the other apoflles, but alfo of the profane authors of that period, who, in defcribing the depravity of their contemporaries, equal if not exceed the facred writers themfelves. The expreffion, my friends, is pecuharly applicable to our own times ; and thofe who are confiderably ad- vanced in life, and have had an opportunity of being acquainted with the world, will I prefume be ready to own, that within their remembrance a change has ta- ken place in this country at lead, both with refped to principles and manners, very much to the worfe. — But general accufations are apt to be confidered as un- meaning, or as mere calumny. It is with much concern then, we obferve, that a- mong thofe of fuperior ftation, infidelity appears to have reared its head, and diffufed its influence, in a manner till now utterly unknown. It is an infidelity which rejects, not only the peculiar plan of chriftian- ity, but too often alfo, that eflential article in every religion, the dodrine of a future Hate. An infidelity too, in which many endeavour to confirm themfelves by the moft uncandid procedure \ never examining revelation SERMON IX. 147 revelation itfelf, nor the writings of its defenders, while they perufe the lighted and mod contemptible productions of its adversaries with the utmofl avidity. Even numbers of the above defcription, though they would not wifli to be reckoned infidels, yet pour great contempt on the inftitutions of religion, not only by deferting them, but in devoting that day which is fet apart for celebrating them, to company, bufmefs, tra- velling, or other purpofes dill more criminal. How rare a family at once fafliionable and devout ? — How numerous thofe who would think a character for de- votion rather a diflionour ? — What man of rank would not now blufh to be found with the word of God in his hands, or ever thinks of worihipping God in his family ? — Correfpondent to thefe principles, or rather to this want of principle, is their pradice. There are no doubt, thank God, fome exceptions, but luch as are bed acquainted with their manner of life well know, that gaming, luxury and debauchery form its three mod prominent features ; and that fome of the mod flagrant violations of the laws of heaven and of fociety pafs with them for fpirit, honour, and gallantry, or fome other quality nearly allied to probity and virtue. The world is pleafed to look up to people of rank, as to patterns and legillators both in opinion and prac- tice ; if therefore they be fuch as we have defcribed, it would be vain to exped: that thofe in humbler dation fnould be didinguidied for purity. Our cities and great towns, it is certain, arejud fo many finks of cor- ruption of every kind, into which our youth particu- larly now plunge, almod without fliame or fear. — Here too men feem to have entered on a fort of race M 2 of I4S SERJMON IX. of luxurious and extravagant living, in whicih nearly all ranks are engaged and confounded, and by which they fometimes ruin themfelves, and alfo the more in- duflrious and virtuous part of the community. Here too of late the loweft clafles of the people have mani- fefted fuch a contempt of fubordination, and fuch a difpofition to riot and fedition, as are altogether with- out example in the hidory of our nation. If we look over the country, we do not find the profpe6t much mended. Many of thofe vices which were formerly confined to our towns, have now found their way to the reputed abodes of innocence and virtue. The in- nocent and fimple rudic is now, at lead in the more populous and cultivated part of the kingdom, a cha- rader but little known : and the inhabitant of the vil- lage fometimes iliews himfelf as knowing a proficient in profane fwearing, intemperance, and other vices, as the mod worthlefs of our feamen and foldiers. In a few Vv^ords, the common people of Scotland, once renowned through the churches of Chrid for their ftridi attention to the duties both of devotion and mo- rality, are now fad degenerating into a refemblance to thofe of our fider nation, who have long, and 1 am afraid, with judice, been confidered as among the the mod profligate in Europe. This degeneracy of all ranks is, no doubt, to be afcribed in a good meafure to our increafmg profperi- ty : but there are other things v/hich concur to produce the effedt, though it mud be owned that they fuppofe it to exid already in a certain degree. The unbound- ed liberty with which infidel and immoral writings are poured forth among us from the prefs j the frequency of SERMON IX. 149 of loofe theatrical reprefentations, which now take place in every confiderable town ; the oblivion into into which have fallen all the laws which were framed by our pious anceflors, againft profanenefs and im- morality ; and, let me add, the general difufe of the difcipline of the church, which i§ now feldom mention- ed but with a fneer ; all thefe circumftances, I fay, have their part, in caufmg, at lead increafmg that ge- neral-depravity which every good man among us fo juftly laments. — ^Impartiality obliges me to obferve here, that perhaps, even thofe whofe peculiar office it is to endeavour to leflen the enormous evil, have not done their part as could have been wilhed, and have their own (hare of guilt to anfwer for. Let us can- didly confefs our faults, and acknowledge, that in endeavouring to avoid fome errors in the condu^ of our predeceffors, we have gone into the contrary, and thofe the more dangerous extremes. If they were too rigid, fequeftered and auftere, we have been too eafy, compliant, and conformed to this world : If they paid too much court to the people, we have rather ne- gleded them. In the peculiar duties of our office we have followed them with very unequal fteps. Many of us feem to think, that if we preach and difpenfe the facraments, there is nothing more that can be re- quired of us ; but our fathers were alfo exceedingly attentive to the manners and inltrudlion of the people by other methods, and that in conformity to rules which are ftill binding upon us. Such then, my friends, and fo evil are the days in which we live ! but this forms a powerful motive to the redemption of time, which, as we have feen, confifts M 3 very 150 SERMON IX. very much In a diligent attention to our duty. You are in the midft of a ftream of corruption : by a con- flant and itrenuous exertion you may refift it with fuc- cefs ; but by negHgence and remiffnefs you will infal- libly be carried down with it. You are furrounded by numbers who labour under an infedlious difeafe ; what but the f:ri6le(l attention to the rules of health can pre- ferve you from the contagion ? In plainer terms, you dwell among a people of unclean lips, in a world that lies in wickednefs, and where vice comes recommend- ed to you, by numbers, by rank, by wealth, and by every external circumftance that can give it influence ; to preferve your purity in this fituation, how necelfary a careful endeavour to feize every opportunity of im- provement in grace and knowledge, and to ftrengthen every virtue by frequent and vigorous exercife ? — But the redemption of time is not only a counter-charm to the fafcination of vice ; it is an excellent precaution againll all the arts of wicked men. Such men are often zealous to propagate both their errors and their vices ; but on whom will they more naturally be led to prac- tife, and with whom will they more likely be fuccefs- ful, than with thofe, who by their lloth appear to be indifferent about the interefts of religion and virtue ? to whom will they more readily endeavour to find em- ployment, than to thofe whom they obferve to be idle ? ^twas while the virgins llumbered and llept, that their oil was fpent, and their lamps went out : ^twas while men llept, that the enemy came, and fowed tares a- mong the wheat. But diligence in your duty would form a fort of guard around you. Your minds all en- grpfTed, and your hands all occupied, you would be- come, SERMON IX. 151 come, in a good meafure, infenfible to the enticements of fmners. The latter, on the other hand, obferving your zeal and adivity in the caufe in which you are engaged, would look upon all attempts to corrupt you as defperate, and in confequence decline them. Having thus illuftrated the fubjed: of difcourfe, we come now to apply it. This is one of thofe fubjeds which may, with great propriety, be applied to the different ftages or periods of human life : let me there- _fore addrefs myfelf, I. To fuch among you as are young. You are apt to imagine that your intereft in this matter is very fmall. You think with yourfelves, that you are only on the entrance of life, that your paflions are ftrong, and your fpirits in full flow, and therefore that you may well be excufed for giving but little attention to any thing ferious and important. But the thought is vain and foolifh. Your period of probation commen- ces with the firfl proper exercife of reafon ; and from that moment, you are as certainly accountable for the manner in which you employ your time, as thofe who are old. Rejoice^ young 7nan^ in thy youth ^ and walk in the ways of thy hearty and in the fight of thine eyes^ but know thou^ that for all thefe things God will bring thee into judgement. Amufement, allowable in any flage of life, may be allowed in yours in large meafure. Let me here, how- ever, urge on you the advice hinted above, to accuf- tom yourfelves to fuch amufements as are innocent, nay, let me add to fuch, if in your power, as have a tendency to improve you ; fuch as inflruct while they delight, and purify the heart while they entertain the M 4 fancy* 152 SERMON IX. fancy. If you acquire a knowledge of, and a relifli for thefe now, they will fave you from the wretched fitu- ation of many, who when exhaufted by bufmefs, have 'no other reftoratives, when harralTed with care, no other opiates, than gaming, intemperance, or loofe con- verfation, which are hurtful to our underltanding, our morals, and our fortune. Agddu, let me put you in mind, that a youth well fpent treafures up comfort for age ; but that if neglec- ted, it lays in forrows againil that pleafurelefs period. It is well termed the fpring of life, not only as it is the early part of it, but as it is the proper feafon for cul- tivating and improving it, i. e. for enriching the mind with knowledge and with virtue. Once more, you are now, you think, in the morning of your days. True, but remember that it is a morning which often has neither night, nor even noon. — Boqfi not thyfelf of to morrow^ for thou knoweji not what a day inay bring forth, . 2. Let me befpeak you who are in the mid-time of your days. The great danger in your cafe, is the al- lowing the affairs of life to engage your attention al- moft to the exclufion of immortality. But while your honed induitry in your fecular calling is commended, remember, that the firft, the highefl of your care, is due to your vocation as Chridians. What is the body to the foul ? what is time to eternity ? Grudge not the time required for the exercifes of religion. Even the facred red of the fabbath is bene- ficial to man in his temporal capacity : it fits bim for renewing with vigour the labours of the week ; and confoles him under the various cares of earth, with the gladdening profpeds of heaven. The SERMON IX. IC^ The maturity of your judgement, and the calmnefs of your paffions, render an abufe of time in you doubly inexcufable — You are arrived at that age in which, as it has been expreffed, there is no dallying with life. The bed part of your day is well nigh fpent, and your fun may go down ^t.noon. Be diligent then, that if this fhould be the cafe, you may be found in peace. • Per- haps no perfon yields up life with more reludance, than the mere man of the world, when the number of his months is cut off in the midft ; he dies in his full Ilrength, all his connexions with and his attachments to earth in their greatefl number and force, and all his profpeds at their height. Would you prevent this bitternefs of death ? Redeem your time, Laftly, ye who bow down under a load of years, I need not, I prefume, ufe many words in fhewing, that the duty we have been confidering, is efpecially in- cumbent on you. Time is ever precious, becaufe ever Ihort and uncertain. Who then can fet a price on that v/hich remains to you, whofe every pulfe beats an alarm to prepare for the grave ? // cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir ; with the precious onyx or ihefap- phire. — If you have wholly neglecied your time till now that you are arrived at the eleventh hour, ah ! com- plete not the folly by {landing idle all the day. The time pad: is furely more than fufficient to have wafted ! Sixty or feventy years of age, and ftill children, ftillto have to begin to Hve ! Stung to the heart with iliame and remorfe at the thought, even yet difcover fome re- mains of vigour, lift up the hands that hang down, ftrengthen the feeble knees, and fave yourfelves from the difgrace and mifery of having lived, without hav- mg 1^4 SERMON IX. ing in any meafure ferved the purpofes of living. — Others are taught from reafon and religion, but you know alfo from feeling and experience, the vanity of all that this world can beftow ; you ought therefore to give the moft decided preference to the next — as you are in a great meafure releafed from the labours of this life, you ought to turn your thoughts the more to- wards that which is to come. Once more, if you have not been inattentive to the great concern, let me put you in mind, that diligence during the fhort time that may yet be meafured out to you, may ftill add fome rays unto that crown of glory which awaits you. The prize, on the whole, is now almoft in your view : your falvation is much nearer than when you firft believed ; let this animate you to finifli your race with increafmg adivity and joy. SER. SERMON X PSAL. xiv. 2, 3. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the chiU dren of men ; to fee if there were any that did underftand andfeek God* They are all gone aftde^ they are altogether become filthy : there is none that doth good^ no not one, TTHERE is fcarcely any thing which men are more ready to acknowledge in general, than the depra- vity of human nature. We are allfinners ; every one has his failings ; may God help and forgive us all : — Thefe and fuch like expreflions, are in the mouth of almofl every one of us ; and they are uttered with all imagi- nable freedom, efpecially when we wifli to fkreen our- felves from the cenfure of our own particular faults.— It fometimes happens, however, that we get into the ufeof a fet of expreffions on certain points, chiefly in religion and morals, not only without being perfuad- ed of their truth, but even without attending to their meaning. This is very much the cafe here. Attend to 1^6 SERMON X. to their general profefTions ; men have a proper fenle of their natural corruption. Examine them more nar- rowly, and bring the matter home to the individual, you will find, either, that they have not thought on the fubjed at all, or that if they have, their fentiments are very different from what you at firft fuppofed. — Whence elfe is this doctrine of the corruption of hu- man nature fo generally unacceptable ? Whence the blindnefs of the greater part of men to the mofl glar- ing defeds in their own character ? Whence the con- fidence of fo many in their own moral abilities and at- tainments, for acceptance with the almighty ? above ail, whence elfe the dodrine of the aids of grace fo fre- quently difhonoured with the name of enthufiafm ? — On this account, and as I look upon the fubje^l to be an effential part of the gofpel, or rather indeed as what chiefly furnifhed occafion for the whole of that inflitution, I Ihall now confider it with all the accura- cv of which I am capable. — The time may be come, when men will not endure found do£i:rine ; but that time can never come, when it would be improper to hold fuch dodrine forth to their view. The words of our text are highly figurative, yet the figures they contain are fo familiar to us, and upon the whole exhibit the truth alluded to, with fo much ftrength and clearnefs, that I do not think it neceffary to go over them by way of explanation. I fhall then without any farther preface confider the nature, the evidence, and the origin of the great and univerfal depravity of mankind. I. As to its nature. It has infeded the whole man. With refped to the mind : the propenfities, appe- tites. SERMON X. 157 tites, and pafTions, point either to the objeds that are forbidden, or to fuch as are lawful in a forbidden de- gree. In the gratification of fome one or other, per- haps of a combination of thefe, not in the approbati- on and enjoyment of God, is placed the fupreme fe- licity of the foul. The will, the chief and proper feat of guilt, is naturally and ilrongly bent to approve of, and to gratify theatieQions juft mentioned, how con- fcious foever we may be, that they are againft the will of God ; I mean againft the rule of duty, by whatever name it is diftinguiihed. Nay, a knowledge of the prohibition often inflames our defires, and renders the will more violent. Confcience, though by no means extinguifhed, is yet confiderably impaired, and neither fo clear in its decifions, nor fo keen in its fen- fibility, as it ought to be. Even the underftanding feels the contagion : it neglects thofe objects that are moral and divine ; it is frequently darkened by the fumes which arife from our vicious inclinations ; and is often compelled to enter into the fervice of the lat- ter, whofe grofleft diforders it promotes and juftifies. Thus might we trace our depravity through all the fa- culties of the foul, whether confidered as belonging to the underftanding or to the will ; the whole head is fick, the whole heart faint. — ^From this depraved ftate of the foul proceed fmful words and aclions.— How indeed (hould an impure fountain fend forth any other than an impure ftream ? or a corrupt tree pro- duce any other than corrupt fruit ? Such is man by nature, or what in the new tefta- ment is called, the old ??ian, the natural man, or, the carnal mind: terms, which however little ufed at pre- fent. l^S SERMON X. fent, and however uncouthly they may found in the ears of the polite, we ought certainly to retain, as the language of the apoftles mud be the befl fitted to ex- prefs their own do6lrines. In giving this fhort defcription, I have not endea- voured to aggravate the evil, nor to reprefent human nature as more depraved than it is in reality. In order to prevent miftakes, however, let me obferve, that it is far from our intention to maintain that every individu- , al is either internally or externally corrupted, in the fame precife kind and degree. It is readily acknow- ledged, and is indeed obvious to the mofl fuperficial obferver, that diflFerent vices rule in different men. — Some, for inftance, are covetous, others intemperate, and others again ambitious. In fome pride, in others anger, and in others luft prevails. Vices too which in fome characters are vigorous and full-blown, in others feem fcarcely to exift fo much as in the feed. — Still however we mean to affert, that fm in one fhape or other reigns in every man ; and that though the paths in which they have wandered are exceedingly various, all have gone out of the right way. — With refpe£l to the degree, though all are fmners, yet all are not fo in the extreme, either in heart or in pradice. Some it is allowed appear to be compofed, fo to fpeak, of finer materials, " and to have been caft in a more beautiful mold than others. They difcovcr fuch na- tive benevolence and candour of difpofition, that be- holding we cannot help loving them, and thinking that they are not far from the kingdom of God. It is allowed too, that men, from a regard to intereft, and to reputation, nay, which is Rill better, a regard to SERMON X. l^g to reafon, propriety, and their own internal peace, may maintain a great degree of external conformity to the rules of virtue, and be both ufeful and orna- mental to fociety. After all we affert, that the beft are by nature deficient in thofe principles and views which are neceffary to conftitute them truly religious or holy, and to qualify them for the enjoyment of fu- ture happinefs. II. We fhall confider the evidence of this univerfal corruption. I . Scripture aflerts it in many pafTages. What a melancholy pidure of it does it prefent us with,- Gen. vi. 5. Jnd God Jaw that the wickednefs of man was great in the earthy and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. It is true, thefe words immediately refpedl the old world, but many fubfequent paflages are equally fevere, and clearly fhew, that though the deluge of water had a- bated, yet in the eye of the almighty, fm, the original caufe of that awful vifitation, continued or rather pre- vailed upon the face of the earth. In Gen. viii. 21. God declares the wickednefs of man to be inherent, and, by external judgements at lead, incorrigible : / will noty faith he, again curfe the ground any more for man^s fake; for the imagination ofman^s heart is evil from his youth. Our text is a very (Irong tellimony to the fame purpofe. It is the children of men in general, you fee, that the pfalmifl: fpeaks of; it is the children of men too, without one exception ; All are gone afide^ they are altogether become filthy^ there is no one that doth goody no not one. It deferves notice, that this paiTage is repeated word for word in the fifty third pfalm, and is- l6o SERMON X. quoted by the apoftle Paul, in the third chapter of his epiftle to the Romans, to confirm the doctrine we are now confidering. In the new teftament, the apofcle juil named tells us, Rom. viii. 7. that the carnal mind is enmity againji God, for it is notfubject to the law of God, neither indeed can be, Correfpondent to this he obferves, i . Cor. ii. 1 4. that the natural man receiveth not the things of the fpirit of God, for they are foolifhnefs unto him ; neither can he know them, becaufe they arefpi- ritually difcerned. By the carnal mind, and the natural man, in thefe paffages, it could be eafily fhewn, from the tenor of thecontext, that the apoftle can mean only man as he is born, or before he is illuminated by the gofpel. In the latter paiTage he plainly points at the darkening influence of fm on the underllanding — ^-Inftead of multiplying quotations, which might be done without difficulty, let me obferve concerning thofe already made, that no one can weaken the force of the argu- ments which they contain, by faying, that they regard the practical wickednefs of the Romans only, or at the utmoft, of the greater part of the heathen, at the time of the publication of the gofpel. The apoftle himfelf guards us againft fuch a limited interpretation in Rom. iii. 9. where referring to the defcriptions he had given in chap. i. and ii. of the lame epiftle, he hy^,are we bet- ter than they ? (i. e, are we Jews better than the Gen- tiles?) no, in no wife: for we have before proved both fews and Gentiles that they are all under fm. But let us hear the great apoftle and high prieft of our profeftiori himfelf on this fuhjeft. He does not fay, except a per-_ [on of this or that nation or charader, but, except ye, re- SERMON X. l6l pentyejhall allperijh*. He does not fay, except a Gentile idolator or a JewiJJo bigot ^ but except a man he horn again ^ he cannot fee the kingdom of God\^ But thefe repeated aflertions of the univerfal necefTity of repentance and regeneration would be abfurd, unlefs upon the fuppo- fition of mens univerfal depravity. I fhall fhortly men- tion another proof of the melancholy truth under con- fideration, of equal authority, but perhaps more flriking and more difficult to elude, than any of thofe we have hitherto fpecified ; I mean, that which is fur- nifhed to us in the inftitution of baptifm. In that or- dinance it is almoft univerfally allowed, that the fprink- ling or wafliing the body with water, was defigned to fignify the purification of the foul by the blood of Chrift and the influences of the holy Ghofl. But does not that purification imply, that though in infancy we are incapable of adual guilt, we are yet in a Hate of moral defilement ? 2. The depravity of human nature is evident from human teflimony. What are the annals of the world, even up to the eariieft times, but fo many regiflers of the vices and crimes of mankind,? what elfe do they almoft, but inform us, how men have ever fet at de- fiance all laws human and divine, in order to gratify their lufts, their avarice, or their ambition ? On this point the heathen furnifli ample proof againfl them- felves. As their hiftorians record this degeneracy.^ their fages lament and endeavour to remedy it, their poets feelingly defcribe and feverely fatirize it, and their traditions ftili preferved, reprefent it under the notion of an age of iron^ which had fucceedcd to ages N of * Luke xiii. 6. f John lii. 3, l62 SERMON X. of the more precious metals. And tho' they were pof- fibly miftaken in reprefenting, as they fometimes did, the wickednefs of the times in which they lived as greater than that of thofe that had gone before ; (the former appearing to them greater, only becaufe near- er to their view) yet their teflimony flrongly proves in general, that the world has ever been corrupted, and that too in a very confiderable degree. It is perhaps not unworthy of remark, that they fometimes defcribe man as having funk to fuch a deplorable depth of dege- neracy not all at once, but gradually. This notion ap- pears to have fome countenance not only from reafon, but alfo from the hiftory and declarations of fcripture, where we are told, that becaufe men abufed that mea- fure of light which was left to them after the fall, God gave them up to vile affedions^ and to a repro- bate nii?id, Laftly, we may be fatislied as to the corruption of our nature, from our own obfervation and experi- ence. We fe6 vices and crimes prevalent among all ranks around us. We hear that this is the cafe in every other part of the world. Human enterprife has from time to time, efpecially of late, difcovered new coun- tries, and thofe in the moil remote and fequeftered parts of the globe, where of confequence there was fcarcely any danger of corruption from evil commu- nication ; never yet however has it difcovered an abode of innocence. On the contrary, it has uniform- ly found that human nature is as much the fame in all places, as it is acknowledged to be in all ages. The immoralities of favage may differ from thofe of ci- vilized SERMON X. 163 vilized nations : they may even be fewer in number ; they are often, however, more grofs, inhuman and atrocious. But why ranfack the hiftory of former ages, or take the range of the habitable globe, in fearch of proofs of what, if it be true, every man muft experi- ence in himfelf ? and fay, do w^e not feel, and have we not felt from our earlieit years, a ftrong averfion to what is good, and a pronenefs to what is evil ? to fave words, fuch a depravity upon the whole as we en- deavoured to defcribe above ? were the heart of the mod innocent of us laid open to the infpedion of the world, what reafon is there to fear that the difcovery would fill him with fhame ? if any ' of us (and God forbid there fhould not be fome) can on good grounds fay, that this is not the cafe with us at prefent ; muft we not at the fame time own that it was the cafe once ; and may we not even be able to fix upon the ' period when the happy change took place ? Nay, will not even the moft advanced in the divine life readily confefs, that he ftill retains traces of his depraved original, circumftances that fufficiently remind him, that bis nativity was of Canaan^ that his father was an Amorite^ and his mother an Hittite ? To fpeak in the clearer language of the new tellament, does he not ftill feel a law in his members warring againfi the law of his ?nind^ and bringing him into captivity to the law ofjin^ and that he is by nature a child of wrath even as others,* So certain then is the inherent and univerfal depra- vity of human nature. How deep and inveterate it is, may be argued from its maintaining its ground againft a variety of powerful means, which have been em- N 2 ployed * Rom. viii. ^Z' 164 SERMON 3t. ployed almoft from its firft appearance, to remove or* to reprefs it. Mankind have continued thus deprav- ed, in fpite of the fear of infamy, the fear of difeafe, pain, poverty, and the other natural evils with which God has invariably fandioned the breach of his laws, the dread of death, and other heavy punifhments in- fiided by human juflice, the horrors of a guilty con- fcience, and in fpite even of the terrors of eternal damnation. The laft general head was, to enquire into the ori- gin of this depravity. The account which fcripture gives us of the matter is fhortly this. Our firft parents were originally cre- ated holy, but by one tranfgreffion they corrupted both themfelves and their defcendants. The particu- lars are to be found in the third chapter of Genefis 5 but as they are well known, it is unneceflary to quote them. With refped to the influence of that tranf- greffion, or its being the caufe of the prefent corrup- tion of the human race, the following paiTages of fcripture feem to eftablifli it. Behold I was jhapen in iniquity^ fays David, and in fin did my mother conceive ine.* Who, fays Job, can bring a clean thing out of an unclean ? not onef. What is man that he foould he clean? fays Eliphaz, and he which is born of a woman, that he Jhould be righteous\ ? The apoftle Paul tells us, that by one^ man fin entered into the world% : And the apoftle Peter fpeaks of mens vain converfation, received by tradi- tion from their fathers\\. Let me now add, that it is re- markable, that though no queftion perplexed the hea- thens more than this, concerning the prigin of moral evil, * Pfal. H. 5. t Job xlv. 4. t Job XV. 14. § Rom. v. la. I| i Pet. i. iS. SERMON X. 165 evil, yet feveral of them fpeak of it in term& nearly iimilar to thofe made ufe of in fcripture. They not only fpeak of mens being vicious^ but alfo of their being born with their vices, and of parents tranfmitting de- pravity together with exijience to their children. The necefiity of an early education, which confifts not only in fowing the feeds of virtue, but alfo in deftroy- ing thofe of vice, and which has ever and univerfally been acknowledged as indifpenfable, appears flrongly to confirm the melancholy truth, and to (hew, that the human mind, if it remain uncultivated, is like an Ainweeded garden ; or, to ufe the language of fcrip- ture, that man is born like the wild aiTes colt. In- deed a corruption fo univerfal, and fo deeply rooted, mull: have a caufe like itfelf ; and is beft accounted for by the corruption of the founders of the human race. In vain fhall we attempt to account for it by faying, that it is owing to bad example^ or to bad education. — . Bad education, bad example, and a pronenefs to imi- tate bad example, are themfelves grofs corruptions. — This then is accounting for the corruption of mankind from that corruption itfelf ; in other words, it is not accounting for it at all. Befides, do we not fome- times fee this evil exift where the caufes alledged have no place ? Nay, do we not fometimes fee children be- tray the mofi: vicious and ftubborn difpofitions, not- withftanding the bed inftructions, and the mod virtu- ous examples ? Indeed, even thofe who attempt to difprove the manner in which we have endeavoured to account for this evil, are compelled to acknowledge it, tho' under another name. They allow that men N 3 are l66 SERMON X. are born with a certain degree of injirmity^ impurity or Imperfedion, But moral infirmity, impurity or imper- fedion, if the words have any meaning, muft imply fome meafure of depravity. With refpect to the manner in which this corrup- tion is tranlmitted, the few following obfervations, though they may not remove every difficulty with which it is attended, may aid our conceptions of it, and in fome meafure juflify providence in the permif- fion of it. It feems to be one of the general laws of nature, that every thing fhould propagate after its kind. Men do not gather grapes of thorns^ nor Jigs from thijtles. The lamb fprings not from the lion, nor the dove from the vulture. Agreeably to this law, man, corrupted himfelf, could tranfmit only a cor- rupted nature to his defcendants. The fubjed: may receive additional illuftratior^ from a fad fimilar to, and nearly connected with it ; I mean the exiftence of family or hereditary vices. In fome families we fee the angry paffions, and in others the fenfual appetites pre- vail, and fent down from one generation to another. Nay, it obtains with refpedl to fome vices which ap- pear to have little or no connexion with our confti- tution of body^ but to have their feat folely in the mind: fuch as pride, covetoufnefs, and ambition. — Now, why may not this hold with refpe£l to vice in general ? I fhall only add in a few words, that no one confiders the circumftance mentioned, as a fufficient excufe for the vices fpecified, or as a juft ground of exemption either from cenfure or punifhment. What would it avail a criminal at the bar, to plead that the- crime, robbery for inftaoce, for which he was tried, fprung SERMON X, 167 fprung from a vice, (the vice of avarice) wh.Ich he de- rived from his father? Would the judge acquit him on fuch a plea ? We trow not. Let us now make fome pradlical improvement of the fubje£l. And, I . Let the view we have taken infpire us with pious regret, and with deep humility. If we figh at the fight of a noble edifice in ruins, or of a beautiful form lan- guiihing under the power of a dangerous difeafe ; how deeply ought we to be affeded at the fight of our com- mon nature, dripped of its chief dignity and beauty, bloated with deformity, and funk in difgrace ! Man, originally appointed the lord of this lower world, once refulgent in that moral rectitude which formed him, the image, the friend, the companion of his God, and the fitted inftrument to promote God's glory, has by a fhameful abufe of his freedom, fallen into a ftate of depravity, in which all the powers of his nature are weakened or perverted, which makes the world a fcene of perpetual diforder, which violently oppofes the will of his Creator, and tramples the honour of the Cre- ator in the duft. The crown is fallen from our heads ! The glory is departed from us ! God he merciful unto us finners ! Again, let us hence learn the neceffity of divine af- fiftance, in order to our reformation. A corruption fo great, fo deeply rooted, and fo frequently flrength- ened by long habit, is furely not to be removed by our own feeble efforts. The very powers by which we fhould reform ourfelves are, as we have feen, tainted and impaired \ fo that in fome cafes we can do little more than mourn over our conditioUj and in others N 4 only 1 68 SREMON X. only oppofe fault to faulc, and attempt to check one paflion by the indulgence of another. To perform a radical cure, to take away the heart of Jlone^ and to put within us ^2: heart offlejfj, there is furely required the interpofition of that power which created us at firfl. Farther, how thankful ought we to be to God for the grace of the gofpel ! If the aid of heaven be necef- fary, it is in that difpenfation provided for us in the richefl abundance. If we labour under a loathfome and dangerous difeafe, there is in that Gilead, balm of never-failing virtue, and a Phyfician of ineflimable value, fo that by proper application we may be made every whit whole ! Yea though we be dead in tref- pajfes andfmsj yet can this divine Phyfician, by his cordial grace, quicken and raife us up. / am the re^ furrecfion and the life^ fays the fon of God ; he that believeih on me^ though he were dead^ yet Jhall he live* — By him are given unto us exceeding great and preci- ous promifes^ that by thofe you might be partakers of the divine nature, having efcaped the corruption that is in the world through luji. Taking into view this gracious difpenfation, we can fully acquit the fupreme governor of the world in al- lowing the great evil, we have juft been confidering, to take place. Great as the evil is, the remedy provided is perfectly adequate. It is grace, the riches, the ex- ceeding riches of grace : it has pleafed the Father that in Chrift all fulnefs fhould dwell. Nay, perhaps we have gained more by the gofpel than we lofl by the fall. We fliall poffibly be inclined to this opinion, if we purfue the grand plan to its final ilTue, and contem- plate that paradife of Qod, which awaits us in the world SERMON X. 169 world to come, and where we fhall attain to a height of glory and felicityg to which we know not if origi- nally we could have afpired. To conclude, let no finner abufe the dodrin^wc have been illuftrating, to the purpofes of indolence and impenitence. Weak as you are, you can ftill ufe a variety of means well fitted to bring about at iaft a complete deliverance from your fhameful bondage. — You can exercife your reafon, at lead: in confidering your ways. You can fhun bad examples, and many other temptations and occafions of fm. You are con- fcious, that you can in many cafes abfcain from ac- tual indulgence. You can read and hear the word of God. Above all, you can pray for the renewing influences of the holy fpirit. If you will be afliduous and confcientious in the ufe of thefe, you will foon have occafion to congratulate yourfelves on your fuc- cefs, even on your having pajfed from death to life : which God of his mercy grant, &c. ftp SER. SERMON XI. I Cor. vii. 31. — . — Thefajhion of this world paffetb away. n^HEfaJhion of this world, taking the expreflion in ^ its moft common meaning, is well known to be variable in a very confiderable degree. Originating with thofe of fuperior ftation, and adopted at firft without any fubftantial caufe of preference ; no foon- er does it become general, and defcend to the infe- rior ranks of life, than it is contemptuoully thrown afide, and is followed by another, perhaps as little founded in reafon, and as tranfitory in its reign. — This, however, is a matter of very light moment ; it relates to the mere forms and circumftances of life ; and though its endlefs and fantailic variations may ex- cite a fmile of contempt in the fage, they contribute fomewhat to the innocent amufement of the greater part of mankind. Thefajhion of the worlds of which the apoftle fpeaks in our text, is of a nature very different j and though re- lyi SERMON XI. refembling the other in its changes, is a matter of fe- rious and momentous confideration. By this worlds it is plain from the context, he chiefly means, thofe things of the world, which are mod apt to attract our notice, and to engage our afFeftions. By xhtfajhion of this world, he means the fair form or fpecious ap- pearance of thofe things. The term intimates how unfubftantial, though attractive, fuch obje(Q:s are. — - Though grofs, though perhaps the objects of almoft every fenfe ; yet with refped to the enjoyment which they afford, they are mere fhapes and phantoms. It paffeth away ; it haflens, as if he had faid, out of exif- tence, though often by a filent and almoft impercep- tible progrefs : fomewhat like the ruddy fkies of a fummer's evening, or the beautiful colours of the rainbow, which fade and melt into one another while we behold them, and at laft leave the ftill gazing ad- mirer without an obje6t. In order to be convinced of the juftnefs of this re- prefentation of the apoftle, let us feat ourfelves on the mount of contemplation ; let us make the pageant of the world pafs before us, and examine each objeft as it appears, with fufpended paiTion and awakened reafon: and then let us bring home the fubjed to our hearts and lives. I . In the train let v/ealth make its appearance. — Wealth, that great objed of the world's idolatry; that creature which men are moft apt to worfhip more than the Creator. When men come to the pofleffion of a confiderable fortune, they are commonly infpired with a confidence, which to the confiderate mind, is truly aftonifhing. They feem to think that their poffefTions almoft SERMON XI. 173 aimofl exempt them from the fate of mortals, and that they are fectired either to themfelves or to their fami- lies for ever. But riches are not for ever : They that iruji in their wealthy and boaji themfelves in the multi- tude of their riches ; their inward thought is, that their houfes fhall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations : but, this their way is their folly. ^ How often does the confident poffeffor outlive his riches ? Sometimes he is bereft of them by a ftroke fo fudden, or fo quickly repeated, as overwhelms him with afto- niftiment. The fun at his rife beheld Job furrounded with the opulence of an eaftern prince ; but ere he fet, he beheld him dripped of all his poffeffions, and ready to go out of the world as naked as he came into it ! Thus riches make themfelves wings, they fly away as an eagle towards heaven. At other times, they con- fume away more gradually, though with equal cer- tainty. Providence, for defigns no doubt juft and good, but to us unknown, feems to fet itfelf againft us. Every thing to which we put our hand, feems to go backward ; and in fpite of all our diligence, probity, and fkill, we feel ourfelves declining into the melan- choly condition of negleded poverty. Itisimpoffible indeed, that a poifeffion which is li- able to fo many accidents, fhould be permanent. It may be deftroyed by the fury of one or other of the various elements. It may be taken from us by the fraud, or by the violence of our fellow creatures. It may be loft by our own rafhnefs or ignorance ; or it may be diffipated by the vanity or extravagance of thofe whofe duty it is carefully to preferve it. Thus the treafures which we lay up for ourfelves on earth may 1^4 SERMON XI. may well be termed uncertain and deceitful^ as moth and riift may corrupt them^ and the thief may break through andjleal them, 2, Let us next attend to power. As riches are not forever^ fo neither is the crown to all generations, I havefeen the wicked in great power ^ andfpreading him- felf like a green hay tree. Tet he pajjed away^ and lo^ he was not : yea^ I fought him^ hut he could not he found,* Thus it was of old, and thus it continues to be ; and in this refpedl too, there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked. If we turn our eyes to the courts of princes, the great theatres of ambition, there we (hall behold the a6lors perpetually changing, and thofe whom but a little ago the king delighted to honour^ and who guided the counfels and wielded the ftrength of nations, now funk into infignificance, or covered with difgrace. The fame holds true in all the inferior gra- dations of this dazzling objed. How precarious mufl that poffefiion be, which refts on the favour of a very mutable creature, and on the life of one fo very frail and mortal ! Fut not your truji in princes^ nor in the f on ofman^ in whom there is no help. His breath goethforth^ he reiurneth to his earth : in that very day his thoughts periJh-\, Indeed princes themfelves are fet mflippery places^ and may learn from the annals of the world, as well as from the word of God, that though they are gods, and all of them children of the 7nofi high ; xhty Jhall not only die like men, but may 2\{o fall from their dig- nity like one of their fubjeds. Families which have boafled the title of royal, have in the lapfe of time been mixed with the meaneft of the people ; and, as was the cafe in the family of our bleffed Saviour, the blood of * rfalm xxxvii. is, 36. t P^alm cxlvi. 3, 4. SERMON XI. 175 of kings has been traced to the veins of a humble me- chanic. Within thefe few years we have feen no fewer than five of the fovereigns of Europe either robbed of their life, or expelled from their dominions, by treachery, rebellion, or an unjuft combination of foreign enemies. Do not our ears ftill tingle with the woful and horrible tidings of a monarch, amiable, powerful, and long almoft adored by millions, perifh- ing by the hands of his own fubjedts, like a thief or murderer, on a fcaffold 1 Thus 7nan^ being in the moft exalted honour^ fupported by power, ahideth not. In- deed the more elevated the ftation, generally the more liable to viciflitude ; as the loftieft eminences, either of art or nature, are the moft expofed to ftorms. 3. Fame or glory alfo pajfeth away. When by our fplendid talents, noble acquifitions, or great adions, we have acquired fome degree of name, we are apt to think that we fhall long form the fubjed of univerfal converfation, and that the earth fhall as it were be lightened with our glory. But this is mere imagination, and the fond fuggeftion of felf-importance. After the firft blaze is over, admiration generally, and in a confiderable degree fubfides. The world foon grows weary of attending to one and the fame object, and de- mands fomething new. In fa8: rivals ftart up, who either divide our fame, or perhaps eclipfe it altoge- ther. When it arifes from place and power, it com- monly difappears with thefe, as the fhadow does with the fubftance. The mercenary gale generally blows from the quarter of interefted expedation, and veers and (hifts with that. As it is fometimes obtained without defert, fo it is often loft without a fault j and one iyS SERMON XI. one unlucky or Imprudent ftep fometimes cancels the merit of a whole Hfe. UTe talk indeed of " never- dying fame," and it is certain that the names of many perfons have long furvived themfelves. But among the numbers who in every age offer themfelves candi- dates for this captivating prize, what a vaft majority are difappointed ? Many of them have the mortifica- tion of feeing their name and labours fmking into ob- livion in their own life-time, and mofl of them are asf little known to the next generation as if they never had had an exiftence. On the befl fuppofition, and granting that our fame fhould refound from one pole to the other, and be wafted down to the lateft pofle- rity ; yet furely it paiTes away as to us, feeing that in a little time we are in no condition to enjoy it. 4. Even the more laudable purfuit of hu?nan know- ledge fhares in the vanity of all worldly things. That fcience which is now mofl in vogue, and chiefly en» gages the attention of the fcholar, may in a very little time be negleded ; or, as has already been the fate of fome of them, be adually loft. Some of thofe fyftems which in this age are extolled as the only juft ones, and as the utmoft efforts of genius, will very likely, in the next, be exploded as abfurd or fanciful, and give place to others, which alfo fhall have only their day of fame. This has been the cafe, more than once, with thofe branches of ftudy v/hich lie rather too deep for human inveftigation, and are founded chiefly on conjedure ; as alio with thole which depend much on tafte and f^ifliion, which are ever changing.—Farther, that meafure of knowledge which we may have ac- quired, however certain and however confiderable it may SERMON XI, 177 may be, is liable to be loft by that decay of our facul- ties, which is in fome meafure incident to all, but per^ haps in the moft remarkable degree, to thofe who have made the brighteft figure in the earlier part of life. Few are fo ignorant of mankind, as not to have known or heard of many inftances of perfons, who while in their ^v^omx^ fear ched for wijdom as for hid- den ireafures^ and accumulated it even as the fund that is on thefeafhore ; and who in confequence were regard- ed as living libraries, and confulted as oracles ; but who, in their decline, experienced the moft degrading and melancholy change. Their memory became a blank, their underftanding incapable of difcerning, all their intelledual powers appeared to be exhaufted, and they feemed, upon the whole, to have funk below the level of that nature, which they once fo much adorned. Thus, what this apoftle elfewhere foretells, concerning our prefent fcanty meafure of divine know- ledge, when we fhall enter the regions of light, hap- pens to human knowledge even here, whether there be knowledge^ it fhall vanijh away, 5. Let us turn our attention to pleafure. This alfo we fliall find to be vanity. The pleafures of fenfe, unlike thofe of religion, virtue, and knowledge, commonly lofe their charms with their novelty, and when they become familiar, are apt to be regarded with a great meafure of indifference. When indulg- ed to excefs, or too often repeated, they invariably pafs away, and that in the moft difagreeable manner ; they degenerate into pain, and produce the moft un- happy efteds. They give fatiety and difguft j they blunt the fcnfe, and impair our reafon. O Thefe 178 SERMON XI. Thefe obfervations are not to be wholly confined to the gratification of our inferior appetites and pafTions ; they may be applied with a great degree of juftice to thofe amufements of a more elegant kind, which fo much engage the attention of perfons of fuperior fta- tion. Who needs to be told how feldom what are called parties of pie afar e anfwer the name ; how apt public amufements are to become fcenes of formality and conftraint ; how foon thefe grow tirefome to the more feeling and confiderate part of thofe who attend them ; and how neceifary it is, to prevent that lan- guor which they are ready to occafion, by a continual variety ? When they become our fole employment, the enjoyment they afford mud be often chaced away by the mortifying thought, " how infignificant the *' charader we fuftain in fociety 1" In the more ad- vanced period of life, they mud almoft entirely be re- nounced, as then the purfuit of them, in the eyes of every perfon of good underflanding, is unbecoming and ridiculous. It has been frequently obferved, that many, per- haps the greater part of mankind, are occafionally fubjed to a degree of melancholy, which fometimes rifes even to a difgufl at life. Were we called upon to name that clafs in fociety which is mod fubjedl to this evil, we would without hefitation pitch upon thofe who are commonly termed 7nen of pleafure^ and the gay votaries of amufement of either fex. It is worthy of notice too, that fuch perfons commonly feel this malady with the mofl violent and aggravated fymp- toms, immediately after a full indulgence of their rul- ing palTions. Then they are in a manner devoured by SERMON XI. , 1^9 by fpleen, and can fcarce fupport the confcioufnefs of their own exiftence. Thus every gratification, every excefs at leaft, palles away ; and grofs or artificial tranfports end in real and tormenting pain. If here the queftion fhould be put, Whence is it then that we fee fo many continue the purfuit of pleafure through the greater part of life ? We anfwer fhortlv, that it is from one or other of thefe caufes, and fome- times from all of them combined —the force of ha- bit, the tyranny of fafhion, and ignorance of, or un- acquaintance with, fuperior enjoyments. 6. Not unconnecled with the particulars juft confi- dered, are thofe perfonal qualities which are fo apt -to infpire the poflelfor with vanity, and the beholder with admiration. They have often been compared to flowers ; and the comparifon is juft, not only on ac- count of their pleafmg appearance, but alfo of their frailty. How liable is the flower, the moment it is blown, to fufter from the Highteft degree of violence, to be nipped by the chilling blafts of night, orfcorch- ed by the fultry heats of the day ? And hov/ apt are thofe charms^ as they are often called, on which fo many are apt to place an extravagant value, to fuffer prematurely, from accident, from difeafe of body, and even from trouble of mind ? When thou with re- bukes doji cor red: man for iniquity^ thou makeji his beauty to confume away like a moth. Even while they remain unaltered, their power is often but of fnort duration, they fade to'the eye, they pall upon the fenfe. At the utmoft, their continuance, like that of the flower, is but for on?e fliort feafon. Soon muft the bright eye fink in dimnefs, the polifned brow be furrowed w^ith O 2 wTinkleSn iSTo SERMON XI. wrinkles, the blooming complexion be turned mt6 lifelefs pale, and the fprightly mien and elegant fhape, be exchanged for the tottering ftep and, the {looping attitude. Thus deceitful is favour, and thus vain is beauty ! Thus the perfon who perhaps was lately ad- mired, and flattered, and praifed out of all juft fenfe of human infirmity, becomes at laft, and fometimes in the courfe of a few years, rather an object of compaf- fion ; nay, if pofTefled of nothing more fubflantial and praife-worthy than the qualities mentioned, rather an objed of contempt. 7. To dwell long on any of the circumflances to which we have hitherto adverted, was unneceiTary.— Health, the foundation of every earth-born joy, is itfelf precarious and tranfitory. By what a variety of cauf- es may this tender frame of ours be difcompofed ? It is a machine which confifts of fo many dehcate parts, and depends on fuch a variety of nicely adjufted mo- tions, that even of itfelf it would be liable to run into diforder. But when we taKe into the account, to what rude fhocks and in what unfavourable fituations it is frequently expofed, it would be furprifing did it generally prefer ve any confiderable meafure of regula- rity. We may fuck in the fatal caufe of our difeafe with our breath, we may fwallow it down with our food, we may receive it by the touch from others, and we may, by one falfe ftep, or one violent exertion of our ftrength, occafion to ourfelves pain and weaknefs that will laft for years. Hence we (hall often behold the perfon, who but a little before was ready, in the full tide of health and vigour of youth, to bid defiance to almoft everv temporal evil, ftretched upon a bed of SERMON XI. l8l of languifhing, a poor and piteous object. Perhaps no mortal efFe£t follows, perhaps the original difor- der is removed ; but in many cafes our conftitution is fo much broken, or our ftrength fo much impaired, that all true reliih for life is loft. Alljlejh is grafs, and all the goodlinefs thereof is as the flower of the field. There is another general refpedt in which the world may be faid to pafs away, and that is, human life paf- fes away. The banks of a river, with^JJie various ob- jeds placed upon them, though immoveable in them- felves, yet to thofe who fail paft them, appear to be in continual motion, and the effed produced is the fame as if the motion was real ; — The diftance of thofe obje£ls is continually increafmg, and at laft they dif- appear altogether. Juft fo the good things of this world, though they were permanent in themfelves, yet as to us, both with refped to appearance and to every fubftantial purpofe, they may be faid to be tranfitory, becaufe our life, in which alone we have an opportunity of feeing and of enjoying them, is tranfito- ry. That this was part of the idea of the apoftle here, is plain from the context, particularly the beginning of V. 29. where the notion is mentioned exprefsly, iimeisfhort. As however we have confidered this particular at large elfewhere, and have fometimes re- ferred to it in the preceding part of our difcourfe, we fhall not enter upon the confideration of it at prefcnt. So fleeting then are the objeds which we chiefly prize and moft eagerly purfue. But indeed the whole fyftem of earthly things, whether thus conneded with us or not, is fubjed to the fame vanity. The mod durable works of human induftry, towers, temples, O 3 and 152 SEP^TvlON XL and palaces, the pride of princes, and their utmofl: ef- forts to build themfelves a name, yield in a few ages to the corroding tooth of time, or nodding in melan- choly ruins proclaim the vanity of their founders. — ' The ancient Nineveh, the imperial Babylon, and the wealthy Tyre ; the inquifitive traveller now alks, and afks in vain, where they flood I Thofe nations which in former times enjoyed the empire of the world in turn, and caufed their terror in the land of the livings the glory is long fmce departed from them, their king- dom is given to others, and they now exifl: only an empty name in the page of hiftory ! The internal con- vulfions of nature have (haken to their bafe even the everlafting hills^ and made them crumble into the plain 5 and the fame convulfrons have in other parts given birth to new productions of a like kind. Nay this folid earth itfelf on which we tread, and on which all other changes take place ; the wide extend- ed fkies, and the unnumbered worlds that have rol- led through the vaft expanfe of heaven fnice the be- ginning of creation, are, by the decrees of the fupreme director, doomed to deftrudion : and that time will come when//^^ heavens Jhallpafs azvay with a great noife^ and the elenients Jhall Jiielt with fervent heat, the earth and the works that are therein fh all he burnt up / From what has been faid we may learn, I. 1 he folly of confidering this world as our chief good. Allowing for a moment that the good things of the world are pofTelTed of every quality neceffary to make us happy, yet you fee theyT?/// lack otie thing, and that indifpenfably requifite to the purpofe men- tioned, viz. a proportionable duration. Can thefe things SERMON XI. 183 things which often perifh in the ufmg, and from which we fliall foon and certainly be feparated at death, can they be the proper foundation of the felici- ty of a being, which is immortal as the angels of heaven, nay as the great God himfelf ? 2. Again, if the world be fo tranfitory, let us not only ceafe to confider it as our chief good, but let us even mortify or greatly reflrain all our affedions and paflions that have a refped: to it. Such a world is un- worthy of any confiderable fhare in our affections, and if it has obtained fuch a fhare, it will occafion us the more violent pangs at the moment of feparation.— Here might we lament over the vanity of human life, and expoftulate with mankind on the folly of their condud : a folly equally difcernible in the high and in the low ; in the vafl projects and mighty contefts of princes, and in the ignoble ftrife of the madding crowd. Why indulge a criminal ambition, and grafp at power and honour, which tho' acquired with the utmofl difficulty, may be loft in one moment, in fpite of our utmoft endeavours to retain them ? Why che- rifh avarice, and give our hearts to that wbicb is not^ or at leaft which is not fecured to us for the fhorteft fpace of time ? Why envy others thepoifeffion of what will very foon be neither theirs nor ours ? Why be proud or vain of what is fo precarious, that it can fcarcely be called our own ? Why regret with fo much bitternefs the lofs of that, which though we had kept it, we muft in a Httle time have refigned with life ? They that weep in this cafe, as the apoftle fuggefts in the preceding verfe, ought to be as though they wept not. Thus may this fingle confideration of the world's O 4 Puffing 184 SERMON XI. away, be applied to curb or cure almoft every irregu- lar paffion or affection to which the world gives rife in the human bread. Farther, how thankful ought we to be to God, that he has provided for us the joys of another, and that an eternal world ! Had our views been confined to this life, we would perhaps have been of all creatures the moft miferable. The beafls which perifli feem to be fatisfied with the prefent, and to have no defire after any thing farther. But we, when not utterly imnier- fed in fenfe and fin, feel within us immortal longings, we ardently wifh for complete and everlafling happi- nefs. But thefe longings, if we had only had this world to look to, it appears could not have been gra° tified, and therefore mufl have proved to us the fource of difquiet while we had a being. Where then fhall we find language fufficiently ftrong to exprefs our gratitude to God, for revealing to us in the gofpel the heavenly flate, where there is a happinefs as much fu- perior to that of this world in its duration, as it is in its nature ! There are riches that wax not old, crowns that never fade, pleafuresfor evermore, there even this mortal body Jh all put on immortality, and there the only change we fliall ever experience, will be, a change from glory to glory, a nearer and nearer refemblance to our great original. This happinefs is revealed to us as attain- able on the mod: gracious terms, and what deferves our particular notice, as attainable by perfons of every denomination. Tranfitory as this world is, it is but a very fmall portion of it that falls to the fhare of the greater part of mankind. Few, very few in compa- rifon, dare fo much as afpire at any confiderable de- gree SERMON XI. 185 ^ree of riches, power, fame, and the other advantages mentioned above. But all of you are invited to par- take in the bleflings and glories of another world : the pooreft of you may be rich towards God, the meanefl of you may in due time reign with God as kings and as priejis for ever and ever. Next, let us hence fee the reafonablenefs of modera- tion in the ufe of all worldly things. This indeed is almoft a natural effed: of moderation in our aifedlions towards thefe things, an inference which we have al- ready made. But it deferves a feparate confideration, as it is the chief practical leiTon which the apoftle would have us learn from this fubjed. Our text, you will obferve, is the reafon which he gives for the ex- hortation contained in the claufe immediately preced- ing : And they that ufe this world, as not abufing it, abu- fmg it by excefs and extravagance. Some indeed reafon very differently in this cafe. " Since life and its enjoyments are fo precarious and tranfitory, the way to make the mod of both, is to give a loofe indulgence to every appetite and paflion." But in the firft place, it is eafy and obvious to anfwer here, that fuch indul- gence is totally inconfiftent with the rules of our holy religion, and that it entirely difqualifies us for the en- joyment of thofe purer and more pcrmament bleffmgs which that religion holds forth to our hopes. But fecondiy,the fuppofition on which it is founded is falfe. It is by no means true that fuch abufe is the way to make the mod of life. The fons of intemperance in- deed call it living, but at the fame time they are com- pelled to acknowledge, that it is, as they themfelves term it, living fafi. It is in fad evident, from its al- moft l86 SERMON XI, moft daily vifible effeds around us, that It Is, fo to fpeak, fliaking the conftantly ebbing fands of life, and chafing out of exigence that world which of itfelf pafleth away. In ftill plainer terms. It is enfeebling both body and mind, and bringing on difeafe, pre- mature old age, and even death itfelf. I fhall conclude with obierving, that there is a fenfe in which the faJJoion of the world may be faid to pafs away, which, though perhaps it was not immediately in the eye of the apoftle, would, if ferioufly attended to, contribute fomething to the end he had in view. — That fafhion pajfeth away^ even in our apprehenfion of the value of the world, and in the influence which worldly things have upon us. How different are our notions and our fenfe of thefe things at the different periods of life ? and how apt are we to negle£l and defpife, at a fubfequent period, what in a former we moft loved and valued ? In youth we become afham- ed of the fports and amufements of childhood, and fa- crifice to vanity and pleafure. As we advance in life, we begin to fee 'the folly of the latter, and attend only to the calls of intereft and ambition. In age we generally change our views again. We then wonder at our fond projects of extending our name and in- fluence, and are almofl as willing to be forgotten as ever we were to be known, to be at reft, as ever we were to buftle and make a noife. Some indeed n( ver grow old, and ruling palTions fometimes maintain their power over us to the laft. But fuch in general is the life of man. Thus, not only the world, but alfo the Itc/is thereof pafs away. And thus, like fickly or fro- ward children, we try all our toys in fuccelTion, and finding' SERMON XI. 187 finding folid fatisfadlion in none of them, refign them without much reluctance, and wifli to bury our fenfe of difappointment in the fweets of repofe. Let me add, however, that this wifh can never be accompliflied, nor Hfe refigned with full fatisfadion, unlefs we be fupported with thofe confolations which religion alone can fupply. Then indeed may we rejoice that we fhaliy^// ajleep in Jefus^ and enter into the reft of God, a reft from all the ills we now either fufFer or fear. J r SER- SERMON XII. Prov. XXII. 2, The rich and poor meet together : the Lord is the maker of them all, nPHE difference of rank and condition among men is fo common and obvious, that it can fcarcely efcape the obfervation of the moft inattentive. It is, however, like feveral other things of importance, fo conftantly in our eye, that it feldom meets with a fe- rious examination. The far greater part of mankind content themfelves merely with obferving it ; or, if they allow their thoughts at any time to dwell upon it, it is only, according to their feveral fituations, either to gratify iheir pride and vanity, or to indulge and juftify their fpleen and envy. To enquire into its origin, its defign, and its effeds, is confidered only as an amufing fpeculation, and is left entirely to the philofopher. It is, notwithftanding, a fubjed, which by the very terms in which it is exprelfed, calls upon the attention of every man ; and one which, if attend- ed 190 SERMON XII. ed to ferioufly, may be improved to fome important religions and moral purpofes, I .propofe to confider it from the words now read. The rich and poor meet together. Here only two con- ditions are mentioneJ; but we fhall fuppole other two to be implied or underftood, namely the high and low. Thefe are intimately connedled with the former, and are equally concerned in the wife man's obfervation. We fhall fuppofe too, that thefe four include all the degrees which take place, on the one hand, between the moft abundant riches, and the extreme of poverty ; and on the other, between the molt exalted, and the mofl. humble ftation of life. They meet together^ that is, they mingle together in the common intercourfe of Kfe ; or, fociety is com- pofed of them. The Lord is the maker of them all. This, no doubt, has in part, a relation to the per/ons of the rich and poor, and means, that God is equally the Creator of them all. This is a truth of undoubted certainty, and it forms one important refpecl in which it muil be acknowledged that all men are perfectly eqjual. — Nor is it without its moral ufe. To think, that how- ever dillinguiihed we are by external circumftances, we are yet all children of the fame father, and that fa- ther the God of love, fhould make us love as brethren^ fhould make us pitiful and courteous. But I cannot think that this plain remark exhaufts the fentiment of our text. The wife, tlie infpired Solomon, mail here too, have an eye to the conditions of the rich and poor, and mean, that God alfo appointed thefe. It is to this latter view, as we have already intimated, that we de- fjgn SERMON XII. igr fign at prefent to direct your attention. In confider- ing then, the difference of rank and condition which takes place in human life, I (hall, I. Enquire how far it may be faid to be appointed by God. II. I (hall endeavour to ihew you the reafonable- nefs and advantages of it. Laftly, I fhall point out the chief pradical ufes ta which the fubjedl may be improved. I. I am to enquire, how far it may be faid to be ap- pointed by God. Now it cannot, I prefume, be main- tained, that God eftablifhed this order of things by any exprefs law. Such a meafure, it will foon appear, was not neceifary ; and it might eafily be fhewn, would have been improper. But that it was the will of God, that this arrangement fhould take place, may,. I think, be juftly inferred, I. From its being the neceffary confequence of ap- pointments, of which he is the undoubted author. This diverfity arifes naturally, and in many cafes, from the diverfity of the human character. The dif- ferent capacities of men, were there no other caufe, would make a confiderable difference in their exter- nal condition. A perfon of a clear apprehenfion, and folid judgment, fleady to his purpofe, and fertile in refources, neceffarily fees and profecutes his interefl, with greater readinefs and fuccefs, than the flupid, the fooliHi, and the inconftant. This indeed does not hold true univerfally. Bread is not akvays to the wife^ nor yet riches to men of underjianding. But we fpeak of what happens for the moft part, and invariably, where all other circumflances are equal. Again, the^ 192 SERMON XII, the different morals, and even manners of mankind, contribute much to the difference under confideration. Bad as the world is, honefly, diligence, fobriety, fru- gality and courteoufnefs, feldom fail in this refped to obtain their reward. Thefe virtues tend to improve our condition, both by a dired and immediate effect, and alfo by fecuring to us the eileem and encourage- ment of the world around us. On the other hand, idlenefs and intemperance, knavery and debauchery, with many other vices, have a tendency dire£tly the contrary, and naturally lead to poverty and difgrace. There are no doubt inftances of men, who have ad- vanced themfelves by their vices and crimes ; and of others who have ruined themfelves by their religion and virtue. But fuch inftances are comparatively rare, and the general experience of the world in all ages juftifies thefe obfervations made by Solomon in other parts of this book ; the one, in the noble encomium beftowed onfpiritual wifdom, where he fays, length of days is in her right hand^ and in her left hand^ riches and honour ;t The other, in his fevere rebuke to the flug- gard, yet a little Jleep^ a little flumher^ a little folding of the hands tojleep. So pall thy poverty co7ne as one that travelleth^ and thy want as an armed man%. Thus then fome of the chief and immediate caufes of that difference of rank and fortune which takes place in fociety, are to be found in mens different talents, and in their conformity to, or departure from the laws of religion and virtue. But mens different talents and virtues, as alfo the eflablifhment and operation of the laws t iii. 16. ^ vi. 10. II. SERMON XII. I9J Jaws jufl mentioned, are certainly to be afcribed to, God. Again, this difference is a neceflary confequence of the inftitution of government. It is generally allow- ed, that government is the ordinance of God. Not however becaufe it is fuppofed to have been appoint- ed by any exprefs divine command, but becaufe it has invariably been found neceffary, not only to the happi- nefs, but even to the exiftence of fociety. But in every government, even the mod fimple, efpecially if it be of confiderabie extent, there niuft be a variety of places of trufl: and power. 1 here muft be rulers fu- preme and fubordinate ; there mud be judges and ma- giftrates, and thefe of greater or oflefs extenfive ju- rifdiftion ; and there mufl: be a variety of officers, concerned in the colledion and management of the public revenue. Many of thefe too mufl be liberally provided for, at the expence of the nation ; both to enable them to give their whole attention (o their re- fpedive offices, and to fupport their charader with fuitable dignity. But who does not immediately fee, thac this mud create a great difference, in refpedl: both of wealth and honour, and indeed, that it is one of the chief caufes of that difference in every civilized fociety ? 2. This difference is often occafioned by the inter- pofition of providence. Our flrength or weaknefs of body, our health or ficknefs, the cultivation or negled: of our talents, the friends or enemies whom we meet with, the rage or favour of the elements and feafons, with many other circumftances which might be men- tioned, have a confiderabie influence upon our litua- P tion 194 SERMON XII. don in life, and are common caufes either of our ad- vancement or depreflion. Now, though we are apt to impute fuch things to chance or accident, yet this can only mean, that we know not their immediate caufes, or the manner in which they are brought about ; and we mufl: ultimately afcribe them unto him who work- eth on our left hand^ though we cannot behold him^ and on our right hand^ though we cannot fee him. We allow the truth of this in cafes that are very ftriking and important, as when a perfon's rife or fall is juft and reafonable, but, according to human views, improba- ble and unexpe6:ed ; and when fuch viciffitudes ex- tend their influence over dates and kingdoms ; but we cannot abfolutely deny it in any cafe, or fay, that the condition of any individual, however infignificant, is not in fome meafure determined by him, without whom not even a fparrow can fall to the ground^ and by whom the 'very hairs of our head are all numbered, 3. And laftiy, that the ftate of fociety in queflion, is perfedly agreeable to the will of God, is evident from fcripture. It is true indeed, that there all hu- man diitindions are reprefented as infignificant :- — Purely men of low degree are vanity^ and men of high de- gree are a lie,^- The fame fcripture however mentions thofe diilindions always without cenfure, and fome- times with approbation. It tells us, in one paffage, The poor ^ (and of confequence the nch) fhall never ceafe out of the land ;\ and to the fame purpofe in ano- ther, Te have the poor always with you,\ It prefcribes the duties peculiar to all the different ranks and con- ditions in hfe j to rich and poor , to great and fmall, t» ^^ Pfal. Ixii. 0. t Deut. xv. zf. % Mat.xxvi. 11. SERMON XII. 195 to fuperiors and inferiors ; it commands us to^it'f ho- nour to whom honour is due ;^ and feverely cenfures thofe who /peak evil of dignities,^ But perhaps the ftrongeft proof of what we have advanced, is, that fcriprure bears ample teftimony to that interpofition of providence, which we confidered under the lad particular. I fhall mention only two paiTages to this purpofe, and with them I fhall clofe this part of the fubjedt. The Lord^ faith Hannah, under the influence of infpiration, maketh poor^ and makeih rich .' he bring-^ eth low^ and lifteth up,^ — Promotion^ fays the Pfalmill, Cometh 7ieitherfro?n the eaji^ nor from the weji^ 7ior from ihefouih. But God is the judge : he putteth down one^ andfetteth up another, \ I come now, Ildly, to fliew you the reafonablenefs and advantages of this difference. And, I , Let me put you in mind of an obfervation made a little ago, when endeavouring to point out the origin of this flate of things, namely, that fome degree of fuch a ftate is infeparable from, ahd conducive to the government of fociety. No government can exift, at leafl in a community of confiderable extent, without a variety of offices, different from one another with refpe£t both to honour and emolument. Nor is it iefs evident, that thefe offices derive confiderable weight and influence from the honours and emolu- ments which are annexed to them. If it Hiould be faid, " Granting all this, yet why not *' fill up thofe offices indifcriminately from the body of *' the people ?" It is anfwered. That when any indi- vidual, however mean his origin, difccvers fufficient P 2 capacity ^ Rom.xiii. ?• II Jvide 8, * i Sam, ii. 7. f Pfal. Ixxvi* 6 . 7^ igO SERMON XII. capacity and merit, there are not, we prefume, man'y communities in which he is excluded from prefer- ment, at lead in the way of a gradual rife : furely no fuch exclufion can, with llrict juflice, be faid to take place in our own. But to lift a man, at once, out of a humble ftation into a place of public truft and dig- nity, would be highly abfurd, and of the moll hurt- ful confequence. A man of that defcription muft, from his education and manner of life, be totally def- titute of that knowledge, experience, and enlargement of mind, which are necelfary to enable one to fill fuch a place with propriety, that is, with advantage to the ptiblic, and with fatisfadioii to himfelf. It is, I be- lieve, chiefly on this account, and not to deprefs the lower and exalt the higher ranks of fociety, that our laws exclude from the right of chufmg and of being chofen a m.ember of the great council of the nation, all thofe who are not poffeifed of property of a certain kind, and to a certain extent. They feem to fuppofe, and not unnaturally, though it does by no means take place invariably, that narrow circumllances, and an inferior ftation, are lefs favourable both to public fpirit, and to that illumination of the mind which is neceffary to qualify a perfon for promoting the public good. It is well known, that in almofl every department of the Britifh Hate, there are perfons who have raifed themfelves by their merit, from the middle, and even from the inferior flations of life, to places of great eminence. Among us there are no fuch obflacles to preferment, as took place under the old defpotic go- vernment of France, and as ftill exifl in fome other countries SERMON XII. 197 countries of Europe : nor fuch, as we are told, are efta- blifhed in fome parts of the Eaft, where the commu- nity is divided into feveral cafls or tribes, and every man is compelled to follow the profeffion of his father. The laws, indeed, limiting the right of eledion both of members of parliament, and magiftrates in our towns, form an exception to the above obfervation. That the right of fuffrage might, in both thefe cafes, be fomewhat extended with propriety and advantage, has, I believe, been allowed at one time or other by men of all parties ; but whether it fhould be made univerfal, as appears to be the wifh of fome at prefent, feems to be very queflionable. Such a law would evidently make the fcale preponderate on the fide of thofe, who, while they compofe by far the mofl nu- merous order of the community, are the lead fit of any of them, for the important trufts under confider- ation, as being the lead enlightened, the leafl: interef- ted, and the mofl fubjed to bad influence. With re- fped to the circumftance lafl: mentioned, we would only aflc this fimple queftion. Of two men equal in virtue and in tal"ents, but the one rich and the other poor, which would be the mofl liable to corruption, either as an eledor or as a reprefentative ? It is chiefly owing to the too widely extended right of fuf- frage, that in France at prefent the balance between the diflerent orders of the people is nearly loll, and men of rank and wealth are almoft entirely at the mercy of their inferiors. Let me farther obferve, that the exclufion of the inferior orders of the people from any fhare in the le- giflature, is by no m€ans, now at leafl, fo prejudicial P3 to 198 SREMON XII. * to their interefl as they are apt to imagine. Court fa- vour, indeed, will commonly be confined to thofe who are concerned in elections ; but to fecure equal laws, and general encouragement to people of all ranks, little elfe is neceffary than that their interefi be reprefented ; or that the interefl of the eled:ors and reprefentatives be the fame with that of the refl of the people, and that the former be duly fenfible of this. — Now it is plain, that the interefl of all denominations of people in towns, is reprefented by the members for the boroughs, and that of all denominations in the country by the knights of the ihire. And this appears now to be well under flood. Every freeholder knows that the profperity of the tenant, and even that of the labourer, is in a great meafure neceffary to that of the landlord ; and there are few magiflrates or merchants but know, that unlefs manufa£lurers and artizans of every fort are encouraged, commerce muft languifh. For a proof of this, we may appeal to notorious fads. It is well known, that within thefe few years, feveral laws that feemed to bear hard on the people have been repealed ; and that others have been enadted evidently and profeffedly to favour them. In the late prohibit tion of the diflillery, and the offer of high bounties on the importation of grain, thefuperior orders of the flate have fhewn a very tender concern for the interefl of their inferiors. Hard preffed as government has certainly been for a confiderable period, not one tax has been impofed, that can affed thofe who are below the middle ranks of life. 2. This difference is neceffary either to the exifl- ence, or to the improvement, of thofe fludies, pro- feffions. • SERMON XIU J99 feflions, and employments from which human fociety derives the greateft advantage. Who needs to be told of the vaft benefit which mankind derive, from learning, commerce, and the various arts ? Thefe, it is generally known, contribute largely, not only to the amufements, embellifhments, luxuries and com- forts of life, but alfo to its neceffaries. It could be fliewn, that where civilization and refinement have made confiderable progrefs, this is the cafe with re- fpect, not only to the higher, but alfo to the middle, and even to the lower orders of the people. Befides, the particulars mentioned furnifh men with employ- ments, fuited to that vaft variety of talents, taftes, and inclinations, by which they are diftinguifhed ; a cir- cumftance which is the foundation of much fatisfac- tion to the individual, and which alfo enables the com- munity to avail itfelf to the full, of the powers of all its members. But you are to obferve, that the moment you re- duce fociety to a ievely you fix an immoveable bar to the improvement of fome of thefe profefTions, and that you totally annihilate the reft. In fuch a ftate of things, I mean a ftate of perfed equality, no man chufmg, or indeed being permitted, to ferve another, or to ad as an inferior ; every man muft ferve himfelf in every capacity for which he has occafion ; or ra- ther, every man muft neceffarlly, snd conftantly, be occupied- in providing for himfelf and his family, the means of fubfiftenee. Thus the whole bright circle of the fciences falls to the ground, the beautiful train of the fine arts difappears, all intercourfe be- tween different nations ceafes, and each country con- P 4 tents 20Q SERMON XII. ♦ tents itfelf with the produce of its own foil. But, what will be thought of much greater general im- portance, in the ufeful and mechanic arts, which are the chief means of feeding, clothing, and flieltering us, our attainments mud be limited to fuch rude ef- fays as are to be found among favages, and fall great- ly fhort of our prefent ideas of comfort and conveni- ency. The divifion of labour, as has been juflly ob- ferved by fome writers, has contributed much to the improvement of iome of the arts now mentioned. — The obfervation may be extended to all the (Indies and employments of hfe. It is only when they are profecuted feverally, and by different perfons ; in other words, when they are profecuted as profeflions, that they begin to alfume fuch a perfect form, as de- ferves the name either of art or fcience. In confirmation of what we have juft advanced, we might alledge the ftate of different nations, both in ancient and in modern times, A flate of equahty has exifled in ail of them at one period or other, and does adually exift in fome of them at prefent. But what has ever been found to be their condition at fuch peri- ods, with refpeQ to the particulars adverted to above ? We can confidently anfwer, to the lafl degre pitiful and co'iremptible. a mixture of barbarity, ignorance, and wretchednefs. Our own anceftors were, at a re- mote period, all of them nearly on a footing of equa- lity. But what was their fituation in life? One may apply to them (and- 1 hope there is no impropriety in the application) the defcription given Heb. xi. ^,7^ 38. of the perfecuted ftate of the ancient prophets, Tbey wandered about injheepjkins and in goatjkins^ being dejii- tiite^ SERMON XII. 20I tuie, affliSied^' — they wandered in defaris and in moun- tains ^ and in dens and caves of the earth. The original inhabitants of North and South America, and thofe of the countries lately difcovered in the fouthern ocean, exhibit the fame appearance. Among them, there is fcarcely any other diftindion, but that of the chief who leads, and of the people who are led. The confequence, as might be expeded, is, they are without policy, commerce, fciences and arts : they are with- out the accommodations, and (unlefs where th€y are remarkably favoured by the foil and climate) without a regular fupply, €ven of the neceffaries of life. — Thus they are all upon a level \ but it is a level, not of dignity and riches, but of meannefs and mifery. — Agreeably to this, we have little hefitation in aflert- ing, that it would be found, upon examination, that in almofl every country the arts and fciences have jiourifhed in proportion to the difference of rank and fortune which has there obtained. On fuch an exa- mination, however, it would be improper for us to €nter here. The hiilory and prtfent condition of the dates of America, furniili a (trong proof of what is obferved above. Thefe ftates were planted by men who came from a country already civilized ; and who, no doubt, carried over with them fomeportionof the knowledge and of the arts of their native foil. It appears, how- ever, that thofe men foon found it necelTaiy to aban- don every purfuit but that of providing for their own fubfiftence. Their defcendants are more at their eafe ; and though they have among them no titles of honour, yet they have fuch diftin6:ions as naturally arife 202 SERMON XII, arife from wealth and office ; and accordingly they now begin to cultivate philofophy and the arts. 3. By this appointment, both providence and hu- man fociety can encourage the good and ufeful, and check the wicked and worthlefs part of mankind. It is not in this life indeed, that God defigns either to reward or to punifh completely. This is properly not a ftate of retribution, but of trial. It is, however, highly expedient, that the great governor of the world ihould fometimes manifeft his love of righteoufnefs, and his hatred of evil : this has a happy tendency to keep alive the belief of the important dodrine of his moral government. Now, this end is in a good mea- fure promoted, by his deprefling the wicked, and ad« vancing the righteous, in their external condition ; be- caufe that condition is obvious to all. In the elevation of fuch pious and virtuous men as Jofeph, David, and Daniel ; and in the punifhment of fuch wicked men as Pharaoh, Ahab, and Haman, the arm of God was in a manner made bare, and his attention to the differ- ent characters of men, even in this |_life, rendered con- fpicuous. And though fuch proceedings were, no doubt, more frequently to be expeded among the ancient Jev/s, who were governed by a particular pro- vidence, than among any other people ; yet it would be wrong to fuppofe that God would in this material refped leave himfelf altogether without a witnefs, in any period, or in any nation of the world. Agree- ably to this, he tells us in general, them that honour 7nel will honour, and they that defpife me jhall he lightly efleem- ed ; and that godlinefs is profitable unto all things^ hav- ing the promife of the life that now is^ as well as of that ivhich SERMON XII. 203 which is to come. We lliall only add, that what we have now advanced, is flrongly confirmed by that frequent interpofition of providence in the difpofal of the different conditions of human life, which, we pre- fume, we made fufficiently evident in the former part of our difcourfe. Let me now proceed to obferve, that by means of the difpofition of things under confideration, human fociety may alfo encourage its virtuous and deferving, and check its vicious and worthlefs members. When individuals have honoured and enriched their coun- try, is it not jufl: that their country fhould, m return, honour and enrich them ? Let the man of the hum- bleft ftation among you ftand forth ; we will make bold to demand, and let him anfwer us ; Say, fhall the ftatefman whofe profound wifdom has guided the counfels of the nation, and raifed it to a high pitch of glory and profperity ; fhall the hero who, by his con* du6t and bravery, and at the hazard of his life, has repelled the attempts of our enemies, and enabled us to fit at home in fecurity ; Ihall the fage, whofe health and talents are employed in (ludying how to render religion, virtue, and wifdom (the great foundation of public, private, and focialhappinefs) delightful to you by his writings ; fhall he whofe fertile and ingenious mind has contrived the means of fhortenin: your la- bours, and of rendering them more produdive ; in in fine, fhall the man whofe patriot fpirit has turned the barren heath into a fruitful field, to fupply you and your children with bread ; — Say, fhall fuch men be denied an acknowledgement of their diftinguifhed fervices to their country, in fuqh diflindions and more fub- 204 SERMON XII. fubftantial rewards, as their country has it in iis power to beftow ? Such men are ufeful, not only to you, but to all ; they not only ferve the prefent gene- ration, but will be a bleffing to generations yet un- born. To with-hold fuch an acknowledgement, would be, not only ungenerous and unjuft, but even impolitic. Public honours and emoluments are fo many prizes held forth to public fpirit, and feldom fail of producing their effect in one degree or other. — They difcover, they call forth that fpirit, and excite it to noble exertion. They are alfo, let me add, in a confiderable degree necellary : for though fome in- llances of fuch difmterefted patriotifm may occur, yet it would be ridiculous to exped that men in general, fhould devote their time and talents to the fervice of the public, without fome profped of advantage to themfelves. On the other hand, this arrangement puts it, in fome meafure, in the power of every fociety, to dif- courage and reprefs fuch of its members as are its bane and burthen. Every fociety can exclude thofe members from its honours and advantages, and leave them to contempt and wretchednefs. We complain of the great prevalence of vice and idlenefs ; but were all to be maintained as it were out of one common flock, and had we no way to mark, in a pubHc manner, our detedation of the vicious and idle, it is much to be feared that our complaints would be more loud and frequent. Upon the whole of this head, I do not be- lieve that the wildefl advocate for hberty and equaUty wifhes to abolifli lav/s, rewards, and punifhments ; yet v/ere liberty and equality to take place in their full extent. SERMON XII. 205 extent, it appears they would operate againft the in- terefts of fociety, much in the fame mannner as fuch an abolition. 4. And laftly, the appointment under confidera- tion, is rather favourable to the exercife of virtue. We do not mean to aflert, that this is always the cafe. Candour obliges us to acknowledge, that when in any country riches and honours accumulate, and diverfity of rank and condition, the infeparable con- comitant of thefe, increafes to an extreme, there vir- tue lofes its influence, and vice diffufes its power through men of every ftation in life. In fa (51, hiftory and obfervation bear teftimony, that a nation may be enriched and refined, both out of its virtue and its re- ligion. Still however we maintain, that difference of condition, and that in a confiderable degree, is more favourable to virtue than a perfed equality. Poffibly it is with the virtue of nations, as with that of indivi- duals ; it is fafeft in a flate of mediocrity ; and finds the extreme neither of poverty nor of riches the mofh convenient for it. Let me obferve however more particularly, that a confiderable difference of rank and condition feems to be well fitted to cherifh the great chridian virtue of charity. On the fuppofition of a perfe t 1 1^^^^ ir, 16. 222 SERMON XIII. who is the king eternal, immortal, and inviftble\, who only hath immortality^'^ as being the firfl: as well as the laft, and with whom is no variablenefs, neither Jhadow of turning.^ Where, now may we not afk, is the wife? where is the difputer of this world ? Hath not God made foolifh the wifdoin of this world? May we not confident- ly affert, that the meaneft Chriftian who reads his tef- lament with care, entertains more juft and exalted notions of the Deity, than did the moft enlightened of all the ancient fages ? Will the notions of the heathen concerning provi- dence, notions which feemed to fuppofe almoft every place, and every perfon committed to the care of fome fubordinate tutelary deity, who favoured his charge with very little regard either to truth or juftice ; will thefe, I fay, bear a comparifon with the noble and de- lightful dodrine on this head delivered by our Saviour and his apoflles? Thefe divine teachers reprefent the great God himfelf as immediately pervading and fup- porting univerfal nature, as of him, and through him, and to him are all things * They tell us, that all na- tions are the obje6ls of his care, and that he is the God, not only of the Jews, but alfo of the Gentiles :\ that he is attentive to the intereft of every individual of what- ever character, yc?r in him we live, and mo'oe, and have our being,\ and, he maketh his fun to rife on the evil and on the good, ~andfendeth rain on thejuft and on the unju/l:\\ that our moft minute concerns do not efcape his no- tice, fo that it may be juftly faid, even the very hairs of our head are all numbered :^ that he indeed permits evil X I Tim. i. 17. II I TiiTi. vi. 16. § James i. 17. * Rom. xi. 36. t Rom.iii. 29. % ^<^s xvii. 28. 1| Matt. v. 45. § Luke xii. 7. SERMON XIII. 223 evil to befall good men here, but that this is for the trial of their virtues and the corre^lion of their faults; fo that If they endure chqftening^ God dealeth with them as with fom ;* that the goodnefs of God to bad men lead- eth them to repentance : that he favours the good even with refpedt to their temporal concerns, in fo far as is confident with their better interefts, godlinefs having thepromife of the life that now is as well as of that which is to come ;% and that, upon the whole, with regard to fuch perfons, all things work together for good. \ Concerning the two particulars jiift confidered, which evidently form the foundation of all religion, I Ihall only farther obferve, that the wifeft and mofl learned of all the ancient fages, and who iiourifhed in the age immediately preceding the pron^ulgation of the gofpel, makes this mortifying acknowledgement, in a treatife written exprefsly on thefe fubjeds;, " That " fome of the philofophers denied the being of a God ; " that others of them denied a providence \ and that " though the bed and greateft of them acknowledged " both, yet that all was involved in uncertainty, both " among the learned and the ignorant." How deci- five is this confeffion againft the powers of unaflifted reafon ? How amply does it juflify the aflertion of the apoftle Paul, the world by wifdom knew not God?'\ The worfhip offered to the heathen gods was worthy of fuch deities. It confided almod wholly of external rites, and thefe either childifh, fuperditious and fran- tic, or impure and inhuman. The Chridian worfhip^ on the contrary, like the God whom the Chridians adore, is pure and fpiritual, confiding chiefly in the noble * Heb. xii. 7. ^ i Tim. iv. 8. % Rom.viii. 28. f ^ Cor. i. ax. 5424 SERMON XIII. noble difpofitions of love, truft, and gratitude, ex> prefled in the fimple and rational exercifes of prayer, praife, and thankfgiving. Inilead of that multitude of outward obfervances, which among the heathen, and even among the Jews, had almoft buried the fub- flance of religion under their weight ; it has appoint- ed only three plain inftitutions, the Lord's day, and the two facraments, and thefe fo evidently calculated to promote piety and virtue, that every confiderate perfon will allow, that they deferve the name of mo- ral, as much as that of ritual laws. How vague and various were the conjedlures of un- enlightened reafon, concerning the origin of evil, and the prefent degenerate flate of human nature ? Some thinking^that it was^j/^, others that it was matter^ and others that it was an evil principle. The new tefta- ment derives all evil, whether moral or natural, from an abufe of freedom in the firfl man, by whom fin en- tered into the worlds and death (a term including all our woe) hyfin : an account much more fatisfadory, as being confonant to our own experience, and to the hiftory of mankind. As men could not of themfelvcs difcover the caufe of evil, we need not be much furprized if they were almoft equally at a lofs with refpe^l to its cure. The ufe of facrifices, which obtained univerfally, fhewed, it has been often obferved, that they were fenfible that an atonement was neceifary to take away the guilt of fm ; and the recourfe which they fometimes had to human facrifices and other fanguinary rites, feemed to Ihew, that they themfelves were doubtful, whether the blood of bulk and of goats could produce that defi- rable SERMON XIII. 225 rable effed. With regard to moral depravity, fome of the phiiofophers, efpecially in later times, feem not to have been infenfible, that man was incapable of de- livering himfelf from it, and that none could be truly good vi^ithout the aid of heaven. The gofpel meets thefe wants and wifhes of the human race, with the moft confolatory doQirines. It holds forth to us a per- fedl atonement for the guilt of the whole world, in the death of Chrift, whom it afferts on good grounds to be the Son of God ; and affures us of the affiftance of the fpirit of God to create us anew, and make us par^ takers of a divine nature* What is virtue ? in other words. What is the proper flandard of duty ? and. What is the chief good, or what conftitutes true happinefs ? are queftions in which mankind are interefted in the higheft degree ; about which, however, while left folely to the guid- ance of reafon, they were very much divided. The gofpel has, with a clearnefs which almofl immediately gives convidion, and in a manner the mofl popular and ufeful, anfwered both, by telling us. That virtue confifts in obedience to the will of God, and true happinefs in the enjoyment of God. The morality of the new teflament fliines forth with tranfcendent luftre. It condemns feveral vices which among the heathen were regarded as matters of indif- ference, or even ufurped the name of virtues ; it im- proves all thofe virtues, the obligation of which was already acknowledged ; and it carries every virtue to the greateft poffible height. Repentance towards God, which reafon dictates as neceffary to pardon, and as the beginning of reformation \ the fupreme R love 220 SERMON XIII. love of God, the bed foundation of a cheerful and univerfal obedience ; zeal for the glory of God, which gives flrength and refinement to every virtuous incli- nation : all thefe, which make fo confpicuous and ef- fential a part of Chriftian piety, were yet unknown al- moft by name to every defcription of men among the ancient heathen. One of the mod eminent fages of antiquity confefled his ignorance how iopray to God acceptably. Chrift: has inftruded mankind in that im- portant duty, both by precept and by pattern. An oath taken in judgment is a fublime ad of worlhip to the Deity, and a powerful mean of preferving the peace of fociety. To fecure in the mod efPedual manner the veneration neceflary to that facred obH- gation, our Saviour flridly forbids all fwearing in com- mon converfation ; a circumftance which feems en- tirely to have efcaped the attention of all the ancient fages, fome of the mod pious of whom appear to have had no apprehenfion of the immorality of common fwearing, and to have pradifed that vice without fcruple. The love of our neighbour was a duty by no means unknown before the appearance of our Saviour ; but he has enlarged, improved, and enforced it, in fuch a manner, as to entitle it to be called a new command- ment. He has thrown down thofe narrow and invidi- ous didindions, which were early raifed and long re- tained by pride and felfifhnefs, and often filled the world with confufion and mifery. Indead of teach- ing us, with the haughty Greeks and Romans, or with the bigotted Jews, to look down on the red of man- kind, as barbarians, ilaves, or outcads from the divine favour \ SERMON XIII, 227 favour ; he teaches us to confider every man as our brother, and the various nations of the earth as one great family, under the parent of the univerfe. He has with divine fagacity found means to interefl: the felfifli paffions on the fide of benevolence, making the love we bear to ourfelves, the meafure of that which we ought to bear to our neighbour ; and the condud which we wifh others to obferve towards us, the rule of our condudl towards them. Revenge was avowed and juftified, by fome of the moil eminent of the an- cient fages, and never confidered as criminal by any of them, Chrifl: enjoins us to forgive, if we ;would hope to be forgiven j and he pradifed his own pre- cept on every occafion that offered, particularly at his death, when in the midft of the tortures of crucifixion^ he prayed for pardon even to thofe whofe hands he then beheld covered with his blood ! He reflored the bond of marriage, which had fallen into great and general contempt, to its original and inviolable purity and dignity ; and he has illuflrated and inforced the mutual duties, not only of hufband and wife, but alfo thofe of parent and child, magi- flrate and fubjed, and of the other important relations that take place in fociety, with a beauty, fimplicity and ftrength, to which in the laws or philofophy of the ancients, we find nothing equal. Humility and chajiity feem fcarcely to have entered into the catalogue of the virtues among the heathen : they are however of undoubted obligation, and as fuch are flrldly enjoined by our Saviour and his apollles. I (haP only add on this part of the fubjed, that the atrocious and unnatural crime of fuicide was exceed- R % ingly 228 SERMON XIII. ingly common, and confidered almofl as an a6t: of he- roic virtue among the Romans ; and that it was llrongly recommended in the cafe of life's becoming burthenfome, by the ftoics ; the former the mod re- fpedable people, the latter one of the mod refpe£table feels of philofophy in all antiquity. In oppofition to both, the gofpel with the mod endearing philanthropy commands us, to do ourfelves no harm, not to caji away our confidence ; to poffefs our fouls in patience ; to endure to the end ; and all this even in ciixumflances the moft afflidive : nay it commands to count it all joy when we fall into divers temptations. What is (till more fatisfadory, it gives us fuch cheerful views of provi- dence and of futurity, as when firmly believed, can- not fail to render our obedience to thefe commands both eafy and pleafant. Let us now make one general remark concerning al) the duties required of us in the gofpel ; and it is this. That our Saviour not only demands the exter- nal obfervance of thofe duties, but alfo fuch a conform- ity of mind to them as will (land the examination of the fearcher of hearts ; and farther, that we fhould en- deavour to make a continual progrefs towards perfec- tion. The motives to duty fuggefted by unaffifted reafon were chiefly thefe, the approbation of confcience, the efteem and applaufe of the world, and the natural ten- dency of a virtuous condud, in the common courfe of things, to promote, in every refpedt, our temporal intereft. Thefe motives the gofpel leaves to us in all their original flrength ; but it adds feveral others, and fome of them infinitely ftronger. It holds forth to SERMON XIII. 229 to our gratitude the exceeding riches of the grace of God and of our Lord Jefus Chrift, manifefted in the grand plan of our redemption ; it aflures us of the fecial care exercifed by providence over good men in all their concerns, particularly in overruling the evils of life to their advantage ; it promifes us every neceffary internal aid in the performance of our duty, and peculiar fupport at the awful hour of death. — But perhaps the chief glory of the gofpel in this refped is the full difcovery it makes of a future ftate. This was an article which even the mod enlightened fages of antiquity rather fondly wifhed and hoped, than upon fatisfadory grounds believed. It is remarkable, that what is now confidered as the moft conclufive ar- gument in fupport of it, on the footing of reafon, I mean, the prefent unequal diftribution of good and evil, is fcarcely fo much as mentioned by them, even in treatifes written profefTedly on the fubjed. The belief of the vulgar in this matter has generally been thought to have been more fteady ; but alas, the no- tions entertained of it by that clafs of men, after all the afliftance they had from the imaginations of their poets, were fo grofs and contemptible, that their be- lief could have but little good influence on their mo- rals. In the gofpel we are taught, with refped to good men, that after death they fhall be completely happy, and that their happinefs will confift in a total exemption from every natural and moral evil, and in the pofleflion of every natural and moral good of which they are capable, particularly in the clear vifion, and full fruition of the all-perfed God. With refped to bad men, we are taught, that they fhall be banifhed R3 to 230 SERMON XIII. to regions of darknefs, where they fhall fufFer the hor- rors of a guihy confcience, and the wrath of an angry God, a worm that dieth not^ and afire that Jhall 7\ever be quenched. This view of a future ftate prefents two motives to the performance of our duty, the mofl powerful that ever were offered to the human mind. Unlike the fenfual paradife of Mahomet, or the unin- terefting elyfmm of the heathen, the heaven of the Chriftian is connected with our prefent condudt, not only by the pofitive appointment of God, but by the very nature of the things themfelves. To give addi- tional force to both motives, we are alTured that the body is to be raifed up, and to fhare in the reward or punifhment of the foul, a circumftance, it is proper to obferve, which, however reafonable it appears, now that it is difcovered, was never fo much as dreamed of in the philofophy of the ancients. Example unites the advantages of precept, motive, and illuftration. But this aid to virtue was much wanted : the boaftful philofopher often enervated his precepts by his practice, and the hypocritical fcribe laid heavy burthens upon other men, which he him- felf would not touch with one of his fingers. In the new teftament we are called upon to be followers of venerable patriarchs, who walked with God : of holy apoftles, whofe converfation was in heaven, and efpeci- cially of the great apollle and high prieft of our pro- feffion himfelf, in whofe charader we find all the vir- tues united and perfeded, and whofe example comes recommended to us, by every circumftance that can either endear or enforce. To complete the excellence of the Chriftian fcheme, it SERMON XIII. 231 it has made a wife provifion for the improvement of mankind both in knowledge and virtue, altogether unknown, except among the Jews, to the world be- fore, I mean, that of numerous public inftrudors. — In the ages preceding, it was only men of rank and fortune that could have the advantage of being taught their duty ; as to the common people, they could have no accefs to the philofophers, whofe inftrudions were in every fenfe above their reach ; and they de- rived no benefit from their priefts, whofe office was totally unconnedted with teaching. Thus the greater part of mankind were left io guefs out their duty, from the didates of an ill informed confcience, and the laws of their country. But under the gofpel, an order of men has been fet apart for the purpofe of delivering ledures once a week on the great truths of religion and moraUty, and that in a manner fuited to every capacity and to every flation ; as alfo, for paying a ftrid attention to the manners of the people ; ad- monifhing the diforderly, and encouraging the good. I mention, laftly, and in a few words, that to preferve our religion from being loft or corrupted, it has not been left to the uncertainty of oral tradition, but com- mitted to writing, and formed into a volume, in a ftyle, and of a fize, accommodated to the ufe of all. Such and fo excellent is the gofpel of Chrift : it re- mains to be confidered, hov/ far its excellence is a proof of its divine authority, and confequently, of the ftrange unreafonablenefs of unbelief. And I . Its excellence is a proof of its being at leaft ulti" 7nately^ and in a general fenfe ^ of divine origin. — Thouga it were not from heaven immediately ^ nor R 4 ^ com- 232 SERMON XIII. communicated to mankind by infpired authors^ yet if it be the moft rational of all the religions that have come to my knowledge, and fitter than any other to make me wife and good, and happy ; then it may be confidered at lead as a providential favour, or as an advantage put in my power by him from whom de- fcends every good and perfed gift. And if this be the cafe, I ought ferioufly to confider, whether I fliould not fubmit to its influence, and whether, though no- thing more could be pled in fupport of it, 1 can reject it with impunity ? Every man furely is accountable for the ufe he makes of the gifts even of nature and of providence. 2. Its excellence furnifhes ftrong prefumptions even of its being an immediate revelation. If the religion of Chrift exceeds, in wifdom and fubHmity, all that reafon ever taught, what are we to infer, but that it flows from a higher fource than rea- fon ? And if it be fo tranfcendently wife and good, can we afcribe it to any thing lower than divine infpi- ration ? This is only arguing in the fame manner as we do in nature and in providence. Why do we be- lieve that the world was made, and is governed by God ? Is it not chiefly from the marks of beneficence and defign which are fo confpicuous in it ? And when we fee equal, if not fuperior marks of the fame kind in the gofpel, ought we not to make a like inference, and conclude, that this too is the work of God ? It has been obferved concerning the new philofophy of nature, [c] that one of its chief excellencies above all other fyftems, and one of the ftrongeft prefumptions of its truth, is the fimple and eafy manner in which.it accounts SERMON XIII. 233 accounts for every natural appearance, and its con- fonancy with experience. Chriftianity feems to pof- fefs the fame advantage over every other religion. It defcribes the ftate of the moral world, it accounts for that ftate, and propofes remedies for its diforders, in a manner more agreeable to what every man feels in himfelf and obferves in others, more confiftent with itfelf and the hiftory of part ages, than any other reli- gion that ever folicited the attention of mankind. Is it not from this highly probable, that this is the only true religion ? 3. The fuperior excellency of the gofpel woul^ have been a ftrong prefumption of its truth, whoever had been the firft author of it. How are v^^e ftruck with admiration, when we meet with any thing fimi- lar, or approaching to its fublime doctrines and pure precepts, in the writings of the ancient fages, or in the accounts that have been handed down to us of thofe celebrated men ? It is hence, I prefume, chiefly, that fome of them have got the name of divine, and been confidered as almoft infpired. But when we re- fled on the charader and condition of the real and ori- ginal author of our religion, and on thofe of the per- fons who aflifted him in pubHlhing it, this excellence rifes into a proper and convincing proof of its divine authority. Our Saviour and his apoflles were men deftitute of all the advantages of birth and education ; their ftation was obfcure, their profeffions were humble and laborious ; and by their own confeflion, as well as by the reproach of their adverfaries, they were unlearned and ignorant. Now, from whence could thefe men derive a fyftem of religious and moral truth. 234 SERMON XIII. truth, in which they penetrated beyond the moft pro- found, and foared above the moft fublime mafters of reafon in the moft enlightened ages and nations of the world ? It was not, we fee, from men. It could not be from the prince of darknefs, for Satan would never de- ftroy his own kingdom. It could therefore only be from heaven. It is proper to obferve concerning this laft circumftance, on which we lay fo much ftrefs, that it was by no means accidental. It appears from the new teftament itfelf, that it was intended, and that the wifdom of God made choice of very mean inftru- inents for pubhfhing the glorious plan of the gofpel, on purpofe to furnifh a ftriking proof of the heavenly origin of that difpenfation. We have this meafure in earthen vejfels^ fays the apoftle Paul, that the excellency cfthe power may be, (i. e. may appear) to be, of God and not ofus.^ * z Cor. iv. 7. NOTES ON THE PRECEDING SERMON. (a) Here fome readers will probably recolleia the illuftrious names of Erafmus, Grotius, and Pafchal, foreigners ; and thofe of Boyle, Locke, Newton, Addifon, and others, our own countrymen. (b) Tacitus is generally allowed to be the moft judicious and phi- lofophical of all the Roman hiftorians ; and his fentiments concerning religion may well be fuppofed to have been the common fentiments of the men of rank and education of his time. But this writer having mentiohed without the leaft difapprobation the Egyptian worfhip of brutes, notices, with furprize and indignation, the belief of the Jews in the unity and fpirituality of the divine nature. With refped to this latter peopIe^s worfhipping without images, and without fuch rites as were ufed in the feafts of Bacchus, he condemns the pradice as abfurd and mean. Vide Tacit. Hiftor. (c) Mr Paine, in his 4?^ of Rcafon, p. 23. aflerts that the works of creation are fufficient to lead men to all necefTary knowledge of God. But if the account of the religious notions of the heathen given in the preceding and following parts of this fermon, and the confeffion of the great Roman orator and philofopher quoted above, be attended to, the affertion juft mentioned will appear altogether without founda- tion. No reafoning a priori can can be admitted againfl plain fad, nor can we know the wants of unaflifted reafon, To well as thofe who laboured under them. SER- SERMON XIV. Mark vi. 6. Flrft claufe. And he ?narvelled hecaufe of their unbelief. [The fecond Sermon on this text.] TTHE fecond fource of argument on this fubjed is, the external evidences of Chriftianity. Thefe will fhew the marvellous nature of unbelief, if vi^e confider, I. That they are flrong in themfelves, and fuch as have ever been deemed fatisfadtory by mankind in ge- neral. The grand, original, external evidences of the gof- pel are miracles and prophecy. Thefe are the tv^ro forts of proof to which our Lord and his apoftles mofl commonly appeal. The works that I do^ bear wit- nefs of me^ that the father hath fent me* Search the fcriptures ; they are they which tejify of me A It is by thefe means chiefly we ftill endeavour to prove the truth of our religion, though, to flrengthen the argu- ment, * John V. 36. t Ver. 39. 238 SERMON XIV. ment, we fhall take into the account, not only the prophecies which our Lord accomplifhed, but alfo thofe which he himfelf and his apoftles delivered. Now with refpe£l to miracles : A miracle is a work in which the courfe of nature is either reverfed or fuf- pended. It cannot be efFefted but by the immediate in- terpofition, at leaft by the permiffion of God. It be- comes a proof of a divine miflion, when it is brought about at the will of a perfon by whom fuch a miflion is claimed. It derives its force principally from thefe confiderations, that it is a flrong mark of the favour of God towards fuch a perfon, and that we are abfo- lutely certain God caa never favour an impoflor. As it is a ftrong, fo it is a (hort and eafy proof of divine authority. Excellence of dodrineis peculiarly fuited to convince thofe whofe minds are improved with know- ledge, and accuftomed to reafoning; but to judge of miracles, fcarcely any other qualification is requir- ed, than the right ufe of our fenfes, and a competent Ihare of common experience. — Thus it is a fort of proof well adapted to the capacities of all mankind. As to prophecy : it may, with a view to the prefent cafe, be divided into that which is fulfilled, and that which is delivered. With regard to the former, if a perfon appear with all the marks of a divine inftrudor, foretold, and particularly defcribed, in writings of a very ancient date, it is impoffibie for us not to con- clude, that he is that very inftrudor. None but God can forefee and foretell all thofe marks ; when there- fore they are all found to meet in one perfon, 'tis as it were the voice of God faying to us, Arifey acknowledge him ; this is he. If SERMON XIV. 239 If that perfon alfo himfelf (hall poffefs the gift of prophecy, he will give a farther evidence of his di- vine million. This indeed is a dired inftance of infpi- ration ; it is a fpecies of miracle, being a communica- tion of the divine prefcience, as other miracles are communications of the divine power. It cannot in- deed, like other miracles, give immediate proof of the authority of him who exercifes it, as fome diftance of time muft intervene between the prediftion and its accomplifhment :. but it has one advantage above eve- ry other fort of miracle, and that is, its evidence is more extenfive and more lading. A miracle can be witnefled only by a certain number of perfons, and at one precife time ; but many whole generations may be eye-witnelfes to the accomplifhment of a prophecy. As thefe evidences of a divine revelation are very ftrong, fo they are perhaps the only external eviden- ces of which it is capable. We, at lead, can think of no other thing that could ferve the purpofe ; nor has any other thing that we know of been fuggefted by ' the writers on the fide of infidelity, and accordingly we find that thefe are the very evidences which man- kind have ever, and generally, expedted and admitted as fufficient. We may, 1 prefume, quote with pro- priety here, the old teftament in proof of mens opini- ons. Now it appears from Exodus, chap. iv. and vii. that it was miracles only, which the ancient Ifraelites and Egyptians required as a proper atteftation to the divine miflion of Mofes. It was thus too, that fome of the founders of the heathen fuperftition, and fome even of their legillators and philofophers, endeavour- ed to gain credit both to themfelves and to their infti- tutions J 240 SERMON XIV. tutions ; as might be eafily fhewn by inftances taken from the hiflory of the Romans, Greeks, and Perfians* It is well known too, that the heathen priefls in an- cient times endeavoured to acquire reputation to their feveral deities, by fetting up what they called oracles, and pretending to predidt events, and to declare fads, which otherwife could not be brought to light, Ma- homet himfelf informs us, that many of his country- men told him pofitively, that unlefs he wrought figns before them, they would not believe ; and it appears from the fame authority, that it took all the art of that great impollor to apologize for declining to gratify them on the occafion. Even feveral Pagan nations in the prefent times, and in different quarters of the woild, pretend to have recourfe to the fame means, and for the fame ends, to eftablifh the authority of their gods, and alfo, and in confequence, their own.— Thus then, men in different ages and quarters of the earth, and who could have no communication with one another, have generally agreed in confidering miracles and prophecy, as the proper evidences of a divine commiffion. But is not this a proof that fuch an opinion is founded in nature, and in reafon ? and therefore that thofe who oppofe it are chargeable with a degree of boldnefs, as well as of incredulity, truly marvellous ? But it is not more the ftrength of thefe evidences, fuppofmg them to exift, than their actual exiftence, which our unbelievers are difpofed to call in queftion. 1 proceed therefore to fhew, 2dly, The certainty of thofe evidences. Let us firft attend to prophecy. The old teftament contains SERMON XIV, 241 contains many predidions concerning an illuftrious and divinely-commiffioned perfon, commonly named the Mefliah or the anointed, who would rife among the Jews towards the period of the diifolution of their ftate ; all which we aflert were exadly accomplifh- ed in Jefus Chrift. I fliall mention only a few of thofe which appear to me to be the moft flriking. The Meffiah was foretold under the charaders of a prophet, of a pried, and of a king.* Accordingly, when Chrift appeared he affum-ed, and aded in all thefe charaders.f With regard to the time of the Meffiah's appearance, it was foretold, that he ihould come before the fceptre fhould depart from Judah, while the fecond temple was (landing ; and more particularly, about feventy weeks of years after the going forth of the command- ment of Artaxerxes to rebuild Jerufalem.| According- ly, Chrift was born towards the clofe of the reign of Herod, and a Httle before the Jews fell entirely under the dominion of the Romans ; the fecond temple ftill ftanding, and the above mentioned period of 70 weeks, or four hundred and ninety years, being nearly ac- complifhed. II With refped: to his defcent, and the circumftances of his birth, the Meffiah was to be of the houfe of David, born of a virgin, and in the town of Bethle- hem.* To thefe circumftances, which were peculi- arly appropriated, and fufficient almoft of themfelves to afcertain the illuftrious character under confidera- tion, perfedly correfponded the defcent and birth of S Jefus * Lcvit. xviii. 15. Pfal. ex. f John i. 9. Heb. v. 7. John xv-ii. 37' t Gqb, xlix. 10. Hag. ii. 9. Dan. ix. 24. ad fin. {j Matt. ii. I. 2o. * Ifaiah ix. 6. xi. 1. Micah v. 2. 24^ SERMON XIV, Jefus Chrift ; as is evident from the two genealogies, the one in Matth. i. the other Luke iii. extraded from the pubhc records of the Jews, and unqueflion- ed at the time of their publication. As to the condition, hfe, and adions of the Meffiah, it was foretold, II — that his appearance fhould be mean and contemptible, — that he Ihould proclaim the tid-' ings of peace between God and man, and fpread the knowledge of the true God among the Gentiles, — that he fhould perform miraculous cures on the blind, the deaf, the lame, and the dumb j that, however, he fhould be rejected and perfecuted by his countrymen ; that at laft he Ihould be cut off by a violent and igno- minious death, in which his hands and his feet fhould be pierced, and that he fhould fuller all with aftonifh- ing meeknefs.* How exadly all thefe things were accompiiihed in Chrift, I do not think it neceflary to fhew by particular quotations, as it mufl be obvious to every one in any meafure acquainted with the evan- gehcal hillory. It may not, however, be improper to remark, that there are two of the predictions laft re- ferred to, the completion of which both Jews and deifts muft acknowledge, though they fhould pay no regard to the accounts contained in the gofpels. The Jews, as a nation, continue to reject our Saviour to this day; and it has been folely owing to the preaching of the gofpel, that the whole of Europe, and confiderable portions of the other quarters of the world have thrown oft idolatry, and acknowledged the one true God. Ta i! Ifa. Ixi. I. z. xHx. 6. liii. i. alfo vir. 14. * Pfal. xxii. 16. Ifai- liii. 4—9. Dan. ix, a6. SERMON XIV. 24J To perceive the full force of this argument froni prophecy, it is neceflary to obferve, that there is fcarce a point in all antiquity fo clear, as that the old tefla- ment, which contains the prophecies which we have cited, was in the pofleffion of the Jews, feveral ages before the appearance of Chrift. It is of confequence alfo to note, that it is fufficiently evident, both from the manner of arguing of Chrift and his apoftles in the new teftament, and from the writings of the Jews themfelves, that the latter, in the period referred to, under flood thofe prophecies as pointing at a MelTiah : and if that infatuated people have, fmce that period, departed from the interpretation mentioned, it can eafily be accounted for, by fuppofmg it to be the only true one, and to have had its accofnplifliment in Chrift. Again, it has never been pretended by the Jews, bit- ter enemies as they have always been to Chriftianity, that thefe predictions have been in any manner cor- rupted by Chriftians. Laftly, it muft not be omit- ted, that it is in proof, from the moft unexceptionable authority, that about the time of our Saviour's appear- ance an expedlation prevailed all over the eaft, foun- ded upon books in the cuftody of the priefts, " that a *' perfon was foon to arife in Judea, who would give " law to the world.'' This fhews inconteftably the exiftence of the predictions of the ancient prophets, and alfo, that the time of their accompliflmient was confidered, both by the Jews and the nations around, as having then arrived. What then fliall v/e fay to thefe things? Does not the conclufion force itfelf upon us, Jefus is the Chrijl ? But there is another clafs of predidlions in which, S 2 our ^44 SERMON XIV. our Saviour is deeply concerned, and which perhaps may produce a dill flronger convidion than the above; 1 mean thofe which were delivered by himfelf and his apoftles. Some of them were to have their accom- plifhment, not many years after his death. Of thefe wefhall give a (liort fummary from thexxiv. chap, of Matthew and the xxi, of Luke. Judea, during our Lord's perfonal miniftry, enjoyed a profound peace, Jerufalem was in a flourifhing con- dition, and the temple, repaired and beautified by He- rod, ffood in unrivalled glory. Chrift foretold how- ever, that before that generation pafled away, this ftate of things would be entirely reverfed. That the pub- lic tranquillity would firff be (jilturbed by many falfe Chriffs, who fhould arife and deceive many. That dreadful wars would foon arife in Judea, and in all the countries around j that the world would be afflided v/ith earthquakes, peftilence and famine ; that his fol- lowers would be hated of all men, that they would be violently perfecuted, brought before kings and rulers, and many of them be put to death ; that however their numbers would increafe, and the gofpel be preached through all the nations in the neighbour- hood : that fearful fights and figns would be obferved in the heavens, as well as upon the earth and in the fea ; that then Jerufalem would be encompaffed with armies, (which he not obfcurely intimates would be Roman), that its defolation would foon after take place j that it would be trodden down of the Gentiles; that vaft numbers of its inhabitants would be flaugh- tered, and many of them led away captive ; and finally. SERMON XIV. 245 £nally, that the temple would be razed to its founda- tions. Of the exaQ accompliihment of thefe predidions we have an account in the writings of two hiftorians of undoubted credit ; the one a Jew=* who was an eye- witnefs of the greater part of the fads which he re- cords, and the other a Romanf who lived very near thofe times. The relation given by the former is fo particular, and fo perfedly correfpondent to what our Saviour foretold, that had he been a Chriftian, and intended to ferve the caufe of chriftianity, he could fcarcely have written in a different manner. Laftly, fome of the predidions delivered by our Saviour and his apoflles had a reference to later times, and reach even to our own : Such are thofe which foretell the diffolution of the Afiatic churches, which fhould negled their fpiritual privileges ;§ the propa- gation and eflablifhment of the pofpel, notwithftand- ing the mod violent endeavours to fupprefs it;|| the appearance and charader of antichrill ;+ the profa- nity, the mutual perfecutions, and even the infidelity, which would prevail among profelfed Chriftians in the latter days,t and the prefer vation of the Jews as a diftind people, notwithftaading their general difper- fion.* Of the accomplifhment of t efe prophecies we have the fatisfadory proof, either by the teftimony of our own fenfes, the .unanimous report of others, or the authentic and uncontradided records of former times. Concerning all, or moO: of the events thus predic- S3 ted *■ Jofeph. Bell. Jud. Lib. vii. f Tacit. Hiftor. Lv. c. 13, § Rey. chap. iii. iv. \\ Matth. xiii. 31, 32. — xvi. 19. t a Theff. 3. and ■Rev. xiii. and xvii. f a Tim. s.— a Pet. 3. * Rom. xi. aj, 26. 24^ SERMON XIV. ted by our Lord and his apoflles, it may be obferved, that they were fuch as human fagacity could not have forefeen, becaufe, according to the common rules of judging, they were exceedingly improbable ; and that they were neverthelefs foretold in a language, not hefitating or conjedural, but the mod confident and decifive. Nor is it unworthy of remark, that thefe predictions were exprefled with clearnefs, and en» tirely free from that obfcurity and equivocation, which ever attended the refponfes of the heathen oracles, and furniflied a defence to their priefts, when the events foretold did not anfwer the expedation of thofe who confulted them. Let me only add, that this clear, (landing, and invincible proof of divine in- fpiration, fo fully exhibited by our Lord and his apof- tles, was a fpecies of evidence which the wary impoftor Mahomet was careful never to attempt, though he called himfelf, by way of eminence, the prophet of God* He indeed pretended to foretell the figns of the future judgment, and of the end of the world ; but this was evidently in imitation of our Saviour, and thefe things were too diftant, to ferve as tefts of his own miffion. We come now, Ildly, To pi:.ove the truth of the miracles wrought in confirmation of the gofpel. This we fhall do by proving the truth of the evangelical hiftory, of which they form fo confiderable a part. I. It has been alledged with juftice, that this hiftory being received and acknowledged as true by Chriftians of every denomination, and having been fo for ages ; it ought to be held of fufEcient credit, till, what has never yet been done, feme pofitive evidence be pro- duced SERMON XIV* 247 duced on the other fide. But not to let the matter reft on this, we obferve, 2. That the gofpel hiftory exifted and was received as true, in that country and neigiibourhood, and not long after the time, where and when the events which it records are faid to have happened. It appears from intrinfic marks that three, at leaft, of its authors wrote before the deftrudion of Jerufalem, that is, between thirty and forty years after the afcenfion of our Savi- our. It is quoted and frequently alluded to by feve- ral Chriftian writers, who, on account of their great antiquity, and their having (fome of them) converfed with, and been inftrucled by the apoftles, have ever been honoured with the name of apoftoUc, It is re- markable, that the quotations made by thofe venera- ble men, as alfo by all the Chriftian authors of the iirft three centuries, fhew that the golpels were at that period precifely the fame with thofe which we ac- knowledge at prefent. The celebrated Eufebius, bilhop of Casfarea in Paleftine (the very fcene of our Saviour's perfonal miniftry) and who flourifhed with- in lefs than three hundred years after our Saviour's paflion, informs us that the four gofpels, fuch as we now have them, were received as genuine and infpired, in the country where he refided, and every where q\^q^ and that they had been fo from the time of the apoftle John. But had they been falfe, they could not have been fo received, as numbers of that generation mufl have known their falfehood, and of confequence have blafted their credit on their firft appearance. The circumftance on which we are inlifting will ap- pear in a ftronger light, if we confider that many of S 4 the 248 SERMON XIV. the events recorded in the gofpel were of the moft public nature, and that the chief of them are related with all the circumftances of time, and place, and wit- nefles. Some of our SaVicHir's miracles were per- formed in the flreets of populous cities, and generally in the prefence of a multitude. One of them was witnefled by four, and another by five thoufand men, befides women and children. His trial and condem- nation were national tranfadlicns, and his crucifixion happening at the time of the paflbver, was probably tranfadted in the prefence of about one million of peo- ple colledled from the different quarters of the world. || Of the ftar that conduced the wife men of the Eafl to Jerufalem, the preternatural eclipfe of the fun, and the earthquake which rent the rocks, at the cruci- fixion, not only the people of Judea, but thofe of the feveral countries around, muft have been witneffes if they really happened, and of confequence, if they had not happened, would have inftantly rejeded any pre- tended account of them. Perhaps we may reafon with dill greater force, from the accounts contained in fome of the epiftles. The gofpels were addreffed to mankind in general ; the epiftles were directed to particular focieties ; a circumftance which it is probable fubjedted them to a clofer and more minute examination. Now in the firft epiftle to the Corinthians, the apoftle Paul men- tions, as things well known, the miraculous powers that were poffefled by feveral among the Corinthians themfelves for the confirmation of the gofpel,* as alfo his I! At the lail: pafTover that was celebrated at Jerufalem, it appears from Jofephus I.7. c.17. there were about 1200^000 people prefent. * I Cor. xii. 9, 10. SERMON XIV. 249 his own powers of this kind, particularly the gift of tongues.f In the fame epiftle he affirms, that there were then alive, at leaft three hundred witneffes of the great and glorious miracle of the refurrection of Chrift, on which he ftakes the whole credit of the gof- pel.J In his epiftle to the Hebrews, he folemnly af- ferts, that the preaching of the apoftles among them, had been confirmed by miracles in great abundance and variety. § From the teftimony of the earlieft Chriftian writers, and unqueftioned tradition, it appears that thefe epif- tles were received as true, and even as of divine au- thority, by the churches to which they were addreifed; which would have been impoffible, had they contain- ed any grofs and notorious falfehoods. It ftrengthens the argument, when it is confidered, that the apoftle in thefe very writings reproves and threatens the Co- rinthians and Hebrews, in a tone which would have been highly imprudent in addrelling himfelf to people who he knew had it in their power to convict him of an impofture. It will poffibly be objected, that in almoft all that has been advanced on this part of the fubjed, we reft much on the teftimony of Chriftian writers, and on Chriftian tradition, and that this is to reft on the tef- timony of friends. In anfwer, let it be obferved, that this is a cafe which does not eaiily admit of teftimony of any other kind ; for the miracles of our Lord being proofs of his dodrines, we cannot well fuppofe a per- fon to believe the former, without alfo believing the lat- ter. Befides, feveral of the early Chriftian writers had been t Ch'ap.xiv. 18. J XV. 6.— J ii. 3, 4. tZ£0 SERMON XIV. been bred heathens and philofophers, that is, enemies to the gofpel, and at laft died for their adherence to the profeflion of it ; two circumftances which evi- dently give to their teftimony all the weight of which that fort of proof is capable. If however nothing lefs than the teftimony of actual enemies will fatisfy the unbehever, we can produce it. The gofpel, during the firft four centuries after its publication, was keenly attacked by feveral heathen authors of confiderable eminence. Now it appears, from the fragments of their works ftill preferved, that none of them denied the miracles of our Lord, but that, like thofe Jews in whofe prefence they were per- formed, they afcribed them to a wrong caufe, viz. the afliftance of evil fpirits.* The * It has indeed been pretended by fome, that this is a cafe in which no teftimony can be received. " It is by experience that I am to judge, both of the laws of nature, and of human teftimony. Experience tells me, that the laws of nature are never departed from, but it tells n^e that human teftimony is often falfe. The former therefore muft determine my affent againft the latter." In anfwer to this it may be obferved, firft, that if by experience the objedor means, the experi- ence of mankind in general, he plainly takes for granted the very thing in queftion. Secondly if, as is more likely, he means his own experience, what he alleges is allowed, but then he can reafon from it only to cafes exadly fimilar. In fuch cafes, a miracle would be a difplay of power, wanton, unnecefTary, and unworthy of God; and fo incredible, however feemingly fupported by teftimony. But hov/ <:an we reafon from this to the cafe of thofe to whom a religion claim- ing a divine origin was firft offered ? in this cafe, miracles were wife, proper, and worthy of God, and therefore, if fupported by teftimony, credible in a high degree. That very uniformity in the laws of na- ture, which fome have objedled to miracle?, does m faft conftitute their chief ftrength. Were thofe laWs often departed from, and did this happen fometimes in every man's experience, we would be apt to doubt whether there were any laws of nature at all, and of confe- SERMON XIV. 251 The miracles of our Saviour receive additional crct dibility, from feveral circumftances which are peculiar to them. They were plain and eafily judged of. The courfe of nature which they altered, was agreeable to the experience of the meaneft. To ftill a tempeft, or to raife the dead at once and by a fmgle word ; or to feed near ten thoufand people with a few loaves and, fifties, muft have been works evidently inconfiftent with the common laws of nature, in the eyes even of the moft rude and uninformed. They were many and various, and fo the more eafily expofed to detec- tion, had they been falfe. They were many of them performed before men who were exceedingly unfa- vourable to his views, and who therefore, it may be well fuppofed, would fpare no pains to dete6l and ex- pofehim, which however they never pretended to do. They were not mere a£ts of power, but had all of them an immediate tendency to alleviate the miferies of mankind, and thus were well fuited to the character of the God of love to whom they are afcribed. Laftly, they were wrought in atteftation of an excellent fyftem of dodrine. As to this particular, let it be obferved, that when we call in the dodrine to aid the proof by miracles, we do not, as has fometimes been objeded, fuppofe that dodrine to be already ftamped with di- vine authority, but only that it is not unworthy of being fo. Let me conclude this part of the fubject with re- marking, quence whether any particular work were a miracle. But thof,: laws being in general ftrictly obferved, and never fufpended nor departed from without juft caufe ; every fufpenfion of, or departure from them, roufes the attention of mankind, and, fliews the favour of God to- wards the perfon who performs them. 252 SERMON XIV. marking, that there are feveral things in the manner in which the narratives of the four gofpels are condud^ ed, which flrongly imprefs the candid and feeling mind with a fenfe of their truth. Their authors, though fo many, and though they wrote without communication with each other, yet perfectly agree in every point of importance ; which fhews that they copied from one original. Though earneftly defirous of being believ- ed, yet they ufe no fort of art to compafs that end. They fet forth the important fads which tbey record, without attempting to magnify or to embelHfli them. They contain no formal panegyric on our Lord, though fo excellent and wonderful a perfon. They are at no pains to conceal the difgraces which were caft upon him, and the fupreme contempt with which he was treated. Thefe circumftances befpeak minds confcious of recording the truth, and perfuaded that this truth, how much foever appearances were then againfl ic, would at lad prevail. Finally, they feem to be entirely indifferent to human applaufe. They candidly fet down their own groffell faults. They claim no honour to themfelves from their bed fer- vices and moil Ihining virtues, but refer all to the glo- ry of their mafter and of his heavenly father. To fum up the argument, the truth of that hiftory of which an account of our Saviour's miracles forms fo confider- able a part, is fupported by the teftimony, not of two or three, but of a great number of credible witneffes ; and a teftimony which fome of them fealed with their blood : by the teftimony, not of friends only, but even of enemies ; by its having been unqueftioned at tjie time it v/as publifhed, and when it was mofl eafy, if SERMON XIV. 253 if falfe, to overthrow it ; and laflly, by fuch internal marks as ftrike the candid mind with a force equal to that of any direct and formal proof whatfoever. If any perfon admit all this, and yet deny the wonder- ful works we have been confidering, he believes a greater miracle than any of thofe which he rejeds ; or, to ufe the ftrong language of our Saviour, he firains at a gnat^ andjwallows a cameL 3. The two particulars which we have juft endea- voured to illuftrate, are the only external evidences with which the gofpel was attended at its firft publi- cation ; but there is .another with which fucceeding ages have been favoured, and which we can (till plead with great confidence, 1 mean, the fpeedy and general propagation of that reHgion. It appears fufficiently from the book of the A6ls, and from feveral of the epiflles of the apoftles, that within a few years after our Saviour's afcenfion, the gofpel was planted, not only in Judea, but alfo in Syria, the lefier Afia, the ifland of Crete, Macedo- nia, Greece and Italy. We can produce inconteftable evidences from three heathen auihors of high reputa- tion, who all lived .within eighty years after our Savi- our's death ; one of them* tells us, that the Chriftians took their names from one Chrift, who was put to death by Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea, in the reign of Tiberius : that their increafe was checked for the prefent by the death of their founder, but that foon after, it became great and rapid : that they not only fpread throughout Judea, but even through Rome itfelf j and that in the reign of Nero vaft num- bers * Tacit. Annal. Lib. xv. c. 34* 254 SERMON XIV. bers of them were difcovered in that city — Another! of them amply confirms the lafl part of this teftimo- ny. — The third J, no lefs in dignity than governor of Bythinia, informs the emperor Trajan, that chriftianity had, notvvithflanding all his endeavours to prevent it, made fuch progrels in that large province, as almoft to overthrow the eflabliftied religion. In feveral of the countries mentioned ^above, as well as in fome other parts of the eaft, and even of Africa, chriftiani- ty, though much opprefled and corrupted, ftill exifts in fuch a degree, as to furnifh a ftriking teftimony to the fuccefsful labours of the apoftles and evangelifts. 1 (hall only add on this part of the fubje6l, the impor- tant and well-known fa6i:, that within little more than three hundred years after our Saviour's birth, chrifti- anity became the eftablifhed religion of the Roman empire. Thus fuccefsful was the gofpel, tho' deftitute of all external aid ! Chrift and his apoftles had neither rich- es, rank, power, nor eloquence to recommend them ; on the contrary, they were remarkable for poverty, meannefs, weaknefs, and want of learning, as is uni- verfally acknowledged. It was thus fuccefsful againft the moft violent oppo- fition. It was oppofed by the ftrongeft prejudices and inclinations of almoft all mankind. It was inconfift- ent with the continuance of the Jewifti law ; and di- redly condemned the idolatry, the polytheifm, and even much of the philofophy of the heathen. It was furely no eafy tafk to conquer all thefe. Prejudices of education are always difficult to be removed, and reli- gious t Sueton. in Nerone cup. i6. % Plin. Ix. epif. 97, 9^- SERMON XIV. 255 gious prejudices the mod difficult of any ; efpecially when ftrengthened by antiquity, univerfality, the ex- ample of men of rank, and the authority of the ftate. . The gofpel was at leaft as ftrongly oppofed by mens paffions as by their prejudices. Unlike the loofe fyf- tems of morality generally received both among Jews and Gentiles, which enervated the law of God, and connived at many criminal indulgences ; it required abftinence from every vice, however much endeared by nature and habit, — even from all appearance of evil ; and a conformity both in heart and life to what- ever was lovely and of good report ; to whatever deferv- ed the name of virtue, or was entitled to praife. So far from flattering the world, it condemned its man- ners, and infifted on an entire reformation, under the pain of the eternal difpleafure of heaven. It honeftly and loudly warned men againfl imagining that the cafe might be otherwife. He that cometb after me, faid our Saviour, muji deny himfelf and take up his crofs* Be not deceived^ faid his apoftles again and again, Ood is not mocked, Isfc, Farther^ both the civil and ecclefiaftical powers thought themfelves interefted to prevent its progrefs. The priefts, both jewilh and heathen, forefaw, that if it fhould prevail, their temples and akars would be deferted, and, what perhaps touched them more near- ly, that their craft and their influence would be ruin- ed. On the other hand, the civil magiftrates dreaded, from the iamecaufe, though without any reafon, the fubverfion of all order and good governnemt. The unhappy confequence of all this was, the moil violent perfecution, which repeatedly, and, at fhort intervals, deluged 2^6 SERMON XIV. deluged the church of God with blood, and threaten- ed for a while the utter extindion of the Chriftian name. For this information we are not indebted fole- ly to ecclefiaftic hiflory : every heathen author, who mentions the Chriftians of the early ages, mentions alfo the dreadful feverity with which they were treated. Laftly, while the gofpel was thus attacked by ex- ternal violence, wit and eloquence endeavoured to complete the conquefl of it, by ridicule, invedive, and mifreprefentation. It was every where fpoken againji ; it was mocked ; it was written againft.— Several heathen writers attacked it in large and for- mal treatifes, andfuch of them as notice it only cafu- ally, do it in terms of pecuhar bitternefs, branding it as an execrable and mifchievous fuperflition, and re- prefenting its votaries as the mod flagitious of man- kind. Thus infamy and death were the certain confe- quences of the profeilion of the gofpel. And every man who embraced, was bound by the rules of that religion itfelf to profefs it : no compliances with the reigning idolatry were allowed — what agreement hath the temple of the living God with idols ! Thus burned the bulli, but it was not confumed. Thus furioufly and on every hand was the church affaulted, but the gates of hell did not prevail againft it ! — So far was this from being the cafe, that oppofition feemed rather to tend to the fur- therance of the gofpel, and, as we have feen above, the lirft Chriftians, like the ancient Ifraelites, the more they were afflided, the more they multiplied and grew. This was a cafe altogether unparalleled. The fuccefs of any impoftor, however rapid and extenfive, obtained SERMON XIV. ^^y obtained by the fword, in a dark age, and in a bar- barous corner of the world, is in no fort to be com- pared with the fuccefs of a fet of men, who had every thing to contend with but truth, and that in an en- lightened age, and enlightened quarter of the earth. This great and rapid fuccefs of the gofpel, under every difadvantage, is a flrong proof of its divine ori- gin. Firft, as it was foretold by our Saviour and his apoftles, and is thus a proof of their infpiration. Se- condly, as its immediate caufe mufl have been, either that men had been fully convinced of its truth by a ftrid attention to the miracles, and other original evidences with which it was fupported ; or that their minds were favourably difpofed for the reception of it by the grace of God. The one or the other of thefe fuppofitfons we miifl' admit ;* (they are perfeftly confident, and mod probably were concurrent caufes) or we mufl: maintain the following pofitions, which well'deferve the name of marvellous: — That falfehood T can * The other caufes of the rapid progrefs of the gofpel, affigned by a late author of great name, may, I think, however infidious his intention v/as, be admitted without detriment to the interefts of our religion ; as they either coincide with, or are founded on one or other of the fuppofitions mentioned above, i. The great zeal of the firft Chriilians for the propagation of their faith, and for the over- throw of heathenifm, may moll: naturally, confidering the peril with which it was attended, be imputed to their full conviction of thfc truth of the former and the falfehood of the latter. %. The doarine of a future ftate, fo advantageoufly fet forth in the gofpel, forms part of the internal evidence of its truth. 3. The pure and aullere morals of the Chriftians were, in fome degree, an external evidence of the fame. 4. The miraculous powers afcribed to the church, tho' per- haps implicitly believed by many, would yet be carefully examined by fome; and ifrhey had generally been found falfe, would have at once blafted the whole credit of the gofpel. 5. The union and dif- cipline of the church, were proofs of the excellence, and even pre- fumptionsofthe divine origin, of its plan. 2^S SERMON XIV* can do more than truth, weaknefs than power, and fimpHcity than cunning : — That myriads, and among thefe fome of the firft rank and underftanding, em- braced and died for a religion the truth of which they never examined, a religion too which ran counter to ail their natural inclinations and acquired habits: — that the God of truth protected and encouraged an im- pofture : And finally, that an effed exifted without a caufe, nay, was produced by its contrary ! The mere defign of the apolfles to convert the world to chriftianity is, if we take into view their fituation and character, a ftrong prefumption of the divine au- thority of that religion. The projci^ was vaft, and they were fully aware that the execution of it would meet with the mod violent oppofition ; and that fo far as refpedls this life, it would be ruinous to themfelves : yet they undertook it, and perfevered in it c hearfully to the laft. This could only be owing to one or other of thefe caufes, to madnefs, enthufiafm, the hopes of future fame, or a conviction on good evidence that the gofpel was divine. That it was neither madnefs nor euthufiafm, is plain from the excellence of the reli- gion which they publifhed, and from the difficulty with which they themfelves were at iirft perfuaded of Its truth. That perfons of their humble flation fhould facrifice every prefent comfort, to fuch an airy unfubftantial confideration -^^ future and diftantfame^ is to the lall degree improbable : befides that it would imply a certain degree of prefcience or infpiration in this cafe. It remains then, that they were impelled by a deep conviction, founded upon full evidence, that the gofpel was from heaven, S ER. SERMON XV. Mark vi. 6. Firft claufe* And he marvelled becaufe of their unbelief. [The third Sermon on this text,] T Shall now, in the Hid and lafl place, endeavour to ihew you, that unbelief is jufi: matter of wonder, from the nature of its chief grounds, I mean the chief objedlions that have been raifed againft the gofpel. In all our enquiries after truth, it is a maxim gene- rally received, that if a thing be fupported by clear and pofitive proof, we ought to yield our affent to it, with whatever difficulties it may be attended. This, it is alfo agreed, we cannot even avoid, unlefs, from the influence of flrong prejudice, w^e abufe our own underftanding. Though therefore we fhould not be able to anfwer even one of the objedtions in queftion, yet as the pofitive evidences of our religion are clear and flrong, unbelief would flill be marvellous in fome degree. We propofe however fomething more, and T 3 Ihall 26o SERMON XV. fhall attempt to fhew you, that the objedions which have been thrown out againfl the gofpel, are either fri- volous, or falfe, or in fome meafure confirmations of the truth of thatreligion» I ft. Then, it has been objeded to the gofpel, that its pubHcation was late, and has ever been very limit- ed. " If it was of fuch importance and necefTity to *' mankind as its friends pretend, v^hy was it deferred *^ till about four thoufand years after there was occa- " fion for it ? Why, after it was publiflred, was it not " immediately made known to every nation under hea- " ven ? And why is more than one half of the world ^" flill ignorant of it ?" To this we anfwer, firfl, that it does not flate the matter fairly. No fooner had the gofpel become ne- cefTary, than one great effential part of it was inti- mated in a general way to our firfl parents, 1 mean the dodrine of a Mediator. The ufe of expiatory facrifi- ces, which obtained almofl univerfally, and from the moft remote antiquity, and which it is moft likely ori- ginated, not in human invention, but in divine infti- tution, makes it probable, that God revealed himfelf to mankind on the fubjedt of their redemption, in a manner much more full and clear, than that of the pro- mife to which we have juft alluded. It is certain from the Mofaic biflory, that intimations of this kind were repeated with increafmg light, during the times of the ancient patriarchs. Next came the law, the whole of which conftantly direded the faith and atten- tion of one people at leaft, to a future and better dif- penfation. Laftly, the latter prophets ferved flill more to inftrud mankind on the important fubjed, and SERMON XV. 261 and their writings were the dawn of that day which fhone forth with fo much fplendour in the gofpel. Farther, there are perhaps few nations in the world who have not had an offer of the gofpel at one time or other, and who, therefore, have not themfelves only to blame if they do not at prefent enjoy that bleffmg. Nor ought it to be forgotten here, that thofe who have never been favoured with fuch an advantage, will not have to account for it ; and will find it much more tolerable for them in the day of judgement, than will thofe who are now favoured with the gofpel, but defpife and abufe it. 1 go on to obferve, that the gofpel is a matter not of debt, but of grace, even the riches of grace ; and therefore, that however late or limited the publication of it, no juil objection can thence be drawn againfl its truth. Befides, God does not bellow other advantages equally. He does not give to all, the fame meafure of underflanding, health, firength, or riches. Many of the mod important difcoveries in the arts and fci- encesr^, V)nly of yefterday. Here half mankind per- haps ai^Tiot only entire ftrangers to the whole circle of thefe, but alfo to thofe profeffions on which depend in a great meafure the comfort and eafe of human life, and remain funk in ignorance, barbarity, and com- parative wretchednefs. Here then the conduct of God is confident, and exa£i:ly the fame with that which he obferves on fimilar occafions. Laftly, the time at which the gofpel was fully pub- li/hed was, in feveral refpects, the mod proper for the purpofe. It was peculiarly fitted for diffufing the T 3 knowledge 262 SERMON XV. knowledge of that great blelTing, as the world was then hulhed in profound peace, and the Roman em- pire had juft united all the moft civilized parts of it under one government, and one language. The ne- ceffity of a revelation was then become more fully evi- dent, than it had ever been before ; human reafoa had exhaufled its powers in fruitlefs fearches after God ; and the fenfe and defire of many began to point towards a divine infl:ru6lor. The world was now better prepared for it, by the long continuance of the previous difpenfation of the law : And, to name no more, it was the precife time which had been pointed out by the ancient prophets for its publication, and therefore is a flrong proof of its divine authority. I. It has been objected to thegofpel, that it makes no new difcovery of any importance. The anfwer to this we have in a great meafure anti- cipated, under the firfl head of difcourfe, where we fhewed you the great fuperiority of the gofpel to the religion of nature. I add a few remarks. — The difco- veries of our Saviour in religion, like fome of the mo- dern difcoveries in the arts and fciencesJ^jw that they are made, appear fo rational, eafy ana natural, that the inconfiderate are apt to think that almofl any perfon might have made them ; nay that, very likely^ they were made. This however is only a flrong proof of their excellence, and of the folly of thofe who pre- fume to undervalue them. Again, allowing that all the do6i:rines of the gofpel had been known and taught before, this would not have rendered a repub- lication of them from heaven unneceflary. The fame truths have a very different influence on the mind, according SERMON XV. 263 to the diiFerent degrees of authority, certamty and clearnefs, with which they were taught. In all thefe the inftrudors of the world, before the appearance of our Saviour, were exceedingly deficient. They were at be ft but fallible men. They had no other weight, than that which they derived from the opinion general- ly entertained of their wifdom and virtue. Some of the moft admired among them, delivered themfelves with fuch ftudied obfcurity, that it has ever been diffi- cult to know their real meaning. — Some of them profefled to carry their difciples no farther, than the regions of likeUhood and probability. — And fome of them even fet out v/ith maintaining this principle, " that there is nothing certain but this, that all things *' are uncertain." Of how Httleufe could fuch teach- ers be, even to the moft intelligent and attentive of their difciples ? To mankind in general, they could be of none at all. In fuch circumftances, how defirable, how neceffary a code of clear inftrudions, ftamped with the immediate authority of heaven ! 3. The myiteries of the gofpel have been objected to it. >i ' It has been alledged that myfteries can never make a part of a divine revelation, as they are unworthy of God, and ufelefs to mankind. From fimilar reafons, even fome of the profefled friends of our religion have denied that it contains any thing of this nature ; have given up its peculiar doctrines, and have confi- dered it as little more than a fyftem of morahty. That the notion of myfteries in general, in religion, is not abfurd nor unnatural, is evident from this cir- cumftance, that perhaps there never exifted a religion T 4 in 2^4 SERMON XV. in which they were not to be found. What were the Hieroglyphics of the Egyptian priefls, and the mythology of the Greeks and the Romans, but fo many myfteries ? Not to infift on the ceremonies and inftrudiions, to which favourite votaries only w^ere admitted, which were confidered as the moft facred part of religion among the two lafl mentioned nations, and to which the name of myftery was alraoft appro- priated. Were the myfteries of the gofpel however like thefe, that is, did they cover all the great doc- trines of religion with an almofl impenetrable veil ; did they confift in rites which were not fit to fee the light; or, did they contain any thing diredly contrary to the dictates of reafon, we would give them up at once as intlefenfible. But they are of a nature entirely dif- ferent. They are only certain dodrines and fadls, which we cannot fully underftand, but which are re- vealed to us in a general way, becaufe they are eifen- tial parts of the plan of our religion, and are in fome meafure fubfervient to the purpofe of our improve- ment in morals. Thefe myfteries are but few : the do£lrine of the tri- nity, that of the incarnation of the fon of God, and thofe of the aids of divine grace, of the refurrec- tion of the body, and of the change which muft take place on thofe who fhall be found alive at the laft day, compofe nearly the whole of them. The abfurdities and contradictions which have been charged on them are not to be found in them, as expreffed in fcripture, but only in the foolifh attempts of fome, minutely to explain them ; and as they are not many in number, they afford no jufl pretence for rejeCling the entire plan SERMON XV. 26^ plan of the gofpel, which in all other refpe£ls is fo clear and excellent. Again, there are myfleries to be found in the works, and even in the religion, of nature itfelf. The union of the foul and body, the influence which thefe have upon one another, the felf-exiftence of God, his cre- ating the world out of nothing, his perfe