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34.
SERMONS
O N
PRACTICAL SUBJECTS.
B y
ROBERT WALKER,
LATE ONE OF THE MINISTERS OF THE HIGH CHURCH OF EDINBURGH.
TO WHICH IS PREFIXED,
A CHARACTER of the AUTHOR, By HUGH BLAIR, D. D.
A NEW EDITION.
IN FOUR VOLUMES. VOL. IIL
LONDON:
Printed for T H O M A S KAY, No. 332, oppofite Somerfet Houfe, Strand ;
And W. C R E E C H, Edinburgh,
MDCCXCVI.
CONTENTS.
Page SERMON I.
I Thess. ii. 4.
But as we were allowed of God to he put
in trujl with the go/pel^ even fo we /peak ^ , ,
not as pleajifig men^ but God^ which trieth
our hearts^ - - - -^
SERMON II.
Acts xi. 23.
-And exhorted them all^ that with
purpofc of heart they would cleave unto
the Lordy - - - 29
SERMON III.
MiCAH vi. 3. 0 my people^ what have I done unto thee ? and ^wherein have I wearied thee ? Tef tify againfl me^ - - 54
SERMON IV. .
GalatiansvL 4. Let every man prove his own work^ 80
SERMON V.
James iv. 17. Therefore^ to him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not^ to him it is fin ^ 105
A 2 S E R-
CONTENTS.
SERMON VI.
Proverbs vi. 6, 7, 8. Go to the ant^ thou Jluggard ; confider her ways^ and be njuife : ivhich having no giiide^ overfeer^ or rider^ provideth her meat in the fummer^ and gathereth her food in the harvejl^ - - 127
SERMON VII.
James iv. 13, 14, 15. Go to now^ ye that fay^ To-day or to-mor- row we will go ittto fuch a city^ and cofitinue there a year^ and buy and felly and get gain. Whereas ye knonjo 7iot 'whatfball be on the morrow. For what is your life ? it is even a vapour that ap- pear eth for a little time^ and then vanifh" eth away. For that ye ought to fay^ If the Lord will^ wefloall live^ and do this or thaty - 1 - 149
SERMON VIII.
Exodus xx. 8. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy^ 1 70
SER-
e O N T EN T S. 5
Page.
SERMON IX.
Exodus xx. 8. Remember the Sabbath day^ to keep it holy^ 192
SERMON X.
2 Samuel vi. 20. Then David returned to blefs his houfehold^ 213
SERMON XI.
Matthew vi. 10.
'Thy^iingdom come^ - - 24©
SERMON XII. Psalm li. 18. Do good in thy good pleafure unto Zion : build thou the walls of Jerufalemy 263
SERMON XIII. 1 Corinthians iv. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another ? and what haji thou that thou didjl not receive? - - - 284
SERMON XIV. John x. ii.
lam the good Shepherd : the good Shepherd giveth his life for the fJnep^ - Ji^
S E R-
6 CONTENTS.
Pagi!. SERMON XV.
Hebrews xiii. 5. He hatbfaidy I will never leave thee nor forfake thce^ - - 332
SERMON XVI.
Galatians v. 24. And they that are Chrl/i's have crucified thejlejljy with the affeBions and lujis^ 357
SERMON XVII.
Psalm iv. 6, 7. There he many that fay ^ Who will fie w us any good t Lordy lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou haft put gladfiefs in my hearty more than in the time that their corn and their wine increafedy - - - 379
SERMON XVIII.
Hebrews ix. 28. Chrift was o?ice offered to bear the fins of many ; and unto them that look for him fhall he appear the fecond time^ without ftn^ unto falvation^ - - 406
S E R-
f par-^^"
^S,.E R M OUN : L ^.^, J
* ' ■• ^ - w'^K't"*"*'* •
I Thessalonians ii. 4. ^ ' !
But as wc "were allowed of God to be put in \
tnijl with the gofpel^ cve7t fo we /peak ^ not \
as plcaftfig men^ but God^ which trieth our ;i hoarts.
WHEN \ve compare ourfelves with the primitive Chriftians, we are obliged to confefs, that, in 'every refpefl, we fall, greatly fhort of their at- tainments. We feem to be creatures of a lower rank, incapable of reaching the fame degree of perfection with them: And in- deed it is to be fufpeded, that through a falfe and vicious modefty, we look upon thefe ancient worthies as examples which, though we ought to imitate, we can never hope to equal. Hence we reft fatisfied with any diftant refemblance we can attain, think- ing that if we^ are not altogether unlike
to
8 SERMON I.
to them, it is all that a modern Ghriftian can expedl.
This is a grofs and moft pernicious mif- take. The gate of heaven is no wider now than it was feventeen hundred years ago. The law of God extends as far as it did when the Apoftles lived ; and I know of no indulgence granted to us which did not exift in the earlieft times of Chriftianity. The church of Rome indeed hath taught, that fome eminent Chriftians have done more than was flridlly neceffary for their own falvation. But no fuch dodlrine is to be found in Scripture : Nay, on the con- trary, we are told, that when we have done all, we are ftill unprofitable fervants, and have done no more than what was our duty to do. To this day, therefore, we are bound to the fame ftridlnefs and purity, to the fame mortification and felf-denial, to the fame zeal and ftedfaftnefs, which diftinguifli- ed the primitive Chriftians ; and it is impoC- fible to devife any excufe for our degene- racy from their bright example. They were all men of like paffions with ourfelves: they had the fame corrupt nature to ftrive
againft.
SERMON I. 9
againft, the fame temptations to refift, the fame enemies to overcome. Their advan- tages for performing their duty were not greater than ours : on the contrary, befides all that they poffefTed, we have the benefit of their example and experience. God's hand is not fhortened, the blood of Chrift hath loft none of its virtue, his interceffion is no lefs prevalent, nor is the power of his Spirit in the leaft impaired by length of time or conftant exercife. " He is the fame " yefterday, to-day, and for ever :" So that we are entirely without excufe, if we do not 'both aim at, and adually attain the fame de- grees of holinefs and purity with any of thofe that have gone before us,
Let us thien confider all thofe perfons ce- lebrated in Scripture "hiftory, as examples which we not only ought to copy after, but may, through God's grace, hope to equal : and, inftead of being dazzled vnth. the luftre of their virtues, let us fearch into the prin- ciples which influenced then' condudl, that, by cherilhing thefe, we may be animated to go and do as they did.
The Apoftle mentions, in the text, one of Vol. IIL B diiUnguilhed
lo S E R M O N I.
diftinfruiflied efficacy, which I propofe tCf make the fubjed of this difcourfe ; — A fu- prcme defire to plcafe God, who trieth the heart, without regard either to the praife or cenflire of men. It was this which fup* ported him under the ignominious treat- ment he met with at PhiUppi, which he mentions in the fecond verfe of this chap- ter, and encouraged him to perfift in preach* ing that gofpel which he had received ia truft from God. It was this which ren- dered the firft Chriftians fuperior to adver- fity in all its frightful forms : and it is the fame divine principle, which, if once it got the entire pofTeffion of our hearts, would be a conftant fpring of holy obedience, and en- able us, by the blefling of God, to follovr the cloud of witneffes who have gone be- fore us, through the moft rugged paths of ■virtue, untainted with that meannefs and inconflancy of behaviour, which are the re- proach of fo many profeffing Chriftians in our days.
I propofe, therefore, through divine aC- fiftance, i/?, To open the nature and ex- tent of the divine principle mentioned in
my
SERMON I; It
itiy text ; idly^ To reprefent the happy ef- fedls which would flow from our being ani- mated with this fteady and prevailing defire. After whith I (hall conclude with a pradlical improvement of the iubje(ft.
I begin with opening the nature and ex- tent of the divinie principle mentioned in the text. Arid to prevent any miftakes on this head, it may be needful to obferve, that our making the approbation of God our principal aim does not exclude all regard to the opinion or judgement of our fellow-crea- tures. We are certainly bound by that great law of our religion, " Thou fhalt love thy " neighbour as thyfelf^" to make the pleafmg of our brethren, by every lawful means, an objedl of attention, and a fubordinate end of our condudl. And as our rieighbuor is commanded to love us as himfelf, both rea- fon and religion teach us to render ourfelves as amiable to him we as can, that fo we may facilitate his performance of that im- portant duty.
Neither, on the other hand, are we wholly
to difregard the cenliires of men, or be al-
B 2 together
12 SERMON 1.
together unconcerned, when our reputation is blackened by injurious cakimnies. " A " good name is better than precious oint- " ment." It is a fpec al bleffing which we are to receive w^ith thankfulnefs from the hand of God : and it is our duty to preferve it as carefully as we can. Without a good name, no man can be ufeful in the world. To negledl it therefore, where it does not proceed from a confcioufnefs of guilt, is certainly, in moft cafes, a very culpabk in- difference. Thus far, then, the judgement of men is to be regarded: but then we muft pleafe our brethren, only fo far as it is pleafing to God. In every cafe we muft ftate the matter thus : Whether is it wifer to obey God or man ? to fear thofe who, after they have killed the body, have no more that they can do ; or to fear him who^ after he hath killed, can dcftroy both foul and body in hell ? We muft not only con- temn the favour of men when compared with the approbation of God, but learn to value it among thofe tranficory things, which are only defirable as means for attaining a higher end.
la
SERMON I. 13
In like manner, the difpleafure of ncien, if unjaft, mud be reckoned among our light afflicbons, which are but for a moment. In fuch circumftances, it muft appear a fmall matter to us to be judged of man's judge- ment: " We have one that judgeth us, even ** God/* That prophecy of our Saviour muft be conftantly remembered, that the world v/ill hate us ; and his example muft be ever before our eyes, who condefcended to ht fcorned, and buffeted, and flandered as an impoftor and blafphemer ; who made himfelf of no reputation, but endured the crofs, and defpifed the (hame, leaving us an example that we fhould follow his fteps. In a word, God muft be pleafed by all means ; his approbation is the one thing needful : he is now our Witnefs, and will, ere long, be our Judge; and in thefe two characters we ought conftantly to fet him before us.
This is the temper which the Apoftle ex- prefTeth in the text.— I proceed now, in the
Second p\^.ce^ To reprefent the happy ef-
fedls which would flow from our being ani-
B 3 3?[iated
14 S E R M O N T.
mated with this fteady and prevailing delire of plealing God.
And, in the \ll place, This would make us ready to every good work, by removing all thofe grounds of helitation and fufpence, whereby double-minded people are per- plexed and retarded in their way. A man Tnuft be very flow in his motions, wherx every ftep is burdened wjth iuch queflions as thefe: What will men think or iay of me, if I a(5l in this manner? Will it en- danger my reputation, or hurt my intereft, or prevent my rifing in the world ? You will eafily fee that a conliderable time muft elapfe before all thefe diihcult points can be fettled. Whereas the man whofe fingle aim is to pleafe God, is at once freed from all thefe incumbrances. He no fooner dis- covers the will of God, than he proceeds immeciiately to adlon; and whilft the other is bewildered with numberlefs con- je£lures, he goes cheerfully forward, leaving all hi? temporal concerns in the hands of that God by whofe law he is governed, and to whofe difpofal he is entirely refigned. And is not thi$ an unfpeakable advantage,
towards
S E R M O N I. 15
towards abounding in the fruits of rigbre- oufnefs ? How free is the mind of fuch a man ? how firm are his fteps ? He walks ftralght forward, without deviatmg into by- paths ; ^nd whilft his confcience tells him that he is accepted of God, he enjoys a pure and unmixed tranquillity, which the w^orld can neither give nor take away.
A zd happy efFecfl that would flow from our being animated with a fleady and pre- Tailing defire of pleafing God, would be, that our condudl would thereby become confiftent and uniform. God alone is in- variable. What pleafed him yefterday, pleafeth him to-day as well ; and though his commandments are exceeding broad, yet they perfectly agree among themfeives, and make one beautiful and harmonious fyftem. Whereas men not only differ from one another, but, at times, from themfeives alfo, and require oppofite and contradictory things; which makes it abfolutely impoffible to pieafe any number of them at one time, or even to continue long in the favour of any one of them, without the moil dif- graceful inconfiilencies in our conduct.
B 4 Bui
i6 SERMON I.
But he whofe fingle aim is to pleafe God, in fome meafure refembles the Father- of lights, '^ with whom is no variablenefs, nei- ^' ther fliadow of turning." — " His path is " as the morning light, that fhineth more *^ and more unto the perfedl day.'* His .character is flill brightening ; he advan- ceth from one degree of grace to another ; and is every moment drawing near to the enjoyment of that God whofe approbation he conft^ntly fought.
In the 3^ place,. The divine principle men- tioned in my text, would .produce an univer- fal obedience to the laws of God, hecaufe jthey are but various ways of compaffing the impoftant end at which it aims.
The man who is truly animated with it, will, like David, have a " refped to alt ^' God*s commandments ;" and inflead of complaining that they are grievous, will ra- ther rejoice in being furnilhed with fuch a variety of opportunities for promoting the glory of his heavenly Father. This di- vine principle will have influence upon him in the moft fecret retirement, as well as when he ads in the open view of the world.
The
S E R M O N L t7
The hypocrite, who courts the approbation of men, may be very exadl and pundlual ia the outward exercifes of religion: but he who feeks to pleafe God, will not reft iix thefe. He knows that his Fath^i'r feeth hirti ill iecret ; he 'rejoiceth in trie thought of it, ^nd therefore omits no duty that bears the ftamp of his authority : Yea, his heart is as much engaged in the fevereft a(3:s of felf- denial, as in tbofe inftances of obedience wnich af e vaccompanied with the moft im- mediate pleafure and advantage. —And
this leads me to obferve, in the
/\.tb place, That a fincere delire of pleafing ^od, would Hkewife leffen the difficulties pf obedience, and fupport us under all the fufferings to which our duty may at any- time expofe us. — Perhaps our duty may be accompanied with much pain and trouble in the world: perhaps, like Paul, we may be fhamefully intreated, and, like the refl of the Apoftles, looked upon as the filth and ofFscouring of all things. But ftill the Chriflian reafons thus : * What are theft
* things to me ? Is it not better to pleafe
* God, than to indulge this corrupt flefh,
* 9r
iR SERMON I.
' or to feek the approbation of man, " whofe
; reath is in his noflrils ?" Should I
^ pleafe men, I could not be the fervant of
* Chnft. Thofe hardlhips and difficulties
* which I now fufFer, will fooa be at an . * end : and though my good things are not -* in this life, yet hereafter I ihall be com-
* forted in that flate, " where the wicked " ceafe from troubling, and the weary are " at reft/' ' Was I not forewarned by my
* bleffed Saviour, that the way to his king- ,f dom lay through many tribulations ; and
* {hall I now faint, becaufe I find it to be fo ? -* Where can I enjoy fo good an opportunity ^ of lliowing my regard to my Lord, as by / ferving him, now that I am brought to the
* teft ? He is now laying to me, as once
* he faid to Peter, " Loveil thou me, more *' than thefe ?" Awake then, O my foul,
* and anfwer with that Apoftle, " Thou " Lord, who knoweft all things, knowefl *' that I love thee ;' and 1 adore thy good* ^ nefs in granting me this opportunity of
* teftifying the llrength and fmcerity of my
* love, to thy glory and my unfpeakable
* comfort/ Such will be the leuumeuts of
th€
SERMON I. 1$
the man whofe fingle aim is to obtain the approbation of God. He will continue firm and unfliaken, amic^ft the greateft fufFer- ings ; whilft the hypocrite, hke the bafe multitude who followed Chrift only for the loaves, will be offended, and fall off, when
a day of trouble comes. 1 fhall only add,
in the
^th and laji place, That this divine prin- ciple will make a, man eafy and fatisfied, whatever be his outward condition in the world. He knows that his lot is appointed by God, and his only anxiety is to perform that part which hath been afTigned to him : being fully affured that God, who is no refpecfler of perfons, will gracioufly accept his fincere endeavours to pleafe him, whe- ther his Itation be high or low, whether his gircumftances be rich or poor. His only- concern is, that Chrifl may be magnified in his body. Like a determined traveller, he takes the road as he finds it, and makes no complaints, provided it lead him to the end of his journey.
Thefe are fome of the advantages which would flow from a fincere and Iteady defire
af
a© « E R M ON I.
of pleafing God, and him only But to fet
thefe advantages in k more ftriking light, let ^T6 a little examine the oppofite principle, and take a view of the man whofe great aim is to obtain the approbation of his fellow-crea- tures.— Confider then^
ly?, To what a drudgery he fubjedls him- felf, and what a flrange and inconfiftent part he muft act. He makes himfelf the iervant of every man, whofe cenfore he fears, or whofe praife he covets. He re- todnnceth his own will and reafon ; and to •whom ? 'Not to God, who requires nothing hut what is holy, juft, and good ; but to creatures like himfelf, ignorant, perverfe, and capricious. He who is refoived to pleafe /mdia, muft follow them through all their jarring inconfiftent humours. He muft undo to-morrow what he does to-day; he muft affume a different appearance in every company ; he muft be the ifervant of fer- vants, contemptible in the fight of God, and often defpifed by thofe very men whofe Lipprobation he courts. For it is to be ob- ferved, that refpecfl and efteein are fooner found by an honeft indifference about them,
than
SERMON t ^t
than by an anxious purfuit of tbem. They who are fatisfied with the approbation of their heavenly Father, who feeth them in fecrec, are for the moft part rewarded by bim openly, according to what the wife man faith, " When a man's ways pleafe the Lord, " he maketh even his enemies to be at peace « with him." Whereas it holds almoft univerfally true, that men lofe refped in proportion as they are obferved to court ic with anxiety, and fink thereby into greater contempt than otherwife they would have done. But,
2dljt Let us fuppofe that they obtain what they covet fo earneftly ; How trivial is the acquifition I " Verily," faith our Lord con- cerning men-pleafers, " they have their re- " ward." Ah ! poor reward ! to obtain the favou.r and friendftiip of dying men, inftead of the approbation of God, ^nd the tefti- mony of a good confcience ; to rememberp in hell, that they were well fpoken of on earth, and that the fentence of their Judge was the firft thing that undeceived their fellow-creatures as to their true eharac^len This is the whole amount of their gain, even
fuppofing
zz SERMON 1.
fuppofing that they fucceed in their purfuit. —But I mud now add, in the
3^ place, That this is only a fuppofition ; for fo great is the diiEculty of pleafing men, that, after all your pains, it is ten thoufand to one but you fhall fail in the attempt* The very number of thofe whom you would pleafe, renders it almofl: impoffible to fuc- ceed in it* We cannot at one time obferve all who obferve us, and expert to be pleafcd by us. We are like a perfon who has but a few pieces of money in his pocket, and a crowd of beggars about him. If, according to his beft judgement, he divides the whole among the moft needy, that he may pleafe God, he is fure of attaining his end. But if he attempts to manage fo as to pleafe them, he will be miferably difappointed. For though the few that fhared of his bounty, may poflibly be fatisfied with their propor- tion ; yet the reft, who got nothing, will re- vile, and perhaps curfe him, as penurious and unmerciful. Befides, the different par-^ ties and interfering interells of men, makes it impoffible to pleafe all. If, in any cafe you join with one party, the other, of courfi,
will
SERMON I. 23
will be offended : if you keep yourfelf dif- cngaged from either fide, you will probably incur the refentment of both : or, if you think to keep the good-will of both by trim- ming, making each believe that you are on their fide, befides the bafenefs of the prac- tice, which muft fet a man at irreconcileable variance with himfelf, you muft live in a perpetual fear of a difcovery ; and when you are deteded, both will hate you worfe than they do each other. — Nay, in the
4/^ place, Should you give up the idea of obtaining univerfal favour, and content yourfelves with pleafing a few; yet fuch is the mutability of mens tempers, that your fuccefs, even in this limited attempt, is very precarious. For how variable is the mind of man ? ever fliifting about, and al- ternately plcafed and difpleafed with the fame thing. When you have fpent the beft of your days in building upon this fand^ one blaft fhall throw down the laborious fabric in a moment. For difficvilt as it is to gain the favour of men, it is ftill more difficult to prefer ve it, or to regain it when it is loft. Serve them as fubmiffively as
you
24 S E R M O N I.
you can, yet fome crofs accident, fome fai- lure in gratifying their unreafonable ex- pe(5\'uions, may fuddenly turn all your ho-- nours into difgrace, and leave }ou to com- plain, as Cardinal Woliey did, * Had 1
* ferved God as faithfully as man, he would
* not thus have foriaken me in my old age.' Nay, the perverfenefs of many is fo great, that they requux contradidlions ere they will be pleafed. If John come fafting, they fay, " he hath a devil :" If Chrift come eat- ing and drinking, they fay, " Behold a man *' gluttonous and a wine-bibber, a friend of " publicans and fmners." If your judgement and practice be accommodated to, your fu- periors, fome will call you fupple and tern- porifing : if it be otherwife, you will per- haps be reproached as dif contented and fe- ditious.
Thus, you fee, that it is impoffible toi pleafe all men, or even any confiderable number of them at one time. Nor have we caufe to wonder at this, when wc confider, that our bleffed Saviour himielf, notwith- ftanding his perfeift innocence and wildom, was more reviled than any man. Can you
do
S E R M O N L ^s
do more to deferve the favour of men than Chrift did ? or can you exped to pleafe thoie who are difpleafed with God himfelf ? For is not God daily difpleaiing men in the courfe of his providence f and what is there that they quarrel with more bitterly than with his word ? In fine, how can we exped; to pleafe any number of our fellow-crea- tures, when we cannot even pleafe ourfelves conftantly ? And for the truth of this, I ap- peal to your own experience. You muft be lingular indeed, if you never fall out with y ourfelves ; I mean Angularly inattentive, (to give it no harlher name), for with the bed I am fure there is too often jufl caufe for it. If then we are not able to preferve our own efteem at all times, how can we exped to preferve the approbation of other men ?
And now what is your judgement upon the whole? Is not man-pleafing both a mean and fruitlefs attempt ? Is it wife to have for your aim a thing fo difquieting, and fo very precarious ? Is it not by far the wifer courfe to feek the approbation of God, rtwho trieth your hearts, whom you pleafe
Vol, IIL C moll
26 SERMON I.
moft efFeflually when yoa purfue your own beft intereft ? He is not variable in his affec- tions, Hkc men. Whom he loves, he loves unto the end. " Neither death, nor life, nor ♦' angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor *^ things prefent, nor things to come, nor ^' height, nor depth, nor any other creature, •^* Ihall be able to ieparate us from his love, " which is in Chrift Jefus our Lord."
Let me then addrefs you in the words of this fame Apoille on another occalion, *' Ye are bought wit i a price, be not ye the " ftrvants of men." Kemember what our Lord faid to bis difciples whije he was on earth ; " One is ) our Mailer, even Chrift." To him you owe all your homage : him only you are bound to pleafe. And is not his favour a fufficient portion I Did he fuf- fer, and bleed, and die, that your hearts might be his, and will you refufe him that which he hath fo dearly bought ? Where can you find a better Mafter, or one that you can be fo certain of pleafing, if you ap- ply yourfelves to it ? He requires no con- ' tradidlory or in pradicable fervices. He hatli kit you in no uncertainty about your
duty*
S E R M O N I. 27
duty. You need not fay, " Wherewith fliall *^ we come before the Lord ? He hath fhew- " ed thee, O man, what is good, and what ^' he requires of you," even in his writcea word, which he hath given to be, '^ a lamp " to your feet, and a Ught unto your pachs." He makes alfo the mofl gracious allowances for your infirmities. The willing mind is acceT^ted by him ; and although through weaknefs you fall {hort of your own good purpofes, yet he will fay to you as he did to David, when he purpofed to build him an houfe, " It was well that it was in thine •^ heart."
Who then would not apply himfelf to gain the approbation of iuch a Maiter ? This aim^ well eftablilhed, would be a conftant prin- ciple of holy obedience, and make us to a- bound in all thofe fruits of righteoufnefs, which are through Chrill to the praife and glory of God. Let this henceforth then be our fole ambition, to approve ourfelves to him, by whofe fentence our final condition mud be determined. And let it be our con- ftant requeft at the throne of grace, that God by his almighty Spirit may exalt our
C 2 ioulft
2$ S E R M O N T.
fouls above every mean and fordid view, and enable us always fo to fpeak and ad, " not *' as pleafing men, but God, who trieth. our ** hearts." — Then the peace of God, which pafTeth all underftanding, fhall keep our hearts and minds through Chrift Jefus : and amidft all the changing fcenes of life, we fhall have this for our rejoicing, even the teftimony of a good confcience, that in fimplicity and godly fmcerity, not with flefldy wifdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our con* ^erfetipn in the world*
SER-
29
SERMON IL
Acts xi. 23*
^-^And exhorted thtm all^ that with purpofe of hmrt they would cleave unto the Lord.
IT is not eafy ta conceive a more complete or amiable charadler than that whicli is given of Barnabas in the foUdwing veife : " He was a good man, and full of the Holy ** Ghoft, and of faich;" And as a good man, out of the good treafure of his heart, bringeth forth good things ; fo this faith tal minifler of Chrift, who had been fent by the church in Jeruialem to vifit the new converts at Antioch, having feen thofe real efFedts of the grace of God among them, of •which he had formerly heard the agreeable report, was filled with joy ; and, like a true- ^* fon of confolation/' which his name fig- hifies, he " exhorted them all, that wich ** purpafe o£ heart they would cleave unto
G 3 «* ibe
30 SERMON IL
" the Lord." — Mydefignlii difcourGng from thefe words is,
I/?, To explain the exhortation contained in them ; ^dl}\ To enforce it by fome mo- tives and arguments; and, ^dly^ To offer fome diredions which, through the bleffing of God, may be ufeful to thofe who are de« firous of complying with it.
I Begin with explaining the exhortation contained in the text. And,
ly?, It is obvious, that it fuppofeth thofe to whom it is direded to be already enter- edupon a religious courfe of life. Barna- bas addrefled his difcourfe to perfons virhcr were real converts to Chriftianity. It ap- pears from the 21ft and 2 2d verfes, that the tidings which had come to Jerufalem concerning them, exprefsly affirmed, that a ** great number had believed and turned " unto the Lord :" and Barnabas, foon after his arrival at Antioch, received full con- vidion that this report w^as true ; for he ** faw the grace of God, and was glad.'* The form of his exhortation- indeed I'uffi- ciently diltmguilhech the thaiader of thofe
to
SERMON IL' 31
to whom it was ad IreiTed ; for fuch as had never been jjined to rlie Lord could not, with any propriety, be exhorted to cleave or to adhere to him. And as this exhortation, when addreiTed to us, fuppofeth that we have already chofen the ways of God ; fo it implies alfo, that our choice is the fruit of mature and folid confideration. " This " purpofe of heart," with which we are to " cleave unto the Lord," is not a blind and obftinate bigotry, which pufheth men head- long in a way which they know not. Per- fons of this charadler may have a fair Ihow in the time of profperity : but when they are brought to the trial of adverfity, they will relinquifli againfl reafon what they be- gan without it ; and will turn as violent in oppofing religion, as ever they feeined zea- lous in promoting it. In the
id place. The exhortation in my text re- quires the habitual exercife of all the graces of the Chriftian life j the conftanc perform- ance of every commanded duty. It is not enough that we draw near to the Lord oa fome ftated occafions, or have fome tran- fient flaihes of devotion, like, the Ifraelite?; C4 of
j2 S E R M OH 11.
of old, concerning whom it is faid flio^ fea vi. 4.), that their goodnefs, Uke " the " morning cloud and early dew," appeared for a Httle, and then " vanifhed" away. We muft cleave to the Lord at all times 5 devo- tion muft be the prevaihng temper of pur minds ; and our habitual praclice muft cor- refpond to it. It muft be our fixed defign,. and fincere refolution, to keep all God's com- mandments, at all times^ and in all places and circumftances.
Some there are who lay down refolu- tions for the performance of eertain duties, with a defigned exception of others : Or perhaps they purpofe to perform all the branches of duty for a particular feafon, with a fecret referve, that when that time Ihall be elapfed, they will then return to their former eourfe of life. But all fuch re- folutions are an abomination to God, as be- ing hypocritical and infincere; and plainly fliow that the firft ftep in religion is not yet taken. For at the leaft, it is eflential to the charadler of a true Chriftian, that there be a fixed and peremptory defign to adhere to all duty, at all times^ Grievous failures
and
SERMON II. 35
and fins there may be, even where there ar^ luch honeft and upright purpofes ; but if thefe are wanting, our profeffion of religion
muil be altogether vain. In the
2,d place> The exhortation in my text requires that we make an open and honeft profeffion of our adherence to the Lord,— And I mention this, not only becaufe of the importance of the thing itfelf, but alfo on account of the fli^m^ful and pernicious failure even of fome good people in thi^ matter, Inftead of confefling Chrift boldly before meii^ they take as wide fteps as their confciences will allow them, to fpeak the language, and to aft the manners of -4 corrupt generation, from the dread of ap- pearing fingular, or of incurring the charge of oftentation or hypoerify. But this me- thod of concealing, or rather indeed of gi- ving away a part of our religion, to fecure the reputation of the reft^ is neither honeft nor wife. Honeft it cannot be ; for it. is juft as fraudulent to impofe upon men, by feeming worfe than we are, as by feeming better : And furely it is not wife ; for if we relolve to have the appearance of no more
religion
34 SERMON It.
religion than corrupt minds will allow id be fincere, I am afraid we muft give it up altogether, and preferve the opinion of our honefty, by appearing to have no religion at all. Hypocrify is a bad thing, not be- caufe it wears the form of religion, but be- caufe it wants the power of it ; and the way to avoid hypocrify, is not by doing lefs than the hypocrite, but by doirig more, and better. Our Saviour, who fpent whole nights in praLyerj cannot be fuppofed to condemn the Pharifees for praying long ; but for making their prayers a cloak to cover their covetoufnefs and oppreflion. He does not find fault with them for their outward beauty, but for their inward pollution and deformity. If holinefs be really within us, we have no occafion to dread any harm from its appearing outwardly. It will at length overcome the malice of the world, and prove its divine original, both by its native luftre, and its powerful influence up*
on thofe who behold it. Once more, in
the
/^th place, The exhortation in the text re* quires, that we perfevere in our adherence
to
SERMON n. ii
to the Lord to the end of our lives. It is not fufficicnt that we begin well, and con- tinue faithful for a while. We muft hold on our way, and wax ftronger and ftronger as we proceed. We muft not be wearied with the length of the way, but " lifting ** up the hands that hang down, and " ftrengthening the feeble knees," we muft ** run without wearying, and walk without* " fainting, preffing towards the mark, for *' the prize of the high calling of God in " Chrift Jefus." We muft not give up re-. ligious exercifes, either becaufe of the fre- quent repetition of felf-denying duties, or of the bodily decay which old age brings on, or of the increafing infirmities of the mind. We muft not give over our work in defpondency, becaufe of the flownefs of our progrefs, the fmallnefs of our fuccefs, or the number and ftrength of our enemies. — For all thefe difcouragements will foon be over, *' and in due time we ihall reap, if we " faint not, a glorious and everlafting re- *' ward." — Having thus explained the exhor- tation in my text, I proceed now, in the
35 S E R M O N 11.
"id place. To enforce it by fome motived and arguments. — — Gonfider then^
ly?. That the fame reafons which at firfl determined yo\j to choofe the ways of Godf are equally forcible for inciting you to per- fevere in them to the end. Upon what grounds did ye embrace your religion at firft? Why was it that ye ratified, when ye came to years, that profeflion into which ye were baptized? Was it becaufe of thd divine authority; upon which your religion refts? This reafon furely Hill holds, to make you adhere to it amidft the ftrongeft temptations; for divine authority is always to be obeyed, whatever difficulties lie in the ^ay ; nay, though the commands of the higheft powers on earth fhould interfere with it. Was it concern for your eternal falvation, and a convidlion that ^^ there is " no other name under heaven, given a-* " mong men, whereby you can be faved^ ** but the name of Chrift ?" and does not this reafon bind you as much to cleave to the Lord, as to come to him at firft \ " The " Lord is with you while ye be with him^ " and if ye feek him he will be found of you;
«^ but
SERMON ir. §y
n but If ye forfake him, he will forfake you.'* ^' He that endureth to the end," faith Chrift, ?' fliall be faved."— " But if any man draw " back, my foul fhall have no pleafure in. f* him." Nay, the cafe of apoftates is repre- fented every where in Scripture as incon- ceivably more dreadful than that of any other finners. Once more, did you enter upon a religious courfe of life, becaufe your confciences would not fivffer you to be at peace till you had done fo ? This reafon alfo binds you to perlevere as you have begun ; for the more faithfully you cleave to the Lord, the more ftedfaftly you refift temptation, the greater peace and tranquillity you will have in your owa minds. Nay, the obftacles which now make your progrefs difficult and painful, will gradually difappear, and at length you fhall find, that " wifuom's ways are ways of plea- ts fantnefs, and th^t all her paths are peace.'* In a word, whatever good reafon we had to fet out in the Chriftian courfe, the fame reafon will hold for our perfeverance in it* If we began it from bad or from worldly mo- tives, our religion is but an empty profeffion,
without
3? SERMON It
without any reality. In this cafe we are taot yet Chriilians ; and therefore the exhorta- tion in the text doth not belong to us
Coafider, in the
2^ place, That all the bribes which can be offered, in order to feduce you from your adherence to the Lord, are vain, pre-» carious, and unfatisfying. How often have jnen '' made fhipwreck of faith and of a *^ good confcience," for a mere ffiadow of expecflation which was never realized to them f But tiiough you fhould obtain all that this world can prefent to you, yet how bitter is that advantage which is purchafed at the expence of inward peace and tran- quillity ? Nay, how vain and precarious are the enjoyments of this world at the beft ? "Riches often make to themfelves wings *' and flee away ;" and then they leave the perfon much more unhappy than they found him, under the dominion of inflamed appetites, without the proper objecfls to fa- tisfy them. The joy of the wicked is like the " crackling of thorns under a pot j'* vain whilft it lafl:s, and foon at an end. Ba^- l^am loved the reward of unrighteoufnefs,
and
S E R M O N II. 39
^nd he obtained it ; but what did he reap from it at lait ? he returned to his own country loaded with riches, but all his en- joyments were embittered by *' an evil con- " fcience," and he himfelf was foon after brought to an vintimely end by the vic- torious arms of the Ifraelites. So deceitful are the offers with which this world would feduce you from your adherence to the Lord. But in cleaving to the Lord, you can never be difappointed in your expedla- tions ; for he hath faid, " I will never leave
*' thee nor forfake thee." Confider, in the
3^ place, What obligations you lie under %o this Lord to whom you are exhorted in the text, to " cleave with purpofe of heart/* He it was that befriended you in your greateft neceffity, and that brought falva^ tion with his own arm, when there was no other eye to pity you, nor any other hand that covild help you. Think on the great- nefs of the love of Chrifl, and on the coftly proofs he gave of it, in condefcending to become a man, and " a man of forrows," and at laft to die under the bittereft agonies, for the redemption of your fouls 5 and then
let
40 SERMON n.
let gratitude fuggefl to you what rcturnfe Hiay reafonably be expedled from creatures fo infiaitely indebted to him as you have been. Did the Lord Jefus, without any importunity from us^ and even contrary to our defires, perfift in his gracious defign of faving us, till he could fay upon the crofe^ <* It is finiihed ?" and fhall not we perfevere with ftedfaftnefs in our duty and allegiance to hiiii ? Surely, if his heart clave to us^ when we had nothing to merit or invite his Jove, much more fliould our hearts cleave to Him, who is not only infinitely amiable in hinifelf, but, which is ftill more interefting,
infinitely kind and gracious to us. ^^Oncc
more, in the
^h place, Confider that this duty, al- though difficult, is by no means impradli- cable, Thoufands of our brethren, all men of like paffions with ourfelves, have perfe- vered to the end in cleaving to the Lord, and are now enjoying the glorious reward of their ftedfaft adherence to him. All ne- ceflTary aid is provided for you, and ready to be conveyed to you as often as you {hall afli it. For ** God is faithful, who will not
« fuffer
4.i
^* fiifler you lo be tempted above what ye " are able to bear, but will with the tempta- " tion alfo D^iake a Way to efcape, that ye may " be able tc bear it." Indeed, had you no other llren^^ch but your own, to exhort you to " cleave unto the Lord," would only be to moci/ your mifery. But help is laid for yon on One who is mighty, and is no lefs willing than powerful to fupport you under all your trials. He. can perfect ftrength ijr; your weaknefs ; and whilft you are ftretcjiing forth your feeble arms to embrace him, he will inclofe you in the arms of \,^s Omnipotence, and work in you effeiluall;?' '^ both to will and to do of his " good I leafure."
Having thus explained the exhortation iu the text, and endeavoured to enforce it by fome mr,tives and arguments, I proceed now, as was propofed, in the
Tbin \ place. To offer fome diredllons, ►which, . irough the bleffing of God, may be ufefuJto thofe who are deiirous of com- plying with this exhortation. — And, in the
iji place. Labour to have your minds as Vol. IIL D richly
42 SERMON in
richly furniftied as poffible wl^h true Chri-^ ftian knowledge. Study the ' nature andf the re'afons of the religion v>^hi^.h you pro- fefs, rhat you may be able to cc'nfute gain- fayers, or at leaft to withftand th dr attempts- to feduce and pervert you. Knowledge niuft lie at the root of our ftedfaftnefs ; orherwife, let the caufe in which we arc engaged be ever fo good, our adherence to it is nothing elfe than obftinacy cf temper ; which can neither pleafe God, nor bring- any real advantage to ourfelves. In fuch a- cafe, it a man is^ in the right, it is merely by accident : he might as readily have been in the wrong ; and it is very poffible, nay extremely likely, that fome new " wind of " docSrine" may feduce him, and that he may become as violent in his enmity to the gofpel, as he was once warm in fupporting it. It is true, indeed, there may be a great deal of found knowledge in the head, where there is no real grace in the heart \ A fo- reigner may learn to fpeak the lan^^uage of Zion fo well, that it Will be difficult to di- flinguifh him from~ one who is " an Ifraelite '^ indeed." But, on the other hand, it is
abfolutcly
S E R M O N It. 43
ubfolutely certain, chat grace cannot confifl -with gtofs ignorance : For the firft operation of the Spirit of God is to open mens eyes, and to tnrn them from darknefs unto light : Confequently, where there is no hght, it muft be concluded that there is no grace. Some exceptions there may be ; and there have been examples of perfons, in whofe temper and practice the lineaments of the New Creature could plainly be difcefned, who, by reafon of their natural dulnefs, were incapable of acquiring any diftmdt knowledge of the principles of religion^ or at lead of exprefTmg what they knew to the fatisfa(5lion of others. This rule of jud- ging muft not therefore be extended to thofe whofe underftandirigs are vifibly weak, and tinapt to receive or to retain inftruclion ; for out of the mouths of fuch babes and fuck- lings, God may, and often doth, perfedl his praifci But when men are quick enough to learn other things^ and yet remain igno- rant of the great truths' of Ghriftianity ; when they difcover no anxiety, nor ufe any proper endeavours, to acquire the know- ledge of them i this voluntary ignorance, D 2 whatever
44 SERMON m
whatever they may pretend, is a plain proof of an unconverted ftate. Let none who ac- knowledge and lament their ignorance, and who ufe the means to have i-t removed, be difcouraged at what I have now faid ; for they are not the perfons concerning whom I fpeak. But if I could meditate a reproof of more than ordinary fharpnefs, I would addrefs it to thofe who, amidft Bibles and Sermons, and other excellent helps for their fpiritual improvement, rem.ain ftupidly ig- norant of the mofl elTential points of Chri- ftianity, without any Ihame and concern. And, alas ! what numbers of this defcription are to be found among us I How many claim the peculiar privileges of Chriilians, who know little more of Chriflianity than the name ? Nay, is it not to be feared, that many who partake of the holy facrament of the Lord's Supper, are fo grofsly ignorant of the nature of that ordinance, that, with refpedl to them, the communion-table itfelf may bear the fame infcription which Paul found upon the altar at Athens, " To the " unknov/n God." This, my brethren, yields vis a very melancholy profped: for
furely
SERMON 11. 45
iurely they are not likely to prove ftedfaft Chriftians, who know fo little of Chrifti- anity, that it is. hard to find out upon what grounds they are Chriftians at all. I would therefore recommend it to you, with the greateft earneftnefs, to ftudy the principles of that religion which you profefs. Spare no pains that may be neceffary to get a thorough acquaintance with them, and then you will be in lefs danger of forfaking them when an hour of trial comes. " They that " know their God," faid the angel to Da- niel, " Ihall be ftrong and do exploits." ^' For under ftanding fhall keep thee," faith Solomon, " to deliver thee from the way of " the evil man, from the man that fpeaketh " froward things, who leave the paths of " uprightnefs, to walk in the ways of dark- '' nefs." But,
'2,dly^ Belides the fpeculative knowledge of divine truths, yau muft alfo labour to acquire an inward experience and relifh of them. Did we truly feel their influence upon our own hearts, it would ferve in place of a thoufand arguments to prove their divine original. He would be a cunning D § fophifter
46 SERMON n.
fophifter. indeed, who could perfuade a mam that honey was bitter, whilft he tailed the fweetnefs of it in his mouth. It is an exper rimental convid^ion of the truth of the go- fpel, which fortifies the true Chriftian againfl all the arts of feducers. He hath a witnefs within himfelf, and can bring a proof from his own heart, both of the truth and excel- lence of the religion which he profefTeth, It 'was a ftubborn queftion which Athana- jfius put to the heathens of his time, who denied the refurreflion of Chrift. '. If Chrifl: ' be not alive,' faid he, f how doth he yet f deftroy your idols, an4 caft out devils, and
* convert and fubdue the world to himfelf? ^ Are thefe the works of a dead man ?' In like manner can the fapclified foul fay, ^ Have I felt Chrifl opening my blind eyes, ' binding the (Irong man, and calling him ^ out ? Have I felt him itamping his image
* upon my fo\il, and bringing me with ^ boldnefs into the prefence of that God
* whom 1 had offended ? And after this,
* lliall 1 doubt whether there be a Chrift, ^ or whether this Chrift be able to fave me ?' Thu3 can the true behever, who hath felt
the
SERMON XL 47
the power of Chrlftianity, bring unanfwer- able arguments for its truth from his own experience: Arguments which neither the temptations of Satan, nor the cavils of wic- ked men, will be able to overthrow.
3^/v, If you would cleave with ftedfaft- nefs unto the Lord, attend conftantly to the inward frame and temper of your hearts. Make conscience of watching over your mod fecret thoughts. Suffer them not to wan- der without controul, or to fpend their ftrength upon things which cannot profit you ; otherwife you will open a wide door to the enemy, and even furnifh him with weapons which he will not fail to improve againll you. I am afraid the importance of this direction is too little confidered by the generality of Chriftians. We commonly think ourfelves fecure when out of the way of external temptations, and fufFer our minds to roam at large wherever fancy prefents an amufing objedl. Whereas we ought to con- lider, that whatever inflames our paffions, or gives them an improper diredion, is equally hurtful to the foul, whether the raufe be real or imaginary. Nay, I am pejr- D 4 fuaded.
4» S E R M 0 K 11.
fnaded, that the tempter doth often make greater hayock in our hearts, by mlnghng his poifon with the fuggeftions of our own minds, than by all his other methods of temptation. If we would keep our hearts indeed, we muft watch their motions as carefully when we are alone, as when wq are abroad, and in the midft of danger. The prefence of God fhould eonftantly over- awe our mod fecret thoughts, and have equal influence on us in our retirement, as ■when w^e acfl in the open view of the world.
. A
Ath direcflion I {hall give you in the worda of the Apoftle Paul, [Rom. xi. 20.) " Be ^' not high- minded, but fear." Remember what our bleffed Lord fald to his difciples, ^' Without me ye can do nothing," No- thing is more ofFenlive to God than pride. When our hearts begin to fwell with a high opinion of our own ftrength, he is provoked to with-hold his grace from vis ; becaufe all that is poured into the proud foul runs over in felf-applaufe, and fo is like water fpilt on a rock, with refpedt to any good that it doth to a man himfelf, or any glory which
it
SERMON ir. 45
it brings to God. The proud Iieart, like the towering cHfF, is never fraitful. If wc would in due time be exalted, we muft firft humble oarfelves under the mighty hand of God This is the way to obtain frefti fup- plies of his fupporting grace, " Happy is " the man," faith Solomon, " who feareth ^* always." A holy diiEdence of ourfelves is the true temper of a Chriltian, and will both ferve to keep us out of the way of temptation, and teach vis to ail with the caution of men who perceive their danger, and are caretul to (liun it,
^thly^ Avoid, as much as poffible, the fel- lowfhip of wicked men. This is aji advice which I am inclined to repeat as often as I can find occalion for it ; and indeed it is fcarcely poiuble to infill upon it as much as its importance deferves. A man who is carelefs of his company, difregards his own foul. If therefore you would cleave unto the Lord, imitate the holy Pfalmift, and give charge to evil-doers to depart from you. Let the faints, the excellent ones of the earth, be the men of your counfel. We ftand much in need of all the aiTiftance which
we
^ S E R M O N IL
^e can derive from our fellow Chriftkns : ^* Wo to him that is alone when he falleth," faith the wife man, " for he hath not an- *' other to help him up/* Whereas, when -Chriflians join together in holy commu- •nion, like trees planted in a thicket, they fhelter and defend one another. They have fooldnefs to face their adverfaries, as well as strength to baffle their attempts to feduce ihem. " Let us then exhort one another '" daily, left any of us be hardened through ^ the deceittulnefs of fin." Like brethren, let us dwell together in love and unity, ha- tting all our fpiritual goods in common, be- ing " ready to diftribute, willing to commu- ^'' nicate," according to the meafure of gifts and graces which it hath pleafed our hea- jyenly Father to beftow on us. — In the
6/^ and Iq/i place, If we would obey the exhortation in the text, we muft beware of negledling the inftrumental duties of reli- gion. Let us carefully read the Holy Scrip- tures, which God, in mercy, hath given us to be a " lamp to our feet, and a light unto 5^ our path." — " The law of the Lord is per- f* fed, converting the foul: the teftimony
"of
SERMON ir. sn
f* of the Lord is fure, making wife the fim-
f« pie," To reading you muft join the
hearing of the word preached ; that power- ful ordinance which God hath fo remark- ably countenanced in all ages of the churchy and made effedual by his bleffing, both for the converfion of finners, and for the efta- blifliment of his own people. Under thi« head I would particularly recommend to you a devout attendance upon the holy fa- crament of the Lord's Supper, which is fo peculiarly calculated to ftrengthen our faith, and to build us up in holinefs and comfort, i;into eternal life. This hjth been found, in the experience of a:ll the faints, to be a moft bleffed inftitution, which hath in every age enabled men to hold on their way with alacrity and joy, and in every fituation hath aflifted them to renew their ftrength. To all this we muft add conftant and fervent prayer to God. By this we maintain correfpondence with the " Father ^' of lights, from whom cometh down every " good and perfedl gift.'* Prayer is the meffenger which he hath appointed for conveying to ue help in every time of need.
He
g% SERMON II.
He hath promifed his Spirit to them who afk it. Let us '^ aik and receive, that our " joy may be fall."
Thus, my brethren, I have fuggefted to you a few plain direcftions which, through the bleffing of God, may be of ufe to affift you in maintaining that firm adherence to the Lord, which my text recommends. All that now remains is, that I intreat you to reduce them to prac5lice. And what motive can I reprefent to you fo powerful as the confideration, that " to them who, by a ** patient continuance in well-doing, feek ^' for glory, honour, and immortality, God '^' will render eternal life." " To him that ^' overcometh," faith Chrifl, " will I grant to *^' fit down with me on my throne, even as ^^ 1 alfo overcame, and am fet down with " my Father on his throne." The time draweth near, when you fhall be placed be- yond the reach of temptation, when your warfare fhall be accomplillied, and your flrugglcs at an end ; and who would not fuftain a fhort, though it were a fliarp, con- flict, that he might obtain a triumphant ¥i^ory ? Some of us perhaps have but a
fe^T
SERMON rr. SB
few more efforts to make, and a few more affaults to fuftain, before Chrifl fliall call us home to receive the enriching reward, — a reward not of debt but of grace ; even that: exceeding and eternal weight of glory, with which our light and momentary afflicflions are not worthy to be compared. Let us all then be perfuaded, " with purpofe of heart " to cleave unto the Lord." Let us count all things but lofs, that we may win .Chrift^ and be found in him, not having our own righteoufnefs, but that everlafting righte- oufnefs which he hath prepared for them who " cleave to him." Let us go from this place, faying as Peter did, only with more humility, " Though all men fliould forfake " thee, yet will not we." And " now unto " him that is able to keep you fronfi falling, " and to prefent you faultlefs before the pre- " fence of his glory with exceeding joy : " To the only wife God our Saviour, be " glory and majefty, dominion and power^ " borh now and ever." ji772en,
SER.
54
SERMON Hi.
MicAH vi. 3.
0 my people^ what have I done unto thee ? and wherein have I wearied thee ? Te^ify aga'tnjl
IT is impoflible to predidl what impreffion the fame truth will make upon the dif- ferent minds of men. That word, which will pierce one man, to the " dividing afun- *' der of the foul and fpirit," may have no edge at all when addreffed to another. But, were I to judge from my own feelings, I fhould think, that all the terrors of God could not more effedlually overawe the heart of a finner, than the paffage of Scripture which I have now read. It ftrikes my ear like the lad found of God's mercy. Doth the Almighty command and threaten ? I fear and tremble : yet I have ftill fome e^pedla-* tion, that his compaffion may interpofe in
my
S £ R M O N III. SS
my behalf. — But, doth he put off his ter- rible Majefty, and, inftead of vindicating the authority, condefcend to plead the rea- Ibnablenefs of his law I then I am fure that his forbearance is almoft exhaufted, and that xny day of grace is drawing near to an end.. For as he neither wants power to punilh, nor provocation to juftify the punilhment Jhe might infiid, his delign in (looping fo low, can only be to render my condemna- tion confillent with the utmoft extent of his
niercy. In the words of the text, the
Supreme Lord of heaven and earth appeals to linners themfelves, for the mildnefs and equity of his government ; and challengeth them to produce one inftance of undue fe« Verity towards them, or the lead fliadow of excufe for their undutiful behaviour to- wards him. " O my people, what have I " done unto thee ? and wherein have I wea« ** ried thee I Teftify againft me." And doth the infinitely wife God^. condefcend to be tried at the bar of human reafon ? Can it then be fuppofed, that his caufe is dc^ubt- ful, or chat he runs the leaft hazard of be- ing call in judgement I Have we not reafon
to
56 SERMON lil.
to conclude, that the evidence of his good- nefs mufl be clear and irreliftible, when he offers it to trial before the mod partial tri- bunal, and fubmits his vindication to thofe very perfons who cannot juflify him with- out condemning themfelves ?
But as finners are naturally difpofed to jliun the light, and to turn away their eyes from every thing that hath a tendency to humble and abafe them ; it may be of ufe to bring this caufe to a fair and open trial : Which, through divine afliftance, I propofe to do^
ly?, By giving you a diredl proof of the goodnefs of God, and of his tender concern for the welfare of his creatures.
Q.dly^ By examining fome of the moft plaufible objections which are urged againli the mildnefs and equity of the divine admi- niftration.
I will then conclude with a pradlical xm« provement of the fubjecl.
I BEGIN with giving you a ditedl proof •f the goodnefs of God, and of his tender
concern
SERMON III. 57
Concern for the welfare of his creatures. This appears, in the
ly? place, From the unwearied patience which he exercifeth towards tranfgreffors. How eafily could he arreft them in the midft of their mad career, and hurry them to judgement with all their provocations on their heads ? Might not God have feized thee, O {inner, in the very ad of fin, with a curfe or a lie in thy mouth, and have Hopped that breath with which thou waft infulting his name and his laws ? How often might he have fummoned thee to his dread tribunal in a fit of drunkennefs ; and made thee fober in that place of torment where there is not a drop of water to cool the thirfty tongue? Ah, how eafy a matter is it for the Almighty to bring down the proudeft of his foes ? to filence the profane injurious railer ? to bind the hands of the opprelTors, and to make them know that they are but worms ? We read of one an- gel deftroying in one night, an hundred and fourfcore and five thoufand Aflyrians : and myriads of angels ftand continually before his throne ready to execute what-
Vol. III. E ever
58 SERMON III.
ever he commands. He is the Lord of Hofts, " who doth according to his will in •' the army of heaven, and among the in- " habitants of the earth." — How eafily can he throw thee into a bed of languifhing ? and wafte thy ftrength under fuch a pining ficknefs, or racking pain, as to make thee cry for mercy to him whom thou blaf- phemeft, and even beg the prayers of thofe
whom thou waft wont to fcorn ? But
God hath as yet done none of thefe things. By his merciful vilitation, he preferves thee in the land of the living, and in the land of hope. He fupplies all thy wants, and loads thee with uncealing benefits. He gave thee that breath which thou haft breathed out againft him, and every moment of that time w^hich thou haft fquandered away in idlenefs, fenfuality, and the works of the flelh. Why doth he yet wait to be graci- ous^ if he were not tenderly felicitous for thy welfare ? Surely his fparing mercy muft be intended to bring thee back to himielf : He reflrains his wrath, that his goodnefs, like coals of fire, may melt down thine im- penitence, and thy hardnefs of heart : " The
** Lord
SERMON III. 59
" Lord is not flack concerning his promife, " (as fome men count flacknefs,) but is " long-fulTering to us-ward, not willing that " any fliould perifli, but that all fhould come " to repentance." But,
^dly. The gdodnefs of God, and his tender concern for the welfare of his creatures, is ftill more illuftrioufly difplayed in the fuf- ferings and death of our Lord Jefus Chrift, whom God fent into the world for this very end, " that whofoever believeth on him, " might not perifli, but have everlafl:ing life." There we fee a proof, the mofl: ftrong and convincing that God himfelf could give, of his having " no pleafure in the death of " the wicked, but rather that he fliould re- " turn from his way, and live." Would li6 have ranfomed finners at fo cofl:ly a price as the blood of his only begotten Son ? would he have afl:oniflied angels with fo wonderful an adl of cdhdefcenfion, as( to fend Him who was the " bright nefs of hi 5 " glory, and the exprefs image of his per- " fon," to aflTume the likenefs of finful flefli, to fubmit to the infirmities of our low na- ture, nay, to the ignominy and pain of the E 2 crofs ?
6o S E R M O N in.
crofs ? had not our everlafting welfare been an objedt of his tendereft concern. This furely, if duly confidered, mud remove all fufpicions of his goodnefs, and deftroy the jealoufies even of the mod diftruftful mind. Behold Chrift weeping over the impending fate of Jerufalem, and bemoaning the hard- nefs of heart of thofe who attended his miniftry ; view him in his agony, and in his confli(5l wath the powers of darknefs ; hear him on the crofs praying for his ene- mies — and then fuppofe, if you are able, that your ruin can be pleafing to him who hath done fo much to prevent it. But, in the
3^/ place, The various means which God employs for reclaiming men from their ways of folly and vice, afford another proof of his goodnefs, and of his tender concern for their welfare. He is not only the Au- thor of the gracious plan of our redemption, but he hath likewife fet before us the moft powerful motives to perfuade us to em- brace his offered favour, and to comply with his defigns of mercy. Every confider- ation, w^hich can be fuppofed to work, ei- ther
' 4C
SERMON III. 6l
ther on our hopes or our fears, is fet be-* fore us in the moft ftriking light. The veil 16 removed from the invifible world ; the joys of glorified faints, and the torments of defpairing finners, are made the fubje6l of a clear revelation. How affedlionately doth he invite men to turn unto him and live ? " Come now, and let us reafon toge-- ther, faith the Lord : though your fins be *' as fcarlet, they fhall be as white as fnow ; " though they be red like crimfon, they " fhall be white as wool." " Wherefore do ye " fpend money for that which is not bread I *' and your labour for that which fatisfieth " not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat " ye that which i& good, and let your foul *y* delight itfelf in fatnefs* Incline your ear, *' and come unto me ; hear, and your foul *' fhall live." Even the threatenings of God are not fo much the thunderings of his jus- tice, as the loud rhetoric of his mercy. He {hakes the rod over us, that, by a timely fubmifFion, we may avert the flroke. And when all the methods ufed to reclaim a fin- ner have proved ineffectual, with what re* ludance doth he at lafl execute his threaten* E 3 ed
62 SERMON III.
ed vengeance ? " How fhall I give thee up, f* Ephraim ? how Ihall I deliver thee, If- " rael ? how fliall I make thee as Admah ? " how fliall I fee thee as Zeboim ? Mine .^* "heart is turned within me, my repcntings " are kindled together." Nay, after the fiercenefs of his anger hath confumed the tranfgrelTors, what regret doth he exprefs, that they fliould have extorted from him their own punifliment ? " O that my peo- " pic had hearkened unto me, and Ifrael f' had w^alked in my ways !" He utters thefe word, as it were with as figh, lament- ing the folly and perverfenefs which had compelled him to fuch meafures of feverity againft them : Not that God is influenced by any human paflions ; but becaufe he could not othcrwifc communicate, in a manner intelligible to us, the deep concern which he takes in our welfare.
Nor are thefe mere exprefllons of kind- nefs, which arc unaccompanied with deeds to prove their flnccrity, and to render them effedlual : he hath inftituted an order of men to carry the glad tidings of falvation to every corner of the earth ; to befeech finv
nersj
S E R INI O N 111. 63
ncrs, ill his n;imc, to Liy alide their enmity to him, which Ciin onlv hurt thcml'olvcs, and to iv^turu to that Ahnighty Being, who, though he Itancls in no need of them, is moil lincerely wilhng to receive them into his favour, and to bellow on them evcrlaft- ing hap^Muels. " We are amballadors for " Chrill, as though God did befeech you by *' us ; we pray you in ChrilFs Head, be yc '' reconciled to God/' \\'e are comixianded to " preach the word,— to be inllant in lea- " Ion and out ot I'ealbn, — in mecknefs in- *' ilrueling thole tiiat oppofe themfelves, it *' God peradventure will give them repent- *' ance to the acknowledging of the truth." And to excite us to be diligent and faith- ful in the exercile of this oilice, he hath al- fured us, " that when the chief Shepherd " Ihall appear, we Ihall receive a crown ot " glory that fadeth not away."
Is not this then an imanlvverable proof that God hath no pleafure in the death of fmners ? What llronger evidence of it could he give, than to lend to them fo many mel- lengers, to beleech them in his name to turn and live ? to employ on this kind E 4 errand,
64 S E R M ON III,
errand, creatures of the fame nature witli
themfelves, fubjedl to the fame paffions,
expofed to the fame temptations, who have
the advantage of famiUar intercourfe with
them, and who are always at hand, to help,
to comfort, and to quicken them ? Nay,
he hath made it the duty of every man, in
his place, to do all that he can for the con-
verfion of others. " Exhort, one another
" daily," faith an Apoftle, " while it is call--
'' ed to-day, left any of you be hardened
" through the deceitfulnefs of fin." " Bre-
** thren," faith the Apoftle James, " if any
" of you do err from the truth, and one
" convert him ; let him know, that he which
** converteth a finner from the error of his
." way, ihall fave a foul from death, and
" Ihall hide a multitude of fins." Nor fliall
this labovir of love pafs without a reward ; for
" they that be wife fliall fliine as the bright-
*' nefs of the firmament, and they that turn
** many to righteoufnefs as the flars for
*' ever and ever." But that nothing may
be wanting to beget in us the firmed per-
fuafion <)f. the . goodnefs of God, and of his
tender
S E Pv M O N i iir. $s
tender concern for the welfare of his crea* tares, let it be obferved, in the
j^h sind la/I place on this head. That he hath feleded fome of the moft notorious offenders in the different ages of the world, to be monuments of the riches of his grace; that the chief of finners might be encou- raged to apply to him for pardon and eter- nal life; who, without fuch examples, might have been ready to look on their cafe as defperate. How many, who were once funk into the loweft degeneracy, are now in heaven, finging that grateful triumphant fong, " Unto him that loved us, and wafhed " us from our fins in his own blood, and *^ hath made! us kings and priefts unto God *' and his Father; to him be glory and do- " minion for ever and ever. Amen." There is Manaffeh, one who ufed enchantment and divination, and who deluged the ftreets of Jerufalem with innocent blood. There is Saul, once a blafphemer and a perfecutor, who thus tejftifies of himfelf, « For this " caufe I obtained mercy, that in me firft " Jefus Chrift might fhew forth all long- .^* fuffering, for a pattern to them which
*' fhould
66 SERMON III.
" fliould hereafter believe on him to life " everlafting." There are fome of thofe Corinthians who were once the fcandal of their country, and the reproach of human nature (i Cor. vi. 1 1.) ; but being " wafhed, " and fandified, and juftified, in the name " of the Lord Jefus, and by the Spirit of ** our God," are now walking in white, fol- lowing the Lamb whitherfoever he goeth, and contemplating with wonder and joy the extent of that love " which pafleth *' knowledge." Nay, there are fome of the murderers of the Lord of glory, three thoufand of whom were converted by the miniftry of Peter in one day: and now they are rejoicing in the prefence of that Jefus whom they crucified, and afcribing their eternal falvation to that blood which was flaed by their own wicked hands. In one word, with fuch examples as thefe the Scripture is repleniflied ; and God every where appears like the father in the para- ble ftretching forth his arms to the prodigal fon, and delighting to difplay the riches of his grace.
Such then are the pofitive and diredl evi- dences
SERMON III. 67
dences of the goodnefs of God, and of his tender concern for the welfare of his crea- tures. 1 proceed now, as was propofed,
in the
Second place, To examine fome of the moft plaufible objedlions which are urged againft the mildnefs and equity of the divine admi- niftration.
Say, then, O finner, wherein hath God dealt rigoroufly with you ? and what caufe he hath ever given you to charge him with feverity ? " Teftify againft him," in what refpedl he hath fhown himfelf an enemy to your happinefs ?
ly?, Is it the holinels and perfedlion of his law that you complain of ? Hath he given yoa too accurate a rule of life ? and laid too many reftraints upon your natural inclina- tions ? — This complaint is both foolifh and ungrateful. The law of God requires no- thing, but what tends to make us happy; nor doth it forbid any thing which would not be produflive of our mifery. The very defign of it is to defcribe and recommend that holinefs, " without - which no man
« Iliall
68 SERMON IIL
" fliall fee the Lord ;" So that the perfec- tion of it is no lefs a proof of the goodnefs, than of the wifdom of its Author. Were hoUnefs indeed unnecefTary, or^ were vice the road to happinefs, the objedlion would in that cafe be juft. But as there is. an in- feparable connexion between fin and mi- fery ; and as holinefs is indifpenfably neceC- fary, to quahfy us for the enjoyment of God ; it muft follow, that to find fault with the purity of his law, is to find fault, with it for being too much 'adapted to our inte- reft. It is not therefore lefs abfurd, than it a fcholar were to blame his mafter for the excellence of the example which he had gi- ven him to copy; or than if a traveller fhould quarrel with his guide, for diredling hin;i with too much exadlnefs in the way,
zdly^ Do you complain of the threaten- ings with which this law is enforced ? Doth God appear fevere, becaufe he hath fald, that the wicked muft either turn from his evil ways or die ? This complaint is furely as unreafonable as the former. Shall God be reckoned an enemy to your happinefs, becaufe he ufeth the moft effedual means to promote it \ Can he be fuppofed to defire
your
SERMON III. «9
your mifery, who fo earneftly warns you of your danger, and who fo warmly pleads with you to avoid it ? Should one find you running towards a precipice in your fleep, would you blame him for flopping you, though perhaps he might interrupt you in the enjoyment of fome pleafant dream ? Were you ready to fink in deep water, would you not reckon that man your friend, who fhould fave you from drowning, even though he dragged you out by the hair of the head ? — This is the very purpofe, or the friendly defign of all God's threatenings. He publiflieth them, that they may never be executed ; he makes them terrible, that the terror of them may perfuade men to avoid them. Had God publilhed a law, and con- cealed the importance of it, with refpedl to our happinefs or mifery ; would not the objedlion, in that cafe, againft his goodnefi, have been far more juft and rational ? — -If his threatenings prevail with you, never Ihall you have caufe to complain of their fe- verity : and if they do not prevail, with what face can you allege, that the penalties are too high, when at the fame time, your
own
70 SERMON HI.
own pradlice confutes you, and proves, that! they are not high enough to reftraln you from incurring them. But,
3^/^, Perhaps your objedlion doth not lie fo much againfl the publication of the threatenings, as againfl: the final execution of them. You fee their ufe to overawe mankind in this world ; but you think that it would be cruel in God to inflicfl them in good earnefl:, and to punifh men eternally, for fins committed during the fliort period of their abode on earth. Now, in anfwer to this, let me only aflc you, whether thofe threatenings would be of any ufe at all, if the finner knew that they would never be executed, or even if the execution of them were in the leafl: degree doubtful ? He who can make fubjecls .believe that their gover- nor means only to frighten them with his penalties, will.eafily make his laws of no effecfl, and fet offenders loofe from every reftraint. The belief of the execution is therefore abfolutely neceflary to the efiicacy of the law, which otherwife could only be an engine to work upon fools. And if it be neceflary in all cafes that fubjeds fliould
beheve
SERMON III. 71
believe that the law will be executed, then it follows, in the prefent cafe, that the threatenings of God fhall certainly be exe- cuted at laft. For God cannot lie, nor make it the duty of mankind to believe a lie. He has no need of fuch bafe means to keep the world in order. If the penalties, as they are defcribed in the law, be confiflent with the goodnefs of God, the inflidling of them at laft cannot in reafon be fuftained as an
objedlion againft it. Say then, O finner,
what farther haft thou to allege againft God ? The appeal is made to you in the text, and a challenge given to you to bring forth all your objections againft his laws and government. — Do yovi blame him, in the
4/Z> place, For the temptations you meet with in the world, and thofe clrcumftances of danger with which you are fur rounded ? Let us coniider a little the juftice of this complaint. The ftrongeft temptations, you muft allow, have no compulfive efficacy ; all that they can do, is to folicit and entice us : And are there not addreffed to us far more weighty arguments and folicitations
to
jt S E R M O N Iir.
to forfake fin, and to walk in the paths of wifdom ? If we cannot refifh the devil and the flefli, how can we refufe what God de- mands, who pleadeth with us by infinitely ftronger motives than they can prefent to tis ? for he fets before us the endlels joys, or the endlefs torments, of a future ftate of exiftence. Doth not the undefiled inheri- tance of the faints in light, infinitely tran- fcend all that earth or fenfe can promiffe us? and yet fliall we pretend to juftify our- felves, when, contrary to all reafon, we prefer the pleafures of fin, which are but for a moment, to the eternal happitiefs and
glory of the world to come ? Once more,
in the
^th place, Do you objedl that you can- not reclaim or convert yourfelves ? that man can do nothing towards his converfion, unlefs he fliall receive power from on high? that therefore you are excufable until God fhall impart his afliftance ? and that if you perifli, it is not your fault ?j
My brethren, we muft not fpeak falfely even for God; nor fupprefs or difguife the doctrines of his word, however they
may
S E R M O N IIL 73
may be abufed by carnal and obftinate fin- hers.
It is true, that man, in his natural ftate, cannot do any thing that is fpiritually good : for " they that are in the flelli can- " not pleafe God." It is equally true, that God is a debtor to no man, but is the free difpofer of his own grace, giving it when and to whomfoever he pleafeth. But it is no lefs true, 'that there are certain means of his appointmentj in the ufe of which alone we have reafon to expeA his aid ; and he who doth not improve thefe faithfully, complains with a very bad grace, at leaft, and is juftly chargeable with his own dam- nation.
You cannot convert yourfelves ; — ^but can- hoi: you forbear to curfe and blafpheme the name of God ? Cannot you reftrain your- felves when your nature is duly refreflied with meat and drink ? Cannot you keep at a diftance from evil company, and avoid many occafions of finning, and temptations to fin ? It is certainly in your power to perform many of the external adls of reli- gious worfliip. You can go to church, if
Vol. III. V TQu
74 SERMON III.
you are fo difpofed, as eafily as you can ftaj at home, or ride abroad for your amufement. You can go to your clofet as eafily as to the tavern. What hinders you to read your Bible, as well as any other book ? to medi- tate on what it contains, and on its vaft im- portance to your everlafting intereft ?
Have you then done thefe things, or have you not done them? Have you avoided the tempting occafions of evil? Have you ufed the means of grace^ and attended feri- oufly upon the ordinances of God's worfliip?
-If you have negle^ed to employ the
powers you pofTefs, wiK)m can you blame for it, that you , have not obtained more ex- tenfive pov/ers ? - God will make you one day to know, that it was not he, who carried you to the haunts of riatj; intemperance, and lewdnefs ; that it w^as not he who tempted you to fwear profanely, or to rail at goodnefs, or to quarrel with the Word that fhouJd have faved you; but that all this was owing to the voluntary and obfti- nate wickednefs of your own corrupt hearts. And, whatever excufes fmners may now feign to themifelves, they muft all ftand fpt.Gchieis at laiL None ihall be able to
plead,
SERMON III. 75
plead, ' Lord, I applied to thee for con-* * verting grace, but it was refufed me.* No, God will be clear when he judgeth ; and every mouth fliall be flopped in that day when he palTeth fentence on an affem- bled world.
Thus have T examined and endeavoured to refute fome of the moft plaufible objec- tions which are commonly alleged againft the mildnefs and equity of the divine admi- niftration ; and from all that has been faid, I hope it now appears, that nothing can be more unreafonable or blafphemous, than to lay the blame of the finner's deftruclion upon God. " The fdoliihnefs of man," faith Solomon, *' perverteth his way ; and " his heart fretteth againft the Lord.' (Provt. xix. 3.) This is the true account of the matter. The {inner deftroys himfelfby his own wilful and obftinate folly, and then ha accufes God, as if he were the caufe of his mifery; although God hath done every thing to fave him, which could have been done by the righteous Lawgiver and Governor of the world.
The lying lips fliall ere long be put to fi- F a knee,
76 SERMON IIL
Jence. The workers of iniquity fhall ftand felf-condemned before the awful tribunal 5 and all their vain and impious pretexts and excufes, inftead of availing them in that day, will only ferve to increlfe their fhamc and confufion. With what inconceivable remorfe and anguifli will the finner then re- view his paft conducl ? How contemptible will thofe temptations then appear to him,, which he once magnified fo much, when he fhall compare them with the powerful mo- tives and encouragements to a holy life^, which were in vain fo often and fo plainly fet before him ? V/hen he fliall rect)lle(5l the various means and inftruments which were employed ta fave him from ruin ; the full and tije free offers which were made to hira of pardoning ip.ercy, and of fan6lifying grace ; the earneit calls and invitations which he received to turn from his evil way, and live : When he fliall view that preeiousr fountain, in which thoufands, as guilty as himfelf, have bten wafhed and lAade clean ^ and fhall refledt that all thefe advantages are for ever loft ; — how fliall he then hang down tiis head, and imite his guilty and defpair-
ing
SERMON ill. , 77
ang breaft ? faying in the bitternefs of his foul, " How have 1 hated inftrudion, and *' my heart defpifed reproof ? and have not ^* obeyed the voice of nny teachers, nor in- " chned mine ear to them thatinftrncted « me?" [Prov. v. 12, 13.) Then fliall all his complaints be turned agalnft himfelf ; and, inftead of refting on" his wonted ex- cufes, he fhall then call, but call in vain, *' on the mountains and on the rocks to fall *' on him, and to ;. hide him from the face of *' Him, who fitteth on the throne, and from , " the wrath of the Lamb." O that men were wife, and would confider thefe things, fo as to prevent, by a timely repentance, the horrors of that awful day which is haf- tening faft to furprife a fleeping world.
My brethren, I have reprefented your danger to you as plainly as I could* I have endeavoured to expofe the weaknefs of thofe pitiful evafions by which many of you en- deavour to fupport a vain hope, or at lead to leffen the awful apprehenfions of a judge- ment to come. I have fpoken to your ears : God alone can fpeak to you^ hearts; and to ^is mercy and grace 1 commend you. — Al- F 3 Iqw
78 SERMON III,
low me, before I conclude, to beg your at- tention to the following confiderations.
Confider, that to be your own deftroyers is to CQunterac5t the very ftrongeft principle of your natures, the principle of ielf-prefer- yation. Every creature naturally defirech its own felicity; and will' you obftinately xvifli upon manifefl ruin, through all the pbflacles that are placed in your way ? Af- liftants you may find in accomplifb.ing this defperate purpofe : but without your own confent and aflive concurrence, it never can be accomplilhed, even though the whole "world, and ail the hoft of apoftate fpirits, were combined againft you. Will you be worfe than devils to you rf elves ? What pity can you expecl to meet with, who have no pity for your own fouls ? The unfortunate are objects of cqmpaflion ; but wilful felf- deftroyers, neither deferve compaffion, nor can expecfl it. Confider what an aggra- vation this will be of your mifery in a fu- ture ftate ? How terrible w:ill it be to recol- le6l, in the regions of everlafling wo, that ye have brought all your mifery on ypur- ielyes ? that you were forewarned, repeat- edly
SERMON IIL 79
.cdly and awfully forewarned, of the ratal iiTue of your condud, but without efifed ? that Chriil: and eternal falvation were freely offered to you, but were contemptuoutly defpifed and fet at nought? Thefe conlide- rations will add a continual fuel to the tormenting flames, and will make them burn with infufferabh^ violence, O then be wife in time : " Seek the Lord while lie *^ may be found, and call upon him while h.e " is near. Let the wicked forfake his way, ** and the unrighteous man his thoughts, " and let him return unto the Lord, and he " Will have mercy upon him, and to our
^ God, for he will abundantly pardon."
To conclude : Ponder the whale fome advice recorded in Frov. viii. 33.-36. " Hear in- ** ftruclion, and be wile, and refufe it not. " Bleffed is the man that heareth me, watch- " ing daily at my gates, waiting at the polls " of my doors. For whofo findeth me, find- " eth life, and fhall obtain favour of the " Lord. But he that linneth againft me, " wrongeth his own foul. All they that ^ hate me, love death." Amen,
Fa SER-
$6
SERMON ly.
[Gal ATI AN s yi. 4. Let every man prove his own work,
BEFORE I enter upon the fubjedl of this text, it may not be improper to men- tion fome of the reafons which have led me to it at this time*,
ly?, As many, who call themfelves Chri- ftians, difcpver fo little of Chriftianity in their lives, that we are often at a lofs to re- concile their condu(5l with their profeflions ; I thought it might be of ufe to thofe who are in any degree diftinguifhed by their re- hgiouSvCondu(SI:, if I could lead them into fuch a fcrutiny of themfelves as this text fuggefts to us ; or perfuade them to inquire, whether their works, which are apparently good, are fuch as wUl abide the tefl : whe- ther they proceed from the Spirit of God,
or
f Preached on tlie evening of a communion-fabbalhv*
S E R M O N IV. 8|
pr from the fpirit of the world : whether they are animated by a " fimplicity and ?' godly fmcerity," or by the unhallowed principles of felf-love, and the defire of re- commending themfelves to the efteem of men.
2dly^ It is evident from Scripture, that a man may go far in the outward perfor- mance of his duty, and yet be aduated by fuch motives as afford him greater caufe of grief and of fhame than of that rejoicing which is mentioned in the claufe following my text. I read in the preceding verfe, that it is poflible for a " man to think him- " felf to be fomething when he is nothing." I find in fadl that the Laodiceans imagined themfelves to be *' rich, and increafed with " goods, and having need of nothing," when, in truth, they were " wretched, and *' miferable, and poor, and tlind, and na- " ked." And there are too many reafons to fufpeft, that, like thofe, multitudes of this prefent generation are " pure in their own " eyes, and yet are not walhed from their " filthinefs;" have a " name that they live,'* while " they are dead ;" and have " the
" praife
t2 S E R M 0 N IV.
*^ praife of men," while " their hearts are " not right with God."
;^d/jf^ 1 forefee the time when thoufands fliall wiih that they had followed the A- poftle's advice in my text. " Yet a littld " while, and he that fliall come will come, " and will not tarry." — ■" The Lord him- " felf Ihall deicend- from heaven with a '* Ihout, with the voice of the archangel, " and the trump oi God; to judge the " world in righteoufnefs. In that day ^ many fhall fay to Lim, Lord, Lord, did " we not cat and drink in thy prefence, *' have we not prophefied in thy name, " and in thy name done many wonderful " works ?" But when they receive that awful reply, " Depart fronri me, I know " you not whence ye are," with what in- conceivable anguifli will they then cry out. Oh ! that we had tried and proved thofe fpecious works in which we trufted. — We thought them good and acceptable to God ; alas! too late, we find our unhappy miflake. The time was, when this difcovery might have profited us : but now the doom is paficd ; our ftate is fixed ; and nothing rcr mains for us but a fruitlefs remorfe, and
the
SERMON IV. 83
the galling remembrance of our former floth and fecurlty— ^And,
Lqftly^ When I confidered that I was to fpeak to communicants, who have this day fealed either their friendfliip or their enmity with Chrift at his own table, it determined me to addrefs to you a preffing and earneft call to prove this part of your work in par- ticular ; that fuch as have been properly employed in this holy fervice, may, after trial of themfelves, lay hold of the com- forts which belong to them ; and that others may receive fuch a view of their guilt and of their danger, as, by the grace of God, fliall conflrain them to have immediate re- courfe to that injured, but compaffionate Sa- viour, whofe blood, inftead of crying for vengeance, pleads for mercy to the chief of finners. On all thefe accounts let me in- treat, not only the hearing of your ears, but the attention of your minds, whilft I endea- vour, through divine aid,
ly?. To explain the full meaning or im- port of the Apoflle's exhortation " Let
^' every man prove his own work."
^dly^ To give you fome dire(5lions with re-»
gard
§4 SERMON IV.
gard to the manner of concluding the in- quiry to which the exhortation relates, and then to point out to you the pradical im- provement of the fubjed. — I begin with the exhortation itfelf, '^ Let every ^an prove ^ his own work/'
There is a particular emphafis in thefe words, which muft not be overlooked. It is his own work that a man muft prove. We are fafficiently ready to examine, and to pafs fentence upon the works of others. We are often abroad; but are feidom at liome, where our chief bufinefs lies. Like fome travellers, who are well acquainted with foreign countries, but Ihamefully ig- norant of their own \ w^e know more of others than we are willing to know of our- felves ; and perfaade ourfelves, that the ftudy of our owg hearts is a dull and me- lancholy bufinefs, which may incite within lis many uneafy thoughts, and can give us no pleallire at all.
Alas 1 how low ai'e we funk by our apo- ftafy from God ! and with what little and falfe confolations may a degenerate mind be foothed ! Inftead of looking inwards for
pofitivc
.SERMON IV. tf
pofitive evidence of our favour with (3odj we learn to regulate our judgement of our- felves, by what we perceive in the characters of other men. If the image of the devil is more vilibly formed on others than on ourfelves, we have little anxiety to difcover the image of God upon our own hearts* The bulk of men think it enough to know that fome of their brethren are worfe than they are, as if their chara(S:ers would rife^ in proportion as the characters of others are debafed. — We muft relinquiih this falfe rule of judging, if we would either enter into the fpirit of the exhortation in the text^ or would not be fatally difappointed at I aft. We muft learn to rejoice in ourfelves, and not in others ; and we miift call in our thoughts from the ftate of other men, and ** prove every man his own work."—- ** Every man," faith the Apoftle, " (liall ^* bear his own burden." Each of us ftiall give an account of his own conduct to God, and fhall be judged according to his owl> perfonal behaviour, without regard to any comparative goodnefs or attainments which may belong to him.
But
86 SERMON IV.
But here, perhaps, fome may afk the queftion. To what works do you refer ? If they are works of a doubtful nature, we acknowledge that they ought to be tried, and that thofe are highly to blame who negleil to try them. But are there not other works, fo eminently good and excel- lent in themfelves, that the perfon who doth them, may conclude, without hefita- tioUj that they are certainly pleafing and acceptable to God ? This, my brethren, is a rock upon which thoufands have made fhipwreck. It would make one fad to think what multitudes will be furprifed with the everlafting burnings, who, in con- fequence of this very opinion, flatter them- felves, while they live, with the hopes of heaven. You muft therefore allow, me to retort the queftion, and to afk. What are thofe works which are fo eminently good and excellent, that there is no need to prove them ? or ratherj Are there any duties of an external nature, which aii hypocrite cannot perform as well as you ? Do you frequent the church, and attend upon the preaching of the word ? So did the impeni-*
tent
SERMON IV. Sy
nitent Jews in the days of the Prophet Ezekiel, with as much decency, perhaps, and apparent devotion, as are feen in you. For thus faid the Lord unto that Prophet^ " They come unto thee as the people co- " meth, and they fit before thee as my peo- " pie, and they hear thy words, but they " will not do them : for with their moutk *' they fhew much love, but their h^art " goeth after their covetoufnefs." Are you ftri(5t obferver% of the Sabbath? We read of fome who perfecuted our Saviour for working a miracle of mercy: on' the fat>bath- day : and furely you pretend not to a greater degree of flridlnefs than this. Do yon pray ? So did the Pharifees ; they made long prayers, and they prayed with a loud voice. Do you fail before the obfer- vation of the Lord's Supper ? The Phari- fees did more : They fafted twice in the week. Do you partake of that holy facra- ment ? Many think that Judas did fo too : we know at leaft that he was prefent at the paflbver, which was alfo a folemn rite of religion : And therefore no certain conclu-
fion
^8 SERMON IV.
iion can be drawn from the outward exer- cifes of religious worfhip.
Where then fliall we go next ? Will we judge with more certainty from the duties of the fecond table of the law of God ?
Here, my brethren, the matter may hb brought to a very ftiort iffue. We read of a yoUng man who profefled, in the prefence of our Lord, that he had kept all thcfe com- mandments from his youth : — and yet we learn from the fequel of his' ftory, that he preferred the poffeffions of this earth to the enjoyment of God ; for he refufed to fell his lands for the relief of the poor, although our Saviour had affured him of treafure in heaven. — But you have perhaps to fay for yourfelves, that you are charitable and kind to the poor; and aik if this is not a duty applauded in Scripture ? I confefs it is much applauded. But were not the proud and hy- pocritical Pharifees alfo charitable ? They gave alms : and more liberal alms than moft of us ; otherwife, I fuppofe, they would have founded the trumpet as little as we do. — We may therefore conclude, that none of all thefe outward deeds are fufficient, by
themfelves,
-•• 89
themfelves, to diftingulfh us from the hypo- crite : But the queflion will return, May we not joLi all thefe works together ? and iii that cafe, may we not draw from them a certain coaclufion ?
My brethren. If I were now fpeaking of the judgement which others ought to form of your/ characters, from what they fee in your afclions, I would certainly fay, that thofe j^vourable appearan:es ought to per- fuadeihem that you are real Chriftians* But as I fpeak of the eftimate which you are |o make yourfelves, I muft tell you, that/all this fair (how may ce^tamly confifl witK a heart that is not " found in God's " fiatutes." For Amaziah, the king of Ju- dali, was not tar ihort of this, of whom we reap (2 Chron. xxv. 2.), chat he " did that " frhich was right in the fight of the Lord;" " l|>ut (obferve what follows, he did it) " not with a perfedl heart." What a pro- mifing appearance was here blafled ! Ama- ziaii gave God every thing but his heart; thei very thing which God valued, and without which all that he could give befides was infignificant. Does not this fhake the
Vol. IIL G foundation
90 SERMON IV. *
foundation of your confidence, and make you, like one newly awakened ait of a flat- tering dream, fummon up all your atten- tion to fee whether you are in t \e unhappy jRtuation of Amaziah, or are really in thcf circumftances in which your own fancy hath reprefented you ? This, my brethreny is the very thing which I have been aiming at. I forefee the day, when many who were fomething in their own eyes, and tr till- ed in themfelves that they were righteous, •will prefent their fpecious roll of outward duties to the heart-fearching Judge, laying, X.O ! this is the life which we fpent ir. the flelh ; who will not be able to add, This life was " by the faith of the Son of God." Me- thinks I hear the Judge fay to them, Thefe are indeed the duties which I enjoined ; but where is the fpirit which Ihould have ani- mated them ? Thefe are the lacrifices which I appointed ; but the ftrange fire with which you olFered them, can find no acceptance here. Ye have not ferved me, but your- felves. " I never knew you." And there- fore ye can receive no reward.
What
SERMON IV. 9t
What hath been faid may be fuffieient to ^xplaia the Apoftle's exhortation; and to ftiow both the reafonableiiefs and the necet- fity of proving even our beft works. I pro- ceed now,
Secondly^ To give you fome direcSiions with regard to the manner of conducing this important inquiry.
Now, before a man can be quaUfied for proving his own works, two things are in- difpenfably neceflary. The
T ^ isj That he fliould be well acquainted with the holy Scriptures : for it is by the Scriptures alone that we know with certain- ty what is good and acceptable to God. " Wherewith Ihall a young man cleanfe his " way ?" faid David. The anfwer is, " By " taking heed thereto according to thy " word." Scripture is that unerring rule which points out to us the road of duty, and which difcovers to us the ftraightnefs or the crookednefs of our own paths. A con- fiderable degree of acquaintance with it, is therefore abfolutely necefTary to enable us " to prove" and to judge of our own works. But,
G 2 2dly^
9a SERMON IV.
idly^ It Is alfo requifite, that we fliould be coniiant and diligent obfervers of what paiTcth in our own hearts ; for " out of the " heart are the iffues of life." The heart is the fountain from which all our adlions flow, and from which alone they can be truly denominated either good or bad. I obferved formerly, that there is no out- ward duty which a hypocrite may not coun- terfeit ; And we have a remarkable example (2 Kings X.) of the fame acftion being good in one man, and bad in another, from the difiFerent difpofitions with which it was per- formed. We find two men riding in the fame chariot, and both of thern engaged in the fam.e expedition, Jehu and Jonadab. But though the work they were execuclu^ was the fame, the different ends whicii they aimed at, made that which was an excellent duty in Jonadab, an acfl of mere cruelty, and of vile hypocrify in Jehu. Jehu was impelled, not by zeal for the Lord, but by ambition to wear a crown. We mull therefore retire into our own breads, and carefully obferve the various operations of our :j;ninds. We muft conlider the motives
that
SERMON IV. 93
that influence our condud ; the ends we propofe in our ac5lions ; and the temper and frame of fpirit with which every duty is performed. For in vain do we know the rvile, unlefs we alfo know the thing to which it muft be applied ; in vain do we read and ftudy the Scriptures, unlefs we iikewife read and fludy our own hearts. The duty I am recommending, Gonfifts in comparing them together, that we may dif- cover how far they agree, and wherein they differ. This is indeed a work of great dif- ficulty ; but, though difficult, it is not im- pra6licable. He who gave the command, will Iikewife grant his affiftance to thofe who, in a humble dependence on his grace, apply themlelves heartily to this necelfary duty. Let it then be your
Firft c^re^ to get your minds thoroughly awakgied when you enter upon this work. Never was time put to a higher improve- ment : never were thoughts fpent upon a more important bufinefs. Compared with this, the trial of men for their lives at a hu- man bar is a mere trifle ; for hel'e nothing lefs than an eternal intereft depends on the
G 3 iflue.
94 SERMON IV.
iffue. Summon up all the powers of youir* fouls, bring your thoughts to the fubjeclil as intenfely as you can, let your minds be di- vefled of every other care ; and above all — O be honeft with yourfelves, and refolve to pafs an impartial fentence, as the evidence Ihall appear, whether it Ihould be in your favour, or againft you. Remember that your great Judge knows the truth of your condition, and that therefore you can gain nothing by hiding it from yourfelves.
When your hearts are once ferioully en-? gaged, then fall down before God, and plead the affiftance of his good Spirit, to enlighten and diredt you in the knowledge of your- felves ; to keep you from miftakes, both on the one hand and on the other ; and to guide you to a jufl and an affeding view of your true condition.
Having thus prepared yourfelves by me- ditation and prayer, proceed immediately to the inquiry itfelf, before your hearts be- gin to cool, or the impreffions of the divine prefence are effaced. Set the word of God before you as the rule, and then put the queftion, Do my adions and difpofitions
correfpond
SERMON IV. 95
correfpond to this rule, or are they incon- fiftent with it ? Take your adions, and the fources of them, one by one, and bring them to this ftandard ; fufFer not your hearts, in any cafe, to ftart alide, till they have given an explicit anfwer : lay the com- mand of God upon them, and ^harge them to obey upon pain of his wrath.
When, by thefe means, you have difco- vered the truth, theli pafs the fentence on yourfelves, and labour to have your hearts properly afFeded with it. Do not think it enough to have difcerned your true condi- tion, but endeavour to feel what God hath made you to know. If you find, that you have been all along formal and hypocritical in your obedience ; that inftead of ferving God, you have been ferving yourfelves ; that inftead of feeking his approbation, you have been courting the applaufe of men ; that in- ftead of fowing to the Spirit, you have been fo wing to the flefti; O lay this convidlion home to your hearts. Think what a dread- ful ftate you are in ; unpardoned, unfandi- fied, and, if death ihould now furprife you, fuined for ever.
G 4 But|
g6 SERMON IV.
But, whilft you thus endeavqur to know, the very worft of your condition, beware, at the fame time, of giving way to gloomy and defponding thoughts. Let none of you fay, " Becaufe I am ungodly, I fhall die fo ; be- " caufe I am an hypocrite, I fhall continue ** fo ;" for fuch defpondence is no lefs un- warranted than your former prefumption. You have another work to do, which is to flee fpeedily to Chrift, and to break off your hypocrify and wickednefs by repentance. If you find that you have been hitherto out of the way, do not fit down and defpair, but make the more hafte to turn into it. Chrift is ftill in your ofl^er, and you cannot be more willing to receive him, than he is to accept of you.
But, on the other hand, if you find reafon to conclude, after a ftridl and impartial ex- amination, that vou have been fincere in the prad:ice of your duty, that your inward difpofitions have correfponded to your out- ward adians, and that both have been ac- cording to the rule of Scripture, take the comfort of fo happy a difcovery. This is a good evidence that you are fandified and
renewed
S E R M O N IV. 97
renewed by the Spirit of God : This is a proof that you are united to Chrift, who is " the true vine :" for none but thofe who are united to him, can bring forth fuch good fruit Confider into what a blefled ftate the Lord hath brought you ; to be his children and his friends ; to be pardoned and fandlified, and fure of being faved. What more can you defire ? Doth not the affurance of fuch a blelled condition deferve all the labour and pains which the inquiry can coil you ? One caution, however, I muft give you. Do not truit fo much to one dif^ covery of this kind, as to give up all further trial. No. — ^^ To prove your own works," muft be your daily employment. Renew the inquiry often; make frequent proof of yourfeives ; compare the refult of your ob- fervations at different times, and let them ferve to retflify one another.
Thus, my brethren, I have given you the beil- directions which I could think of, with regard to the method of conduding this important inquiry. And here it might be proper to fubjoin fome of thofe Scriptural marks or characlens by which " every man
*' ought
98 SERMON IV.
" ought to prove his own works." But this would lead me beyond the Umits of one difcourfe. I mean therefore at prefent to confine myfelf to the circumftances or marks by which you ought to try the im- portant duty in which you have been this day employed.
Allow me then, in the conclufion of this folemn fervice, to put a few plain, but nc- ceflary queftions to you, and to call on you to anfwer them, as you hope to fpeed at the bar of God's judgement.
I/?, By what motives were you determined to come here this day ? Was it by a fc^fe of duty, and in obedience to the command of a crucified Saviour ? Was it from a mind *' hungering and thirfling" after Chrift and his righteoufnefs ? Or was it only in com- pliance with the cuftom of the country, and from a defire of appearing religious in the eyes of men ? Would to God there were lefs caufe than there is for this queftion, grofs and reproachful as it may appear 1
2Jly^ What pains were you at in prepa- ring yourfelves for this near approach to Qod ? Were you careful to ftir up in your-
felves
SERMON IV. 99
felves thofe holy and humble dlfpofitions which conftitute " the wedding garment" of thofe who are bidden to the feaft ? Or, have you, without any previous examina- tion, or any regard to the awful fence which furrounds this table, fearlefsly taken your feat among faithful difciples, without alking the Mader's welcome, or dreading his difpleafure ?
o^dly^ What benefit did you propofe to reap from your attendance upon this folemn ordinance ? Did you only wifli to pacify your natural confcience, by doing what you apprehended to be an acceptable duty ? Or did you mean to ofier an outward com- pliment to the Almighty, in order to in- duce him to pardon what is paft, that you might fin, as it were, on a new fcore ? Or, on the other hand, did you come here in the hope of meeting him whom your fouls love, to take upon you " his yoke which is " eafy, and his burden which is light ?" — to implore, over the pledges of your Saviour's love, his mercy to pardon, his Spirit to fandlify, and his grace to flrengthen you? pid you come, that this holy fervice might
loo SERMON IV.
have fome influence to afTift you in crucify- ing " the old man with his deeds," and to confirm the image of God on your fouls ? — Once more,
\thly^ How were you employed while you fat at this holy table ? Did you feek the Lord with your whole hearts ? Did your ^* fouls follow hard after him ?" And if any vain intruding thought arofe within you, did you inftantiy check it with ab- horrence, and renew your repentance for that mixture of infirmity in your holy fer- yice ? When you heard thefe aflFecling words, " This is my body broken for you^ " this is my blood flied for the remilTion " of your fins," were your hearts wrung with grief for the fins which were the caufe of the Redeemer's fufferings ? Did you give yourfelves entirely up to him who gave himfelf for you an offering and a facrifice to God ? Did you accept of him as your only peace-m^ker with the Father, and refolve to b^iild all your hopes of hap- pinefs upon the merits of his fufferings and obedience ? Did you renounce all his ene- mies, and devote yourfelves entirely to his
fervicc,
SERMON IV. lot
fervice, to be governed by his laws, ap your only Lord and King ?
Finally^ Was all this done from a deli- berate and confirmed choice, and not from a mere tranfient flaih of devotion ? Then, indeed, you have been well employed ; and we defire to give glory to God on your ac- count.
But if, on the contrary, your hearts have been cold and infenfible, and your thoughts have been wandering without controul, upon the mountains of vanity ; if you have felt no grief for fin, no love to the Re- deemer, or only fuch a grief and love as a moving tale might have occafioned ; if what you have felt hath not led you to bind yourfelves irrevocably to the fervice of that Redeemer who encountered the wrath of God for you — this was not to eat the Lord's Supper. Alas ! my heart bleeds for you. Ye have been mocking him who declared that he will not be mocked with impunity ; and who, unlefs you repent, will certainly convince you of this in another world.
Thefe are all the queftions which I fhall
put
fo2 SERMON IV,
put to you at tins time ; and in whatever way you may find reafon to anfwer them, the inquiry muft turn out to your advan- tage. If, upon fearch, you difcover the un- foundnefs of your hearts, even in that very fad difcovery, you have the greateft advan- tage for falvation that you have ever had in the courfe of your Uves. For now, your vain confidence being overthrown, you lie opeii to a deep and efFedlual con- vidlion, which is the mercy introdudlive of all other mercies to your fouls. Your chief danger lies in judging too favourably, or in judging falfely, of yourfelves. But if you do fo, how feverely will you fuffer for the fliort-Uved deceit, when God fliall him- felf prove your works, or when he fliall fay to you, as he faid to the caroufing king, *' Thou art weighed in the balances, and art " found wanting 1" How confounded will you be if this lentence fhall be pronounced ? and how paffionately will you then wifli for fuch an opportunity of " proving your *' own works" as you now enjoy ?
But if, on the other hand, you can, up- on good grounds, conclude, that notwith-
ftandinc:
SERMON IV. 103
ftandiag many imperfedlions in your holy fervice, you have been fincere and upright on the whole, how great inay your com- fort be ? For God will not call off the up- right man. That which is the terror of the wicked will be your joy. As the fon of a king rejoiceth in his father's power and magnificence, fo may you rejoice in thofe difplays of the divine Majefty, which fcare a guilty world. How comfortable will the thoughts of a Saviour be, when you can fay, ** My beloved is mine ;" when by faith you can, like Thomas, " put your hand into his fide, and your finger into the print of the nails, and fay unto him, My Lord, and my God ?" With what joy will you read the holy Scriptures, as the charter of your future inheritance, and ponder that ** exceeding and eternal weight of glory," which you fhall one day pofTefs ? With what holy boldnefs may you approach the throne of Grace, when you can addrefs God as your reconciled Father in Jefus Chrift ? How cheerfully may you endure afHidlion ? How calmly may you leave this world ? If then any of thefe comforts are dear to
you;
C04 SERMON IV.
you ; if you would enjoy them in a found ftate, or would have a clear and lively im- preflion of them, let me befeech you to comply with the Apoftle's exhortation, and to "prove your own works." So (hall ye have your rejoicing in yourfelves, and never be afhamed. Amen.
SER.
to5
SERMON V.
James iv. 170
"Therefore^ to him that knoweth to do good^ and docth it not^ to him it is fin,
THE unfruitful lives ^of profefling Chri- ftians is a very general and a jud. complaint. But few of thofe who retail this complaint, are heartily inclined to remove the caufe of it. We are melancholy exam- ples of that which we pretend to lament ; and we ceafe not to ftrengthen the inte- refts of a party which we condemn. Da- vid, when he wms treating with Araunali the Jebufite, for the purchafe of his threili- ing floor, in order to rear an altar to God, refufed to accept of it without a price, be- caufe he would not " offer burnt-offerings *^ unto the Lord his God, of that which '^' coft him nothing." But, alas ! our gene- VouIIh H ' ral
100 S E R M O K V.
ral conteft feems rather to be, who fhall be moft penurious in his offerings to God, and who fhall purchafe heaven with the cafiefl fervice. Many have unhappily deceived themfelves into an opinion, that nothing but pofitive ads of rebellion will fubjedl them to punifhment. They place much confidence in what is called a harmlefs in- ofFenfive life, as if it were virtue enough not to be abandoned to vice. They feem to aim at nothing higher, than that of which the Pharifce made his boafl, when he gave thanks to God that he was not as other men, nor even as the humble publican. But, in the pafFage which I have now read to you, the Apoflle direds us to a much fafer teft of our conduct ; a tetl which leaves us no room for miflake. The queflion is not, "What vices have you forborne ? but. What virtues have you pradifed ? You fay that you are not idolaters. — Well, — but do you reve- rence and love the true, God ? You are not adulterers ; — but do you fludy temperance and fobriety in all things ? You are not Handerers ; — but are you as tender of your neighbour's good name as of your own ?
If
SERMON V. 107
If ye are ftrangers to thefe pofitlve virtues, then all the advantage ye can pretend to is this ; ye are finners of a lower order, than if ye had added pofitive tranfgreffions to your negledl of doing good : but • ftill you are finners ; for, according to the Apoftle, not to do good is fin.
This text evidently contains the two fol- lowing propofitions :
ly?, That men fin, not only when they pofitively tranfgrefs the law of God ; but al- fo, when they do not fulfil the duties which the law requires to the utmoft of their power. And,
idly^^ That our guilt is more highly ag- gravated, when we negledl the duties which are known to us ; or when we decline op- portunities of doing good, though we know that it is our duty to embrace them.
Thefe propofitions I will endeavour to il- luftrate and confirm; and will then conclude with a pradical improvement of the fubjed.
Firjl^ I begin with jQiowing you that men fin, not only when they pofitively tranf- grefs the law of God ; but alfo, when they
H 2 do
io8 SERMON V.
do not fulfil the duties which the law re- quires, to the uttnoft of their power.
Were we to look upon God as an auftere and felfiih Being, who employed his laws orly as a fence about his own private inte- refts j then indeed, not to violate them might be conficiered as fufEcient to comply with their delign. The kings of this earth are forced to enclofe their little allotment of ho- nour, and to ufe their authority as a flaming fword, to ward off mfults from their pre- rogatives. But it is not fo with God. The Creator of heaven and of earth can have no dependence on the workmanftiip of his own hands. His prerogatives cannot fufFer, nor can his glory be impaired by the feebfe and impotent attempts of his creatuies. His laws therefore could never be intended for his own fecurity, but for our benefit. They arc exprefllons of bis goodaeli, rather than of his iovereignty ; and his great vit V in ena(5lmg them, leems to have bten, to bind us by his authority to confuit our prefent iiuereft, and to render ourlelves ca- pable of everlalling leiicity. J^^^^ge then whether a law winch hatii. in view this
kind
S E Tl M O N V. 109
kind and generous obje % doth not chal- lenge our nioft cordial ace ptance and en- tire fubjedion ; and whether gratitude, as well as duty, fliould not prompt us to fulfil every part of it to the utmoft of our power.
Indeed, if we coniider God as a fevere taikmafter, as I am afraid too many of us do; in that cafe, wha ever he enjoins, will appear to be an hardfhip or a burden. But if we view him in his true charadler, as a wife and good parent, who in every thing confults the real advantage of his children, then his yoke will appear to be eafy indeed, and his burden to be light. The cords of lov£ w^i41 drav^ us on to obedience ; and .gratitude, which is ever ingenious in find- ing out ways to exprefs itfelf, will conftant- Jy prompt us to the moft dutiful obfervance of his will.
Show me the m.an w hofe ingenuous mind, not only expedls a future reward, but feels a prefent joy in the fervice of his God : and to that man I will addrefs the words of unfeigned falutation, I will fay to him, ^' Hail thou favoured of the Lord," thine is the true " fpirit of adoption," which de- li 3 vifech
no SERMON V.
vifeth liberal things ; thine is that foul which is born from on high, and which doth not commit fin ; thine is that love which fulfilleth the law, and which per- fecSeth the faints.
But fhow me the man whofe fervile foul is moved only by the fear of punifhment^ to yield a grudging and penurious fervice to his Maker ; and to that man I muft be iparing of confolation. I muft remind him, that it is the heart which God requires ; that God hath refpedl to the offering of a liberal giver j but that he hath no regard to the churl, or to his offering.
Thus far I might argue upon general principles, that we ought not only to ab- ftain from what the law of God prohibits, but alfo to fulfil, to the utmoft of our pow- er, what the fpirit or intention of the law requires. But as I fpeak to Chriftians, I will now refort to an authority which they muft acknowledge to be valid, and fuffi- cient to decide the queftion.
The propofition which I have laid down then, is not deduced by remote inference, neither does it depend upon a fingle tefti-
jnony J
SERMON V. Ill
mony ; but Is both fupported and illuftrated by a multitude of clear and exprefs declara- tions of Scripture.
We are commanded, not only to " depart " from evil," but " to do good ;" not only ^* to cleanfe ourfelves from all filthinefs of " the flefli and fpirit," but alfo " to perfedl " holinefs in the fear of God." Chrift is propofed to us as our example; and what was his charader ? " He went about doing *' good, and perfifled, till he had finifhed ^' the work which was given him to do.'* Nay, he faith himfelf (John ix. 4.), " I mujl " work the works of him that fent me/* And if he, who voluntarily came under the law, was bound to this active and extenfive fervice, fhall we, who are its neceflary fub- jedls, plead an exemption from it ? Paul, in his epiftle to Titus (chap. iii. 11.), in- forms us, that " the grace of God, which hath ** appeared to all men, bringing falvation, *^ teacheth us not only to deny ungodlinefs ** and worldly lulls, but to live foberly, and ** righteoufly, and godly in the world ;" and that Chrift gave himfelf for us, for this end, " that he might redeem us from all ini- H 4 ** q^i^X*
112 SERMON V.
" qulty, and purify to himfelf a peculiar " people, zealous of good works."
Thefe paiHiges of Scripture need no com- mentary, all of them point out the ne- ceflity of a pofitive and an active obedience. But this IS not all. Our bleiTed Lord, who well knew what was in man, feems to have dircilly calculated fqme of his difcourfes, to prevent the pojffibility of a miftake on this fubje(5t. The parables of the rich man and Lazarus, of the talents, and of the bar- ren fig-tree, plainly appear to have been de- livered with this view.
We are not told that the rich man was in any refpccl injurious or oppreffivc to Laza- rus : his guilt lay ifi his not extending his kindnefs to flipply his wants. The unpro- fitable fervant was caft into outer darkncfs, not for lofing or fquandering away his ta- lent, but for hiding if in a napkin, and ne- glecfting to improve it. And the fig-tree was cut down, and call into the fire, not for producing bad fruit, but becaufe it pro- duced no fruit at all. But left the allegorical 4refs of thefe inftrudlions fliould leave men ^t too great liberty to explain away the force
of
SERMON V. 113
pf them, this wife and provident Teacher, in a ferious and awful difcourfe on the pro- cefs of the lail judgement, refumes the fame argument, (Matth. xxv. 31.— ). There he tells us exprefsly, that men fliall not only be puniihed for doing evil, but alio for neglecfling to perforin adlive fervice ; and in particular, for negleding to perform the ofEces of humanity to their brethren. For the charge runs in thefe words : *' I " was an hungered, and ye gave me no " meat ; I was thirfty, and ye gave me no " drink ; I was a ftranger, and ve took " me not in ; naked, and ye clothed me " not; fick, and in prifon, and ye vifited ^' me not " — " For in as much as ye did it *' not to the leaft of thefe my brethren, ye f* did it not to me." And then follows the doom to be pronounced on thofe againft whom this charge is brought : " Thefe " Ihall go away into everlalting punifh- " ment."
From thefe paffages of Scripture, we learn with afTurance, that unlefs life is filled up with good works, death, which introduceth •QS to judgement, muft approach to us with a
dark
114 S E R M O N V.
dark and gloomy afpedl. When confcience, awakened with the dawning of an everlaft- ing day, Ihall prompt us to inquire, What we have done ? How we have improved our time, our talents, and the means of grace with which we have been favoured ? If in this review of ourfelves, we fliall be able to difcover nothing but the traces of vanity and impertinence, how muft we Ihrink back, and tremble to venture on the awful ftate before us ? If God will judge every man according to his works, alas ! what muft become of the unhappy fluggard, who hath no works to fhow; who hath flept, and trifled, and fquandered away all his time ? " O that men were wife, that they un- *' derftood this, that they would confider
** their latter end !" " How long, O yc
*' fimple ones, will ye love fimplicity ?" How long, O finner, {hall that precious time on which eternity depends, be wafted in the purfuit of lying vanities ? O think, how fwiftly it pafleth away, and how paflionate- ly thou wilt one day wifli to recal it. Who can affure thee that the decree is not already gone forth ^gainft thee, " Cut him off, why
" cumbereth
S i; R M O N V. 115
** cumbereth he the ground.'' — " Thou fool, « this night thy foul fhall be required of « thee."
Pardon me, then, if I fpeak to you as fliort Hved, or as dying creatures ; fome of whom I may never fee again, till we meet before the judgement- feat of God. Under this impreffion, let me deal freely with you, and call on you to review your paft con- duct, as if the Lord himfelf were demand,- ing an account of it.
Say, then, hath it been fuitable to the rank you hold in life ? Hath it even been rational ? fuch as became thofe high intel- ledlual powers by which you are raifed a- bove the beafts that periih ? Would you confent to have it publiflied before this congregation ? Or rather, are there not fome parts of it which you would wifli to hide from your moft intimate friends ; left, partial as they are to you, the knowledge of them fliould quench their affection, and render you contemptible in their eyes ? Are you then ready to appear in judgement, and to have all your thoughts, and words,
and
ii6 SERMON V.
^nd ac5lions laid open and canvaiFed before an affembled world ?
I {hall not fuppofe yoii guilty of grofs afls of wickednefs. Perhaps the inflaence of education, the power of natural con- fclence, and the reftraints of Providence, have hitherto kept you back from thefe* I at prefent charge you with nothing worfe than the omifiion of duty, and the neglecl of opportunities for cultivating and impro- Ting the talents which God hath given you. You have been thoughtlefs and inconfide- rate, unmindful of the God who made you, and of the Redeemer who bought you with his blood. You have forgQtten the end for which you was fent into the world. You Jiavc fuftcred the cares and pleafures of the pref:nt life, the bufinefs or amufements of this fleeting fcene of vanity, to divide your hearts, and engrofs your time, as if the foul had been deftincd to fcrve the body ; or as if this earth had been defigned for your only rcfidencc and portion.
Can you then review fuch a life without blufliing aod fliame ? When you think of 5t, doth it not appear mean and defpicablc
even
SERMON V. 117
even in yonr own eyes ? And can it then be plealing ; or rather, muft it not be highly offenfive to that Almighty Being, who gave you a nature fitted for the performance of nobler fervices, and for the relifli of higher enjoyments, than any with which you have been hitherto acquainted?
For the Lord's fake open your eyes, and take a ferious and impartial view of your condition. BlefFed be God,^ it is not yet too late. The door of mercy is ftill open ; and though, like the prodigal fon^ you have hitherto been feeding upon hulks ;, yet when, like him, ye fhall return to your Fa- ther's houfe, and to the faithful and affec- tionate duty of children, your pail v/ander- ing and unprofitable life Ihall be forgiven^ and ye may yet enjoy the honours and pri- vileges of your Father's fons.
Having thus confirmed and illuftrated the firft propofition contained in the text, namely, that men fin, not only when they pofitively tranfgrefs the law of God; but alio, when they do not fulfil the duties which the law requires to the utmoft of
their
m8 sermon V.
their power'; — I proceed now to fiiow you^ as was propofed,
Secondly^ That our guilt is more highly- aggravated, when we negledl the duties which are known to us ; or when we de- cline opportunities of doing good, though we are convinced that it is our duty to em- brace them.
He who doth not feek for opportunities of doing good, is a linner; that is, he coun- teracts the obvious intention of his Maker in fending him into the world : and therefore fhall be dealt with as an unfaithful fervant, who hath not applied his talents to the pur- pofes for which they v/ere given him. And, if this is the cafe, then furely the perfon who hath a known opportunity of doing good, and yet wilfully negledls it, muft contract greater guilt, and be liable to a fe- verer punlftiment. If that man be culpa- ble, who is carelefs of doing all the good which by an exertion of his talents he is able to do ; is not that man much more culpable, who prefumptvioufly omits to do the good to which he has opportunities to folicit him ?
But
SERMON V. 115
But why fhould I fpend time in eftabliihing fo plain a truth, efpecially when it is al- ready confirmed by the higheft authority ? Our bleffed Lord himfelf exprefsly tells us, (Luke xii. 47.), that " the fervant who knew " his Lord's will, and prepared not himfelf, " neither did according to his will, (hall be " beaten with many ftripes."
The only queftion that remains then is. Whether this be a fuppofition that can be made ? Is it to be thought, that any man is capable of deliberately refilling his own convidlion, and of declining obedience to a law which he both knows and believes to be binding on him ?
I confefs, indeed, that a fuperior Being, if we could imagine him to be altogether unacquainted with human affairs, might rejedl this fuppofition as improbable. But furely we have no caufe to objedl againfl the reprefentation as forced, or beyond the life. Our own obfervation, unlefs we have been extremely inattentive, cannot fail to furnifh us with numberlefs proofs of this determined negledl of duty. We need not go from home, to bring our examples from
perfons
120 SERMON V.
w
perfons in high and public truft, who have been known to facrifice the acknowledged intereft and honour of a whole nation to their own private refentment or perfonal advantage. They are farther feen, for no other reafon but becaufe they are placed higher. The importance of their ftation renders their faults the more confpicuous, while a groaning community points out, as with the finger, the authors of its diflrefs. But let each of us look into his own bread ; and if confcience is not afleep, it will fay to us as Nathan faid to David, " Thou art the " man." Thou thyfelf haft negledled the faireft opportunities of doing good, when thou hadft the ftrongeft convidion that it was thy reafonable duty.
I mean not to pry into the fecrets of your hearts^ any more than to divulge the fecrets of my own. But I fpeak from a thorough convidlion, that all of us pafs too flightly over our omiffions, even in the mod ferious review which we take of our con- du6t. We are, alas ! too fruitful in excufes^ and too ready to glofs over our moft culpa- ble neglecfls, witlx the ipecious colour of ig- norance
g E R M 0 N V. 121
•hd'rance or incapacity. But God, to whom the night fhineth as the day, knows the con- vidlion of mind againfl which we fin ; and our mod dexterous arts of concealment cannot fcreen us from his penetrating eye. A juft imprefiion of this would prevent many fatal miftakes in our condudl*.
I have now, for example, an opportunity of doing good: and my confcience tells me, that 1 ought to improve it. On the other hand, I have many ftrong temptations to negledt it. It would put me to too niuch coft or trouble ; it would involve me in a train of adlion againft which my indolence revolts ; or it would divert me from other em- ployments more agreeable to my inclination. On which fide fliall I refolve ? May I not fo manage it, that the negledl fliall efcape the obfervation of my neighbour ? Or if he fliould perceive it, may I not put a good face upon it, and find out fome excufe to fave me from his cenfure ? — Ah ! but here is the checki The Searcher of hearts knows my prefent coilvidion. In vain fliall I at- tempt to prevaricate with him. I may elude the cenfure of man ; bvit I never can efcape
Vol. III. I the
122 SERMON V.
the juft judgement of that God who is great- er than my heart, and knoweth all things. Such reafoning as this, if it were once be- come habitual to us, would be a conftant and powerful incitement to all holy obe- dience ; and would prevent the deep guilt of negledling to do good, even when we know the extent and obligation of the law of God, and are convinced that it is our duty to comply with it.
Having thus endeavoured to illuftrate and confirm the two propofitions contained in my text, I proceed now to the pradlical ii»- provement of the fubjedl. — And,
ly?. This fubje<a adminiflers a flbarp re- proof to thofe who, in any cafe, attempt to evade their convidtions of duty. " To him " that knoweth to do good," faith the A- poflle, " and doth it not, to him it is fin.'* For, confider what kind of difpofition this conduct betrays. Is it not evidently the diC- pofition of a llavifh and mercenary mind? You do no more in the fervice of God than you fuppofe to be necefTary, in order to cicape eternal mifery ; and this is the
only
S E R M O N V. 723
bnly crnfi .eration which deters you from open tranfgreffions of his law. You have therefore no regard for him, but only a concern for your own fafety. Your plan of condudl is to offend God as far as yoii can, without incurring his vengeance : So that any appearance of goodnefs about ybu is nothing more than the efFedl of a natural timidity. Do ye thus requite the Ldrd^ O fooUfli people and unwife ? Doth this goodnefs challenge^ no better return from you, than merely to refi^in froni acts of open rebellion againft him ? Confider, I befeech you, the bafenefs and ingratitude of this co^dudl ; and if your hearts retain any fpark of ingenuity, you will furely be perfuaded to yield him a more faithful and generous fervice in time to come. But,
2dly^ This fubjecft adoiinifters reproof alfo to the flothful and inadlive fervant, who refis contented with low attainments in religion. You perhaps flatter yourfelf, that although you are remifs in feeking ouc opportunities of doing good, yet you are not Unfaithful to any known obligation. But in this cafe you greatly deceive yourfeif:
I 2 For,
124 SERMON V.
For, is it not a known obligation, that we fhould aim at as much perfedlion as we are capable of attaining ? But you have renounced this defire altogether. In other words, you have deliberately left off that work to which our Saviour hath exprefsly commanded us to devote ourftlves. For, are not thefe his words ? " Be ye perfedl, " even as your Father who is in heaven is ^^ perfedl/' — Once more,
What hath been faid on this fubjedl ought to quicken the zeal and a(5livity even of thofe who have made the greateft pro- grefs in the good ways of God.
The declining ftate of religion calls loud- ly on all who are its real friends, to exert themfelves to the utmoft, in order to revive its influence in the world. Nothing, be af-' fured, will be fo effedlual for accomplifhing this defireable obje6l, as the bright and exemplary lives of profefling Chriftians. Are you then zealous for the glory of God i be " zealous of good works." Let it appear that your religion gives authority to your Gonfcience, by your being more juft, and humane, and generous than other men.
" Ye
SERMON V. 12S
^*« Ye are the fait of the earth, ye are the •" light of the world." Your divine Mailer hath intruded you with the honour of that religion which he taughts^ on earth, and ex- perts that you fhould difplay it in an amiable light. But furely a mere negative degree of virtue will never convince men that your principles have any excellence fuperior to their own : and that profeffing Chriftians fatisfy themfelves with a virtue of this fort, is, I am afraid, in no fmali degree the caufe to which the rapid growth of iinfidelity in thefe times muft be afcribed.
If this is at ail the fa6t, doth it not af- ford us a fubjedl of the moft ferious la- ineiitation ? " It is impoffible bvit that of- " fences will come, but wo "unto him thro' " whom they come. It were better for him *' that a millftone were hanged about his " neck, and he caft into the fea." O then fludy to adorn the dodlrine of God your Saviour in all things. " Let your light fo *' Ihine before ncien, that they may fee your " good works, and glorify your Father
** which is in heaven." *• Whatfoever
■^ things are true, whatfoever things are ho-
^ I 3 « neft.
126 SERMON V.
" neft, whatfoever things are juft, whatlb- *' ever things are pure, whatloever things are lovely, whatfoever things are of good report, and if there be any virtue, if there be any praife, think on thefe things," and do them. This will adminifter to you true pleafure in hfe, and folid hope in death ; and hereafter the found of the lafl trumpet, the terror of the negligent and unfaithful fer- vant, will be the triumphant fignal of your releafe from the grave, and the fummons of your Lord to enter into his joy. Amen,^
SER«
127
SERMON VI.
Proverbs vi. 6, 7, 8*
:Go to the ant^ thou Jluggard\ confider her
ways^ and be nvife : which having no guide^
Qverfeer^ or ruler ^ provideth her meat in the
fummer^ and gatheretb her food in the har-
^eji^
MAN was created with more under- ftanding than the beads of the earth: But our minds are fo debafed by our apo- ftafy from God, that the noeaneft creatures may become our teachers. And accord- ingly, the Spirit of God, in the Scriptures, doth frequently fend us to learn our duty from the example of the beafts of the field, and of the fowls of heaven. Thus, ingratitude is reproved by the example of thofe animals which are accounted the moft flupid and untraclable, (Ifaiab i* 3.) " The
J4
U
OX
128 SERMON vr.
" ox knoweth his owner, and the afs his ^' mafler's crib ; but Ifraei doth not know^ *' my people doth not confider." An inat- tention to the conduct of divine Providence, and a negledl of the proper leafons of acli- vity, are in Hke manner condemned by the example of the fowls of heaven. " The ftork *' knoweth her appointed times, and the tur- *' tie, and the crane, and the fwaiiow, obferve ^' the times of rheir coming 5 but my peo- " pie (faith God) know: not the judgement " of the Lord," {Jercm. viii. 7-) To cure tis of exceffive careiuinefs and ajixiety, our Saviour fends us to " coniider the r<lv( ns : *' tney neither fovv nor reap ; they have " neither ftoiehoufe nor barn; yet God *' feedeth them : How much more," faith he, *' are ye better than the fowls ?" [Lt/i^ xii. 24.). And in my text, to cure us of negligence and floth, Solomon fends us to a creature of the fmalleft fize, but of moft wonderful adivity. " Go to the ant, thou " fluggard ; coniider her ways, and be wife : " which having no guide, overfeer, or ruler, " provideth her meat in the fummer, and " gathereth her food in the harveft."
' In
SERMON VI. 125
In difcourfing on thefe words, I will,
i/^, Coniider the characler of the perfon
wliom the wife man here addrefles.
And,
2dly\ The counfel or advice which he
gives him ; and will then conclude with a
pradical improvement of the fubjedl.
I begin with the charadler of the perfon to whom this advice is addreffed. " Go to " the ant," faith Solomon, " thou Aug- " gard :" and the charader of the fluggard is fo minutely " defcribed in this book, and in the book of Ecclefiaftes, that any of us may foon be acquainted with it.
Solomon obferves in general, that floth cafteth into a deep fleep ; and -he reprefents the fluggard in this ftate, in the verfes im- mediately following my text. When it is faid to hini, " How long wilt thou fleep, O " fluggard ? when wilt thou arife out of ** thy fleep ?" infl:ead of being afFecled with the juft reproach, he begs earneflly for far- ther indulgence, " Yet a little fleep, a little " flumber, a little folding of the hands to " fleep." — " As the door turneth upon its
" binges,
?3o S E R M O N VI.
*' hinges, fo dorh the flothful man upon his <' oed." At length, when fleep itfelf hath become wearifome, and he hath rifen from his bed, he hath changed his fituation only to give a new indui^^ence to his fioth. *' He hi- *' deth hix« hand in his hofom," and will not fo much as " bring it to his mouth again," He fpcnds his time in fruitl fs wi(hes: The foul of the fluggard " deiireth, and hath not." To- ii^.orrow is always a day of labour, to-day is alvTays fpent in idlenefs: And thus *' the defire *' of thedothful killethhim, becaufe his hands ** retufe to labour." He is difcouraged by the leaft oppofition : ** The way of the floth- -*' ful man is as a hedge of thorns." Every difEcuky furnifheth him with an excufe for his idlenefs : " The fluggard will not plow ** by reafon of the cold." Nay, rather than want an excufe, he creates imaginary dan- gers to himfelf : He faith, " There is a lion " without, I fhall be flain in the ftreets." At length, " By much flothfulnefs the building ^* decays, and through the idlenefs of the
" hands the houfe droppeth through."
** His field and his vineyard are grown over " with thorns : nettles cover the face there-
" of:
SERMON VI. 131
f^ of: and the ftone-wall is broken down." Thus, " Poverty cometh upon him like one M that travaileth, and his want as an armed " man, till drowfinefs at laft clothes him " with rags."
Such is the pidlure which Solomon draws of the lluggard ; and the features are fo ftrongly marked, that there is no room to doubt that it was drawn from the life.
Whether there are perfons in the prcfent ftate of fociety to whom all the parts of this charadler agree, is a queftion which every man will anfwer to himfelf, either from his knowledge or experience. The charge is in- deed fo complex, that it might be difficult perhaps to prove it in its full extent againft any one individual.
We know well who they are whofe hands refufe to labour, who are clothed with rags, and make poverty not only their complaint, but their argument. But though the idle vagrant is plainly defcribed and condemned by thefe articles, there are other parts of the charge againft which he might offer a plau- lible defence.
He might anfwer to the charge of exceC-
five
132 SERMON VT.
five fleep, that he rifeth as early, or at leat: is as foon abroad, as any from whom he can expedl an alms : and that he is fo far from hiding his hand in his bofom, that he ftretcheth it forth from morning to night, to levy contributions from every paflenger he fees. Nav, to ftrengthen his defence, might he not argue, that as the Preacher was a king, perfons of a higher rank were far more likely to be the objeds of his at- tention, many of v^hom eat the bread of idlenefs, and labour as little as the beggar ? And as he fpeaks of fields and vineyards, that this fhows him to have had lluggards of a fuperior order in his eye, vs^ho origi- nally pofiefled fome property, and held a Itation above the lower tribes of the people. By this defence, he will certainly elude fome articles of the charge. Enough, however, •will ftill remain to evince his right to the charadler in the text. And what he throws off from himfelf doth not fall to the ground, but will bear hard on th-e idle and volup- tuous in the higher ranks of life. At the fmie time, there are fome articles in the <:harge, to which thofe of a better ftation
would
SERMON VI. 133
livould no doubt objedl in their turn. They might attempt to evade the charge of flug- giflmefs, by alledging, that though indeed they apply themfelves to no ac5live bufi- nefs or employment, yet the fatigues of drefs, of ceremony, and of equipage ; the anxieties of gaming, and the attendance on faftiionable amufements, render the purfaic of pleafure in the prefent age, as toilfome and laborious as any mechanical employ- ment whatfoever. And that fo far from be- ing clothed in rags, which Solomon makes the badge of a fluggard, the fadl is, that So- lomon himfelf, in all his glory, was not ar- rayed like one of them.
Were this a controverfy of any import- ance, it would be an eafy matter co detecl the fallacy of thefe reafonings, and to fhow, that the defences on both fides are weak and frivolous. But this would be an idle wafte of time ; for as neither of t!ie parties can deny that fome parts of the defcription ap- ply to them, it is of httle confequence co which of them the larger fliare of it belongs.
But iloth is not confined to the common aflfairs of life, nor the character of a Hup:^
gaid
ij4 SERMON Vr.
gard to men in any particular ftation. There is floth in religion, as well as in common life ; and the defcription in my text applies to all, without exception, who, however ac- tive and induftrious in their fecular employ- ments, negledl the one thing needful, the care of their precious and immortal fouls.
The laborious mechanic, the bufy mer- chant, the painful ftudent, and the buftling ftatefman, are all fluggards in a fpiritual fenfe, unlefs they are adlive in the love and fervice of the God that made them ; and unlefs the advancement of his glory, and the final enjoyment of his favour, are the ends to which all their purfuits are diredled.
Here we are only to fojourn for a fnort time. Our great Creator hath made us for higher occupations, and better joys, than the prefent world affords vis. He hath formed us for the knowledge and enjoyment of him- felf in an eternal and unchangeable ftate, and hath inftrudled us how we may attain this glorious objedl of our being. And therefore, however bufy a man may be for himfelf, however induftrious for his family, however adive for the public ; yet if all his
views
S E R M O'N VI 13^-
views terminate in this prefent life, he is ftill a fluggard in the eye of God. For he who labours only for the meat that perifli- eth, doth as fatally counteradl the end of his creation, as he that fleeps on the bed of floth, or as he that fatigues himfelf in pur- fuing the vain and fugitive pleafures of this world. — I will add, that even thofe who have chofen the better part, and who feek the kingdom of God and his righteoufnefs in the firft place, do often incur the impu- tation of fluggifhnefs, by the omiffion or carelefs performance of what God hath re- quired of them. For, alas ! where is the man who doth " whatfoever his hand findeth " to do" in the bufinefs of religion, " with " all his might ?" Where is the man who ** ftrives," as in an agony (for fo the ori- ginal word imports) " to enter in at the " ftrait gate ?" or who "gives all diligence " to make his calling and eledion fure/' We fee much adlivity in the purfuits of the world ; but a very fmall portion of it, in- deed, in that purfuit which moft requires and deferves it.
I may therefore venture to affirm, that
there
135 SERMON VL
there Is not one in this aflembly to whom my text is not addrefled in one view or ano- ther. And therefore, without queftion-
iiig the propriety of the defcription, let u? go on, as was propofed,
Secondly^ To confider the coiinfel or ad- vice which the wife man hath given us: " Go to the ant, thou fluggard ; confider " her ways, and be wife : which having no " guide, overfeer, or ruler, provideth her " meat in the iummer, and gathereth her " food in the harveft.'*
He direds us to a creature, indeed, of the moft diminutive fize and appearance, but whofe fagacity and unremitting adivity ftrike the eye of every beholder. The ant inftrucleth us, not by fpeech, but by ac- tions : and therefore we are called upon *' to confider her ways ;" l\ow Ihe is em- ployed, and for what ends flie is adive ; not merely that we may gratify our curi- ofity, or even extend our knowledge of the natural world ; but that we may become wifer and better. The wifdom we learn from the ant, is the wiiclom of living well :
the
SERMON VL 137
the wifdom of acling fuitably to our fu- jperior nature, and our glorious hopes.
There are three very important lefTons which we learn from the condu6l of the ant. The
\Jl is, a forefight and fagacity in making provifion for the time to come. Tlie ant gathereth more than fhe hath prefent occa-^ fion for ; and in the fummer and harvefl lays up a ftore for the approaching winter. Thus file arms herfelf againil the rigours of the inclement feafon ; and whilft the graf- hoppers, that fung and fported in the fummer and harvefl ; nay, whilfl many creatures of larger fize and greater flrength, perifh for want of food ; fhe lives on the fruits of her induflry^ and reaps the reward of her care and providence. O that this wifdom were more common among men ! and that we could be perfuaded, while the feafon of ac- tion lafls, to ^' lay up in flore for ourfelves " a good foundation againfl the time to " come, while the evil days come not, nor the " years draw nigh,^ when we fhail fay we " have no pleafure in themi" How dreary mufl tlie winter of life be, when the pre- . Vol, III. K vious
138 SERMON VI.
vious feafons have been pafled in floth, 111 idlenefs, or in folly ; when the body lan- guifhes under poverty and wretchednefs ;; or when the mind, unfurniflied with know- ledge, and virtue, and faith, and devotion, fojourns in a crazy tabernacle, tottering to
the duft ? A
%d leflbn to be learned from the condudl of the ant, is adivity and diligence. The ant never intermits her labours as long as the feafon lafts. In fummer, when the weather is hotteft, at fultry noon as well as in the cool of the morning and of the evening, this bufy creature is continually in jEnotion, either feeking her food abroad, or dilpofing it in her cells at home. Nay, her labours end not with the day, but, as natu- ral ifts have obferved, fhe often takes the benefit ot the moon, and plies her work w^ith a furprifing alacrity. Happy were it for man, that he as faithfully employed that precious time which is given him, either to render himfelf ufeful in this world, or to prepare for eternity. Then would he not be ieen encroaching on the day by floth^
nor
SERMON VI. 139
ttor turning it into night, by intemperance and riot. — The
^d leffon which we learn from the cop- duc5l of the ant, is fagacity in ihaking nfe of the {)roper feafon for adlivity. Opportunity is the flower of time ; or it is the mod pre- cious part of it, which if once loft may never return. This the ant knoweth how to feize with admirable fkill. She goeth forth in queft of food when it can be had with cafe and certainty : She employs her labour at the time when fhe knows that it will be effedlual. Unlike to man, w^hofe folly prompts him to neglecSl the feafon in which his talents might be ufefully employ- ed, till he hath loft it for ever ; and who fpends on trifles the day of his merciful vi- fitation, till the things which belong to his peace are for ever hid from his eyes.
All. this forefight, diligence, and fagacity, the ant employs by an inftindl of nature, untutored, and unawed. She hath neither guide, overfeer, nor judge : There is none to go btifore and mark out her taflc ; none to fuperintend and prompt her to her la- bour ; none to require an account of Ker
K 2 induftry,
140 SERMON VL
induftry, or ta punifli her either for her negledl or mifcarriages. This circumftance the wife man mentions with a pecuKar em- phafis, on purpofe to draw the flnggarfl's af- tenrion to it. For furely nothing cart be fuggefted of greater force and eSicacy to roufe him from his lethargy, and to con- vince him that his floth is not only criminal, but wirhout excufe.
The ant hath no guide ; but we, my bre- thren, have many guides. " There is a " fpirit in man, and the infpiratian of the ** Almighty giveth them underftanding.'^ Our Maker hath endued us with reafonable fouls, capable of difcerning betwixt good and evil. He hath favoured us with a com- plete revelation of his will, and hath Ihow- ed us " what is good, and what the Lord ** our God requireth of us.'* — " The law of ** the Lord is perfed, converting the foul ; " the teftimony of the Lord is fure, making " wife the fimple." He hath fent his Son into the world, to ihow us the path of life, not only by his dodlrine, but by his exam- ple too^ And he offers us his Spirit, to lead tis into all truth, to open our eyes, and to
turn
SERMON VI. 141
turn us from darknefs to light, by taking of the things of Chrift, and fhowing them unto us. He hath afTured us of his willing- nefs to affift and to guide us. " If any man *' lack wifdom, let him afk it of God, who " giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth ^' not, and it ftiall be given him." If men therefore are Haggards, and loiter in their work, they can neither pretend ignorance of their duty, nor the want of a guide to dlredl them in it.
Again, the ant " hath no overfeer :" but man adls under the immediate infpe^lion of him, " whofe eyes are as a flame of fire. — • ^' The eyes of the Lord are in every place, " beholding the evil and the good." — Can any hide himfelf in fecret " places that I " fhall not fee him : do not I fill heaven ^* and earth, faith the Lord ?" — " Yea, the " darknefs hideth not from thee, O Lord, " but the night fliineth as the day." Be- fides, God hath placed an overfeer in our own brcafts, which a6ls within us as his depvity ; for the voice of confcience is the Voice of God. iThis bofom-witnefs marks our fteps, reminds us of our duty, con- K ^ dei^o^
$42 SERMON VI.
demns us when we do wrong, and never fails to render rhofe unhappy, whom it fails to keep faithful to their duty. For con- fcience at firil fpeaks forcibly to every hu- man being ; and many a hard (lru,ggle doth it coil: even the word of men, before this awful monitor can be filenced. Ti^us we have not only a guide to point out the way to us, but an overfeer to attend us in every flep ; and therefore, if we either loiter or turn aiide, we mufl be without excufe ; *' Our o\tn hearts condemn us, and God is *' greater than our hearts, and knoweth all « things,"
Qnce more, the ant " hath no ruler" or judge, to call her to account for her con- dud. But every one of us muft give an account of himfelf to God, *' God hath " appointed a day in which he will judge " the world in righteoufnefa, by that Man ** whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath " given aflTurance uuto all men, in that he
" raifed him from the dead." " We
** muft all appear before the judgement- " feat of Chrift, that every one may re- '^ ceive the things done in the body, ac-
" cording
SERMON VI. 148
** cording to that he hath done, whether it *' be good or bad." And it deferves our notice, that the fluggard is particularly pointed out in Scripture as one of thofe who Ihall certainly be condemned in that decifive day. This is clearly intimated to us in the parable of the talents. The un- profitable fervant, who is condemned to litter darknefs, is not accufed of having Squandered his talent, or of having applied it to wicked purpofes : on the contrary, he had preferved it entire^ and returned it un- impaired to his matter : his crime was, that he had not improved it. He was a wicked fervant, becaufe he had net been adlive for the inter eft of his Lord : he was in Ihort the fluggard here addrefled by the wife man ; and his doom was juft. For it is only " to thofe who, by a patient continu- *' ance in well-doing, feek for glory, ho- ** nour, and immortality, that God will ^' render eternal life, in the day when he " fliall judge the fecrets of men by Jefus *' Chrift."
Thus, then, the ant, which without a giiide, overfeer, or judge, labours with fuch
K 4 diligence.
144 SERMON VI.
diligence, fagacity, and forefight for the prefervation of a life which mud loon com^ to a final period ; inftru6ls, reproves, and condemns thofe who, having all the advan- tages which are denied to her, are yet re- mifs and negligent in the great bufinefs affigned them : on which depend not their prefent interefts only, but the mterefts and the life of their immortal fpirits — -of their ipirits, which ihall furvive the diffolutioa of their bodies, and ihall lalt through eter- nal ages.
• Thefe obfervations. may be fufficient both to • illuftrate the meaning, and to. ftiow the propriety of Solomon's advice. Let me now, as the improvement of the fubjedl, prefs you to reduce to pradice the leflbns which 1 have
l)een conlidering. And foj; thi^ end, I
would reprefent to you,
ly?. That the fluggard fins againft the very nature which God hath given him. For what are all the high powers and faculties with which we are endowed, but fo many tokens that we were formed for adlive fer- vice? The nature of things has evidently
iu
SERMON VL 145
in this refpedl the force of a law ; fince it is impoflible to conceive, that powers and capacities were given us, which were not meant to be exerted and improved. Even in the ftate of innocence man had his tafk affigned him, whilft the inferior animals were left to roam at large, without being accountable for their conducfl. And as our natures are formed for adlion, fo our inclii** nation evidently prompts us to it. This is plain from the various methods by which thofe who will not labour endeavour to relieve themfelves from the oppreflive load of idlenefs. Their time itfelf is a mifery : and there is nothing fo impertinent to which they will not fly, that they may be free of it. The burdens of the moll laborious flaves are light, when compared with the burden which the fluggard carries about with him in an en- feebled body, and a vacant difcontented
mind.
^dljy The fluggard fins againfl the ma-
nifefl: defign of Providence. God hath
indeed made a liberal provifion for the fup-
ply of all our returning wants. But he
bath done this in a ,way that requires in-
duftry
146 SERMON VI.
duftry on our part, in order to render that provlfion efFedlual. The earth, by the bleC- fmg of God, is fruitful of herbs and grain for the ufe of man. But man mud be careful to do his part in the labour of the field, that it may yield him a regular or a certain produce. The rough materials of all things neceffary and convenient for the •purpofes of* life are laid plentifully at our hands ; but the fkill and induftry of the workman muft bring them into form, and render them fit for ufe. " All things are ^ futt of labour." Who then art thou, O fluggard, to countera6l the defigns both of Nature and of Providence ?
But fom€ may fay, perhaps. We have no- thing to do. Our wants are abundantly fupplied from the patrimony which we have inherited ; and nothing remains for us but to enj^y what we have. Do you then indeed believe, that any human being can have a right to live idle on th^ earth ? If ye believe this, ye have yet to learn this fun- damental principle of common fenfe, That all obligations are reciprocal. Ye flug- gards, why cumber ye tl^e ground^ ? Shall
God
S E R M O N VI. 147
God give you all things richly to enjoy, and is there no a<5live fervice which he re- quires of you ? Muft the labour of ^he huihandman nourifh, and the art of the ^ manufacflurer clothe you ? Muft all ranks of men labour for your convenience ; and are there, no obligations which ye are bound to difcharge to them in return for fo- many, and fo important fervices? For what end then do you live ? Your being is an em- barraffment and burden to the creation. " For if any man will not work, neither
" fliould he eat." Once more, in the
j^d place, The fluggard fins againft the great defign of the Gofpel. For we have not only a Guide to inftrucfl us, an Over- feer- to obferve us, and a Judge to whom we are accountable ; but we have alfo a great Redeemer, who flied his blood for the raBfom of our fouls, and who gave him- felf fo^ us^ not to purchafe our releafe from duty, but to « purify unto himfelf a .pe- '^ culiar people, zealous of good works," Chrift fpoiled principalities and powers, '- that we, being delivered out of the hands ^' of our enemies, might ferve him without
" fear/
148 SERMON VL
** fear, in holinefs and righteoufnefs before ^' him all the days of our lives." Let vis hear and reverence the language of the Gof- pel. " Ye are not your own : ye are bought " with a price : therefore glorify God in ** your body and i^ your fpirit, which are " God's. Work out your own falvation '^ with fear and trembling: for it is God *^ that worketh in you, both to will and to " do of his good pleafure. And befide this, ** giving all diligence, add to your faith vir- ^' tue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godlinefs, and to godlinefs brotherly kindnefs, and to bro^ therly kindnefs charity. For fo an entrance *' fhall be miniftered unto you abundantly^ >' into the everlafting kingdom of our Lord *' and Saviour Jefus Chrift."
Let us then be no longer " flothful in bu- " finefs, but fervent in fpirit, ferving the ♦« Lord." Jrnen.
SER
H9
SERMON VIL
James iv. 13, 14, 15-
Go to nowy ye that fay^ to-day or to^morro'W we will go into fuch a city^ and continue there a year^ and buy andfell^ and get gain. Whereas ye know not what Jhall be on the morroiv. For what is your life ? it is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time^ and then vanifheth away. For that ye ought to fay^ If the Lord will^ we fhall live^ and do this or that.
THE obvious defign of this paffage, is to detect the folly and prefumption of thofe who lay fchemes for futurity, without a proper acknowledgement of their dependence on the providence of God. The particular fcheme, which the Apoftle reprefents and condemns, is one- of the moil plalifible that can well be imagined. A
merchant
150 SERMON VII.
merchant refolves on a jo^iirney to fome city, in which he can T:arry on his trade to advantage. That Jie may lofe no time, he faith, " To-day," or at fartheft, " to-mor- " row, I will go into fuch a city, and con- " tinue there a year, and buy and fell, and " get gain." There is no intimation that he meant to enrich himfelf by fraud or ex- tortion. The gain he had in view may be fuppofed to have been the profits of a fair and honourable commerce ; the honeft re- ward of his attention and diligence.
I apprehend that none of us would be greatly ftartled, though we fhould hear fome of our friends talking in the manner which is here reprefented. There are few of us, perhaps, who have not on fome occa- fions held fuch a language, without fuf- pecfling that it was either prefumptuous or wrong. In order, therefore, to diicover what is* faulty in it, and to enter into the fpirit of this text, let us examine with atten- tion,
ly?. The form of expreffion which the Apoftle condemns. — And,
'zdky The amendment which he fug-
gefts.
SERMON VIT. tst
getts. — And if it fhall pleafe God to afford us the affiftance of his Spirit, I am per- fuaded that feveral remarks will occur to us in the courfe of this inquiry, which may be " profitable for dodlrine, for reproof, " for corredlion, and for inftruclion iu righ- " teoufnefs." — Let us then attend,
Fir/fj To the form of expreffion which the Apoftle condemns. " Go to now, ye' ^^ that fay, to-day or to-morrow we will go '^ into fuch a city, and continue there a " year, and buy and fell, and get gain."
In general, we may obferve, that this language relates altogether to a worldly projedl. The principal objeift is gain: " not " the true riches ;" or " that good part" which fliall never be taken from thofe who choofe it ; but the gain of this world, the gain which is acquired by buying and fell* ing. They fay nothing of the meafure of gain that- would fatisfy them, and nothing of the ufe to which they meant to apply their wealth. For any thing that their ex- preffions imply, their defire? might be with- out bounds, and their loie aim migat be
to
152 SERMON VIL
to " heap up filver as the duft, and fine " gold as the mire of the llreets ;" or, in the language of Ifaiah, '* to jom houfe to houfe, " and field to field, till they were placed " alone in the midft of the earth."
If this remark is juft, we have already difcovered one capital error in the expref^ fions before us. — To feek gain by honeft induftry^ either for the fupply of our own wants, or to enable us to relieve the necef^ fities of others, is not only lawful but ho- nourable : But to feek wealth for its own fake, and merely for the fordid pleafure of poireflTing it, betrays a mean and felfifh fpi- rit, unworthy of a man, and much more unworthy of a Chriftian.
Suppofing this then to be the end in view, there can be no doubt that it is in a high degree culpable. But as the Apoflle is filent on this head, we fliall admit, that the per- fons who hold the language before us, might intend to make a proper ufe of their riches, and proceed to examine the means by which they propofe to obtain them* " To-day," fay they, " or to-morrrow, we " will go into fuch a city."— Thefe words
' may
SERMON VIL 153
iijaypafs in common converfation; but when we ferioufly weigh the import of them, as at prefent we are called to do, we fhall find that they are chargeable both with folly and pre- fumption.
The great Lord of all has no part' in this fcheme. Thefe little arrogant words, we WILL, thrufl him out at once, and occupy his place. And for what do the perfons here de- icribed undertake ? They undertake without . hefitation, to infure their hves againft death, their bodies againft ficknefs, and their efFedls againft every cafualty or hazard. They fpeak of the morrow, as if they had the abfolute property of it. They promife themfelves, that to-morrow they ihall not only be alive, but in health, to fet out on their journey ; that- they ftiail meet with no crofs accidents by the way; that the goods which they carry along with them, ihall be proted:ed againft thieves and robbers; aiid that in due time they jQiall arrive at the city where their plan of buhnefs is to be carried into, execution. But what follows -is ftill moi*e extravagant. They proiiiife upon hfe for a fbll year ; " We will continue there a year :'* , Vol.- III. L and
154' SERMON VII.
and not upon life only, b\it on ^health of body, and foundnefs of mind, during all that time. No allowance is made for change of climate, or the fatigues of buli- nefs : they are always to be in a condition to' by and fell, and to manage their affairs with activity and prudence. Nay, more, they afflire themfelves of fuccefs. " We " will buy and fell, and get gain." They undertake, not for themfelves alone^ but for all whom they ftiall employ, or with whom they fhall have cc>mmerce — that they fhall have diligent and faithful fervants ; that they ftiall have large profits from thofe ta whom they fell, and cheap bargains from thofe of whom they buy. In a word, they Ipeak as if every thing relating to themfelves and others, were fo dependent on their will, that they might command the events which they delired, arid difpofe of all things accor- ding to. their own pleafure.
"Well might the Apoftle give this the name of boafting, as he doth at the i6th verfe of this chapter ; and had it fuited the gravity of an infpired writer, he might have examined the diiferent parts of the^
fchemCj
SERMON VIL iss
fcheme, computed the rifks which were plainly againft them in every ftep, and thus turned the whole defign into matter of con- temnt and ridicule* But inflead of this, he arrefts them at their very firfl outfet. You talk of " going to fuch a city, of continuing " there a year, of buying, of felling, and " getting gain :" — " whereas ye know not " what fhall ^ on the morrow." The prefent moment is all that ye can call your own. This night your fouls may be requi- red of you : to-day you are ; but to-morrow ye may be numbered with thofe who bave been. He would not trifle with miferable men, who might die whilft he was fpeaking to them. He therefore feizeth one impor- tant truth, the force of which could not be denied, and inftantly placeth it full in their view. " What is your life ?" faith he ; " it is even a vapour." At prefent it ap- pears ; but while I yet fpeak to you, it may vaniih away. Ceafe then, vain boafters, to talk of a year hence, until ye can fay fome- thing with certainty of the fucceeding day. Thus the vifionary Babel falls to the ground. This plain propolition, " Life L 2 *' is
IS6 SERMON Vir.
it
is a vapour, undermines it at onctr, and overwhelms the proud builders with (hame.
It hath often given me pleafure to ob- ferve, that the truths which are beftf fitted to touch the heart, and to iniluence the Ufe, are univerfally the mod limple and obvious, and Ue fo near us, that we n^ed only to ftretch forth our hand to take hold of them, God knows, that we have much work to do, and little time to do it in : and there- fore, that we may lofe no part of it, the mod ufeful and neceiTary things are fcat- tered around us with the greatell profufion^ Were it otherwise, the opportunity of ail- ing might frequently pafs av/ay before the means of adlion were ready. Yet fuch, alas ! is our folly and perverfenefs, that overlooking what is near, we roam abroad^^ and always grafp mod eagerly at thofe things which are fartheft from us. Thwart- ing the merciful defigns of God, we defpife common truths, merely becaufe they are common ; and wander in purfuit of abflrufe and intricate fpeculations, which puzzle the iinderllanding, and. amufe the fancy, but
leave
SERMON VIL 157
leave the heart cold and infenfible. How much better vvMS the courfe which the A- poftle took with thofe who held the language of the text, in order to bring them to a fenfe of their folly ? he doth not go about in queft of remote objects, nor feek to furprife them with new and uncommon difcoveries : but he furprifed them mofh eilecflnally, by point- ing to an obje6l juft at hand, one view of which was fuihcient to check their prefump- tion, — an obje^fl which flood always before their eyes, though overlooked through the pride, or inattention, or pervei'fenefs of their minds.
It hath already been obferved, that the matter of the projedl here reprefented by the Apoftle, is in itfelf plaufible ; and that his reproof is chiefly aimed at the form or manner of exprefling it. And if he treated this with fo much feverity, what would he have faid, had the end propofed been cri- minal in its own nature, or the means of obtaining it bafe and dilhonourabfe ? What would he have faid to thofe who puzzle themfelves with fchemes to get rid of their money, or to throw it away upon the mofl » L 3 ridiculous
158 SERMON VII.
ridiculous trifles ? who have no higher ob- jects than the fuperfluities of drefs, the luxury of entertainments, the niultipUcity of diverfions, and all the expenfive arts of difEpation and fenfuality ? What would he have faid to thofe who, in the lame pre- fumptuous ftyle, lay deliberate fchemes for low vice and debauchery, for drunkennefs and whoredom, and other works of the flefh ? What would he have faid to thofe who devife methods of making gain by fe- cret fraud or open violence ? to thofe who pradlife deceit in buying and felling, or who, ^ without either buying or felling, fupport a ufelefs and pernicious life by the bafe and infamous occupation of gaming ? Compared with thefe, the fcheme which' the Apoftle con- demns is wifdom, and honour, and virtue.
But the Apoftle doth not reft in cenfu- ring what was wrong. He goes on at the I 15th verfe to corred what was faulty, and to fupply what was defedive. *' For that " ye ouglTt to fay," adds he, " If the Lord " will, we Ihall live, and do this or that."^ —This amendment, fuggefted by the A- poftle, was the
Second
S E R M O N Vir. 159
Second thing which I propofed to confider. ' — And,
ly?, It furniflieth us with a rule by which all our undertakings ought to be exami- ned. Whatever fcheme we have in view, to which we cannot prefix this preface, " If *' the Lord will," we may be alTured is ef- fentially wTong, and ought to be abandoned without delay. There is nothing truly good or profitable to us, for which we may not addrefs God by prayer. Let us then convert the views wliich we have in any underta- king into the form of a petition, and try whether we can, with decency or proprie- ty, offer up fuch a petition to God. Let us confider, whether the means by which we propofe to compafs thefe views are of fuch a nature, that we may afk or expedl the di- vine blefllng to accompany them. Happy- were it for us, that all our fchemes and pro- jedls w^ere brought to this teft. We ftiould then be feafonably delivered from that fatal enchantment which firft engageth us in un- lawful purfuits, and then ftimulates us to perfift in them againft the remonftrances o£ pur own confciences.
li 4 ■ We
i6o S E R M Q N Vll.
We fiiould then efcape from thofe fatal fnares into which our rafh unadvifed plans betray us. For who would dare to fay, « If the Lord will, I fliall live," and rob and ileal, game and defraud, opprefs and over-reach my neighboui; ? Such a con- ne^lion of thought would ftartle the mind at the very firft conception of luft, before it had brought forth fin. And I am per- fuaded, that if men were faithfully to prac- tife this one eafy and reafonable precau- tion, they would at leaft avoid many of thofe prefumptuous offences, which lay wafte the confcience, and deftroy the peace of the fouL
2dlfy This amendment, which the A- poftle fuggefts, teacheth us to confider the fhortnefs, and particularly the uncertainty, of life. " Ye know not," faith he, " what " fliall be on the morrow. For what is f^,your life ? it is even a vapour which ap- ** peareth for a litrie time, and then Y^uilh- " eth away." Thus David defcribes the life of man by thofe things which ar^ moft frail and fugitive in nature. " As for man,
" hi^
SERMON VIL i6i
"his days are as grais." Nay, as if the grafs, which endures for a feafon, were too permanent an obje6l of comparifon, he im- mediately corredls the fimilitude, "As the " flower of the field, fo he flourifheth :" — - As the flower of the field, which is expo- fed to the foot of every paflTenger, to the tooth of every wild beaft, to the wanton hand of every deftroyer. It is not by rare and fl:riking events only, that the thread of life may be broken. There is no need that the thunder fliould break on you, or that the fire fliould devour you, or that the earth fliould open and fwallow you up. Things far more common and familiar arc fufficient for fo eafy a purpofe, as that of cutting ofi^ your days. There is not an ele- ment fo friendly, nor a circumfl;ance fo trifling, that it may not become the raini- fler of death. Ought not this manifefl un- certainty of life, then, to cool ovir purfuit of earthly projects ? We* are apt to medi- tate great and complicated fchemes to attain wealth, or power, or honour in the world. But could we penetrate a little into futurity,
we
62 SERMON Vir.
we might perhaps fee our grave opened far on this fide of halfway to the objeds of our keenneft purfuit. " For what is our Ufe ? it *' is even a vapour that appeareth for a Uttlc ** time, and then vanilheth away. For that "we ought to fay, If the Lord will, we fhall *' live, and do this or that."
^dfyy This amendment, fuggefted by the Apoftle, teacheth us to live in an habitual dependence on God, not only for life, but alfo for adivity and prudence to carry our lawful defigns into execution. There are two affertions in the loth chapter of the book of Proverbs, which have a feeming oppofition to each other. At the 4th verfe, it is faid, that " the hand of the diligent " maketh rich ;" where it would appear, that profperity, in our worldly callings, is to be afcribed to our own aclivity and ikill. On the other hand, it is aflerted at the 2 2d verfe, that " the bkffing of the Lord, it ma- " kech rich ; and he addeth no forrow with " it." Thefe two affertions are not oppofed; but the one is fubordinate to the other ; and the meaning is, that the hand of the dili- gent, by the bleffmg ci God, is the means
of
S E R M O N VIL 163
of gaming wealth and honour. According- ly, we find that God gave this caution to his ancient people. " Beware that thou fay " not in thine heart, when thy herds and " thy flocks multiply, and thy filver and " thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou " haft is multiplied. My power, and the " might of my hand hath gotten me this " wxalth. But thou Ihalc remember the " Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth " thee power to get wealth." How often do we fee the beft laid fchemes mifcarry ; while others, far lefs flattering, fucceed in a wonderful manner ? One man fhall toil with inceflant induftry, rife early, and fit up late, and eat the bread of carefulnefs, and yet all in vain. Another, who, compa- red with this man, had neither a head to contrive, nor hands to execute, fliall profper in all his plans. " I returned, and faw un- " der the fun, that the race is not to the " fwift, nor the battle to the ftrong ; nei- " ther yet bread to the wife, nor yet riches to men of underftanding, nor yet favour " to men of flcill ; but time and chance hap- •^ peneth to them all." Men are too apr
"to
i(
i64 SERMON VIL
*' to facrifice to their own net, and to burn *' incenfe to their own drag." In great mercy, therefore, God denies riches to thofe who may be faid to Uve for no other end but to obtain them ; while, on the other hand, they fometimes drop, as it were, in- to the lap of others, who have no talents and little anxiety to acquire them. Thefe obfervations are not meant to difcourage induftry or fkill in the management of our law^ful bufinefs. For it is ftill true, not- withftanding what hath been faid, that wif- dom excelleth folly, as much as Hght ex- celleth darknefs ; and that without proper means being ufed, we have no title to ex- pedl the blefling of God upon our affairs. But they ought to teach us to " commit our ♦' ways unto God," in well doing, to truft alfo in him that he may bring it to pafs, to " acknowledge him in all our w^ays, that he " may diredl our fleps," — In the
/^th and laji place. This amendment, fug- gefted by the Apodle, teacheth us to refign ourfelves entirely to the will of God, and to fubmit all our fchemcs to him, to profper or to difappoint them as feemeth good to
him*
SERMON Vir. 165
him. This is the true fpirlt of the text. " If *' the Lord will, we lliall live and do this or " that." Refignation to the will of God freed the mind from a grievous bondage, the bondage of earthly purfaits and expe sta- tions. Whatever God wills, is pleafing to the refigned foul ; and when a Chriftian hath, by prayer and fupplication, made known his requefts to God, then the peace of God which paffeth all underftanding keeps his heart and mind through Jefus Chrift. Then only is life truly enjoyed, when we relifh its comforts, at the fame time that we are prepared to part with them. The anxie- ties of the worldly man torment him with the pangs of a thoufand deaths. His foul dies within him as often as he conceives the apprehenfion of lofing thofe good things which he would wifh always to enjoy* Whereas he who hath refigned his will to the will of God, " eats his bread with " joy, and drinks his wine with a merry " heart." Even the thought of his dying hour throws no damp on the joys of his mind. From the contemplation of God's goodnefs to him in life, he can pafs without
terror
i66 SERMON VIL
terror or amazement to the thought of his protedlion in the dark valley and fhadow of death. Even in that gloomy paffage, he fears no evil ; but commits himfelf to the Lord his Shepherd, who will make good- nefs and mercy to follow him all the days of his life, and at laft will bring him to dwell in his houfe above for ever.
Thefe are fome of the inftruclions which we may derive from the amendment here fuggefted by the Apoftle : " For that ye ^' ought to fay, If the Lord will, we fhall live " and do this or that."
. From what * hath been faid, let us learn, in the
ijl place. To guard againft that extrava- gance in laying down fchemes for the time to come, which, upon cool reflection, appeal's fo unjuftifiable in the example be- fore us. Had the perfons here defcribed, upon finding it inconvenient to fet out immediately, allied themfelves this queftion, What aflurance have we of another day ? this might have given them a timely check. But their imagination having taken pol-
feffioa
SERMON VIL 167
fefTion of the morrow, it carried them for- ward without the leaft interruption, brought them fafe to the end of their journey, fixed their refidence, tranfacfled their bufinefs, and reaped the profits of the whole enluing year. One prefumptuous ftep leads on to another. The firft obje6l is near, and appears to be within our reach : but if we afTure our- ielves of polTeffing that before it adually becomes ours, then we fee another objedl a litile farther on, which appears as near to it again ; afterwards a third but a little beyond that : and thus we proceed ftep by ftep, till we have pafled the utmoft bounds of pro- bability, before we begin to fufpedl that wc have gone any length at all. Let us then, in the
2d place, Realize this awful and important truth. That our life is but " a vapour, which " appeareth for a little time, and then " vanifheth away." Die we muft, and we know not how foon. Our worldly enjoy- ments muft be relinquifhed, our worldly plans and projeds muft perifh. " The " wind Ihall pafs over us, and we fhall be " gone, and our place ftiall know us no
" more."
i6S^ SERMON Vlt
" more." Nature will look as gay on the day t)f our deceafe as it ever did ; the bufi- nefs of the world will go on as brifkly as before ; our habitations will make our fucceflbrs as welcome as they made us ; and even our names, in a few years, Ihall perifh as if we had never been. What wife man, then, would build his houfe on fuch un- ftablefand? How wretched mu ft that man be, whofe inheritance lies wholly upon earth ? "What pangs muft he feel at the parting hour? with what horror muft he hear the fummons of diiTolution ?
Let ns then be perfuaded to raife our af- fedions above the things of the earth to thofe things which are above. Let us plan for eternity, and let us choofe the unchange- able God for our portion. Knowing that we have' here no continuing city, let us feek one to -^ome ; a city which hath foundations, whbfe builder and maker is God. Let the Lqrd Jefus be our leader and guardian; iiiider his conduct let us prefently fet out foi? tlie heavenly Jeruflilem ; and in due time he will bring us fafe to the city of the gfeat and vmiverfal King, where we fliall
continue,
SERMON VIL 169
continue, not for a year only, but for ever ; and where we fliall get pofleffion of fub- ftantial gain, even that glorious inheritance of the faints in light, which is incorrup- tible, and undefiledj and which fadeth not away. Amen.
V©L.JG[L M SER-
I.
i7(
SERMON VIII.
Exodus xx. 8. Remember the Sabbath da)\ to keep it holy,
^ HE too general and growing abufe af J. the Chrlftlan Sabh-ith muft render a difconrfe on this fubjedl both feafonable and neceffary ; and I propofe therefore, in de- pendence on divine aid,
ly?, To inquire how far the precept in this text IS binding on us.
2dly^ To fliow how this commandment ought to be kept or obferved. And,
3^/)', To enforce the obfervance of it by fome motives and arguments.
FirJI. I begin with inquiring how far thih precept of keeping holy the Sabbath day is binding on us.
Although your ftated attendance on this
SERMON VIII. xyi
day, for the worlhip of God, may be in- terpreted as a public declaration on your part, that you reckon this commandment binding on you, yet the inquiry I have pro- pofed is by no means fuperfluous. We are exhorted m Scripture, not only " to fandify ^* the Lord God in our hearts," but like- wife " to be always ready to give an anfwer " to every man who alketh ns a reafon of " the hope- that is in us." And if we fliould at all times be ready to declare the grounds of our hope, we flionld certainly be at leaft equally ready to explain and to juftify the reafbns of our practice. Be- fides, although in the judgement of charity, " which thinketh no evil," your weekly at- tendance on this day for public worfhip may be fuppofed to flow from a religious principle ; yet in our prefent fituation, it is ^afy to conceive, that fomething elfe than a fenfe of duty may occafion our meeting together in this manner. The laws of our country not only permit, but require, the obfervance of the Chriliian Sabbath : fo that human authority, the manner of our education, a regardto decency, or even mo- M 2 -■ tives
172 SERMON VIIL
tives inferior to any of thefe, may bring peo« pie to church who have never feen themfelves to be bound by any divine law, to keep holy the Sabbath day. And I am forry to add, that there is too great caufe to fufpedl this to be the cafe with many who frequent our religious alTemblies, from their defec- tive and partial obfervance of this holy day. I therefore judge it to be of the higheft importance, to fet the authority of this pre- cept in a clear and ftriking light. For un- til we view the Sabbath as a divine inftitu- tion, we fhall never either pay to it that re- gard which it deferves, nor reap ai)y fpiri- tual advantage from the moft exadl outward obfervance of it. — 1 fuppofe it will not be denied, in the
ift place, That fome part of our time fhould be employed in the immediate wor- fhip of God. Reafon muft neceilanly teach us, that fuch homage is due that Almighty Being on whom we depend for life, and breath, and all things. In order to fecure the regular perform^mce of this worfliip, the fame principle of reafon will naturally fuggeft the propriety of allotting certain
ftatcil
SERMON Vm. 173
fliated feafons for that purpofe. If any (hall difpute the neceiTity of this, they will at leaft allow us to afBrm the expediency of it : for it is a common and true obfervacion, that what is left to be done at any time, is in great danger of being done at no time.— I may like wife take it for granted, in the
^d place, Tnat the right of determining what proportion of time, or what ftated feafons Ihould be employed in divine wor- fhip, will be readily admitted to belong to God. This is fo evident, that it fcarcely needs an illuftration. If we can live one moment independent of God, we may call that moment our own^ and claim the diC- pofal of it. But if we cannot draw one breath without his aid ; if his conftant vi- fitation is neceflary to preferve us ; the con- fequence is unavoidable, that the whole of our time is due to God, and that his right is abfolute to referve any part of it which he pleafeth for his own worfhip. — And this leads me to obferve, in the
3<^ place, That God hath adlually inter- pofed his authority in this matter : and by .a clear and j^oficive law, part of which I M 3 h^v
174 SERMON VIII.
have now read to you, hath referved for himfelf one day In feven ; that he hath con- fecrated or fet apart his portion of our time^ by his precept, example, and bleffing, for a holy reft or cefTation from fecular employ- ments, and for fach adls of religious worlhip and adoration, as creatures owe to their great Creator.
It is confefled by all who admit the infpl- ration of the Old Teftament, that this law was ftricflly binding upon the Jews, to whom it was delivered by the miniftry of Mofes. But fome have made it a queftion, whether it continues to be binding under the ChrJ- fiian difpenfation. V/e mamtain that it is ilill in force, in as much as it contains a de- claration of the will of God, that one day in feven, or the feventh part of our time, fliould be feparated from common ufe, and dedicated to religious purppofes. With re- gard to the particular day to be obfcrved^ all days being alike in themfelves, the ap- pointment of it muft be of a pofitive nature, and may therefore be varied at the pleafure of the Lawgiver. Accordingly we find, that in this circumftance the law hath re- ceived
SERMON Vni. 17^
^ived an alteration. The feventh, or laft day of the week, is now become rommon ; and in commemoration of our Savtour's re- furredion from the dead, the holy reft is transferred to the firft day of the week; which hath ever fince been called, by way of eminence, I'he Lord's Bay. Whether this remarkable change is fufficiently fup- ported by divine authority, admits of farther inquiry. What I have hitherto laid, is only intended to prove our obligation to keep one day in feven holy to the Lord ; and for t'his, I think, I have given you very fatisfy- ing evidence. It is a patural principle, that God ought to be worlhipped ; and as it is highly necefTary to fecure the performance of fuch an important duty, reafon farther tjeacheth us, that fome ftated times ought to be fet apart for that end. The right of de- termining thefe doth certainly belong to God himfelf; and he hath adlually been pleafed to give a plain intimation of his wili in this matter, claiming, by a diftindt and peremptory ftatute, one whole day in feven, for the peculiar exercifes of religious wor- fliip. Tnus far, then, the commandment is M 4 itricl;ly
176 S E R M O ]>I VIII,
ftridlly moral; an! therefore ftill binding upon us, in as much as it only enjoins a na- tural duty, and prefcribes the moft efFedual means for fecuring the performance of it.
Having eftablilhed this point, the way lies more open to the other fubjedl of inquiry ; and I expedl to find lefs difficulty in fatisfy- ing you about the alteration of the day. Some Chrifhians, indieed, have maintained, that both days ought to be kept ; but I rec- kon there will be vxo need to guard you a- gainft a miftake of this kind. You will eafily convince yourfelves that there is but one Sab- bath in the week.
As to our pradlice in obferving the firft, inftead of the laft day of the week, which was the Jewifli Sabbath, the reafons of it may be reduced under thefe following heads.
ly?. We learn from Scripture, that this was the day on which the ApofUes and pri- mitive Chriftians held their folemn aflem- blies for the public e^^ercifes of religious worlhip. Thus we read, ^c7s xx. 7. that ^' upon the firft day of the wxek, when the " difciples came together to break bread,'*
SERMON Vlir. 177
L e. to celebrate the facrament of our Lord's Supper, " Paul preached unto them, and ^' continued his fpeech until midnight:" where it is obfervable, that their meeting- together on that precife day is not fpoken of as a thing extraordinary, or merely occafion- al, but as a ftated and ordinary pradlice. It was their cuftom fo to do ; and Paul being on the fpot, met with them, and prefided in their affembly. It farther appears, that thi& was the day on which they laid up their public charity, and contributed for the relief of their needy brethren ; and this by an ex- prefs apoftolical injuncflion. For thus Paul writes to the Corinthians, i Cor. xvi. i, 2. " Now concerning the colledlion for the " faints, as I have given order to the " churches of Galatia, even fo do ye. Up- " on the firft day of the week, let every one " of you lay by him in ftore, as God hath *' profpered him, that there be no gathering *^ when I. come." In this pafTage, there is not only a pradlice of the church defcribed, but like wife the appointment of an infpired Apoflle ratifying and confirming it. For if the words extend to the religious obfer-
vance-
E78 SERMON VIIL
Tance of that particular day, then we have a plain fcriptural command for our warrant: or if they refer only to the colledling alms on that day, which is the lowed fenfe that they will bear, they nectiiarily imply, that this was a weekly holy day then in ufe, on which Chriilians ceafed from their worldly bulinefs, and met together for the focial w^orfhip of God : That the Apoftle juftified and approved of this pradlice, and thereby t^ftified his opinion that it was perfedly agreeable to tiie will of Chrift.
Belides, we find that this day was, in the earlieft times, diftinguiihed by the title of the Lord^s day : for this appears from R^v. i. lo. where John informs the churches, that he " was in the Spirit on th-e Lord's day ;" — that well-known day, facred to the memory ©f the Lord Redeemer; — the day on which he triumphed over death, and which he digni- fied, by his refurredion, above all other days. From thefe circumftances taken together, it appears, that this change took place in the apoftolic zgc ; and that the firft day of the week was then efteemed holy to the Lord, -2nd feparated from the reft for religious
purpofes :
SERMON VIIL
79
purpofes : {o that though we cannot find any exprefs command, appointing the alte- ration in fo many words ; yet we have the moft convincing evidence^ that it was either part of the mftrudion which Chrifl gave to his difciples before his afcenfion, when he was feen of them forty days, as the iacred hiftory informs us, and fpake of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God ; or elfe that it was afterwards enabled by the Apoftles, in virtue of their authority derived from Chrift, and under the infallible direc- tion of his bleffed Spirit,
2d/j^ There appear to be many great and weighty reafons for fuch a change. Under the Old Teftament, the feventh day was kept holy in memory of the creation, becaufe on that day God refled from al] his works : and is it not equally reafonable and fit, that the firft day flaould be fandlified under the go- fpel difpenfation, feeing on that day the great God and our Saviour refted from all the labours of his fufFering ftate, and rofc from the dead, in teftimony that man's re- demption was fully accomplifhed. Surely the renovation of the world, after fin had
in
tf 6 SERMON VTir,
in a manner broken it in pieces, is a work as glorious and divine as the firfl: creation of ft, and as worthy to be gratefully remem- bered by us.
^^dly^ It is of fome moment to obferve, that this day has been uniformly kept as the Chriftian Sabbath from tue apoftolic age down to this prefent time. This fact is provied by the concurring teftimony of hi- ftorians in all the different periods of the church. At the fame time, they tell us what hot difputes arole about other matters, 'par- ticularly about the inftitution and obfer- ▼ance of holy days. We find the Eastern and Weftern churches fo divided with re- gard to the time of keeping Eafter, ^ as to proceed to excommunicate each other : but we hear of no controverfy about obferving the firft day, of the week ; for in this they were all agreed. Now, what could have produced fuch perfedl uniformity, efpecially in thofe ages, when there was no Chriftian magiftr^te to interpofe his authority, but a clear conviction, and a well-grounded be- ^^f^fy that this was really a divine inftitution
delivered
SERMON VIIL i8i
delivered by Chrift, or his Apoftles, to the church ? — Once more, In the
j\th place, God hath remarkably hallow- ed this day, by many acffcs of grace done to his people, when employed in the religious obfervancc of it. On this day, when " the " difciples were all with one accord in one " place/' the Spirit of God defcended upon them, infomuch that they were j&Ued with the Holy Ghoft, to their own unfpeakabl^ comfort, and the admiration of all who faw and heard them. On the fame day, " the '' arm of the Lord was" glorioufly *' re- *' vealed,'* in the converfion of three thou- fand fouls, who were brought from a ftate of enmity to Chrift into the bofom of the church, by the plain and powerful preach* ing of the Apoftle Peter. On this day John was infpired with the fpirit of prophecy, and had vifible reprefentations of the va- rious revolutions in the church of Chrift, down to the final confummation of all things. And in latter times God hath fig- nally bleffed his people when met together on this holy day ; making all his goodnefs to pafs before them, and giving them fuch
views
i82 SERMON VIII.
views of his pov er and glory in the fane* tuary, that they have been obHged to fay with Jacob at Bethel, " This is no other " than thehoufe of God, and this is the gate " of heaven ;" a foretafte of the everlafting Sabbath, an earneft of that reft which re- • mains for the people of God. And is it to be fuppofed, that the holy and righteous Governor of the world would countenance his creatures in a fuperftition of their own contrivance, to the open and weekly ne- gledl of a plain and pofitive law ? No fure- ly : Thefe tokens of the Divine prefence and favour difpenfed on this day, are fure in- dications that this is the day which God himlelf hath made, and which he hath fe- parated, by his authority, for the Chriftian Sabbath.
Thus have I finifhed the firft thing pro- pofed in this difcourfe ; wdiich was to in- quire how far the precept in the text is binding on us : and I hope I have faid enough to fatisfy every unpifjudiced mind, that it is ftill in force, as to the great fcopc and defign of it : and that the change of the day, which is only circumilantial,
bears
SERMON Viri. 183
bears fuch evident marks of divine autho- rity, as fufficiently juftify the uniform opi- nion, and uninterrupted pradlice, of all the
Chriftian churches. 1 proceed now to
the
Second thing propo(ed. Which was to fhow how this commandment ought to be kept or obferved, *' Remember the Sabbath day,, *' to keep it holy."
This, as it is the firft, fo it is likewife the principal and mod important branch of the precept. Nay, the full f:ope and defign of the law is probably expreffed in thefe few fignificant words. For I cannot help think- ing, that the bodily reft or ceffation from labour, which is afterw^ards enjoined, de- rives its chief value from its fubferviency to thofe fpiritual exercifes by which the Sabbath is moft eminently fandified; and that it ought principally to be confidered as a defcription of the means to aid us in the duties of religious worfhip. I think it proper to mention this diftlndlion, becauft fome have contended, that refting from la- kour is all , that is meant by keeping ho-
x84 SERMON VIII.
ly the Sabbath : but furely it cannot btf thought that God, who is a pure and holy- Spirit, would deliver a law with fuch fo- lemnity, for fo mean and low a purpofe as this. He who fo frequently declares, that the rites and ceremonies of his own ap- pointment were no farther acceptable to him than as they reprefented fpiritual blef- lings, and were improved for promoting in- ternal purity, cannot be fuppofed to take pleafure in mere inactivity, or to have ap- pointed a weekly day of reft, folely for the indulgence of the body. Befides, this ex- preffion of fanElifytng or keepmg boly^ not only imports a feparation from common life, but likewife a confecration to a facred or a religious ufe. In this fenfe it is always employed in the Old Teftament, either when it is applied to the perfons of the priefts, or to. vefTels of the fan6luary ; and no reafon can be given why it fliould be ta- ken in a lower fenfe here, or why it fhould import any thing lefs than that the day is fet apart for the fervice of God, and ought to be employed in the duties of religious worfhip. — I fhall, in the
SERMON VIII. 185
ijt place, Give you a general account of thefe duties. And then we fhall fee more clearly, in the
id place, What things ought to be avoid- ed by us, as inconfittent with the fcope and defign of this commandment.
In general, then, we are bound to fanc- tify this day, by aifembling together for the public worfhip of God, that as many as can conveniently me^t in one place may join in paying homage to their common Lord ; and thus coi^tribute their endeavours to make him glorious in the eyes of the world around them. For this we ought to prepare ourfelves, by the more private ex- ercifes of family-worfiiip. And becaufe our hearts are naturally indifpofed for fuch divine and heavenly employments, it is both rea- fonable and neceflary, that each perfon apart fhould fpend a competent time in reading and meditating on the word of God, and implore his prefence and his bleffia^, by humble prayer, in the fecret retirements of the clofet. It will alio be of confiderable ufe, to render tKefe fcveral kinds of reliq-ious worihip more beneficial to us, that, vrhea
Vol. III. N occafion
i86 ' SERMON VIIL
occafion offers, we fhould difcourfe together OP divine lubjecfts, in order to increafe our knowledge of fpiritual things, and to fix up- on our minds a more Hvely fenfe of God and of our duty.
ly?, I fay, we are bound to fancSify this day, by a punc5lual and devout attendance upon the public ordinances of religion, af- fembling together in the name of the Lord, to offer up the facrifices of prayer and praife ; to hear his word explained and ap- plied ; and efpecially to partake, as often as we have opportunity, of the holy facrament of the Lord's Supper, the memorial of our Saviour's death, and the pledge of his fe- cond coming. In fuch duties as thefe, did the people of God in former times chiefly employ themfelves on the holy Sabbath, Under the old difpenfation, facrifices were offered, and incenfe burnt in the temple, and the law was publicly read and explain- ed, both at Jeruialem and other cities of Ju- dea, where lynagogues were built for that very end. After the refurrecflion of Chrift, the Apollles and primitive Chriflians met together ilatedly on the firfl day of the
week,
SERMON Vlir. 187
week, that they might jom in celebrating that great and propitious event, and in per- forming other acfls of focial religion. And ought not we to fan (Stlfy the Lord's day in the fame manner ? We are blefled with the ordinances of the gofpel regularly, and, I hope, purely difpenfed. We have places fet apart for public worfliip, and are counte- nanced in the exercife of it by lawful au- thority ,• and therefore it muft difcover a ftrange perverfenefs of temper, and an un- pardonable contempt both of God and man, to withdraw from the place of public w^or- fliip, and, on any pretence whatfoever, to re- fufe to bear a part in fuch a becoming and rational fervice. — But,
idly^ That the public worfliip may have a greater efficacy, and that our minds may be better difpofed to enter into it, it is the duty of each family apart to fpcnd fome time both before and after the public fer- vice, in reading the Holy Scrjptures, and in joinmg together in prayer and thankfgiving to God. Were this pradifed in a lerious and devout manner, we might exped to fee better days, and more fruitful and joyful N 1 Sabbaths
i88 SERMON VIIL
Sabbaths than any we liave yet feen. A congregation compofed of a number of holy families, juft come from converfi ig with God at home, to worfliip him together in the houfe of prayer, would be indeed a lovely fight, and could not fail to be ho- noured with the fpecial marks of divine fa- vour. We have fome illuftrious examples of family -religion recorded in rhe Old Teftament : but what chiefly ought to en- gage the attention of Chriftkns, is, that our blefled Lord himfelf was pleafed to become a pattern to us in this matter. In the inter- vals of his public work, we find him fre- quently retiring with his little family, pray- ing with them, and teaching them to pray, and inllrutling them in things pertaining to the kingdom of God; in this, as in all other things, leaving us an example that we fhould follow his fteps. Family-reli-' gion, therefore, a duty incumbent on us at all times, mull be in a very peculiar man- ner feafonable and necelTary on the holy Sabbath. It defer ves our notice, too, that this command is 'particularly addreffcd to heads of families ; and as they are exprefs-
'7
SERMON VIII.. 189
;ly enjoined to fufFer nothing to be done by any under their infpeAion, which is incon- fiftent with the due obfervance of the Sab- batii, this injunclion plainly impUes, that, in their ftation and charadler, they ought to employ their natural authority, as well as every other means, to promote the great ends of this holy commandment. — I added, in the
3^ place, That as our hearts are natu- rally indifpoftd for fpiritual exercifes, we ought each of us, by ourfelves, to make confcience of the fecret duties of the clofet*s There w^e ought to meditate on the mar- vellous works of God ; on his glorious per- fecflions, as they are difplayed to us, in crea- tion, providence, and redemption ; above all, on tl)at great '' my fiery of godlinefs, " God manifeft in the ilelh, juftified in the " Spirit, feen of angels, preached unto the *' Gentiles, believed on in the world, re- " ceived up into glory." In this facred re- tirement, we ought to revolve in our minds the various Heps of our Lord's humiliation, from his birth at Bethlehem, to his bu- rial on Mount Calvary. Thence we fhould proceed to view the triumphs of his crofs, N 3 where
190 SERMON VIII.
where he bruifed the old ferpent's head, " finiflicd tranfgreffion^ made reconciliation " for iniquity, and brought in everlafting " righteoufnefs." To confirm our faith, and increafe our joy, our meditations ought to follow this mighty Conqueror, and to contemplate him breaking the bands of death, and rifing from the grave on this iirft day of the week, afcending up to hea- ven in the fight of his difciples, and fittmg on the right hand of God the Father ; from whence he fhall come, in power and great glory, to judge the world in righteoufnefs, according to this gofpel which is now preached in his name. When, by fuch meditations as thefe, our hearts are warmed and enlivened, we fhould then, with all hu- mihty and reverence, approach the throne of grace ; imploring thofe mercies which we need for ourfclves, and begging a di- vine bleffing to accompany the outward means of grace, that, with our fellow-wor- fhippcrs, we may be made to tafte of the fatnefs of his houfe, and may find his or- dinances to be indeed the wifdom and the power of Go:], '' the favour of life unto ^' life," to our fouls—The
SERMON VIIl. 191
;s^h and la/i particular which I mentioned, is mutual conference upon divine things. This is of great uie to make the truths of religion plain and familiar to us. It ftirs up our affedlions, and makes our knowledge more lively and more operative, both on our hearts and lives. It confirms and ftrength- ens our faith, and brings much joy and com- fort to our fouls, by fliowing us, that as face - anfwereth to face in water, fo doth the heart of one true Chrillian to that of another. In this exercife holy men of old have employ- ed themfelves, and met with lingular to- kens of divine favour and acceptance. At no time furely can fuch conference be more feafonable than on the Chriftian Sabbath: and it is owing probably to the negledl of ^ this, that the preaching of the word, and o- ther parts of public religious fervice, are fo generally fruitlefs and unfuccefsful. I have thus given -you a general account of the manner in which the Sabbath ought to be fandified. In the next difcourfe, I fhall con- fider the prohibitory part of the command- ment, and endeavour to enforce the obfer- •\^ance of it by fome motives and arguments. N 4 S E R-
192
SERMON IX.
Exodus xx. 8.
Remember the Sabbath day^ to keep it holy.
[The ad Sermon on this Text.]
I Have already endeavoured to prove, that we are ftridly bound by this divine precept to keep one day in feven holy to the Lord ; and that the change of the Sabbath, from the feventh to the firft day of the M^eek, on which our Lord rofe from the dead, bears fuch evident fignatures of divine authority, as are fufficient to juftify the uniform op'nion, and uninterrupted pracflice, of all the Chriftlan churches in this matter. I have alfo endeavoured to explain the commandment itfelf, and to give you an account of the manner in which the Sab- bath ought to be fandlified- 1 now pro- ceed to i:oniider the prohibitory part of the
commandment,
SERMON IX. 193
commandment, and to enforce the obfer- vance of it, by fome motives and argu- ments.
The prohibition chiefly refpedls bodily labour. " The Sabbath-day is the Sabbath " of the Lord thy God," faith the Supreme Lawgiver ; " in It thou fhalt not do any " work." It is exprefTed, you fee, in very flrong and abfolute terms, and was for a long time underflood by the Jews in a very rigid fenfe, in fo much that they thought it even unlawful to defend their lives when they were attacked by their enemies on that day. So univerially did this opinion pre- vail among them in the beginning of the wars of the Maccabees, that, in fome in- ftances, it proved fatal to many of them. But this was afterward, by the univerfal confent of the learned in their law, declared to be a miftake: and indeed, from the de- fign of the precept, from other pafTages of Scripture, and efpecially from our Saviour's inftru61ion and exam.ple, it appears, that fome kinds of work are perfedly confiftent with the reft which is here enjoined. Of this nature are works pf neceflity, /. e, works
which
194 SERMON IX.
which cannot be done the day before, nor delayed till the day following. Thus, for inftance, Ihould a fire break ovit on the Sabbath, we may and ought to ufe every mean to extinguifli it. Should our enemies attack us, it is lawful to refift them : if we are at. a diftance from church, we may tra- vel as far as is neceffary, in order to hear the word of God, and to join with others in public worlhip. For, as our Saviour tells lis, " the Sabbath was made for man, and " not man for the Sabbath ;" and the means are never to be fet above the end ; nor is refting on the Sabbath to be interpreted fo as to exclude the religious employment of it.
In like manner, works of charity and com- panion are lawful on this day. Our Lord wrought many miracles of mercy on the Sabbath, and vindicated his condudl againft thofe who found fault with him, by fuch maxims as plainly fliow, that offices of cha- rity are not only allowable but praife-worthy, and are perfedlly confident with the reft which is here enjoined.
But then it is abfolutely unlawful to pur-
fuc
SERMON IX. 195
fue our worldly bufinefs on this day ; be- caufe this thwarts the great end and defign of the commandment, which ordains the feventh part of our time to be ftatedly em- ployed in the immediate fervice of God, that we may thereby become better ac- quainted with him, and may become more fit for an eternal communion with him in heaven. The very intention of the law is to fet apart a certain proportion of our time for the care of our fouls ; which, amidfl the hurry of our fecular affairs, we are too apt tO' negledl.
To apply ourfelves therefore to our ordi- nary bufinefs on the Sabbath, to talk of it, or even to fpend our thoughts on it, is doing what we can to fruftrate the gracious dengns of the Lawgiver, and muft neceffarily be of infinite hurt and prejudice to our fouls. And if our worldly employments, which are not only lawful, but even neceffary on other days of the week, are criminal on this day, you will eafily perceive, that fports and re- creations mufl: certainly be confidered as in- cluded in the prohibition : for thefe are flill more oppofite to the proper bufinefs of the
Sabbath,
196 SERMON IX.
Sabbath, and have not the remoteft pretence either to ncceffity or ufefulnefs. To have recourfe to amufements on this day, is wan- tonly to throw away our time, without any advantage ; and carries in it a plain decla- ration, that we have no rehfh for fpiritual things ; and that, rather than think of God, and the concerns of our fouls, we will ba- niih refiedion altogether, and ftudy to for- get both God and ourfelves. It was the judgement of one of the fathers, that it was more lawful to plow than to dance on the Lord's day ; and the fame thing may be faid of all other diverfions, which entirely with- draw us from the bufmefs of religion, and will not fuffer our minds to be ferious and compofed. If it is criminal to work or to labour on this day, it muft evidently be ftill more fo to wafle the time in carnal mirth, or in indolence and floth, or in vain and trifling amufements. In a word, whatever is foreign to religion, or has not a diredl tendency to glorify God, and advance our own fpiritual interefl:, ought carefully to be avoided on this holy day, as we regard the
approbation
SERMON IX. 197
approbation of God, and our own prefent and eternal happinefs.
Having thus laid your duty in this matter before you, it only remains, in the
Third and lajl place, That I enforce the pradice of it by fome motives and argu- liients. — And,
ly?, Allow me to obferve, that though this commandment were to be confidered as a mere pofitive inftitution, or only as a teft of our obedience and fubjecflion to God ; yet the portion of time which is thereby feparated from common ufe, is fo very mo- derate, that we have not the remoteft caufe to complain of it. I am even perfuaded| that were God to refer the matter to our- felves, and, after having reprefen^red that he had brought us into being, and would allow us a certain term of life in his world, were^ to afk u^s what portion of our time we would freely refign to his difpofal, as an acknow- ledgement of his righteous title to the vv^hole, we fhould be aihamed to offer fo little as he hath been pleafed to demand. I am apt to think, that, inftead of every feventh day,
we
198 S E R M O N IX.
we fhould have thought every other day, or the full halfiof our time, the leaft that could be offered in return for fuch vmdeferved goodnefs. Put the cafe, that any of you were lying on a deathbed, and God fhould fay to you, How much of your time will you confecrate to my fervice in future, if I fliall now be pleafed to reflore you to health again ? I fuppofe mofl of you would reply, without any hefitation, Lord, I make no Conditions ; I put myfelf wholly into thy hands : demand of me whatfoever thou wilt. Hear how Hezekiah expreffeth himfelf, after his miraculous recovery from a deadly dif- eafe, (If. xxxviii. 19, 20.), " The living, the " living, he fliall praife thee as I do this " day. The father to the children fliall " make known thy truth. The Lord was " ready to fave me ; therefore we will fing " my fongs to the ftringed inflruments all " the days of our life* in the houfe of the " Lord." He doth not limit his refolutions of thankfgiving and praife to the Sabbath day ; he thought all the days of his life a tribute of confecrated time fmall enough in return for the goodnefs which had refcued
him
SERMON IX. 199
liim from the grave. And is it poffible, that any of us Ihould judge one day in feven top much, even though the duties required on it were in their own nature difagreeable, and had nothing to recommend them but the mere authority of the Lawgiver? Nay, my brethren,. I iliall put the cafe a little ftronger. Suppofe yourfelves in the immediate' pro- f] ea of death, either by ficknefs or by fome external caufe, and that God fhould fay to you in thefe circumftances, I will fave you from this danger, on condition that every feventh day you will quietly fubmit to the torments of fome acute diftemper, as long as I fhall continue you in the world. Do you imagine that you would rejeA thefe terms ? God knows, and yourfelves know, that you would not rejed them ; the offer would appear too good to be refufed. If God then requires nothing more fevere than this, your own reafon muft tell you that there is no caufe to complain. But what ' are the duties which God requires of us ? Are they difagreeable in their own nature ? Have they no value or excellence in them- felves ? On the contrary, they are infinitely
fit
^oo SERMON IX.
jBt and reafonable, and every way calculated to give the trueft fatisfadlion, the mod fub- lime plcafure, to the foul of man.— This I ftiall ftate as a
2d argument for enforcing obedience to the commandment in the text. What can be more rational or dehghtful to a well- formed mind, than to contemplate the won- derful works of God in creation, providence, and grace ? What can be more becoming, than to join with others in adoring the per- fections of the Father of our fpirits, and iii afcribing that glory which is due to his name? Can any thing be more pleafant, than to retire from the hurry of a vain world, that without referve we may pour out our hearts, and lay open the fecret de- lires of our fouls, in the prefence of that great Being, whofe nature difpofeth him to pity us, and whofe power enables him to beftow upon us, in the fulleft and moil efFedual manner, every bleffing that can promote our moft important interefts ? Can any entertainment be more rational, more truly divine, than to read the lively oracles of God, and to converfe v^ith our fellow
Chrittians,
SERMON IX. •set
fclirlftians, upon the tnoft intereftihg of all fubjeds, the falvation of our fouls, and the means of fecurlng an " inheritance iricor- " ruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth " not away?" One fliould think that a bare ccunfel, nay, even a permifTion to fpend one day in feven in fuch pleafant and pro- fitable exercifes, would be regarded as a firigular privilege that defer ved ouf warmeft returns of gratitude and praife. The force of this argument is not weakened, becaufe thofe who are alienated from the life of God have no relifli for the pleafares which arife from the exercifes of devotion. It is not the reafon of the thing which leads tho depraved mind to account " the Sabbath a " wearinefs/' or to fay, " When will the " Sabbath be over ?" After fix days fpent in provifion for the body, is one day too long to care for the foul ? Nay, after deducing the time which is neceifarily employed in fleeping, and eating and drinking, can we not find as much in God, in Chrift, and in heaven, as may afford us entertainment for the fcanty remainder of twenty-four hours ? Alas, my brethren, how fliaQ we employ Vol, III. Q aa
doi^ SERMON VA.
an everlafting Sabbath, if one Sabbath m the week is fo tedious and bnrdenfome ? Can thofe be candidates for immortal glory^- who think one day too long for the work of heaven, unlefs they relieve themfelves, by confuming the greater part of it in idle
converfation or triffing amufements ?
My
^4 argument to enforce this command- inent, Ihall be taken from the many ad- vantages which flow from the religious obfervance of the Sabbath. Hereby wc ihall obtain the bleffing of God, according to that large and comprehenfive promife, I/aiah Iviii. 1 3, 14. '^ if thou turn away ** thy foot from the Sabbath from doing *^ thy pleafure on my holy d^y, and call the " Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lordj, " honourable, and flialt honour him, not " doing thine own w^ays, nor finding thine "own pleafure, nor fpeaking thine own " words: then flialt thou delight thyfelf m " the Lord, and I will caufe thee to ride " upon the high places of the earth, and " feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy ^' father ; for the mouth of the Lord hath
" fpokem
SERMON IX. ^oi
^'^ fpoken it." If we honour God on this feparate day, which he claims as his fpecial property, then may we expecl to be ho- noured by him on the other days of the week, which he hath given us for our own ufe. The truth of this hath been frequently experienced by the people of God ; and a- mong thefe, too^ by fome of the moft emi- nent charader, not only for piety, but alfo for learning and tafte, and knowledge of the world. I fliall mention one who was high- ly refpedled in his own time, and \vbofe character and writings are to this day univerfally eiieemed. The learned Judge Hales, fpeakirig of his experience on this fubjed, hath thefe words : " I have found,'^ faith he, ** by a ftridl and diligent obferva- " tion, that a due obferving the duty of this " day, hath ever had joined to it a blef- ^^ ling upon the reft of my time ; and the " week that hath been fo begun, hath been " bleffed and profperous to me. And, on the " other fide, when I have been negligent of " the duties of this day, the reft of the " week hath been unfaccefsful and unhappy '* to my fecular employments ; fo that I
O a " C(^uld
204 SERMON IX..
" could cajGily make an efttmatc of iny fnc-^ " ceffes in my own fecular employments^ " the week following, by the manner-of my " paffing this day. And this," adds he, " I " do not write lightly or inconfideratelyy *' but upon a long and found obfervation *' and experience." —Nay, the right obfer- "Vance of this duty will procure national as well as perfonal Weflings : for fo God pro- mi fed to his ancient church, [Jer. xvii. 245 25..), " If ye diligently hearken unto me, to *' bring in no burden through the gates of *' this city on the Sabbath day, but hal- *' low the Sabbath day, , to co no w^ork ** tliefein^ thsn fl7.all th-ere enter into the ** gates of this city, kings and princes " fitting upon the throne of David, riding " in chariots, and on horfes, they and their ** pri-nces, the men of Judah, and the in- ** habitants of Jerufalem, and this city fliall " remain for ever." I do not mean by theft arguments to bribe you into a merce- iiary or political obfervance of -the Chrifliaa Sabbath. Should you fpend the whole day in reading, praying, praifing, or any other forms of religious worlhip, merely, or evea principally from a regard to your own pri- vate
SERMON IX. 205
vate intereft, or the public profperity of tine nation to which you belong, I muft be fo faithful as to tell you, that it would not be accepted. Nay, God would number thefe hypocritical fervices among your moft pro- Tokino: fins. For it is the heart which God requires ; and if that be with-held, he will accept of no outward homage* But I men- tion thefe things to fhow you, that Sabbath- breakers muft be utterly inexcufable, when they tranfgrefs a law, which is not only moft reafonable in itfelf, but which hath alfo pe- culiar promifes annexed to it, of temporal
profperity and happinefs. And with the
fame view, I am now going to add a
^tJj confideration for enforcing obedience to this commandment, namely, That the tranfgreffion of it is attended with many fad and fatal confequences. God hath frequently punifh^d this fin, by inilidling very awful judgements both upon focieties and particular perfons. There was an ex- prefs ftatute in the Jewifli law, appointing the Sabbath-breaker to be put to death, {Exod, ^\yiu 12, 16.); and this punifhment was a<3:ually infliaed upon one who was
O ^ foun4
to6 Sermon ix.
found gathering fticks on that holy day ; ** All the congregation brought him with- ♦' out the camp, and floned him with ftones^ " and he died, as the Lord commanded ** Mofes," [Num. xv. 32, 37.). How alarm- ing is that threatening, {Jerem. xvii. 27.), " If ye will not hearken unto me to hallow *' the Sabbath day, and not to bear a bur- ^' den, even entering in at the gat^s of Je-. ** rulalem on the Sabbath day ; then will I " kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it " fliall devour the palaces of Jerufalem, <* and it fhall not be quenched," Ac-^ cordingly, Nehemiah imputes all the ca- lamities which befel the Jewifh nation to this, as one of the principal caufes of God's anger againft that people. " Then, (faith " he), I contended with the nobles of Judah, *' and faid unto them, What evil thing is ^' this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath " day ? Did not your fathers thus, and did ^' not our God bring all this evil upon us, ^' and upon this city ; yet ye bring more *^ wrath upon Ifracl by profaning the Sab- *' bath." And I am verily perfuaded, that many of the Hfitional calamities with which
SERMON IX. ^G7
fW€ have been vificed, may juftly be attribu- ted to the fame caufe. Nor is it greatly to be wondered at, when we confider, that tliis fin is not only an aft of rebellion againft the authority of God, but alfo a bold and facri- legions idvafion of his property, in apply- ing to common ufe that proportion of time %vhich he hath referved for himfelf, and fet apart for the immediate exercifes of his wor- fliip.
But belides this, the abufe or negledl of the Sabbath mufl be attended v/ith perni- cious confequences on feveral other accounts* To this gracious inftitution it is in a great meafure owing that any fenfe of God, and ►of divine things, is preferved in the world. Were this day rendered common, the bulk cjf mankind woiild foon fmk into Atheifni or utter profanenefs. What would become of the lower ranks in focietyg whofe fervi- tude and bodily neceffities oblige them to work hard for daily bread, were it not for this feparated day, on which they are invited and commanded to care for their fouls ? I am even afraid, that the ty- ranny and x:ovetoufnefs of many mafters 'O 4 would
-o8 SERMON IX.
would incline them to deny their fervants any leifure whatfoever, either for the reil of their bodies, or the improvement of their minds, had not God, in mercy, made a law for one day of reft and liberty in the week. In proportion as this law is defpifed and ne- gle^ed, in the farne proportioia will religion fall into decay, the impreffions of God b(^- come feeble and languid ; while ignorance, brutality, oppreflion, and all the evils which ^nreftrained corruption can produce, will prevail, and render this earth the very fub- urbs of hell.
Thefe are all the arguments which I fliall ^tr prefent life with you, for enforcing the obfervance of the Chriftian Sabbath. The proportion of time is fo moderate, that evea upon the fuppofition that the duties requi- red were painful, there could be no juft caufe of complaint. Yet fo far is this fup- pofition from being true, that, on the con- trary, the work ^irigned us on this holy day is moft pleafant and delightful ; infomuch that were our minds in a right temper, wc would count it our happincfs to fpend our •whole time, nay, a whole eternity, in fuclji
heavenly
SERMON IX. 2G9
heavenly einpio}^ment. Befides, the religious obfervance of this holy day is accompanied with many fignal advantages, and is a mean of deriving the bleffing of God, both npoji individuals and communities ; whereas the profanation or neglecT: of it, is in every re- ipedt pernicious, both to particular perfon^ and to focieties.
And if theie things are fo, how many who now hear me ought to bluih, and be ^ifliamed to lift up their faces cither before God or man? But as reformation is the great objedl which I have in view, I fhall fpare the reproof which I once intended to give ; and inftead of upbraiding you for the time paft, I fhall rather intreat you, by the meeknefs and gentlenefs of Chrift, to behave more du- tifully for the time to come. And my exhor- tation fhall be chiefly direded to parents and mafters of families, to whom the command- ment feems to be principally addrefTed. It is true, the expreflion *' within thy gates,'* may relate to the gates of a city as well as of a particular houfe : and then it would intimate to us this truth, that it is the duty pf magiftrates to fecure the obfervance of
Zio SERMON IX.
this day, by the exercife of that power and authority with which their public ftatioa invefts them. But as there would be lefs occalion for the interpofition of civil autho- rity, if parents and heads of families would mind their proper woyIz^ to thefe I fhali more direcSIy addrefs what I have to fay. And I muft tell you in the name of God, that you are ftridlly accountable, not only for your own condudl, but likewife for the conduct of all within your houfes on this holy day. Hear how the commandment runs : " Remember the Sabbath day to keep *' it holy ; fix days fhalt thou labour and do ^' all thy work : but the feventh day is the " Sabbath of the Lord thy God : in it thou ^^ ftialt not do any work, thou, nor thy fon, *' nor thy daughter, thy man-fervant, nor ** thy maid-fervant, ncr thy cattle, nor the *^' flranger that is within thy gates." You fee that you are charged with the immediate infpedion, not only of your children and fervants, but likewife of the ftranger who fojourns with you, over whom you have no junfdidion or authority through the reft of the week,
J
SERMON IX. 211
I fliould be glad to know what thofe who keep houfes of public entertainment think of this dodtrine. A refpedlful complaifance and readinefs to ferve, are the general duties of your ftation. But there is one day of the week on which God permits, nay com- mands you to take reft to yourfelves, and to keep your doors ihut againft the idle and profane of what rank foever, and to reftrain fuch as neceffity brings to your houfes, from every thing that is profane, either ia fpeech or behaviour. If any ihall queftion. your authority, this precept is your charter, vefting you with the fame power over the ftranger that is within your gates, as over your own children and fervants ; and even charging you to exercife that power, as you would not incur the wrath of Almighty- God. Did you know that you poflefled fo high a privilege ? I hope, for your own. fakes, that you did not : and now that I have told you the fecret, I pray that God may give you wifdom and courage to im- prove it.
To conclude : Let all of us be perfuaded to pay a proper regard to this divine pre-
Cept9
212 SERMON IX.
cept. If we have any concern for the glory of God, for the honour of our Redeemer, for the welfare of our country, or for our own comfort and happinefs, either in this world or the world to come, let us make confcience of the important duties of the Lord's day, that after having finifhed our courfe on earth, we may be fixed as pillars in the temple above, and may fpend an eter- nal Sabbath in the prefeace of God and of the Lamb. ^^^^^.
SER^
213
SERMON X.
2 Samuel vi. 2©. Then David returned to blefs his houfehold^
FROM the example of this great and good man, I propofe to recommend 10 you the important, but much negledled duty of family-worlhip. And I have cho- fen the example of a king, for two reafons.
ijly Becaufe the adlions of one in that elevated ftatioa are commonly more re- garded than thofe of a meaner perfon, " The "poor man's wifdom is defpifed, and his *' words are not heard." But if one arrayed in royal apparel make an oration from a throne, the people fliall give a fliout, faying, *^ It is the voice of a god, and not of a man." This partial regard is indeed a fore evil un*- der the fun : but in the prefent cafe, it is poflible to bring good out of it, by making
that
it4 S E R M O !sf :^.
that pomp or fplendo^ir, which fo often co~ vers the deformity of vice, a mean of throw- ing a luftre upon religion, and of rendering a thing fo truly excellent in itfelf, more re- fpedlable in out* eyes.
2aYj^ It is but too obvioius, that the negledl of family-worfhip prevails chiefly among thofe who either are, or imagine them- felves to be of a better rank than others : nay, fome who were punctual in the perform- ance of this duty while their ftation and cir- cumftances were tow, have been obferved to lay it afide, when, by the bounty of Provi-^ dence, their ftate became more profperous* Thi^ prefents us with a very melancholy profpedl, and threatens nothing lefs than the litter extindion of family-religion. For if once it becomes a maxim, that this duty is below the rank of a gentleman, then every one who afFecls to be thought of that rank will forbear it* In this cafe, it is impoffible to forefee where the evil n^ay flop 5 as there are few people in the world, who do not imagine that they either are, or deferve to be, of equal confideration with their neigh- bours, I have therefore thought it necef-
faiy
S E IL M O N X. its
fary to pitch upon nothing lower than a royal example, that the vanity of no man may take it amifs when I call upon him to follow it*
We have an account, in the preceding verfes, of David's bringing up the ark of God from the houfe Obed-edom, into his own city. This was done with ftiouting, and .with the found of the trumpet ; the king himfelf, girded with a linen ephod, at- tending the folemnlty, with the higheft ex- preiTions of thankfulnefs and joy. When the ark was fet in its place, in the midft of the tabernacle that was prepared for it^ then David, as we read in the 1 7th verfe^ offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord, and afterwards difmiffed the ai^ fembly with prefents which he dealt among all the people, having firil bleffed them in the name of the Lord of hofts. This he did as the Father of his people. But he did not flop here. The duties of his public office and eharafter did not make him forget what was incumbent upon him in his pri- vate capacity : for, as my text informs us^a *' Then David returu^cl to blefs his houfe- .
« hold ,''
2%6 SERMON X^.
" hold;" i. e. to pray with them and for them, and probably to oiler up his family >i thankfgivings for the great national mercy which he had been celebrating in the public aflembly.— From this plain and infl:ru6live paffage' of Scripture-hiftory, 1 fhall take oc- cafion, in the
Fir/l place, To prove, that it is the in- difpenfable duty of all to whom God hath given families, to worfliip God publicly in their own houfes ; or, that every man is bound, according to the example of David, " to blefs his houfehold.'* In the
Second place, I fliall ihow you the rea- fonablenefs of this duty. And then, in
the
TChird place^ I fliall reprefcnt to you the advantages which accompany the pradlice of it, and the pernicious confcquences which muft follow from the ncglecl of it.
I BEGIN with proving, that it is the in- difpenfable duty of all to whom God hath given families, to worfliip God publicly in their own houfes. This is a truth wjiich even the light of nature doth very plainly
teach
SERMON X. ai7
teach v,8* A family is a X©ciety. coi;i^e(fl,ed together bjr fuch ftridi ties^ th^t, every argu- ment for the propriety of private prayer, i^ equally coiicjufive for that: pf family -de vo«. tion. Of this even the Heathens were ien'r fible : for befides their tutelar deities, who were fuppoied to pr^fide oyer fCities apcl na^ tions, and who had public honour? p^iid tQ them in that character, we r,e^d ,pf hovife-- hold-gods, whom every private rf apgLily xvQrr ftiipped a^ home as tbi^ir io^iiie^iate gu^r^ dians and benefadlors.
But the light of Scripture affords i^s a .iixore clear and fatisfyii^g difcoy£Ty of our obligations to this duty, as well as of tm proper manner of performing it. It reveals to us that great Mediator, by whom we have accefs to the throne of grace, and through whom all our religious fcrvices are accepted by God. It not only reprefents prayer as a privilege which we are permitted to ufe, but exprefsly requires it as a duty which we are bound to perform. Thus we are com- manded, " In every thing, by prayer and " fupplication, with thanklgiving, to make " our requefts known unto God ; to pray
Vol. III. P " always,
iSiS SERMON X.
" always, with all prayer and fupplicatlon ^' in the Spirit, and to continue in prayer ;'^ And it is obfervable, that this laft exhorta- tion is particularly addrefled to mafters of families, as you may read, (Colojf. iv. i, 2.), " Mafters, give unto your fervants that " which is juft and equal, knowing that ye *' alfo have a Matter in heaven." The A- poftfe goes on, ftill addreffing them in the fame character ; " Continue in prayer, and ** watch in the fame, with thankfgiving." In the fame ftrain Paul writes to Timothy, (i Tim.ii, 8.), " I will therefore, that men " pray every where, lifting up holy hands, ** without wrath or doubting." And furely, if in all places men ought to lift up holy hands unto God, much more ought they to do fo in their own families, which are im- mediately under their care, and for whofe fpiritual as well as temporal intereft they ought to be chiefly concerned. According- ly, we learn from the facred hiftory, that this has been the uniform practice of good men in all ages of the world. The care of the ancient Patriarchs, to keep up family- religion, i« very remarkable. We find A-
braham
,S E R M O N X. ai9
braham rearing up altars ^^herever he came : And for what end did he thisj but that on thefe altars he might offer facrifices, and call upon God with his houfehold ? We have another bright example of this in Job, of whom we read, (Job i. 5.), that " he fent for " his fons and fandlified them, and rofe up " early in the morning, and offered burnt- " offerii^gs for each of them 5" and left it might be thought that this family-worfhip was only occafional and accidental, it is add- ed at the. clofe of the verfe, "Thus did Job " continually." Nor was this peculiar to the patriarchal ftate, when each family was a church by itfelf; but the fame good pradice was continued after the Jews were formed into a national church, and had priefts ap- pointed to prefide in the public worfhip. Thus Jofhua vowed, not only for himfelf, but likewife for his houfe, that they would ferve the Lord : which plainly imports a re-- folution on his part, to ufe all the means in his power to make his family do fo : par« ticularly, to worfliip God before them, and to take care that none fliould dwell in his houfe, who would not join in this holy fer-^
Tice.
^2o S'E R M O N X.
vice. The example of David in the text is abundantly plain ; for thoitgh he had priefts and Levites about him, yet he did not de- volve the work upon them, but he himfelf, ac head and mafter of the houfe, " blefled his ** houfehold.''
In the New-Teftament writings it is very ufual to give private families of devout Chriflians the name of churches. But fure- ly this would have been a moft improper appellation, if God had not been publicly acknowledged, and the daily facrifices of prayers and praifes had not been oflfered in them.
Thefe, I think, are fufficient intimations of the will of God in this matter ; and may ferve to convince any man, who acknow- ledgeth the divine authority of the Scrip- tures, that it is the uuqueftionable duty of all who have families, to maintain the wor- fliip of God in their houfes. — The reafon* ablenefs of this duty was the
Second thing which I propofed to fliow : and this, I hope, will appear from the fol- lowing confiderations.
SERMON X. 221
i)?, Families are natural focieties, formed originally by God, and held together by his providence. Previous to all civil or religious eftablilhments, families fubtuied. All the obligations which are incumbent on communities of any kind, werd originally, and ftill continue to be, incumbent on par- ticular families. Were the preient ftate of fociety to be diffolved, and the patriarchal ftate reftored, it is evident, that family- worfhip would be the only worfhip of God. Is it pofGble, then, that this original obli- gation can ever be cancelled ? What is there to be pled as a reafon for canceUing it ? Will you fay, that the private duty is fu- perfeded by the public ordinances which we have the opportunity of attending ? This argument might as well be ufed to difprove the obligation to fecret and perfonal devo- tion: and therefore, by proving too much, it proves nothing at all. For can any per- fon ferioufly be of opinion, that the provi- dence of God hath beftowed thefe public ad- vantages on us, in order to relax the obliga- tions which we owe to him in our houfes, and in our clofets ? — But,
P 3 2#,
%2% SERMON X.
^dljy As God is the founder, fo he is like- wife the gracious benefa6lor of our families. All the bleflings which we enjoy flow from his bounty, and depend entirely on his fa- vour. Surely, then, if perfonal bleflings claim the private acknowledgements of the perfon who receives them, family bleflings ought, in like manner, to be acknowledged by united thankfgivings in our houfehold. Were a man, having a numerous offspring, to receive fome fignal favour from an earth- ly benefadlor, by which his circumftances were changed from meannefs and want, to an eafy or a decent competence ; would it not be a natural acknowledgement for him to bring his family and children in their befl: apparel, and prefent them to his bene- fa6lor, fed and clothed with his bounty, to offer him their united thanks ? Would not fuch a fcene be delightful on both fides ? Would it not be enjoyed as a very lovely appearance, even by a mere fpedator ? And is there lefs beauty or propriety in the fame acknowledgements offered to the God in whom we live and breathe, and who giveth us all things richly to enjoy ? Doth
he
SERMON X. 223
lie fet the hedge of his protedlion around us, and defend us from the many evils to which we are continually expofed ; and fhall he yet have no tribute of praife offered up from thofe houfes in which he maketh us to dwell in fafety ? How difingenuous and un- reafonable muft this a^^.pear to every candid and grateful mind !
2idly^ As we receive all our family blef- fings from God, fo we are guilty alfo of many family fins againft him, and ought therefore to join together in the penitent confeffion of our fins, and in deprecating the judgements which we have deferved. In a word, whatever reafon there is fur fingle perfons to worfliip God, there is the fame reafon for families to do it. As there are perfonal fins, and wants and mercies, fo there are family fins, family wants and troubles, family mercies and deliverances ; and therefore it muft appear highly reafon- able, that the members of each family fhould unite together in humiliation and prayer, and thankfgiving. Thofe who fin together, fhould afk forgivenefs together ; and thofe who receive mercies together, P 4 fliould
^^4 S E R M O N X,
fhould join in pralfing their common bene-r factor.
Thus have I endeavoured to fhow, that family-w^orlhip is not only a duty by virtue of the divine command, but is fd fit and becoming in itfelf, that although the au- thority binding us to it were iefs apparent, yet every man who allows hiriifelf to think, xnuft immediately be convinced, by his own reafon and confcience, that fuch homage is certainly due to God, and that they are highly criminal who refufe ot* neglecSl to of- fer it.— I proceed now, in the
Third place, To reprefent to you the ma- nifold advantages which accompany the practice of this duty, and the pernicious con- fequendes which flow from the neglefl: of it.
ly?, Then, the pradlice of this duty would be of great ufe to promote even your tem- poral and worldly intereft. I addrefs my- fdf to you who are parents or mafters ; and furely thij> confideration mufl appear in your own eyes to merit fome regard. I need not flay to prove to you, that your profpe- rity, as well as your comfort, depends very
much
SERMON X. 225
much npon the dutiful behaviour of your children, and the fideUty of your fervants. This, I fuppofe, you will readily acknow- ledge. Now, it is evident to a demonftra- tion, that nothing can contribute more ef- fedlually to this, than the good practice which I am recommending to you. Bring the fear of God into your families, and that will fecure your authority better than any thing elfe can do. The influence of a reli- gious principle will be as powerful and ope- rative, when you are abfent from them as when you are prefent, becaufe God is al- ways pre.fent ; and confequently the obedi- ence which flows from a regard to him, muft in every place, and at all times, be the fame. Hereby, too, you will gain their efteem and love ; which are the mofl power- ful and permanent of all bonds of duty. There is a certain majefty in the image of God, which commands reverence to itfelf, even from the worft of men. Thus, we are told of Herod, (Mark vi. 20.), that he fear- ed John, becaufe he knew him to be a holy and a juft man. And if this wicked prince was fo much overawed by the exemplary
holinefs
526 SERMON X.
holinefs of a mean fubjedl, how venerable muft a devout parent or mafter appear in the eyes of his own family, when, befides that authority which his ftation gives him, they fee him adorned with that piety and regard to God, which of themfelves would dignify him, and render him worthy of their eftcem and honour ? How muft it endear him to their hearts, to behold his anxious concern for their welfare ; to hear him morning and evening commending them to the protedlion of Almighty God, imploring the pardon of their fins, and ear- neftly foliciting the fame blefTmgs for them which he begs for himfelf ? And how muft this efteem and love influence their whole behaviour, and make them not only faith- ful, but cheerful, adlive, and zealous in eve- ry part of thq duty and fervice which they owe him ? I am aware, that many think to maintain their authority in their families by other fort of prayers than thofe I am re- commending : I mean, by horrid curfes and imprecations ; yea, forae are fo abandoned as to plead the neceffity of thefe, to ren- der their orders effedual But this pradicc
muft
SERMON X. 227
muft appear fo abfurd and odious to every thinking perfon, that, I am perfuaded, I need not fpend your time in expofing it. Such a vile and impious habit muft evident- ly deftroy at once all that efteem and love, which are the only fure and permanent prin- ciples of obedience. Their v^hole authority, therefore, muft lean on the precarious foun- dation of a fervile fear, which God, who hath the hearts of all men in his hands, can remove when he pleafes ; and then they Ihall become utterly contemptible, and may curfe on without having any perfon to regard them, till their own curfes overtake them, —But,
Q.dly^ As the pradlice of worfhipping God in your houfes, would contribute much to your worldly profperlty, in the manner I have juft now explained ; fo it has likewife a manifeft tendency to promote your fpiri- tual and eternal intereft. It is not only a confiderable branch of that homage which you owe to God, but it may be alfo of great ufe to reftrain you from fin, and to render you cautious and circumfpedl in every part of your behaviour. A man will be alhamed
to
228 SERMON X.
to do any thing againfl the honour of that God whom he To publicly acknowledges be- fore his family ; and the very defire of ap- pearing conQftent with himfelf m the eyes of his children or fervants, will hardly fail to produce at leall an outward decency, and to reftrain him from many of thofe fcanda- lous fins, which he might otherwife be in danger of committing. So that though fa- mily-worfliip ferved no higher purpofe than to hedge in our pradlice before our houfe- hold, I (hould even think that a confider- able recommendation of it; and every wife and good man muft efteem and value it up- on that account. But this is one of the leaft of its happy effects. The practice of this duty would not only render our out- ward condu6l cautious and decent, but would alfo tindlure our minds deeply with a fenle of God, and of divine things. It would give us greater boldnefs, too, in our fecret approaches to the throne of grace. How can that man have any confidence or en- largement of heart in fecret prayer, whofc confcience reproacheth him with never ha- ving honoured that God in public, from
whom
S E R M O N X. 22f
whom he isiiow going to aflc the moft un- merited favours ? It is true, indeed, that our Lord, in great condefcenfion, granted a pri- vate audience, in the night feafon, to Nico- demus, who.had not the courage to own him in the face of th^ day. But no man hath rea{on to e:^pe<a: thp fame indulgence now. Nay, liowever micharitable it; may he thought, i mufl declare it as my opinion, that the negkfl; of public duties gives too juft ground to fufped, that thofe of a more pri- vate nature are either little minded^ or fu- perficially perfbrmed. For, did you obtaii^ accefs to God in fecret prayer, and tafte the fweetnefs of holy communion with him in your clofets, there can be no doubt that you would thereby be difppfed to the duties of focial worihip. — ^A
^d advantage of family woriliip is, That under the influences of the divine Spirit, it is one of the moft effedual means of pro- moting the falvation of all your houiehold. Many godly perfons have afcribed their own vital impreffions of religion to their living in a devout family : and many a finner, ruin- ed by vice and evil habits, has too juft-
Iv
^30 SERMON X.
ly laid the blame of it on the wickednefs of thofe with whom he dwelt. What numbers of children and fervants have been loft for want of that good example which it was the duty of their parents or mafters to have given them ? As in a profane and fenfual family there are continual temptations to fin, to fwearing, lying, intemperance, and con- tempt of God ; fo in a devout well govern- ed houfe, there are continual incitements to a holy life, to faith, love, fobriety, and hea- venly mindednefs. The authority of the heads of the family, and the converfation and example of all the members of it, are powerful inducements to a religious temper and beha- viour. As in a well-difciplined army, even the cowards are conftrained to ftand to their arms, and to adl violently, by the general order of the whole ; fo in a religious houfe- hold, a wicked man can fcarcely contrive how to live wickedly, but feems to be al- moft a faint, by being continually among thofe who appear to be faints. O how eafy and well paved (if I may ufe the expref- fion) is the way to heaven in fuch a gra- cious focicty, in comparifon of what it is to
thofe
SERMON X- 231
thofe who dwell in the houfes of the profane and fenfual ! In the former, the advantages of inftrudion, authority, example, and con- verfation, are all on the fide of God and re- ligion: in the latter, the fame powerful cir- cumftances are all on the fide of corrupt na- ture, and pufh men forward in the broad way that leads to deilrudion.
If then you would not be guilty of bringing ruin on immortal fouls ; if you wifh to have the bleffing of them who are ready to perifti for ever, to come upon yt)u ; if you defire that your children and fervants fhould be pious and happy ; if you would have your whole domeftic fo- ciety blefled ; let your houfehold be daily confecrated by fervent prayer to Almighty God.— The
j\th and loft advantage of family reli- gion, which I fliall mention, is its tendency to form an holy church and people, and to propagate rehgion from generation to gene- ration. The public ftate of religion in the world, muft entirely depend on the care be- llowed on the cultivation of it in private families. If the nurfery be negletfled, how- is
up SERMON X.
is it pofllble that the plantation ftiould pro-* fper ? Such as the families are, of which congregations, churches, and kingdoms ar^ compofed, fuch will be the flourifhing or the decayed ftatc of religion in thefe larger communities. And confequently it is as clear as noon-day, that the difregard fhown to God in our houfeholds, is the fatal fource of that amazing corruption of man- ners in the prefent age, which almoft every one pretends to lament^ but almoft none fets himfelf in earneft to reform. Would you then put a flop to abounding iniquity, and promote the caufe of God and religion, begin at home, and let your Maker have that honour in your families to which he is intitled.
Had we, who minifter in . the public worfhip of God, only to lay thofe ftones in order in the building, which parents and mafters of families had previoufly po- lifhed, how eafy and delightful would be our tafk ? how comely and beautiful would our worfhipping affemblies appear ? how pure and comfortable would their com- munion be ? But if thefe fliall negledl to
exert
SERMON X. 233
exert their proper influence ; if the^ work t)f hundreds or thoufandsfhall be left to be performed by one or two, what a tedious labour mull it prove ? What ejSFedl can di- vine truths, delivered once a- week, have, unlefs the impreflion -of them be afterwards kept alive by family^devotion and domef-^ tic religion ? It is no Wonder that a tetider plant ftiould with^f arid die which is fel- dom vifited or Watered : and it is* as '^little wonderful, that thofe fhould continue^ wick- ed and impenitent, who but once i-^eek come under the influence of a religious or- dinance ; and who neither fee nor hear any thing of God, but when the ftated leafon of public inflruclion returns. If religion die in families, how can it live in nations ? Is it not an inevitable confequence, that all our public devotions mufl in this cafe dwindle away into mere hypocrify, and lifelefs una- vailing forms of worfliip ?
I have thus endeavoured to reprefetit to you the manifold advantages which would arife from maintaining the worfliip of God in your families. And I have now only to
Vol: HI. Q^ ^dd,
^34 SERMON X.
add, that though you were willing to be without thefe advantages, yet this lofs is not the whole penalty which muft attend the ne^led of that duty. This avowed 4iin"K^^d of God will not always pafs un» puntn.rd. The day is coming, when " God ** will j^our out his fury upon the Heathen " that know him not, and upon the families '* that call not upon his name;"—" Con* *^ fider this, ye that now forget God, left ^^ he tear you in pieces, when there is none ^* to deliver."
I would now conclude the fubjedl by preffing you, with all the earnelhiefs of which I am capable, to tne performance of this neceffary and important duty, were it not that 1 think it may be of ufe to confider fome of thofe excufes by which the negleft of it is coinmonly defended.
Some plead their rank and ftation in the world, but on what principles I could ne- ver yet difcover. I cannot conceive any principle of reafon more ftrong and ob- vious, than that uttered by our Saviour {Luke xii. 48.), " Unto whomfoever much *^ is given, of hiixi fliall much be required ;
*^ and
SERMON X. 235
«^ and to whom men have committed much, ^« of him will they afk the more." And certainly if benefits conferred deferve any return, they at leaft deferve thanks: if God hath placed us in a more diftingviifhed fta- tion, we owe to him a more folemn and devout acknowledgement. Riches and ho* nours, inftead of letting a man above t-ie obligation of family -worfhip, rather bind it more ftric?tly on him : and that it is be- low no man of any ftation whatfoever to perform this office, appears by the example in my text ; the example of one in the moft elevated ftation known among men, return- ing from the public worfliip of God to blefs his houfehold.
Others plead, that it has not been the pracflice of their families, and that they are not inclined to bring a new cuftom into it* To thefe I anfwer, that the reafon of this duty is as old as eternity itfelf, and the pradlice of it is as ancient as the fird fami- ly of mankind. In every fucceeding age, down to the prefent day, there have been families in which God was worihipped, and there will be fuch until the end of th^ Q^ 2 world.
2^6 S E R M O N X.
world. Nayi^ I dare venture to afErrn, that there are few now hearing me, whofe fathers or grandfathers did not at leaft maintain the form of this duty. For, ho vever much It is defplfed now, it is certain, that it was in reputation about an huildred years ago, and generally pradlifed by men of all ranks* It defer ves, therefore, to be inquired into, •iirhen, or by whom, and for what caufe, this good old cuflom was laid afide ? what was the fliameful period in which the wor- fhip of God was turned out of doors, to make way for irrellgion, and a contempt of divine things ? Then, indeed, a moll bafe and difhonourable innovation was made in your families : and therefore it muft be your glory to reftore things to their ancient flate, and to give the wbrlhip of God that room in your houfes which it formerly pof- feffed.
But if it be really true, that this irnpor- tant duty has' been always' hegledled m your families, believe me it is now' high time to introduce it. Your danger is greater than ybu are aware of. Puniihmdnt lofeth no- thing by delay ; the flower it advances, ■^^'' ' the
S E R M O N X. 237
the heavier it will prove. And therefore you have reafon to fear, tha.t the w^rath of God, which has been fo long reftrained, fliall at length break forth with double vio- lence, if it is not preveuted by a fpeedy re- formation. ^ Another excufe, by which fome defend their ncglecSl of this duty, is their inability to perform it well. They pnnot pray to God in public in fo decent a manner as they would incline. In anfwer to thi?, I need only obferve,, that, next to the di- vine bleffing, nothing contributes more to teach men to pr^y, than ft'equep^t;, practice and ufe. So that, if upon this account you neglect the duty, your inability can pafs for nothing elfe than a feigned pretence to cover your unwillingnefs .: tor, were you as willmg to learn to pray, as to acquire the knowledge of any art, you would foon, h^ diligent endeavours, attain a com- petent meaiure of this excellent gift. Be- fides, if there is firil a wiihng mind, it is accepted according to what a man hath : it is the iincenty or your delires which God regards, and not the expieiiions wich which
Q, 3 yo^
2ii SERMON X.
you clothe them : and if you fet about this duty in good earneft, and in the beft man- ner you can, though perhaps you may come Ihort of what you wifh, God will both ac- cept and aflift you in your humble and well meant attempts to honour him.
Upoa the whole, then, may I not hope that you will hearken to what I have faid ? God is now offering himfelf to be your gueft ; and is, by us, demanding an entrance into your hearts, and into^ your houfes ; and can you refolve on refufing him ? Shall the great King of heaven thus ftand at your doors, and knock, and yet meet with a re- pulfe ? If the authority of God has any weight with you; if your reafon can pre- vail with you f if your own immortal fouls^ or the fouls of thole who dwell with you appear worthy of your regard : in a word, if duty, gratitude, or intereft, can move you, all thefe confpire to enforce my exhortation, and to plead the caufe of family-worfhip. And muft thefe powerful advocates plead in vain ? muft they turn evidences againft you, and appear at laft ia judgement to condemn you ? God forbid. I defire to hope better
things
SERMON X.
^39
things of you, and things that accompany falvation, though I thus fpeak.
May the Spirit of all grace feal tliefe in- ftrudlions, and powerfully determine you co the praftice of this duty, that by the exer* cife of focial worlhip here below, you may be gradually prepared for the more exalted worlhip of the triumphant fociety above, who all with one heart, and one voice, afcnbe falvation to him that fiiteth on the throne, and to the Lamb, for ever and even Amtn,
Q4 SEIU
^4^
S E R M O N XL
. . . 'id: 1 ..:|:..i.
' — ^hyMngdom €om&.
THE corref|?6'h&nbfe^ between heaven and earth is preferved and coiiduded by Chrift alone : " For no man cometh," or can come, " to the Father, but by him." (John xiv. 6.) It is he who prefents all our homage to God ; it is he who tranfmits to him all our petitions ; and by his hands all mercy and grace are conveyed to us. Our moft fervent prayers, the devouteft breathings of our fouls, muft not only be purged from that defilement which cleaves to them, bat even in their greateft purity^ they muft be offered up in his cenfer, in or- der to their acceptance, and can only afcend by the incenfe of his facrifice.
It
♦ Preached before the Society in Scotland for propaga- ting Chriftian Knowledge, January i^. 1748.
S E ItiM.O/N XL 241
It-fliould therefore be our firfl care, in all Gur approaches to the throne of grace, to folicit the favour, of this powerful Mediator, and to 'procure his friendly interpofition in our behalf; and then we fliall have no caufe to dread a repulfe ; for his interceffion is, and muft be, always prevalent. The dig- nity of 'his perfon, his relation to the Father, and efpecially the perfecSlion of that facrifice upon which his interceffion is founded, ef- fedlually fecure acceptance to us: fo that if once we are fully perfuaded that our requefts are framed according to his will, we need have no diftrefsful anxiety about their fuc- cefs, for he will enforce them with all the merit of his own blood : and therefore we may confidently hope to obtain what we afk, in that time and way which unerring wifdom fees bed for us : " For this," fays the Apoftle John, " is the confidence which "we have in the Son of God, that if we afk "any thing according to his will, he heareth " us : and if we know that he heareth us, " we know that we have the petitions we de- " fired of him," 1 Job?/ v. 14, 15. ; This, my brethren, is an abundant fource
of
242 SERMON XL
of confolation and joy ; and though our de- fires are limited to fuch things as are agree- able to the will of our Kedeemer ; yet by this very limitation our comfort is extended, and prayer becomes a privilege of infinitely greater value than otherwife it would be. An unconfined liberty in our addreffes to God, would, in moft cafes (to fuch igno- rant and unthinking creatures as we are^, amount to nothing better than the choice of the means and manner of our own dc- ftrudlion. {EccL vi. 12) "For who know- " eth what is good for man in this life :'* Whereas our glorious High Prieft, who is perfedly acquainted with our ftate, can never be at a lofs to know what is good for us ; and the- coftly proofs he hath already given of his mercy and love, leave us no room to fufpedl his concern for our welfare. The leaft reflecftion on his fufterings may cafily convince us, that he fincerely intends our happinefs, and can difapprove of no- thing but what is hurtful to our intereft. Neither hath he left it to the uncertain con- jeilures and doubtful reafonings of our own minds, to find out what is agreeable to him;
this
SERMON XI.
243
this is clearly revealed to us in the holy Scriptures : and to render the difcovery of it ftill more eafy to us, he hath furniOied us with a Ihort but perfedl model of devo- tion, in this comprehenfive prayer which he taught his difciples ; by attending to which, we may learn from his own mouth after what manner we fhould addrefs the throne of grace, and what ought to be the matter and order of our defires. Hereby the furefl foundation is laid for our confi- dence and hope ; and whatever is according to this divine pattern, we may afk with full affurance of faith, being confident that he who hath fecured for us all the bleffings which we need, will certainly liften to thofe defires which he himfelf hath excited and authorifed. " And if we know that he " heareth us," we may from thence certain- ly conclude, " that we fhall have the peti- ** tions we defired of him."
I fhall not detam you with any account of the feveral parts of this excellent prayer, nor the particular defign for which our Lord introduced it in this fermon : Only, to make way for the inilrudlions I propofe
to
244 S E R M ON XL
to Jay before you on this occafion, I fhall obferve in general,
That prayer is not only an acknowledge- ment of our dependence upon God for the bleffings we afk ; but it like wife imports a fincere refolution on our part, to put our- felves in the way of thofe bleffings, and to ufe all proper means for obtaining them. Thus, when we pray for daily bread, we do not mean, that God ihould indulge our idlenefs, and feed us in a miraculous way; but only, that he would countenance our honeft endeavoprs, and profper them by his bleffing, which alone maketh rich. In like manner, when we pray, as in my text, that the kingdom of God may come, we certainly intimate our own confent to be employed as inftruments in carrying on this defign, and muft be underftood as binding and obliging ourfelves, by this peti- tion, to do every thing in our fphere, that may contribute to promote it.
Accordingly, I fliall endeavour, in depen- dence upon the divine aid,
Firft^ To explain and illuftrate the petition itfelf. And,
Secondly^
SERMON XL 245
Secondly^ yo fliow what may reafonably be expeded from us, in confequence of our
iifing it. -Or rather, indeed, what is ab-
folutely neceflary to prove that we are fin- cere, when we thus pray, " thy kingdom « conie."
It is fcarcely to be fuppofed, that any who read their Bibles, can be ignorant of what is here meant by the kingdom of God. This form of fpeech was very common among the Jews, efpecially about the time of our Saviour's appearance ; and was ufed by them, to fignify that grand revolution foretold in ancient prophecy which was to be brought about by the Meffiah, their long- expeded King. Thus we find the Phari- fees [Luke iLYiu 20.) inquiring "when the ^' kingdom of God Ihould come ;'^ that is, as the context explains it, when the reign of the Meffiah ihould commence ? And John the Baptift proclaimed the approach of this glorious Perfon in the fame ftyle; faying, " Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is " at hand." [Matth. lii. 2.) There are feve- ral other paffages in the New Teftament,
where
246 SERMON XI.
where the fame phrafe occurs ; from which it doth ftill more plainly appear, that by the '' kingdom of God" is meant the gofpel- dii'penfation, in which fubjedts were to b^ g /.tnen-d to God, by his Son, as the recon- ciling Mediator, and by him formed into a clmrch or fpiritual kingdom, againft which the gates of hell ihall never prevail; which is to lubfilt on earth, and enlarge itfelf in rpite of all oppofinon, till at length it fliail become perfe<9: in heaven, and triumph in eternal glory.
Now, this kingdom is either External, comprehending all who make an open pro- feffion of faith in Chrift, and fubmit to the ordinances which he hath inftituted ; or In- ternal, confifting in that dominion which he exercifts over the hearts of his fubjedls, converting them by his grace to the faith and obedience of the gofpel, enlightening their minds, renewing their wills, and pu- rifying their afFedions ; filling them with " righteoufnefs, and peace, and joy in the " Holy Ghoft ;" that is, wich true Chriftian virtue, and all the blelfed fruits and effecfls of it. And no doubt the petition refpedls
both
SERMON XI. 247
both thefe views of the kingdom of God : for though the laft, viz. the dominion of grace in the heart, or the kingdom of God within us, is beyond compariion the moft valuaijle of the two, and therefore chiefly to be de- fired by us; yet, as this kingdom is intro- duced and eftabliflied by nieans of the ordi- nances which Chrift hath appointed, we ought Ukewife to be much concerned for the prefervation and enlargement of the vifible church, or that external kingdom within which thefe ordinances are dilpen- fed, and to pray for the one in order to the other.
So that this petition may be coiifidered, as dire(5ling us to pray for thefe following things :
ly?. That the gofpel may be propagated throughout the world, and all nations brought to the knowledge of the only true God, and of Jefus Chrift whom he hath fent.
It appears from the prophetic writings of* the Old Teftament, that no lefs than uni- verfal dominion was promifed to the Lord Redeemer. " Aik of me," lays God, [F/al.
ii.
248 S E R I# & 1^' ^L
ii. *.), " and I fliall give thee the Heathen " for thine inheritance, and the uttfermoft- " parts of the earth for thy poffeflion.'* * It vras foretold, (P/aL Ixxvi. 8, 11, 17.), "That " his dominion ihould reach from fea to feat, " and from the river to the: ends of the "earth; yea, that . all kings fhould' bow " down before him ; and all nations Ihould " ferve him ; that men (hould be blefTed in " him, and all nations call him' bleffed;" And that remarkable paifage (Z)^j^. vii.-i3, 14.), is a clear and exprefs declaration' ^n this head. " I faw," fays the Prophet, " in " the night vifions, and behold, one like the '^^ Son of mafi came from the clouds of hea- " ven, and came to the Ancient of Days, " and they brought: him near before him; " and there was given him dominion, and " glory, and a kingdom, that all people, na- " tions, and languages, fhould ferve him."
Now, it is evident, that the extent of his kingdom doth not yet equal thefe magnifi- cent defcriptions of it. There are ftill many dark corners of the earth upon which the Sun of Righteoufnefs hath never arifen ; others, which were once vifited with his
healing
SERMON XI. S49
fiealing and comforting light, have had their icandleftick long removed ; and the Jews^ w^hofe return to thdr owti MelTiah fliall fo aremarkably enrich the church, and give fuch life and beauty to it, that Paul compares it to a " refurredlion from the dead/' {Rom. XI. 15.), do ftill retain their prejudice againft him, and obftinately refufe fubjeclion to Him.
We ought therefore to pray that the go& pel, which hitherto has been confined within very narrow bounds, liiay gradually fpread and extend itfelf on every fide, till at length it obtain pofleflion of the whole earth, and ^' all the kingdoms of this world become *^ the kingdoms of our God, and of his « Chrift," [Rev.xl 15.).— But, .
2dfy^ We are more efpecially to pray for a divine bleffing to accompany the means of grace;
That the gofpel may come to men, not iil word only, but alfo in power, and prove ef- fedlual for turning " them from darknefs " unto light, and from the power of Satan *^ unto God,"— That where Chrift doth al- ready reign in his external ordinances, there
V;o;l. Ill R Ixe
2CO SERMON XL
be would alfo eredl his throne in the hearts of njeriy fubduing finners to himfelf, and training up his faints, by the influences of hi«^ holy Spirit, to a meetnefs for that unde- filed inheritance which he hath purchaled for rhem — And,
• ;^J/y^ We are likewife authorifed by this petition to pray, that whatever (lands in op- pofition to the kingdom of our Redeemer, either with refpe(3: to the extent or influence of it, may be removed out of the way :
Particularly, that Antichrifl:, that " man " of fin and fon of perdition, who oppofeth ^' and exalteth himfelf above all that is call- " ed God," (2 TheJ/l ii. 3, 4 ), and hath long been " drunk with the blood of the faints," {Rev. xvii. 6.), may be brought to the ground, and never arife any more : that the delufions of the falfe prophet, and blafp he- inous impoftor Mahomet, which have over- fpread fo great a part of the world, may at leiigch be deteded, and his kingdom of daiknefs and violence plucked up by the roots.
And though it doth not belong to us to jchoofe the time, or means, or manner of
doing
SERMON XI.
^5^
doing it, for thefe muft be wholly fubmit- ted to Him " vsrho is wonderful in couufel " and excellent in working ;" yet furely it is lawful for us, to defire in general, "' that " God would arife and fcatter ail his ene- " mies," ^PfaL Ixviii. i.): and ev;n to makie mention of thofe enemies in particular, whom he hath delcribed in Scripture by fuch plain and legible charaders, that we can be in no danger of miftaking them; and to plead, tnat what he hath purpofed and fpoken concerning them may be ful- filled in the molt fpeedy and effectual man- ner. In a word, whatever is conducive to the prefent glory of the Redeemer, and the profperity of his kingdom upon earth, may juftly be comprehended in this petition^ and it will never ceafe to be of ufe in the church, till all the Redeemer's enemies are made his footflool ; and then it fhall be ex- changed for that triumphant fong;, {^Rev. xii. lo.), " Now is come falvation, and " ftrength, and the kingdom of our God, " and the power of his Chrifl. Alleluia! " for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. ^* Let us be glad, and rejoice, and give R 2 " honour
252 S E P. M O N XL
" honour to him ; for the marriage of the " Lamb is come, and his wife hath made " herfelf ready," (i?^^, xix. 6, 7.).
Thus have I endeavoured to give you ^ fliort account of the fenfe atld import of thu petition. — Let pis now proceed, in the
Second place, To conlidcr more largely^ what may reafonably be expe6led from us in confequence of our ufing it ; or rather, indeed, what is »abfolutely neceflary to prove that we are fincere when we thus pray, " Thy kingdom come." — And,
I;?, It is neceflary that we fhould become the fubje^ls of this kingdom, not in name only, but in deed and in truth, otherwife •we cannot wifli the profperity and advance- ment of it.
This King of Zion, who (ways a fceptre of grace over thofe who cordially fubmit to him, is likewlfe anped with a rod of iron, to dafli in pieces his obftinate enemies ; and therefore, to all fuch, hh coming mull be mod terrible ; and neither their inclination nor intereft will fuffer them to defire it. No man can wilh the increafe of a povVer
which
^S3
^hlch he knovNTs to be oppofite to him, efpecially when the oppofition is fo great, and the difFerence fo irreconcileable, as that which fubiifts between the kingdom of Chrifl; and the kingdom of Satan; for the one niuft necefiariy be built upon the ruins of the other.
Let u« then, my brethren, throw down the weapons of our rebellion, and yield ourfelves to this gracious Sovereign ; and then the increafe of his power Iball become the matter of \ our joy. Let us invite him into our hearts, and erect a throne for him there ; or rat-ier, let us befeech him to eredt one for himP^lf, to caft dowil every thing v^^ithin us that would exalt itfelf againft his authority, and to take the full and perpe- tual pofreiTion of our fouls. Let us un- feignedly accept of him, in the whole ex- lent of his ofEce as Mediator ; that (land- ing related to him as the members of his body, we may derive from him wifdom, and righteoufnefs, and fanclification, and every thing neceflary to our complete re- demption. Let us fecure to ourfelves a title to the protection and privileges ot his
R 3 govern-
2^54 SERMON XI.
government, by fubmitting to the laws and conftitutions of it ; and then it will become eafy and natural to us, to pny for the pro- fperity of a kingdom to which we belong, and the glory of a Sovereign, who employs all his power and authority for our good. —A
2d duty incumbent upon us, in confe- quence of our ufing this petition, is to en- deavour, by all the methods we can, to per- fuade others likewife to become the fubjeds of this kingdom.
s Many, indeed, call Chrift, " Lord, Lord ; " but few," alas ! *' do the things which he *« fays : — they profefs that they know God, *' while in works they deny him, — being " abominable, and difobedient, and to every " good work reprobate." And fhall not this move our pity and compaflion ? Can we look around us, even within the limits of the vifible church, and fee human nature expofed in every deformed and fickly Ihape? Can we behold multitudes of men, who are called by the name of Jefus, counter- ading the moft facred obligations of con- fcicnce, and even pouring contempt upon
the
255
the oniy oavijour of loft linners? Can we ■fee all this, I, fay, and not aiford our help- ing hand ? Do we pray that the kingdom of God may come,^and will we do nothing to introduce, it into the hearts of oriiets, who by nature are not lefs difpofed to en- tertain it, than we ourf elves once were ? If we are finceife in ufing this petition, lee us fhow our fincerity, by our endeavours to obtain what we afk. Let us labour, with all our might, to awaken poor finntrs to a fenfe of their danger, that they may fly to the protedli)on of that merciful Saviour, who hath ex prefsly faid, " Him that cometh " unto me, I will in no wife caft out," {John vi. y].).
Various are the means which may be ufed for this purpofe : I (hall mention one, which all of us may employ, and that is, a holy and exemplary life. There is gran- deur and majefty in the ima2:e of God,, which exadls homage to itfelf from every heart* There is fomething within us, which, in fpite of our degeneracy, confefTes and approves of what is right ; truth in our fpeech ; juftice and horiefty in our com- R 4 merce
2j6 SERMON Xf.
merce with others ; patience under afllicllony and pity to the afBi^led ; a generous con- tempt of the world,, and a readme ft to^ clo^ good to all. Thefe are virtues whieh the worft of men fecretly honour, and the pradice of them explains them better, aad enforces them more, than words can doi ' Wovild we then prevail with meji to become Chriftians indeed, let u a draw But Chrifli** anity in our lives, and makej it vifiblc to their eyes, and it will fpeafe for itfelf more intelligibly and convincingly than- we can do : for men, by beholdang it, will fee at once, that it is net only excellenty but, by the grac€ of God, pracSiicable too. This is an argument that hath I more per- fuafion in it than any other can] have; and then it is recommended to us by our Lord himfelf, {Mattk v. i6.), " Let your light " fo fhine before men, that they may fee *' your good works, and glorify your Father " which is in heaven."
2^dly^ If we fineerely defire the profi:)erity and advancement of Chrift's external king- dom, we will manifeft this by our endea- VK3urs to fupport and maintain it where it
is already effabliflied, efpecially among our- felves. '
This 18 an evidence which may reafon- ably be expelled from us ; and, indeed^ without it, ill our profeffions of love to the Redeemet, ^nd of zeal for his glory, muft pafs for vaiifi and flattering pretences, which deferve no credit. We only mock God^ when we pray that the religion of his Son may become univerfal, and fill the w^hole earth, if at the fame time we do not difco- "ver, by our condu(?i:, a hearty concern for its continuance in our own land ; yea, if we do not a6luaily refill and oppofe all attempts- whatever to carry it away from us.
It hath p}eafed God to diftinguifh us by our feligious privileges above moft other nations' in the world. They were purchafed by ovir fathers, with the expence of much blood and treafure ; and it would be high« iy criminal in us to refign them tamely, but far more to throw them away with our own hands : yet forgive me to fay, that they are chargeable with a crime not lefs than this, who either openly attempt, or fecretly wifh^ t^ bring one to the throne of thefe king«
doms.
2s8 SERMON XL
doms, whofe principles oblige him to pull dtwnwhac we apprehend to be the king- dom of Chrift, and to carry us back to that Antichriftian flavery, from which we have fo happily efcaped.
There is furh a manifeft inconfiftency between this petition and the pradlice of fuch people, that it is furprifing they do not obferve it ; and it mull appear Hill more wonderful, when we confider that the per- fons who are chiefly chargeable with this inconfiftency among us, cannot be fuppofed ignorant of the meaning of chi^s excellent prayer, which, by their own ordmances, they oblige themfelves to ufe fo frequently, and even prefs as a neceffary form upon others. But furely to pronounce ^rhe words of it cannot be of fuch efficacy as to atone for anions which contradidl the fenfe of it; nor indeed do I fuppofe that they expedl this from it. I rather believe, that invete- rate prejudice and ftrong delufion hinder many of them to perceive this obvious ia- confillency.
But let us, my brethren, " ftand faft in " that liberty wherewith Chrift hath made
" us
I 259
*^ us free, and not fufFer ourfelves to be in- " tangled again with the yoke of bondage." Let us fliow our fincerity in uling this pe- tition, by refifting all attempts to remove the candlestick from among ourfelves : let us blefs Geld for the religious privileges we enjoy, andf not fufFer them to be violently wrefted out of our hands, under any pre- tence wha';ever : let us not even expofe them to the fmalleft danger, but guard them as the moft valuable part of our property ; and efpecially, let us be careful fo to improve them, that we may never provoke God him- felf to deprive us of them. — In the
/\th anc) laji place, Let us extend our re- gards to thofe dark and miferable corners of the earth, which are full of the habitations of cruelty and wickednefs.
Let us not only pray, that the gofpel may be fent to them ; but let us do what we can to make our prayers effectual, by embra- cing every opportunity which the provi- dence of God affords us, of conveying to them this ineftimable bleffmg. It is our ho- nour and happinefs to have a Society for propagating Chriftian Knowledge eredled
among
i66 SERMON Xt
among us by royal letters patent, (and coiin> tenanccd by an annual donation from his Majefty of L. icoo Sterling), whofe bufmeff it is to attend to this very thing. The pro- grefs they have already made, is at once ^ convincing proof of their fideHty, and a ma- nifeft token of the divine favour and accep- tance : hitherto, indeed, their pious endea- vours have been moftly laid out in the re- mote and barbarous parts of our own na- tive land, though they have not been wholly confined to thefe. They have been enabled to employ fome miffionaries abroad ; of •vvhofe fuccefs among the Indians, cfpecially of late, they have received fuch ^agreeable accounts, a^ gives the delightful profped of a large acccffion to the kingdom ot our Re- deemer. The fields are already growing white in thofe parts, and promife a rich and plentiful harveit, were mare labourers em- |)loyed to gather it.
Here then is an opportunity, which God^ in his Providence, affords us of obtaining the anfwer of our own prayer. By this So- ciety, he demands a proof of our fincerity, And, as it were, offers us the honour to be- come-
SERMON XL 26e
come fellow'workers with himfelf, in gain- ing new fubjeds to his Son. Let us with Jthankfulnefs embrace the oiFer, and contri- bute as liberal an afiiftance as we can, for carrying on tliis glorious clefign.
You mull all be fenfible, that your fub- flance cannot be employed to a better pur- pofe, nor indeed laid out in a way more truly- advantageous to yovirfelves. This is charity to the fouls of men, and, in the nobleft fenfe, .*' lending to the Lord," [Prov, xix, 17.), who vAW not fail to repay with ufury.
This is a certain way of laying " up for ^^ yourfelves treafures in heaven, where there " is no corrupting moth nor rufl, and where ^* thieves cannot break through to fteal.'* What is thus devoted to the immediate fer- vice of the Redeemer, can never be loft to the giver, but fliall defcend in fhowers of bleffings upon his own head. " The liberal ^^ foul fliall be made fat, and he who water- " eth iliall be watered alfo himfelf," {Prov» si. 25.). '
Such liberality will afford us, in the mean jcime, a moft refined and delicate pleafure i an enjoyment not confined to a day, but
whicl^
a62 SERMON XL
which Hves and improves by reflecflion : and ^ then it ihall be amply recompenfed at the reflirrecflionof thejuft, {Dan. xii. 3.), " When *' they that are wife fliall fhine as the bnght- " nefs of the firmament, and they that turn *' many unto righteoufnefs, as the ftars for " evr and ever."
Y. a, this will bring down the bleffing of God upon our land ; the vigorous prof ecu- tion of this noble delign will be a better de- fence to us than the moft potent fleets or ^ numerous armies, as it will engage the Lord of Holts on our fide, *' who will be a wall *' of fire about us, and the glory in the midfl *' of us."
But I hope I need not multiply arguments to perfuade you to fo reafonable a duty : the glory of the Redeemer, the falvation of precious and immortal fouls, our own pre- fent and eternal interefl, all unite their force in exciting us to it. Let us then, whilfh wc pray " Thy kingdom come," do every thing in our fphere that may contribute to promote it; and then fhall we triumph in eternal glory, when the body of Chrifl fhall be com- plete4. Amen,
263
SERMON XII.
Psalm li. 18.
Do good in thy good pleafure unto Zion : build thou the walls of Jerufakm.
THERE is an advice becoming the wiC- dom of Solomon (in EccL v. 2. , " Be " not rafli with thy mouth, and let not ^" thine heart be hafty to utter any thing " before God : for God is in heaven, and " thou upon earth : therefore let thy words *' be few." To pray to the Moft High God is a very folemn thing, even when we view him as feated on a throne of mercy. He is always prefent with us, whether we think of him or not: but when we pray, we, by our own deed, place ourfelves in his light, and foUcit his attention. And is not this a very folemn and awful thought ? We fpeak to one who looks immediately into the
heart,
26'4 SERMON XIL
heart, and who requlreth " truth in the in-' *' ward parts." Nay, we appeal to him as the Searcher of hearts, for the truth of every word which we utter before hiiii, and chaU lenge his omnifeience to take cognizance, whether what we fay doth not exprefs the real fentiments and defires of our hearts. I fay, the defircs of our hearts ; for thefe, and not the language in which we clothe them, ?ire our prayers to God. Nay, the better the words are which we ufe in prayer, the more infolent is the profanation, if they are not animated by the defires whi'ch they ought to exprefs. Too many are apt to imagine, that they have fucceeded well in the exercifes of devotion, if they have b^en able to addrefs God by his proper titles, and to recollefl thofe words, indited by the Spirit of God, in which holy men of old exprefled their defires, and which they com- mitted to writing for the ufe of the church. But they do not conlider, that the very end for which thofe accepted prayers were re- corded, was, to regulate our hearts inflead of direcfling our lips ; and that it is our pioft immediate bufmels, when fuch peti- tions
SERMON Xli. 26$
tionis occur to our mitids, to try our hearts by them, that we may truly feel what they cxprefs, before we adventure to prefent cHem to God.
It is the character of hypocrites, whom God abhorreth, that they " draw near to " him with their mouths, and honour him , " with their lips, while their hearts are far " from him." This is to add abufe and in- fult to all their other fins ; and thdfe prayers •which have proceeded from feigned lips, will in the great day of judgement, flop the mouths of tranfgrefTors more efFedluallyj than all the other offences with which they fliall be found chargeable.
The articles of a man's belief may not always be prefent to his mind ; or at leaft the pradlical inferences which may jullly be drawn from them, may not be all fo ob- vious, as to command his \imform atten- tion. To countera6l indeed a plain and po- fitive law, is fuch flagrant rebellion as ad- mits of no excufe : and yet even in this cafe, the finner may pretend to plead, in allevia- tion of his crime, that the law appeared to him fo ftridl and rigorous, that he could Vol. III. S xio^
il66 sermon XIL
not bring his mind /to confent to its de- mands.
But what evafion can a man find for con- tradicting his own prayers ? Or what fhall he be able to anfwer, when God fhall fay to him, " Out of thine own mouth do I " condemn thee, thou wicked fervant ?" Every requeft which we make to God, is not only an explicit declaration, that wc highly efteem, and ardently defire the be- nefits we aik, but likewife implies an obli- gation on our part, to put ourfelyds in the way of receiving what we afk, and to ufc all the means in our own power to obtain it. When therefore we do not endeavour to obtain the bleffings which we afk, we plainly declare that we do not heartily de- fire them. And by afking what we do not defire to obtain, we make it evident that we are prefumptuous diffemblers, who ufc greater freedom with the all-perfedl Being, than we dare to ufe with any of our fellow mortals, who is poflelTed of fufEcient power to refent fuch unworthy and abufive treat- ment.
I have juft now read to you a prayer of
the
SERMON Xir. C267
the Royal Pfalmift, which none of us, I fup- pofe, will helicate to adopt. It confil\s of two diftin(fl petitions ; the one refpeclipg the fpiritual, the other the temporal, pro- fperity of the people over which the provi- dence of God had placed him. And it will readily occur to you, that both thefe im- portant interefts of the nation to which we belong, are recommended to our attention in the royal proclamation which hath brought us together this day *. What I propofe in the following difcourfe, is to make a few re- marks,
Firji^ On the matter of David's prayer.
Secondly^ On the order obferved in the pe- titions contained in it.
Thirdly^ On the temper of mind with which this prayer appears to have been accompanied. I will then fhew what is in- cumbent on thofe who addrefs the fame re- quefts to God, in order to prove the upright- nefs of their hearts, and that they fincerely wifh to obtain what they afkr
S 2 I
* VxQzchtA December 12. 1776, being the firil public Fail after the commencement of the American ;yar.
268 SERMON XII.
I. begin with the matter of David's pray* er : " Do good in thy good pleafure unto " Zion : build thou the walls of Jerufa- « km."
The firft of thqfe petitions hath an obvi- ous reference to the tribes of Ifrael, confix dered in their fpirituai ftate, as a reUgious community, or the ti-ue church of God. To thofe who are acquainted with the lan- guage of Scripture, it will not be needful to prove, that this is the common acceptation of the term Zion, when it is ufed in di- ftindlion from Jerufalem. Zion was the un- alterable ftation of the tabernacle, the city of David, and the emblem of that fpirituai kingdom which David's Son and Lord was to eredl in future times. The blefling pray- ed for by the Pfalmift is, that it would pleafe God to do good unto Zion.
This fliort, but comprehenfive requeft, in the mouth of a Britilh and Proteftant Chri- ftian, includes more particulars than the li- mits of one difcourfe will permit me to enumerate. I ihall felec'H: a few leading pe- titions, in which all who come under this defcription will cordially unite; namely,
That
SERMON XII. 269
That God, of his infinite mercy, may efta- blifh and perpetuate what his own right hand wrought for us in the days of our fathers, at the two illuftrious aeras of the Reforma*^ tion from Popery, and what is juftly ftyled th^ Glorious ReYolution : That the word of the Lord may have free courfe, and be glo^ rifled in thefe lands, as long as the fian and moon endure ; That . the great truths of the gofpel of Chnft may be faithfully publilh- ed, and fucct fsfully defended, both agamft the attacks of open enemies, and the fecret artifices of thofe who lie in wait to deceive: That the ordinances of religion may not only be difpenfed in purity, but may be accompanied with power, and rendered ef- fedlual for the convidion of finners, . and for building up faints in holinefs and com* fort, through faith unto falvation : That the wickednefs of the wicked may come to an end, and the juft be eftabliflied : That the fpirit of divifion may ceafe, and that th^ whole multitude of believers may be of one heart and one foul, " following after the *' things which make for peace, and things ^' whereby one may edify another." In
S 3 fine
270 SERMON XII.
fine, that our Zion may be a " quiet habi- " tation, and a tabernacle that Ihall not be " taken down, none of the flakes whereof '' fliall be removed, neither any of the " cords broken : that God may appoint fal- " varion for walls and bulwarks to her, and ** be himfelf the glory in the midft of her :'* *' Clothing her priefts with righteoufnefs, " that all her faints may fhout aloud for " joy." In thefe, and fuch particulars, con- fifteth the good of Zion. " Chrift loved his " church, and gave himfelf for it, that he " might fanclify and cleanfe it with the *' w^afhing ot water by the Word, that he " might prefent it to himfelf a glorious " church, not having fpot or wrinkle, or " any fuch thing, that it might be holy and " without blemiih." For this end he lived, and for this end he died, " That he might " redeem us from all iniquity, and purify *' unto himfelf a peculiar people, zealous of " good works."
The other petition contained in the text, " build thou the walls of Jerufalem," hath a reference to the civil ftate of the Jews as a commouwealth or kingdom, and is a
prayer
SERMON XII. 271
prayer for their national fafety and pro- iperity.
This requeft, like the former, compre- hends a great variety of particulars. -
It will be readily admitted, that a form of government, by which the natural rights of men are moft effedlually fecured, and in which the impartial adminiftration of efta- bUilied laws guards the life, the liberty, and the property of the meaneft individual, may, without ftraining the metaphor, be included in the idea of walls and bulwarks, which contribute at once to the defence and ornament of a city. With regard to the *' walls or bulwarks" of our civil con- ftitution, it gives me pleafure to acknow- ledge, that they are not only entire, but in feveral refpedls more fair apd durable than thofe of any other nation upon earth. In other lands, the walls of government are built on the furrender of fome of the moft precious rights of human nature : But in this happy country, we have not bought the protection of government at fo dear a rate ; nor is the hard hand of the opprefTor either felt or feared by the meaneft member S 4 .of
273 SERMON XII.
of the eommunity. And mud not the heart of that man then be hard and unfeel- ing, wuo doth not wifh and pray that fuch an invaluable conftitution may be built up, and preferved entire to lateft genera- tions ?
But the expreffion ufed in the text, calls upon us to look with weeping eyes and ibrrowful hearts, upor that awful rent in the Britifh empire, which is the immediate Gccafion of our meeting together at this time. We have feen a cloud rife out of the weft, at firft no bigger than a man's hand, but, like that which the Prophet's fervant faw, it hath overfpread the * face of heaven, and earned tempell and defolation in its progrefs. When I mention this great calamity, I do not mean to fix your atten- tion on it as an objedl which prefents no- thing to our view but complicated diflrefs and danger. Much as I difapprove of that levity which " defpifeth the chaftening of ^' the Lord," I am yet no fjriend to that defpondency which would make us " faint ^' when we are rebuked of him." The fame expreffion in my text, which reminds
' S F R M O N XII. 273
u$ of the alarming breach which we de- plore, doth at the lame time lead us to look beyond and above it, to him who is able tQ repair it ; to that God who " hath the " hearts of all men in his hands, and " turneth them as the rivers of water.'* With him it is a fmall matter, not only to fill up the gap which hath feparated Great Britain from her American colonies ; but if it feem good in his fight, he can, with infinite eafe, make this temporary fepara- tion the occafion and the means of eftablifh- ing a firm and permanent union: an union which neither political artifice, nor felfifh anibirion, nor the pride of independence, will be able to difliolve. This is the de- firable iflue to which our willies may law- fully dire6l us, when we pray in the lan- guage of the Royal Pfalmift, " Build thou " the walls of Jerufalem."
Having made thefe remarks on the imt- port of David's requefts, let us attend, in the
Second place, To the order in which they are placed. He begins with praying for
the
274 SERMON XII.
the good of Zlon, and then offers his fup- plication in behalf of Jerufalem. Nor is this an accidental or arbitrary arrangement. The fame fubordination of temporal to fpiritiial bleilings, is uniformly obferved througa the whole of the facred record, both in che promifes of God, and in the accepted prayers of his people : and it de^ ferves our notice, that, in this order, we are called upon by his Majc fly's proclama- tion, to < onducl the devotional exercifes of this day. For, previous to any particular requell refpedmg the political ftate or the Britiih empire, we are admoniilied by our gracious Sovereign, " To humble ourfelves " before Almighty God, on account of our *' fins 3 to implore his pardon, and to fend " up, in the moft devout and folemn man- " ner, our prayers and fupplications to the " divine Majefty, for averting thofe heavy " judgements which our manifold fins and " provocations have moft juilly deferved."
It may be remembered by fome now prefent, that in the year 1759, when Great Britain fat as Queen among the nations, we were called together by a proclamation
from.
SERMON XII. 275
from the Throne, to return public thanks to Almighty God, for the great and public bleffings which enriched and diilinguiflied that memorable year.
It was then my object, to warn my fellow- citizens againft the criminal abufe of our na- tional felicity, by perverting, into weapons of rebellion againft God, the fruits of that fuccefs with which he had been pleafed to favour us.
Since that time, we have enjoyed a period of very uncommon profperity as a king- dom. While riches have been flowing to us from all quarters, luxury and dilTipa- tion advancing with an equal pace, have proved at once the propriety and the neglecl of that warning. Enormous fortunes, fud- denly acquired in our foreign fettlements, have accelerated that corruption of man- ners, which is the ufual concomitant of profperity. Succefsful adventurers, coming home with fums almoft beyond the calcula- tion of a moderate mind, produce a difdain of the flow and fober paths of induftry : and " men haftening to be rich fail into *' temptation, and a fnare, and into many
" foolifli
276 SERMON XII.
" foollfh and hurtful lufts, which drown «' tliern in deftrudion and perdition." Our table hath indeed become our fnare : gind the unconnnon bleiEngs conferred on \}s inftead of heightening our gratitude, have only caufed us to forget the hand that bcn flowed them, and proved thq means of aUe-? nating our hearts from God.
For this abufe qf ^rofperity, the land doth mourn this day. They muft be blind in-- deed, who do not fee the uplifted hand of God, and even read, on the rod with which he hath fmitten us, our national guilt en- graved m fuch deep and legible characters, that it may truly be faid, " Our own wick- ^' ednefs hath correded us, and our back- *' Hiding's have reproved us*"
Do we complain of the ingratitude of our American colonies, which flourilhed fb long, and profpered fo much in a ftate of union with the mother-country, and as the free fub- jeds of a free finite ? In what words can we utter our complaints pnore expreffive, than thofe which are pre-occupied, if I may fo fpeak, Dy the great Lord of heaven and earth, in that folemn appeal which is recorded
i^Jfaiah
SERMON XII. 277
{Ifaiah i. 2,), " Hear, O heavens, and give ear, " O earth, for I have nourifhed and brought ** up children, and they have rebelled againft " me." So that the very expreffions with which we would naturally reproach our rebellious colonifts, may juftly remind us of that more aggravated rebellion, where- with we ourfelves are chargeable againft that God, who hath not only planted, but che- rifhed and proteded us in a good land unto this day.
Now whatfoever things were written a- foretime, were written for our admoni- tion, upon whom the ends of the world are come. God is always the fame. He is in one mind, and none can turn him. His love to righteoufnefs, and his hatred of fin, are both unchangeable; and therefore, the truth of that aflertion muft be equally unchangeable, that righteoufnefs exalteth a nation: whereas fin is the reproach, and without repentance muft, in the iffue, be the ruin of any people. Would we then pray with acceptance for the peace and profperity of our Jerufalem, let us begin with praying for the good of Zion; that it
may
t^% SERMON XIL
may pleafe God to pour down the fpirit of repentance and reformation on men of every rank. Until we thus turn to God, folid profperity will not return to our land. There may be gleams of tranfient fuccefs : but thefe interruptions of calamit;y will only aggravate our final doom. Whereas, if we fincerely repent of our evil ways, and return to that God from whom we have revolted, he will ftay his hand, now lifted up in wrath, " and God, even our own God, fliall « blefs us."—" Behold the hand of the Lord " is not fliortened, that it cannot fave; " neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot *' hear ; but our iniquities have feparated " between us and our God." We have a mod gracious and explicit promife to encou- rage us, [Jerem, xviii. 7, 8.), " At what in- « ftant, (faith God), I fliall fpeak concern- " ing a nation and concerning a kingdom, ** to pluck up and pull down, and to de- " ftroy it: if that nation againft whom I " have pronounced, turn from their evil, ' *' I will repent of the evil that I thought to " do unto them."
Here then is a large field, in which every
man
SERMON XII. 279
man may labour for the good of his coun- try. In this view, the meaneft fubjedl has the confolation to think, that he may be- come ufeful to the community with which he is connedled. The meaneft fubjedl may fo order his hfe and converfation, as to render himfelf, in the eyes of his Maker, one of the " excellent ones of the earth," one of that " holy feed which is the fub- " ftance of the land.'' The meaneft fub- jedl may put up the fervent fupplications of a pious, pure, and humble foul, to the throne of grace ; and with that holy ardour, which alone vsrill find acceptance, folicit the Supreme Difpofer of all events, for bleffmgs and benefits of every kind to his country. The meaneft fubje6l can " walk with God" in the duties of devotion, can difplay the beauty of holinefs, and ftir up others to imi- tate the example of his virtue and piety.
Thus far I have confidered both the mat- ter and order of the two petitions in my text. — The
Third thing propofed was, To make fome pra(5lical obfervations on the temper of mind
w^ith
28o SERMON Xa
With which they appear to have bieen ac* companied. And it is obvious, in general, that David had a juft impreffion of hi^ ab- folute dependence on God, and that he did not truft in the arm of fiefh, but looked for help from God alone. No man poffefTed larger meafures than David, either of poli* tical wifdom or warlike fkill ; but he did not confide in his own talents for building or defending the walk of Jerufalem . He knew, as he exprefleth it in another of his Pfalms, that " except the Lord build the " houfe, they labour in vain that build it ; " and except the Lord watch the city, the " watchmen waketh in vain." He therefore looks diredly to the God of Zion, and com- mits Jerufalem, and her walls, to his keep- ing, who neither {lumbers nor fleeps, even the Creator of the ends of the earth, who fainteth not, neither is weary.
The form of his addrefs doth likewife difcover the deep conviction he had of his own unworthinefs. He pleads with God, as a humble fvipplicant, with that penitent and contrite heart, of which he fpeaks in the verfe preceding my text. He claims
nothing
SERMON XIL aSi
nothing upon the terms of juftice, but ap- plies folely to the mercy and free favour of God. " Do good," faith he, " in thy good " pleafiire^ unto Zion."
This expreflion may be further confider- ed, as denoting that fubmiffiye and refigned frame of fpirit with which he put up his requells both for Zion and Jerufalem. He did not prefume to limit the Holy One of Ifrael ; but left it entirely to his own wifdonrx and goodnefs, to grant the matter of his prayer at what time, and in what manner, or by what means, he fliould choofe.
In all thefe refpecls, he prefents to our view an approved example for our imitation in fimilar circumftances.
It now only remains, that I fhould inquire what is incumbent on thofe who adopt the Pfalmift's prayer, in order to prove the up- rightnefs of their hearts, and that they fin- cerely with to obtain what they afk.
I obferved, in the introdudlion to this difcourfe, that every requeft which we make to God, is not only an explicit declaration, that we highly efteem, and ardently defire, the benefits which we pray for, but doth
VglvIII. T likewife
zZz S E R M O N XIL
Jikewife imply an obligation and promife oii Our pkrt to Life all the means in our power to obtain them.
As to what concerns the public ftate of tlie nation, and th^ means of building up and cementing the walls of our Jerufalem,. thefe matters I leave to thofe who have the conftitutional charge of them.. The beft aid 1 can contribute in my fphere, is to pray for wifdom to diredl the public coun- fels, and to do w^hat I can for the good of Zion ; and in this you all may and ought to be workers together with me. If, ithen^. we have any love for our country, or any fmcere defire of faving her from impending calamity, let us now form hearty and vi- gorous refoliitions of corred:ing and a- mending our ways. Let our reformation begin in thofe points fi'om which our cor- ruption may be traced. Remember, that piety towards God is the beft fupport of all thofe virtues which form the good man or the ufeful citizen. Legiflators may devife what regulations they pleafe ; but if there 15 no fenfe of a God or of a providence among the fubjeds, they will never be able
to
SERMON XIL 2^3=
to execute their plans, or to attain their ends. Let perfonal reformation, therefore, be our firft care ; and having given all dili- gence to make our own calling and eledtioa fure, let us, in our refpedlive ftations, join heart and hand to Tlifcourage vice in every form, and to promote the interefts of pure and undefiled religion in our land. — Unlefs. we do this, our national faft, inftead of af- cending to God with acceptance, will link down into the meafure of national guilt, and v/ill only haften the execution of that ^atal fentence, " Put ye in the fickle, for the har- " vefi is ripe, the prefs is full, and the fat " overflows, for their wickednefs is great." — On the other hand, by turning to God through Jefus Chrift, and bringing forth fruits nleet for repentance, we may not only avert thofe heavy judgefnents with which we are threatened, but on fcrlptural grounds may take encouragement to hope, that God v^ill return in mercy to Zion, and will yet make our Jerufalern a praife in the earth. jdmen.
T 2 SER.
aS4
SERMON XIIIo
I Corinthians iv. 7.''^"
Who rnaketh thee to differ from aiiother ? and what haji thou that thou d'ldjl not receive ?
IT is not to be fuppofed, that any perfon endowed with reafon can be in fufpenfe for a moment about an anfwer to thefe queftions. I am confident, that there is not one in this aflembly who is not ready to reply, — It is God alone who maketh mc to differ from any other; and I have no- thing which I did fnot receive from his bountiful hand. No man who believes that God is, will hefitate to confefs, with the Apoftle James, that " every good gift, *' and every perfecfl gift, is from above, and ** Cometh down from the Father of lights."
Yet
* Preached before the Managers oi the Orphan Hofpital, of Edinburgh, Augnjl ^^, 1775.
SERMON XIIL 285
Yet fo little attention is paid by the bulk of mankind to the confequences of this com- monly acknowledged truth, that I fhall make no apology for employing the Jirjl part of my dlfcourfe, in reminding you of the evidence by which it is fupported :- — I fliall theri lay before you fome of thofe praiflical leilbns, equally obvious and im- portant, which with eafe and certainty may be deduced from it: — And conclude with that improvement of the fubjecfl which hath a more immediate reference to the occafion of our prefent meeting together at this time.
Ftrjl^ I begin with reminding you, that every blefling we poflefs is the gift of God, and that we have nothing which we did not receive from him.
That this is the cafe with refpedl to na- tural endowments, will readily be admit- ted. Men are apt enough to boaft of the improvement of their faculties ; but the fa- culties themfelves are univerfally acknow- ledged to be the gifts of God. " There is a « fpirit in man," faid Elihu in the book of T 3 lob,
286 SERMON XIIL
Job, " and tlie infpiratlon of the Almighty *' giveth him underitanding." A quick ap- prehenfion, a retentive memory, a lively im^i- gination, and other niental powers, thefe arc favours which the great Author of our being difpenfeth to whom, and iu what meafure, it pleafeth him ; and never was any man fo arrogant as to pretend, that he beflowed thefe qualities upon himfelf.
It is no lefs evident, that the light of
divine revelation is an additional blefTing,
•which flows immediately from the fame
fountain of beneficence ; according to that
grateful acknowledgement of the Pfalmift,
" He fheweth his word unto Jacob, his fla-
*' tutes and his judgements unto Ifrael : He
" hath not dealt fo with any nation." And
we muft be fenfible, that it is purely ow^ing
Xo *' the tender mercy of our God, that the
" day-fpring from on high hath vifited us,
*' to give light to vis, wdiofe fathers fit in
" darknefs and in the fliadow of death, to
" guide our feet into the way of peace."
Nay, we are taught, that the yirtue and eflicacy of this external light muft be wholly attributed to the bleffing, of God. ^ This is
plainly
SERMON SIIL ^^7
plainly and ftrongl}^ afferted at the 6tli and ^tli verfes of the preceding chapter : " I *' have planted, ApoUos watered ; but Cod ^' gave the Increafe. So then, neither is hfc ^' that planteth any thing, neither he thslt *' watereth ; but God that giveth the in-
"■^ creafe." " It pleafed God," faith our
Apoftle, fpeaking of himfelf, Gal. i. 15. *' who feparated me from my mother's " womb, and called me by his grace, to " reveal his Son in me." And in another part of his writings, " By the grace of God *^ I am what I am.'* Nor did thefe expref- fions of humility take their rife from the peculiar circumftances of his own converr- fion ; for he applies the fame principle to the Chriftians at Corinth, and urgeth it as an argument againft every degree of boaft- ing or felf- attribution, i Cor. i. 26. &c. *' For ye fee your calling, brethren, how *' that not many wife men after the flefli, " not many mighty, not many poble, are " called. But God hath chofen the fooliih " things of the world, to confound the " wife; and God hath chofen the weak ^^ things of the world to confound the T 4 « tilings
288 SERMON XIII.
" things which are mighty ; and bafe things " of the world, and things which are defpi- " fed, hath God chofen, yea, and things ^ which are not, to bring to nought things " that are : that no flefh fliould glory in his *« prefence." And then adds, " But of him " are ye in Chrift Jefus, who of God is •' made unto us wifdom, and righteoufnefs, *« and fandlification, and redemption: that, " according as it is written, He that glorieth, " let him glory in the Lord."
Were it necefTary to defcend to other par- ticulars that might be named, it would be cafy to Ihow, that all our advantages, of what kind foever, whether they belong to the body or outward eftate, are equally de- rived from God, and dependent upon him. Hear what God faid to Mofes, E:>^od. iv. 1 1. " Who hath made man's mouth ? or who ^^ xnaketh the dumb, 'Or deaf, or the feeing, " or blind ? have not I the Lord ?" How fublime, and how juft, were the fentiments which Hannah exprefled ! i Sa?7u ii. 3. &:c. *^ Talk no more fo exceeding proydly, and " let not arrogancy proceed out of your *< mouth : for the Lord is a God of know- ' " ledge,
SERMON XIII. 2S9
^^ ledge, and by him actions are weighed. — " The Lord killeth, and maketh ali^e : He *' bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth " up. The Lord rriaketh poor, and maketh *' rich : he bringeth low, and liftech up. *' He raifeth up the poor out of the duft, ^^ and lifteth up the beggar from the dung- " hill, to fet them among princes, and to " make them inherit the throne of glory: ^^ for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, *' and he hath fet the world upon them." And with what humble, but elevated devo- tion did David, in the height of his profpe-f rity, afcribe all that he poflefled to the free bounty of God, when he blefled the Lord, and faid before all the congregation of the children of Ifrael, " Thine, O Lord, is the " greatnefs, and the power, and the glory, " and the vidory, and the majefty : for all " that Is in the heaven, and in the earth, is " thiiTe ; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and " thou art exalted as head above all. Both ^' riches and honour come of thee, and thou '* reigneft over all; and in thine hand is ♦* power and might, and in thine hand it is « to make great, and to give flrength untd
** all.
a^o SERMON XIII.
" all. Now therefore, our God, we thank *' thee, and praife thy glorious name. ' But *' who am I, and what is my people, that " we fhould be able to offer fo willingly af- " ter this fort ? for all things come of thee, *' and of thine own have we given thee. — " O Lord our God, all this ftorc that we " have prepared to build thee an houfe for *' thy name, cometh of thine hand, and is " all thine own."
I might quote many other paffages to the fame purpofe ; but you have heard enough to fatisfy you that I am fupported by the higheft authority when I fiy, that all the bleffmgs w^e poffefs are the gifts of God, the effedls of his free and unmerited libera- lity.
This dodlrine, as I obferved in the en- trance, hath none of the charms of novelty to recommend it. But is it on that account lefs needful to be infifted upon ? Moft aA furedly it is not. I believe we fliall find, upon inquiry, that the moft obvious truths are univerfally the leaft regarded, and there- fore have moft need to be frequently brought iri view, that men may be conftrained to
beftow
SERMON XIII. 291
beftow fome attention upon them, and to confider the inlluence they ought to have upon their temper and conducS. I am afraid that we judge of fpiritual things in the fame abfurd manner that we judge of tem- poral things ; 1 mean, that we put a fanci- ful vakie upon them, and do not rate them accordhig to their intrinlic worth and real xifefulnefs.
We fee every day, that earthly things are eftimated, not by their ufe, but by their fcarcity ; infomuch that, in common lan- guage, the words 7^are and pj^ecious are con- vertible terms ; though, in fa6l, the things that are truly precious, becaufe mod necef- fary, inilead of being rare, arc fcattered abroad with the greatefl profufion. Thus doth God difpenfe temporal benefits; the bell, that is, the mod ufeful, are univerfally given out in greateft abundance. And it may juflly be afiirmed, that fpiritual blet fmgs are difpenfed in the fame way. The mod comprehenfive blefling, the unfpeakable gift of Jefus Chrift, is of all others the mod free and liberal, being offered, " without *' money and without price," to every fin-
ner
292 SERMON XIII.
ner of irmnkind, without exception ; and actually conferred upon all who, feeling their need of a Saviour, are made willing to receive and reft upon him alone for par- don, and peace, and complete falvation. In like manner, the great rules of duty, and the truths that are beft adapted to purify our hearts and reform our pra6lice, are dit- perfed as it were around us in the greateft plenty and variety. God, who hath ap- pointed our work, hath likewife limited the feafon for doing it ; and therefore, that we may not lofe a moment, the moft ufeful Jand neceflary inftruments of adlion are laid fo near us, that we need only ftretch forth c^ir hand, to take hold of them. Were they placed at a diftance, the opportunity of adl-^ ing might frequently pafs away before the proper means and inftruments were got ready. But fuch wife and efFedual provi-^ fion is made, that no man fliall have it in his power to plead this excufe. If any piece of duty be left undone, it cannot be owing cither to the want of a plain rule to direcfl our condudl, or of fufficient arguments and encouragements to' move us to adion, but
to
SERMON XIII. ^93
to the inattention, or pride, or ftubbornnels, of our own hearts.
This affords a glorious difplay of the wifdom and goodnefs of our great Lawgiver and Judge. But alas ! we thwart his mer-* ciful intentions. Overlooking what is near, we roam abroad in quefl of other things, that lie at the remoteft diftance from us, and have the feebleft influence upon our temper and praflice. Such is our folly and perverfenefs, that, defpifing the mod impor- tant truths, becaufe they are common and obvious, we run away in the vain pur- fuit of abftrufe and intricate fpeculations, which have no other e£Fe(fl than to puzzle the head, or to warm the imagination, while they leave the heart dark, and cold, and ia- fenfible.
To correcfl this falfe tafte, by recalling mens attention to the moft Ample and pradlical truths, ought, in my apprehenfion, to be the principal aim of a gofpel-miniften When thefe have got full poflefTion of mens heirts, and appear in the fruits of a holy life, then, if we find leifure, we may feek after new difcoveries : but furely necefhty
fliould
294 SERMON XIII.
fliould have the fir ft difpofal of our ftudy and labour* Life is Ihort, and fouls are precious ; atid therefore things of eternal confequence ought in all reafon to be pre- ferred. They who choofe to gratify the curious, by telling them new and ftrange things, may indeed raife the reputation of their own invention ; but they do it upon the ruins of a far more excellent thing, — I mean, tliat charity " which vaunteth not " itfelf, is not puffed up, and feeketh not *' her own ;" and as they have no higher aim than to lerve themfelves, it is but juft they Ihould be left to reward themfelves as they can.
We are commanded in Scripture, to be *^ ready to every good work ;" that is, to be in futh an habitual pofture for fervice^ that v:ith facility we may enter upon ac- tion fo foon as an opportunity prefents it-^ ftilf. But we fliall never acquire this prompt- nefs and facility, till the mind be furniihed ■with fome fruitful principles of adlion ; and the more fimple and obvious thefe principles are, the more readily will they occur to us, and the greater a.uthority and
influence
SERMON XIII. igs
influence will attend them. Of this kind is the propolitlon I have been endeavouring to illuftrate. The truth of it is obvious to the meanefl capacity ; and yet fuch is its fruitfulnefs and energy, that fome of the fublimeft duties of the Chriftian life are vir- tually included in it, and may with eafe and certainty be deduced from it.
To feledl fome of thefe pradlical leflbns was the fecond thing propofcd ; to which I now proceed.
ly?, If all the bleffings wq pofTefs be the gifts of God, the effects of his free and un- merited bounty, then furely we ought to be humble. This is the particular improve- ment which the Apoftle direds us to make of this dodlrine in the clofe of my text: " Who maketh thee to differ from another ? " and what haft thou that thou didft not ^' receive ? Noiv if thou didft receive ity ivhy " doji thou glory ^ as if thou hadfl not recei^ '' veditf'
This reafoning is fo plain and fimple,. that a child may underftand it ; and yet fo perfedly jufl, that it will abide the fevereft
trial J
596 SERMON XUL
trial ; nay, the more accurately it is exapii- ned, the ftronger will it appear. Did we keep this fingle principle in our eye, that it is God who maketh us to differ^ that alone might be fufEcient to give a check to our pride, and to infpire us with humility. Did we view all our prefent advantages as gifts freely bellowed, to which we had no pre- vious title or claim; then every additional bleffing would only remind us of our indi- gence before we received it ; and the great- er and more numerous the benefits confer- red upon us were, the greater debtors fhould we judge ourfelves, the more deeply iliould we feel our dependence upon God, and the lefs difpofed fhould we be to glory in our- felves.
idljy From the fame principle, and with equal eafe and certainty, we may deduce our obligation to thankfulnefs and praife. Hu- mility and gratitude, thefe kindred graces, which conflitute the proper temper of a Chriflian, are infeparable companions. They give mutual aid and fupport to each other, and both take their rife from the perfua- fion of this truth. For how can w^e think
of
SERMON XIII. 297
of our kind and unwearied benefadlor, who condefcends to make us the objects of his care, who daily loads us with benefics, though he is altogether independent of us, and can neither be enriched by our fervices, nor impoverifhed by the want of them ; — how can we think of him, I fay, without the moft fervent love, and humble grati- tude ?
Zdly, To humiUty and gratitude, I add re- ftgnation to the will of God. This was the inference which holy Job drew from the dodrine I have been illuftrating : « Shall " we receive good at the hand of the Lord, *' and fhall we not receive evil alfo ? The " Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, « fcleffed be the name of the Lord." Surely if no wrong be done us, we have no right to complain. We ought rather to adore that goodnefs which at firft beftowed the gift, gave us the comfortable enjoyment of it, and continued it with us fo long ; and to fay with the faints of old, when our di- ftrefs is greateft, « I will blefs the Lord at " all times ; his praife fhall continually be « in my mouth." —«* Wherefore doth a li- Vol. hi. u « ying
2gS SERMON XIIL
" ving man complain, a man for the pu- <* nifliment of his fins?" — " It is the Lord,- " let him do what feemeth him good ;" and, " Good is the will of the Lord."
/^/Mjy Did we attend to this truth, we fliould not dare to employ any means that are unlawful for improving our circumilances, or acquiring the good things that belong to a prefent world : and even in ufmg the means that are lawful, we ihould conftantly look up to God for fuccefs, and implore his bleffing upon our honeft endeavours ; remembering, on the one hand, " that the " getting of treafures by lying lips, is a va- " nity toiled to and fro of them that feek " death ; and, on the other hand, that the " bleffing of the Lord maketh rich, and he " addeth no forrow with it." AVhich leads me to obferve,
St^fy', The im.portance of enjoying the bleffing of God; with all the gifts which his bounty beftows upon us. From this alone arifeth their value, and nothing elfe can im- part to them that fweetnefs which renders the pofleffion of them truly defirable. Hap- pinefs cannot be extraded from the crea- tures
SERMON Xm. 299
tufes themfelves : they are all broken ci- fterns that can hold no water : " The eye is " not fatisfied with feeing, neither is the ear " filled with hearing." — " He that loveth fil- " ver, ftiall not be fatisfied with filver ; nor *' he that loveth abundance with increafe." Solomon records it as one of the evils he had feen under the fun, namely, " riches *' kept for the owners thereof to their hurt," And he fuppofeth it a very pofTible cafe, that amidft the greatell abundance of earth- ly things, 'f a man may all his days eat in " darknefs, and ha e much furrow and " wrath with his ficknefs." Ho-.v awful is that threatening, MciL ii. 2. " If ye will " not hear, and if ye will not lay it to heart *' to give glory unto my name, faith the " Lord of hofts, 1 will even fend a curfe " upon you, and I will curfe your blef^ " fings ?" And when this threatening is executed upon any, then " their table be- " comes a fnare to them ; and that which " fhould have been for their welfare, be- *' comes a trap," infomuch that their pro- fperity proves both the occafion and inftru- ment of their deftrudion : " Whereas the U 2 *' Lord
300 SERMON XIII.
" Lord blefleth the habitation of the juft:'^ in confequence .Hvhereof, " the little that a " righteous man hath, is better than the " riches of many wicked.'* It is a fignifi- cant faying of David, PfaL xxxvii. 22. " Such " as be blelTed of the Lord fhall inherit the " earth." They hold their portion of it by a different tenure than other men ; they poITefs it as the children of him who is Lord of all : and their Father, while he feeds them with food convenient for them, gives them at once the proper enjoyment, and the fandlified ufe of it. This is the peculiar privilege of believers in Chrift Jefus ; for " as many as receive him, to ** them gives he power to become the fons " of God, even to them that believe in his " name." And as the Apoftle Paul reafons, " If children, then are they alfo heirs, heirs " of God, and joint heirs with Chrift Jefus :" fo that, in the mo ft common bounties of providence, they can tafte the fweetnefs of Ipecial love, and may lawfully conlider every benefit conferred upon them, as a token of their Father's affedion, and a pledge of that^ fulnefs of joy that awaits
them
SERMON XIIL 30£
tliem in a future ftate. How much then doth it concern us, even as we regard our prefent comfort, " to give all diligence to ** make our calling and eleclion fure," that on every gift, whether fmall or great, read- ing the precious name of him who bellows it, we may have the true relifli of the pro- vifion afforded us in the courfe of our journey through this ftrange country, till we arrive at our Father's houfe above, where we Ihall obtain poffeffion of that glorious inheritance of the faints, which is incorruptible, and undefiled, and fadeth not away.
Thefe are a few of the practical leflbns, which, with eafe and certainty, may be deduced from the dpdrine of my text.
Permit me now to apply the fubjedl to the particular occafion of our meeting toge- ther at this time.
Hitherto I have been fpeaking of the bleffings we pofTefs as gifts freely beftowed. But there is another important light in which we ought likewife to view them* They are talents committed to us for fpecial
U 3 ends
302
SERMON XIII.
ends and purpofes ; and it is bot li expedled and required that we be diligent and faith- ful in improving them, as it becomes thofe who mufl one day give an account of
their ftewardfhip. There is an effential
difference between God's giving to us, and our giving to our fellow- men. We re- nounce ovir intereft in what we give to ano- ther : it ceafeth to be ours, and becomes the property of the perfon upon whom we beflow it. But God giveth nothing away after this manner. His giving to his crea- tures doth not make the benefit conferred a whit the lefs his own than it originally was. God is the entire and abfolute pro- prietor of all things : they are ;his, becaufe he made them ; and what is ftyled property among men, mufl neceffarily be derived, limited, and dependent. This dominion is fo effential to God, that he cannot divefl himfelf of it. Earthly rulers may refign part of the jurifdidlion that belongs to them. Thus Saul proclaimed, that who- foever fhould fight Goliah the Philifline, ^nd kill him, " he and his houfe fhould be
" made
SERMON XIII. 303
''^ made free in Ifrael." — But no creature can be releafed from its obligation to ferve God : for abfolute dependence and unlimit- ed fubjedtion are fo intimately connected, that they cannot exift feparately. As we neceflarily depend upon God, fo we are ne- ceflarily bound to fubmit to his authority, and to ferve him to the utmoft extent of the powers he hath given us. No creature can fay of any thing he poffefleth, This is fully mine, to difpofe of it as I pleafe. The be- nefits conferred upon us, are fo far our pro- perty, with refped to our fellow-fervants, that, unlefs they can produce an order from the great Mafter of the family, none of them may take them from us, neither can they righteoufly pofTefs them without our confent: but, with regard to God, they ftill belong to him, and are ours only for the ends and purpofes he hath appoint- ed. They were not given merely as an alms to the needy, but as inftruments are given to a fervant for doing his mafter's work. This is clearly exprelfed, i Pet. iv, 10* " As every man hath received the gift, *^ even fo minifter the fame one to another, U 4 « as
304 SERMON XIIL
" as good ftewards of the manifold grace « of God.''
The nature of the gifts beftowed upon men plainly fhow, that they were not in- tended for pomp, but for ufe : and it ap- pears from the manner in which they are diftributed, that none of them are beftowed to gratify the pride of individuals, but to edablilh fuch a mutual connedlion and de- pendence, as may render every one in his p ace ufeful to the community, "We have a lively illuftration of this, i Cor. xii. 8. €tfej. " To one is given by the Spirit the " word of wifdom ; to another the word of *' knowledge by the fame Spirit ; to ano- " ther faith by the fame Spirit ; to another *' the gifts of healing by the fame Spirit ; " to another the working of miracles ; to *' another prophecy ; to another difcerning *' of fpirits ; to another divers kinds of " tongues ; to another the interpretation of " tongues. But all thefe worketh that one " and the felf-fame Spirit, dividing to every " man feverally as he will." Thus each hath his diftindl office and ufe, that, as it is expreflcd, ver. 25, " there fliould be no
" fchifm
SERMON XIII. 305
** fchifm in the body ; but that the feveral " members fhould have the fame care one " for another/' and maintain mutual 16ve, whilft all in their way contribute to the good of the whole. — " The eye cannot fay " unto the hand, I have no need of thee : " nor agalil the head to the feet, I have no " need of you." To every one fomething is given, to recommend him to the refpedl of others ; and from every one fomething is with-held, to keep him modeft and hum- ble : for God hath fo ordered the diftribu^ tion of his benefits, that each may feel his need of that excellence which he hath not in pofTeffion, and at the fame time have the aid of thofe gifts, by the miniftry of others, which he himfelf wants.
" The rich and the poor meet together," faith Solomon, " the Lord is the maker of " them both." Hence, " he that mocketh " the poor" is faid " to reproach his Maker;" that is, he throws an injurious reflection upon the wifdom and goodnefs of divine providence, which hath appointed this in- equality of conditions among men, for exercifing, on the one hand, the patience
and
5o6 SERMON XIIL
and refignation of the poor; and that the rich, on the other hand, may be furnifhed with conftant opportunities of acknow- ledging their obligations to God, and their dependence upon him for all they poffefs, by diftnbuting what they can fpare from their own neceflary ufes, for the relief and comfort of their needy brethren. That this is the proper improvement of wealth, and the purpofe for which it is bellowed, ap- pears from Paul's dire(5lion to Timothy, (i Tim, vi. 17.), '' Charge them that are *' rich in this world, that they be not high- *' minded, nor truft in uncertain riches, " but in the living God, who giveth us all " things richly to enjoy : that they do *' good, that they be rich in good works, " ready to diftribute, willing to communi- " cate ; laying up in ftore for themfelves a ** good foundation againft the time to come, " that they may lay hold on eternal life." And how provoking it is to God, when men abufe the gifts of his providence, we learn from that complaint and threatening, [Hof, ii. 8, 9), " She did not know tiiat I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and
*' mul-
SERMON XIIL 307
'* multiplied her filver and gold, which " tliey prepared for Baal. Therefore will " I return, and take away my corn in the " time thereof, and my wine in the feafon ^ thereof, and will recover my wool and my " flax given to cover her nakednefs."
The application of thefe truths to the purpofe for which we are at prefent af- fembled, is fo obvious, that I am confident it muft already have occurred to the mod inattentive of my hearers. Were we to conlider the good things we poflefs, mere- ly as gifts freely bellowed, and left entirely to our own difpofal ; yet gratitude fhouid prompt us to employ them in fuch a way as might be mod acceptable to our kind and generous Benefaftor. But I am fur- nifhed, you now fee, with a more perfua- five argument : the plea of gratitude comes enforced with the claim of juftice, while regard to our own interefl fohcits our com- pliance with their united demands : " For " we muft all appear before the judgement- " feat of Chrift, that every one may receive " the deeds done in his body, according to f;* that he hath done, whether it be good or
" bad."
3o8 SERMON XIII.
*' bad." In that day, " unto whomlbever " much hath been given, of him alfo much
' will be required:" and the unprofitable
vant, who did not improve the talent
uitted to him, but buried it under
-ij or wrapt it in a napkin, fhall be
cait '-' into outer darknefs: there fliall be
* weeping, and gnafhing of teeth."
Seeing, then, thefe things are fo, ought we not to reckon it an additional ground of thankfulnefs to God, when, befides the fa- vours conferred upon us, he is at any time pleafed to afford us an opportunity of em- ploying the fruits of his liberality in fuch a manner as contributes moft effetlually to anfwer the highefl and moft important purpofes for which they were beftowed ? An opportunity of this kind is juft now prefented to you by the much to be refpec- ted Managers of the Orphan Hofpital, at whofe defire I addrefs you this day. The objecfts of their care are there placed in your view : and furely to provide for the Chriftian education of fo many helplefs children, and for their decent clothing and maintenance, till they be trained up to earn a fubfiltence
for
SERMON Xllt. 309
for themfelves, as it Is an exercife of the triieft mercy to them, fo it cannot fail to be highly acceptable to that God who diC- dains not to ftyle himfelf the Father of the fatherlefs.
The peculiar excellencies of this fpecies of charity were fully illuflrated, on a former occafion of this kind, from that prayer of the Pfalmift in behalf of the Jewiih na- tion, [PfaL cxliv, 12.), " That our fons may " be as plants grown up in their youth ; " that our daughters may be as corner- " ftones, poliflied after the fimilitude of a " palace *•" Then it was fhown, That a permanent provifion for the Chriftian edu- cation of deftitute children, is a charity w^hich tends to prevent mifery ; and muft therefore be preferable to that which only alleviates prefent diftrefs, or procures it a fhort and uncertain relief. This is charity to the fouls of our fellow-creatures, and the nobleft imitation of Him who came from heaven to earth, to feek and to fave
that
» Dr Erfkine's Sermon, preached before the Managers of the Orphan Hofpital at Edinburgh, May 18. 1774.
3IO
SERMON XIII.
that which was loft. Befides, it is a charity which, of all others, is in leaft danger of being mifapplied or defeated. This renders the profpec5l of doing good by it in the higheft degree probable. And then its in- fluence is of the largeft extent ; for while it ferves to advance the glory of God, and the interefts of pure and undefiled religion in the worlds it promotes at the fame time, in the moft effectual manner, the fpiritual improvement and happinefs of individuals, and even the temporal profperity of the na- tion to which we belong.
To fuch powerful recommendations any addition would be fuperfluous. And they who, influenced by thefe motives, contri- bute according to their ability for the fup- port of an inftitution fo pious and falutary, may be aflured, that what they give is, in the moft proper fenfe of Solomon's words, " lent to the Lord, and that which they give " w^ll he pay them again."
Upon the whole, then, let it be our firft care, to have our own hearts filled with love to God, as the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and our Father in Chrift ; for un-
lefs
SERMON XIIL 311
lefs this be the fource of our charity to others, our beneficence may be profitable to them, but cannot avail ourfelves. And if once this principle be deeply rooted in our hearts, then it will become eafy and delightful to us, to communicate good to. our fellow-men, in obedience to the com- mand of God, and in imitation of his ex- ample. Let us always bear in mind " the " grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who, " though he was rich, yet for our fakes be- " came poor, that we, through his poverty, " might be rich." Let us confider the un- certainty of all earthly things, and this will difpofe us to employ them with greater cheerfalnefs for the relief and comfort of our needy brethren, before they be taken from us, or we by death be divorced from them. Above all, let u& beg of God the influences of his Spirit, which alone can vanquifh that felfifiinefs which is the great oppofer of charity, and inclines our hearts to all thofe a6ls of compailion and kindnefs which adorn our Chriftian profeffion, and by their beauty and ufefulnefs engage others to glorify our heavenly Father.
S E R-
3*2
SERMON XIV.
John x. ii.
t am the good Jhepherd : the good Jhepherd gi* vcth his life for the fheep,
THOUGH Chrift Is in every view pre- cious CO them that believe, yet fome of the characfbers v^hich he fuflains, prefent him to us ill a milder light than others, and render him comparatively more lovely and eftimable. And amidfl the variety of titles given him in Scripture, there is perhaps none more expreflive of condefcenfion and grace, than that which he is pleafed to aC* fume in my text.
As many of the Jews were (hepherds by occupation, the language of this defcrip- tion would be obvious to them all. And they who were enlightened by the Spirit of God, would not only perceive the propriety,
but
SERMON XIV. 313
but likewife relifli all the fweetiiefs of this endearing defignation.
To us, indeed, an allufion to the paftoral life ean hardly appear with equal beauty and ftrength. Many circumftances of re- femblance would ftrike thofe who were ac- quainted with rufal affairs, which muft ne- celFarily be fuppofed to efcape our obferva- tion. But though we cannot trace them all with a critical exadlnefs, yet by the light which the Scriptures afford us, I hope I fliall be able to bring as many proofs of our Lord's care and tendernefs, as may fuf- fice to illuflrate the propriety of the allu- fion, and fhow with what juflice this title of the Good Shepherd is claimed by our Re- deemer.
I begin with that to which our Lord him- fclf appeals in the text. " I," fays he, " am " the good Shepherd : the good Shepherd " giveth his life for the fheep."
It was a fignal proof that David gave of his care and tendernefsj when he ventured his life for the fake of his fheep, and en- countered a bear and a lion in their defence.
Vol. III. X But
314 SERMON XIV.
but though the attempt was hazardous, it was not altogether defperate : he had hope of fuccefs, and adlually prevailed. Befides, the charge committed to him was his fa- ther's property, part of which would one day fall to his own iTiare : fo that his per- fonal intereft was conne6led with the pre- fervation of it ; for if the flock decreafed, his part of the inheritance would have been diminilhed in proportion.
But our blefled Lord had no inducement of this nature. His intereft was in no (hapc conne6led with our welfare ; his glory and happinefs were independent of us. He could neither be enriched by our homage, nor impoveriflied by the want of it. Befides, we had forfeited all title to his protedlion, and by the moft wicked and unprovoked rebellion had rendered ourfelves the objedls of his juft difplealure. Yet fuch was his free and unmerited goodnefs, that he not only hazarded bis life in our behalf, but voluntarily refigned it, that we might live through him. " All we like fheep had gone ** aftray," fays the evangelical Prophet, " we " had turned every one to his own way."
But
SERMON XIV. 315
But " he was wounded for our tranfgref- ** fions, he was bruifed for our iniquities ;'* or, in the lani^uage of the New Teftamenc, " He who knew no fin" became a fin-ofFer- ing for us : the juft One fuffered for the un- juft, " that he might bring us to God."
Had our cafe been merely unfortunate, like that of a weak and harmlefs lamb lei- zed by a lion, whom it could neither refift nor avoid, pity might have inclined a gene- rous heart to attempt fomething for our de- liverance. But our mifery was the effect, not of weaknefs, but of voluntary wicked- nefs. We chofe it in its caufe. We finned, though we were forewarned that death would be the iflue. We were not caught by furprife, but deliberately furrendered^ or rather fold, ourfelves to the adverfary. Yet in this fituation, when we had nothing to invite, far lefs to deferve, his regard and affeclion, did the blefled Jefus fly to our relief; and defcending from the throne, put on the form of a fervant, that in our place he might fvifFer and die on this earth which he had made.
Befides, the fatal deeds which forfeited X 2 our
3i6 SERMON XIV.
our happinefs were fins committed diredTj^ againft himfelf. It was his own law we tranfgreffed, his own royalty we invaded : we fought againft him with his own arms, and joined in confederacy with his moft in- veterate enemies. So that every obftacle that can be imagined lay in the road of mercy ; the blackeft ingratitude, the moft outrageous infolence ; in a word, all the circumftances were united which could aggravate our guilt, and inflame the wrath of him againft whom we finned ; and confpired to render our pu- niihment not only a righteous, but even a wife and neceflfary exercife of fe verity, for vindicating the honour of the Sovereign, and for maintaming the credit and influence of his government. Nay, as the threatening was publifhed before the penalty was incur- red, truth as well asjuftice demanded the execution of it.
Such were our circumftances, when this Friend of finners, but the enemy of fin, came upon the wings of love to fave us. " Deliver them," faid he, " from going " down to the pit," and againft me let the fword of juftice be unilieathed. Here was
goodnefs,
SERMON XIV. 317
goodnefs, generous, difinterefted goodnefs, that never had, and that never can have, a parallel. " Scarcely for a righteous man *' will one die, peradventure for a good man " fome would even dare to die ;" but who hath ever heard of one dying for an ene- my ? Or if fuch a prodigy could be found among men, yet the generofity even of this perfon would fall infinitely Ihort of the ex^ ample in my text. Such a one might be faid to refign a life ; but then it is a preca- rious, dependent life ; a debt payable on demand ; a leafe revocable at pleafure. A mere creature can give away nothing that is properly his own, becaufe he has nothing but what he received. Whereas our dear- eft Lord not only died in the room of ene- mies, but by dying religned a life that, in the ftridleft fenfe, was his property : for fo he fays in the i8th verfe of this chapter, " 1 have power to lay down my life, and I ^ have pow^r to take it up again." He had an eftate of his own, (fo to fpeak), an original, and therefore an abfolutc, right to his life. This, as it gave merit and ^efEcacy to his death, fo it qualified him to X 3 exhibit
3i8 SERMON XIV.
exhibit that myflery of love, which angels contemplated with increafing wonder, when he affumed our nature, and became our Shepherd, and in that charader gave his life for the flieep. *
But did the blefTed Jefus ftop here ? Did he merely reftore finners to a capacity of happinefs, by expiating their guilt, and paving the way tor their return to God ? Or, to carry forward the allufion, does the good Shepherd fatisfy himfelf with refcuing his fheep from the jaws of the lion, and then leave them to their own condudl, to find the road back to the fold from whence they had flrayed ? No — For, in the
id place, He alfo becomes their Guide ; and, as it is beautifully expreffed in the 123d Pfalm, " He leads them in the paths of " righteoufnefs for his name's fake.*' How amiable does he appear when introduced by Ezekiel, fpeaking after this manner : " Be- " hold I, even I, will both fearch my fheep, " and fcek them out : as a lliephcrd feeketh " out his flock, fo will I feek out my flieep, " and will deliver them ovit of all places " where they have been fcattered in the
" dark
SERMON XIV. 319
« dark and cloudy day. I . will feek that " which was loft, and bring again that " which was driven away : I will bi?id up " that which was broken, and ftrengthea " that which was fick." Of the fame mild and gracious import is that tender repre- fentarion in the prophecy of Ifaiah : " He " fhall feed his flock like a fhepherd ; he " fhall gather the iambs with his arms, and " carry them m his bofom, and gently lead " them that are with young." In aliufion to thefe prophetical defcriptions of the MeC- fiah, our Lord himfelf hath declared in the New Teftament, that " the Son of man is " come to feek and to fave that which was " loft." And having in this chapter alTu- med the tide of a Shepherd, he fays \n the 1 6th verfe, " Other flieep I have, which are " not of this fold, them alfo 1 muft bring, " and they fliall hear my voice."
And indeed this exercife of his paftoral office is no lefs neceflary than it is kind ; for fuch is the enmity of our hearts, fuch the perverfenefs of our natures, tiiat after all he has done without us, to bring us to God, yet if his fpuit did not work within us, X 4 none
320 SERMON XIV.
none of us would ever think of returning to him. " The carnal mind is enmity againft *^ God ; for it is not fubjedl to the law oi " God, neither indeed can be." Accordingly Paul reminds the converts at Ephefus, that till Chrift quickened them, they too were *^ dead in trefpaffes and fins, and children of *' wrath even as others." Hear the language of our Lord to his difciples of every tribe of men, " Ye have not chofen me, but I " have chofen you :" and that affertion of the Apoftle which is univerfally true, " By " grace are ye faved through faith, and that *' not of yourfelves, it is the gift of God." And does he not merit the defignation of a good Shepherd, who not only f^ves his flock from deftrucflion, and opens to them the door of his fheep-fold, but goes after them in,to the wildernefs, purfues them whilft they are flying from their own happinefs, and never gives over his fearch, till he finds them, and then leads them in fafety to a place of reft, where every thing is provi- ded that their neceflltics require? — For this is a
3^ proof of his love to his ilieep : Havin.^
brought
SERMON XIV. 321
brought them into his fold, he fupplies all theu^ wants, and feeds them with food con- venient for them. How fweetly did David ling under the fenfe of this privilege, " The " Lord is my fhepherd, I fliall not want : *' he maketh me to lie down in green pa- " ftures ; he leadeth me befide the ftill " waters." — " The young lions m.ay lack ^' and fufTer hunger, but they that fear the " Lord fhall not lack any good thing."— *' I will feed them," (faid God by the Pro- phet Ezekiel, chap, xxxiv. 14.), " I will " feed them in a good pafture, and upon *^ the high mountains of Ifrael fliall their ^* fold be : there fliall they lie in a good " fold, and in a fat pafture fliall they feed " upon the mountains of Ifrael." Here peace and affluence are reprefented in the moft ftriking and agreeable colours. And that this promife has a fpiritual meaning, and extends to the gofpel church, appears from verfe 23d, where the Meffiah, under the well-known title of David, is brought fully into view, as the perfon by whole hand thefe bleflings are difpenfed. " I will f^ fef: up one fliephcrd over them, and he
« fliall:
322 SERMON XIV,
*' fliall feed rhem, even my fervant David, " he fhall feed them, and he fhall be their " fhepherd. And I the Lord will be their " God, and my fervant David a prince " among them : I the Lord have fpoken it. " And I will make with them a covenant of ** peace, and will caufe the evil beafts to " ceafe out of the land : and they fhall " dwell fafely in the wildernefs, and fleep *' in the woods. And I will make them, " and the places round about my hill, a ** bk ffing ; and 1 will caufe the Ihower to *' come down in his feafon : there fhall be " Ihowers of bleffing. — And I will raife up " for them a plant of renown, and they *' fliall be no more confumed with hunger *' in the land." it is not improbable that our Lord Had this 'prophetical defcnption in his eye, when he faid m the yth verle of this chapter, " I am the door (of the fheep) ; *' by me if any man enter in, he fhall be *' laved, and fhall go in and out, and find ** palture." but how mult it amaze us, to hear from his own lips, that he is not only the door by which the fheep enter into the pafture, but is himfelf the pafture upon which they feed ; yet thefe are his words,
in
SERMON XIV. 323
in the 6th chapter of this gofpel, at the 5 1 ft and following verles : " 1 am the bread " of hfe, the living bread which came down " from heaven ; if any man eat of this " bread, he fhall live for ever : and the " bread that I will give is my flefli, which " 1 will give for the life of the world : ** Verily, verily, I fay unto you, except ye " eat the flefli of the Son of man, and drink " his JDlood, ye have no life in you. Who- " fo eateth my flefti and drinketh my " blood, hath eternal life : for my flefh is " meat indeed, and my blood is drink in- " deed." Nay, is not this precious food to be difpenfed to us this day, in the holy facrament *, under the fignificant emblems of bread and wine, when the good Shepherd fliall fay, and fay it with power, to thofe who believe in him, and know his voice, " Take and eat ; this is my body broken " for you : and this cup is the New Tefta- " ment in my blood ; drink ye all of it." I fuppofe I need ndt inform you, that thefe expreflion^ are figurativ-e. You have long been taught, that the Lord's Supper is a
facrament, * Preached on a Communion Sabbath.
3^4
SERMON XIV.
facrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Chrift's ap- pointment, his death is fliowed forth, and the worthy receivers are not after a corporeal and carnal manner, but by faith, made par- takers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their fpiritual noiirifhment, and growth in grace. This is not the worldling's portion, the whole amount of which is va- nity and vexation : no, this is fubftantial food, even all the bleilings of the new and well ordered covenant, the juftification of our perfons, the renovation of our natures, adoption into the family of God, affurance of his love, peace of confcience, joy m the Holy Ghoft; in a word, all the unfearch- able riches of his grace. Thus doth Chrift feed his flieep ; he inverts them with a right to all the bleilings of his purchafe, and di- flributes thefe bleffings as their neceffities re- quire, till, as Paul hath ex[)refled it, [Eph. iii. 19.), ^' They are filled with all the ful- ^* nefs of God." — But farther, in the
4^/6 place. It belongs to a good fliepherd to defend his flock, as well as jto feed them. And this office he like wife performs in the
moft
SERMON XIV. 325
moft efFedual manner. He watches over them by night and by day ; for " he that *' keeps Ifrael, neither {lumbers nor fleeps.'* « — " Fear not," fays he, " for I am with ** thee, be not difmayed, for I am thy God : " I will ftrengthen thee, yea I will help " thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right *' hand of my righteoufnefs." Their ene- mies indeed are niiany and ftrong, but he is mighty on whom their help is laid. He makes his grace fufficient for them, and will keep them by his power through faith unto falvation. Hear his own words, in the 27th and following verfes of this chap- ter, " My fheep hear my voice, and I know " them, and they follow me. And I give *' unto them eternal life, and they ftiall ne- *' ver perifh, neither fhall any pluck them *' out of my hand. My Father who gave " them me, is greater than all : and none is " able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. " I and my Father are one." He forefees the trials which are coming upon them ; and prays for them efFedlually, that their faith may not fail. He gives power to the faint, and to them that have no might he
increafes
3^6 SERMON XIV,
increafes ftrength. And when at any time they ftumble and fall, he conies feafonably to their rehef, lifts vip their hands which hang down, and ftrengthens their feeble knees; and having enlarged their hearts, enables them to run in the way of his com* niandments. Thus does he condudl them through the flippery paths of life, and con- tinues to be their guardian even until death. Neither does he leave them at the hour of death. — For,
^thly, When they walk through the val- ley of the fliadow of death, his rod and his ftafF comfort and fuftain them. He fortifies and cheers their departing fpirits ; and when the evening fhadows gather thick around them, the Holy Ghoft, the Comforter, is fent to fay to them, that death as well as life is theirs. Nay, " the good Shepherd *^ himfelf, who gave his life for the fheep," will fay to them in this awful hour, " Fear " not, I am he that liveth and was dead ; " and behold, I am alive for evermore, and
" have the keys of hell and death : 1 am
" the refurredlion and the life : he that be- *' lieveth on me, though he were dead, yet
« fliall
SERMON XIV. 327
<^ ftiall he live." What a multitude of faints, who now inherit the promifes, have in their laft moments experienced the efFedl of the(e gracious and joyful afTurances ! In how many inftances hath a lively and unex- pe(5led view of the promifes of God, and of the great redemption, fuftained and even elevated a dying faint, who from the infir- mities of the body, or other caufes, was, through fear of death, fubje<fl to bondage all his life ! The fenfible prefence of the good Shepherd, in thefe awful moments, will fupport the mod fearful, and the feebleft of the flock. It will enable him that hath no might, to triumph over death, and him that hath the power of death ; and, even in the prefence of the king of terrors, it will teach him this fong of vicftory, " My flelh " and my heart faileth ; but God is the " ftrength of my heart, and my portion tor
" ever;"- " Thanks be unto God, which
" hath given me the vidory, through Jelias
" Chrift my Lord." " For I am pcr-
" fuaded, that neither death nor life, nor " angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor " things prefent, nor things to come, nor
" height.
328 SERMON XlV.
" height, nor depth, nor any other creature; " fhall be able to feparate me from the love ** of God, which is in Chrift Jefus my Lord." It is true, the faints of God have not all the fame degree of fenfible comfort at the hour of death. The wifdom of heaven may fome- times permit them to fbut their eyes, with-^ out perceiving the full extent of the ble& fednefs of them w^ho die in the Lord, or without having received thofe fenfible to- kens of their vidory over death* But, ** though weeping may endure for a night," while they are yet ftruggling to be releafed from the mortal tabernacle, their fpirits fhall awake to everlafting joy. For, in
the
6l/j and /ci/l place, When the morning of
the day that never ends (hall dawn, they fhall again fee the good Shepherd ftretching out his arms to receive them into everlaft- ing habitations. " They fliall fee him as " he is :" they fhall " be fatisfied with his " likenefs." The manfions which he is now preparing for them will then be ready. Each of them Ihall enter into the blefled abode provided for him, " They fhall go
« n«
SERMON XIV. 32g
"^^ no more out for ever ;" and " the Lamb " which is in the raidft of the throne (hall " feed them, and fhall lead them to Uving ** fountains of water : and God ihall wupe a- ^ way all tears from their eyes." Then fliall they fing together with united gratitude and Joy, the triumphant and eternal fong of praife, faying, " Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, ^' to receive power, and riches, and wifdom., ^' and ftrength, and honour, and gloiy, and " bleffing : for thou haft redeemed us to God " by thy blood, out of every kindred, and " tongue, and people, and nation. Salvation " to our God, which fitteth upon the throne, ^^ and unto the Lamb,"
And now fay, my dear brethren, in the re- view of what you have heard, is not the Lord Jefus a Good Shepherd indeed ? He redeem- ed his flock with his blood, and guides them by his Spirit, and feeds them w^ith all the rich fruits of his purchafe. He defends them in life, , accompanies them through death, and conduds them to thofe regions of light and love, where they (hall dwell in his prefence for evermore, eating the fruit of the tree of Jife, and drinking the water of the river of
Vol. III. y Hfe^
330 SERMON XIV.
life, following the Lamb whltherfoever he goeth.
Thrice happy they who are the flieep of his pafture ; who, allured by his love, and aided by his grace, have returned to him as the <' Shepherd and Bifhop of their fouls."
Let me then call upon fuch ; for of fuch, I truft, a goodly number are affembled in this place ; let me, I fay, call upon them to re- fled:, with gratitude and joy, upon the proofs they have already received of his care and tendernefs. Remember how he found you wandering in the wildernels, expofed to eve- ry beaft of prey, infenfible of your danger, and unable to avoid it. Remember how he opened your eyes to fee your mifery, and not only difcover the all-fufficient ^remedy, but powerfully determined and enabled you to ap- ply it. And let thefe pad experiences endear him to your fouls, and ftrengthen your de- pendence on him, for whatever elfe may be neceffary to complete your falvation.
This is the natural tendency of the repre- fentation I have given you, and this is the im- provement of it that beft fuits the occafion of pur prefent meeting. The Good Shepherd is this d^y to feed his own Iheep, in the fatteft
pai^t
SERMON XIV. 331
part of that pafture which his love hath pre- pared for them. The ordinance now before us, doth nolt merely exhibit the riches of his grace, but feals and applies them to each be- liever in particular, that, having this fecurity fuperadded to the unchangeable promife and oath of Gold, they may " have a ftrong con- " folation, who 'have fled for refuge, to lay " hold on the hope fet before them."
With this view, then, let us approach the table of the Lord, and pray, that this gofpel- feaft may prove effedual, by his blefling, to confirm our faith, to inflame our love, and to enliven our hope ; that, by the nouriihment it affords, we may be ftrengthened to purfue our journey through this wildernefs, till, ha- ving pafl^ed the Jordan of death, and arrived at the heavenly Canaan, faith and hope fhall become fight and enjoyment, and love, ever growing with the ages of eternity, fiiall em- brace, with increafing vigour and delight, the Good Shepherd, who gave his life for the ilieep. Ame?i.
> t)dl z'
33^
SERMON XV.
Hebrews, xiii. 5*
He hath faid^ I will never leave thee nor for- fake thee.
THIS comfortable declaration or promiie is introduced by the Apoftle, to enforce the duty of contentment, to which he had exhorted the Hebrews in the preceding part of the verfe. Nothing can be more unbecom- ing in a child of God, than di flat isfadt ion with his prefent condition, or anxiety about his future provifion in the w^orld. It is no won- der to fee worldly men, whofe portion of good things lies wholly upon earth, loading themfelves with thick clay, and eagerly grafp- ing every thing which their craving appetites demand. Such perfons cannot but be uneafy whea they meet with difappointments ; be-
caufe,'
SERMON XV. 333
caufe, having nothing defirable in profped beyond the grave, in lofing their prefent en- joyments, they lofe their all. But the Chrif- tian, who knows of a treafure in heaven, a treafure incorruptible in its own nature, and which no fraud nor force can take from him, ^ may and ought to look down, with a holy in- difference, upon every thing here below, re- figning himfelf entirely to the difpofal of his Heavenly Father, who not only knows what is heft for him, but hath likewife obliged him- felf, by covenant and promife, to make all things work together for the eternal advan- tage of thofe who love him and confide in his mercy.
It was this argument which Chrift ufed with his difciples, to diffuade them from an anxious folicitudc about their temporal con- cerns (Matth. vi. 31.), " Take no thought, " faying. What fhall we eat ? or what fhall " we drink ? or wherewithal fhall we be " cloathed ? For after all thefe things do the " Gentiles feek, and your Heavenly Father ^' knoweth that ye have need of all thefe •' things. But feek ye firft the kingdom of ** God, and his righteoufnefs 5 and all thefe y 3 " things
334 SERMON ;XV
<(
things fhall be added unto you.'ix^God tvUI fupport and maintain his, ownt people, )lajS long as he has any fervice for chien|. in rthi«^ /world. He knows all their iwantjs; aa>4 as (his gopd- nefs conftantly inclines him, fo his power doth at all times enable him, to beftow every needful fupply in its feafon. And can our intereft be lodged in better hands ? Who that believes this, would choofe to be the difpofer of his own lot ? " The Lord reigneth," fays the Pfalmift, " let the earth rejoice." And furely they wdio can fay. This God is our God, our Father, and our Friend, have caufe to rejoice in every condition, and muft ad: very inconfiftently with their profeflion and hopes, if any thing from without can dif- turb their inw^ard peace and tranquillity. — I propofe, therefore, in dependence upon di- vine aid,
Firjl^ To fhew the import of this gracious promife, " I will never leave thee norforfakc *' thee."
Secondly^ I fliall inquire who the perfons are that may apply the comfort of this pro- mife to themfelves.
Thirdly^ I fhall lay before you fome of
thofe
SERMON XV, 325
thofe grounds of afTurance on whicH the people of God may depend for the accom- plifhment of this promife ; and then direct you to the pradical improvenient bf the fub- jea.
I begin with the import of the promife it- felf, " I will never leave thee nor forfake " thee."— And,
i/?, It is here fuppofed, that all other things may forfake us : for iri this promife God plainly intends to diftinguifh himfelf from the creatures, by claiming this perfection of con- ftancy or unchangeablenefs, as an attribute pe- culiar to himfelf. Vanity is engraved in deep and legible charadlers upon every thing below the fun. All things on earth are periihing in their own nature, and fo fleeting and deceit- ful, that they who lean upon them, only fe- cure to themfelves a more intenfe degree of pain and vexation ; for fooner or later they will Aide from under them, and leave nothing in their room, but the difgrace of a foolifh choice, and the bitternefs of difappointed hope. Hiftory affords us innumerable proofs of this. The wifeft men in every age have Y 4 obferved
2^6 SERMON XV.
obferved and lamented the mutability of ail earthly things J. and we need only keep our eyes and our ears open, to learn this truth, by fome frefli example, every day we live.
How often do we fee riches make unto themfelves wings, and fly away as an eagle towards heaven ? What a variety of accidents may fuddenly deprive a man of all .his fub- ftance, and reduce him to the loweft ftate of poverty and want ? A ftorm at fea, or a fire at land, will in a few hours confume the la- bours of many years : and he who, whilft I fpeak, poflefieth plenty of all things, and pro- mifeth himfelf a long fucceflion of profperous days, may, before to-morrow's fun, find him- felf ftripped of alibis fubftance, and obliged to depend upon the bounty of others for the com- mon neceffaries of life. How many, ^yho boafted that their mountain flood ftrong, have fuddenly been thrown down from the higheft pinacle of power and greatnefs ? Even prin- ces, when they leaft dreamt of it, have been forced to exchange their palace for a prifon ; and have learnt, by fad experience, that crowni> are but tottering emblems of power, and that royalty itfelf hath no exemption from the
viciCitiTcIc
SERMON XV. 33^
viciffitude of fublunary things. Reputation and friends, health and all bodily advantages, yea reafon, with all the endowments of the mind, are fo uncertain and mutable, that na man can promife on the poffeffion of them. The faireft charader may be fullied with the breath of calumny ; our friends may prove falfe, or abandon us through miftake ; or, when they are faithful, and in all refpefls comfortable to us, yet death may fnatch thenx from us, one after another, till we are in a manner left folitary in the midft of the earth. Health and ftrength, and whatever elfe be- longs to the body, are of all things the leaft durable, and the moft fubjed: to change. Life itfelf is but a vapour, which, for any thing we knovv% may vanifh into air the very next breath we draw. We fee frequently alfo, that? the mind, as well as the body, is liable to ma- ny fad difafters. In fome men, the intellec- tual powers are fo blunted and impaired, that they feem to be almoft totally extinguifhed ; and, in others, fo ftrangely difordered, that, inftead of being of ufe to them, they ferve on- ly to render them more completely wretched. In a word, our condition upon earth is liable
to
338 S E R xM O N XV-
to continual alteration^ and there is nothirig we can be fecure of, fo much as for one mo- ment^: ; Howfboliih, then, are they who pro-- mife themfelves any durable happinefs in this world ? Such perfons may truly be faid to build their houfe upon the fand ; and though, perhaps, they may be allowed to raife it to fome height, yet, ere long, fome fudden un- forefeen ftorm fhall lay it in ruins, and bury all their vain expedations under it.
But what I would chiefly obferve upon '■^this head is, that frequently the people of God vare exercifed with the fevereft trials^ and meet with the fharpeft afflidions while they remain upon earth. For this mutability of the crea- tures, is not the efFed: oi cha7ice^ \y\x\. oi deftgn^ God thereby defigns to render all thofe inex-^ cufable, who choofe them for their portion : and w^hen his own children are in danger of being enfnared by them, he pulls them, as it were, with violence out of their hands, that they may beware of contrading too clofe an alliance with them in future. He will not fuffer them to continue long in fo dangerous an error ; and he fends the rod to undeceive them : he frequently repeats the ftroke, to
remind
S E R M O N XV. 3^^39
remind them that they are only fojourners i^ a ftrange land, and to quicken their defires for their Father's houfe above ; . for their Father's houfe, where alone they fhall have fullnefs of joy^ and pleafures for evermore.'^ ^ -^-'^
2dly^ As the inconftancy of the creatures is here fuppofed, fo this promife neceflarily im- plies, that the prefence of God with his people is a fufficient ground of confolation in every ftate and condition of life. David was fen- fible of this, when he faid, in the 23d Pfalm, "Though I v^alk through the valley of the /' ihadow of death, I will fear no evil, for ** thou art with me :" and upon the fame principle, the Prophet Habakkuk triumphs in name of the church. " Although the fig-tree " {hall not bloflbm, neither fhall there be fruit " in the vines, the labour of the olive fhall " fail, and the fields fhall yield no meatj the " flock fhall be cut off from the fold, and *' there fhall be no herd in the flails ; yet " will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the " God of my falvation."
^We read in the book of Daniel, that after Nebuchadnezzar the king had caufed Sha- drach, Mefhech, and Abednego, to be caft
into
340 SERMON XV.
into the burning fiery furnace, he was afto- liifhed, and rofe up In hafte, and faid unto his counfellors, " Did not we Caft three men " bound Into the midft of the fire? And lo, ** 1 fee four men loofe, walking In the midft *' of the fire, and they have no hurt : and the " form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Is there a man who reads this pafTage, that does not prefer the condition of thefe captives, to all the fplendours of the Babylonifh throne ? How little does the trembling monarch feem, though furrounded with his counfellors ? How glorious do the three young Jews appear, whilft walking amidft flames with their God and Saviour ? How would they rejoice in this exalted privilege ? And yet, my brethren, all the faints who have God really prefent with them, although they cannot fee him with their bodily eyes, have equal caufe to rejoice in the midft of tribulation. For if God be with them, then he Is with them who is Infi- nitely wife, who is perfedly acquainted with all their wants, and can never be at a lofs to know what is good for them. He is with them who is infinitely powerful, and can ea- fily perform whatever his unerring wifdoni'
fliall
SE R.^ O N XV. 34^
fhall fuggeft. He is with them who k per- fedly good, yea goodnefs Itfelf; who Is al- w^ays difpofed to employ his wifdom in con- triving, and his power in executing, whatever is neceffary for their intereft and happinefs. Yea, he is with them who hath aheady be- ftowed on them the greateft of all blefTings, ev^n Jefus Chrift his unfpeakable gift : and, as the Apoftle reafons, " If God fpared not " his own Son, but delivered him up for us " all, how fhall he not with him alfo freely ^' give us all things ?" And is not the pre- fence of fuch a God fufficient for the comfort of his people at all times ? Who would mourn the lofs of a taper, who enjoys the light of the fun ? All the creatures are nothing with- out God : whereas he Js all in all ; " In his ".favour is life, and his loving kindnefs is " better than life.'^ Even Balaam was con- ftrained to confefs this truth in the prefence of Balak (Numb, xxiii. 23.), " Surely," fays he, ^ there is no enchantment againft Jacob, nor " any divination againft Ifrael : for the Lord ", his God is with him, and the fhout of a " king is among them." If the happinefs of eSolomon's courtiers €s;cxted the ^ilwation of
the
342 SERMON XV/>
the Queen of Sheba, ^bk^hft- llitf 'Haa^ifccers' to the prefence of fo wife and magnificent a king, how inconteivably mote happy are thby who are the friends, ndy, the children of the^ King of kings, who have the infinitely perfe(S ' and all-fuIEcient Jehovah continually near to them ? — Which leads rae to obferve, in the
3// place. That the conftant prefence of God with his people, is the blefling exprefsly contained in this promife, " I will never leave " thee nor forfake thee." All other things may forfake you. , Riches may take wings and fly away ; friends may defert you, or they may die ; your reputation may be blafted ; your health and flrength may fail and decay ;. yea, memory, judgment, and all the faculties of your mind, may be weakened or deftroy- ed : " But I will never leave you, I will ne- " ver forfake you ;" my friendfhip is un- changeable ; " And whom I love, I love to "the end." All this, faith the Apoftle, God hath faid ; but he doth not tell us when or where he hath faid it, becaufe he hath faid it fo often, and upon fuch various occafions, that it is to be met with almoft every where in Scripture, and in a manner founds through
the
SERMON Xy.^^ 343
ihe whole revelation of his will. And indee
I cannot illuftrate this head better, than by re
citing fome of thofe paffages where this gene^
ral and comprehenfive promife is particularh
;ipplied for the comfort of God's people, un
der the various trials and afflictions to whicb
they are expofed in this world. All who are
acquainted with their Bibles, will remember
to have read fuch paffages as thefe : " When
" thou paffeft through the waters, I will be
" with thee ; and through the rivers, they
■ ' fhall not overflow thee : when thou walk-
" eft through the fire, thou flialt not be burnt,
^' neither fhall the flame kindle upon thee ;
'' for I am the Lord thy God."—'' When
" the poor and needy feek water, and there
" is none, and their tongue faileth for thirft,
*' I the Lord will hear them, I the God of
" Ifrael will not forllike them. I will open
" rivers in high places, and fountains in the
'' midft of the vallies : I will make the wil-
" dernefs a pool of water, and the dry land
" fprings of water."—" The Lord will be a
" refuge for the oppreffed, a refuge in time of
" trouble." — '* The Lord will not fufFer the
''' foul of the righteous to famiih."—" He
" fhall
344 S E R M O N XV.
" ihall dwell on high, his defence fiiall be *' the munition of rocks. Bread fliall be gi* *' ven him, his water fhall be fure." — " The *' Lord will ftrengthen him upon the bed of *' languifhing. Thou wilt make all his bed " in his ficknefs."— " A father of the father- *' lefs, a judge of the w^idows is God in his *' holy habitation." — " Fear, not," faith be, *' for I am with thee ; be not difmayed, for '' I am thy God. I will ftrengthen thee ; *' yea, I will help thee ; yea, I will uphold *' thee with the right hand of my righteouf- " nefs."
I might quote many other texts, where God promifeth to be witK his people in every cafe of diftrefs that can be fuppofed ; but I fhall have faid enough to give you fome no- tion of the vaft extent of this comfortable pro- mife, when I have added, that it reacheth be- yond the grave, and comprehends no lefs than eternity itfelf. As God will not leave his people in life, as he will not forfake them at death ; fo he will at lafl receive them into glory, and make them to dwell for ever in his immediate prefence. But who are his people? Who are the happy perfdns that may apply
the
§ E R M O N XV.
34,
the comfort of this promife to themfelves? This is the
Second thing I propofed to inquire into.
Andj in general, this promife is addreffed to believers in Chrift Jefus, and to them only, exclufive of all others : for this is the order which God hath eftablifhed. He firft gives us his Son ; and when this " unfpeakable *' gift" is thankfully received, then, together " with him, he freely gives us all other " things*" Meri . may fancy themfelves iri good terms with God upon account of fome moral qualifications of which they are poflef- fed ; and I greatly fufpedt, that many among us are ruined by this miftake : but I am not afraid to affirm, that no moral qualifications whatever can feconcile a fmner to God, or en- title him to plead any one promife from the beginning of the Bible to the end of it. The reafon is plain : All the bleffings promifed in the gdfpel were purchafed by Chrift with the price of his own blood* To him they belong of right ; for in regard of " his humbling " himfelf, >and becoming obedient unto death, " even the death of the crofs, God hath high-
VoL. III. Z " ly
345 S E R M O N XV.
" I7 exalted him," and " hath put all thing-i *' under his feet, and hath given him to be " head over all things to the church." Ac- cordingly Chrift himfelf fays (Matth, xi. 27.), " All things are delivered unto me .of my Fa- " ther ;" and (Matth. xxviii. 18.), " All pow- " er is given unto me in heaven and in " earth." Every good and perfed: gift, there- fore, muft be conveyed to us through his hands ; and it is not only a vain, but I may even call it an impious attempt, to addrefs God immediately for thofe blefiings which he hath already given to his Son, and committed to his difpofal as King of Zion, for the behoof of his true and fpiritual fubjeds. All the promifes in Scripture muft neceffarily be ex» plained in a confiftency vfith this great funda- mental truth: and when the perfons to whom they are addreffed are defcribed by any moral qualification, fuch as righteoufnefs, merciful- nefs, and the like, it muft always be under- ftood, that they arc previoully in a ftate of friendfliip with God ; and tliat thefc qualifica- tions are mentioned, not as the terms of their acceptance with him, but only as the fruits and evidences of that faith which unites them
to
SERMON XV. 347
to Chrift, in whom all the promifes are " Yea and Amen."
AVould any then know, whether they may apply to themfelves the gracious and com- fortable promife in my text, they muft firft of all try their relation to Ghrift. If they are ftill unacquainted with this great and on- ly Mediator between God and man ; if they have never fled to him as their city of refuge, nor accepted of him as the " Lord their righ- *' teoufnefs and their ilrength ;^' it is certain that they have no part nor lot in this m.atter. For nothing can be more exprefs than thole words of John the Baptift (John iii. 2>6.)y " He that believeth on the Son, hath everlaft- " ing life ; but he that believeth not the Son, " fhall not fee life, but the wrath of God *' abideth on him." Whereas, on the other hand, if, from a deep conviclion of your guilt and mifery, you have cordially accepted the Lord Jefus Chrift for all the purpofes of a Saviour ; if you can fay without any known guile, that, renouncing all other grounds of confidence, you depend on him alone for par- don and peace, for grace and glory, and eve- ry good thing ; if you have the evidence of Z 2 your
-a8 sermon XV.
o
your faith in Chrift, and of your union to him, which arifes from the fand:ifying pow- er of the Holy Ghoft on your tempers and your lives, determining you to deny ungodli- nefs and worldly lufls, and to live foberly, and lighteoufly, and godly, in the world ; then are you the friends of God, and may lawfully confider yourfelves as the perfons to whom he hath faid, " I will never leave thee nor for- " fake thee." And, for your farther encou« ragement, I fhall now go on to the
TChird general head, and briefly fuggeft ta you fome of thofe grounds of afTurance upon which you may confidently rely for the ac- complifhment of this promife. Confider, then,.
y?. Who he is that hath faid this. " He is ^* not man, that he fhould lie, nor the fon of *' man, that he fhould repent." Thefe are the words of God himfelf, who is incapable of deceit, and with whom " there is no variable- *' nc.fs, neither fhadow of turning." — " He is *' the rock, his work is perfedt, for all his- *' ways are judgment, a God of truth,., and " without iniquity, juft and true is he."— - *' The mountains fhall depart, and the hills-
. '^ be
SERMON XV. 349
** be removed ; but my kindnefs fliall not de- " part from thee, neither fhall the covenant *' of my peace be removed, faith the Lord *' that hath mercy upon thee." And is not the word, the promife of fuch a God, a fuffi- cient ground of truft ? Yea, he hath not only fiiid it, but he hath alfo fworn it. " For God *' being willing more abundantly to fnow to ^' the heirs of promife the immutability of his " counfel, hath confirmed it by an oath, that * ■ by two immutable things, in which it was " impoflible for God to lie, they might have " .a ftrong confolation, who have fled for re- *^ fuge to lay hold on the hope fet before *' them,'* And can our fouls defire a better fe- curity ? What can eftablifh our faith, if this doth not eftablifh it ?
idly^ Believers in Chrift Jefus are the chil- dren of God, adopted into his family, and beau- tified with his image : and this is another pledge of his gracious promife ; for furely he will ne- ver abandon his own offspring. " Can a mo- " ther forget her fucking child," faith God, " that fhe ihould not have compaflion on the *^ fon of her womb ? Yea, fhe may forget, yet ^' v/iil not I forget thee." The affedion and Z 5 tcndernefs
350 SERMON XV.
tendeniefs of an earthly parent are but fainc relemblanccs of God's paternal love. In him, love is an infinite overflowing fountain of be- neficence. And then his love is as permanent as it is extenfive. He is alv^ays in one mind, and therefore can never leave norforfake his people.
3^/j', The conftant interceffion of our glo- rious High Prieft effedually fecures the ac- complilhment of this promife. By his death, he obtained the Holy Spirit to dwell in his people, and to abide with them. This he in- timated to his difciples for their comfort and encouragement, when they were about to lofe his bodily prefence (John xvi. 7.), " It is ex- *' pedicnt for you that I go away ; for if I go *• not away, the Comforter will not come un- *' to you; but if I depart, I will fend himun- *^ to you." And, in another place, " I will ** pray the Father, and he fhall give you an- ^' other Comforter, even the Spirit of truth, *^ who fhall abide with you ;" — who fhall abide with you, and that not for a feafon on- ly, but " for ever."
With what tendernefs did he recommend them to his Heavenly Father, in his lafl inter-
cefTory
SERMON XV. 35 1
-cefibry prayer upon earth (John xvii. ii.), *' And now I am no more in the vvond, Diit ** thefe are in the world. Koly Father, keep *' through thine own name thole whom thoCi " haft given me." Is it poflible, then, thai: God fhould forfake thofe for whom his well- beloved Son pleads with fuch earneftnefs and affedion ? Efpecially if it be confidered, in the
^th and lajl place, That his own glory is interefted in the accomplifhment of this'gra^ cious promife. I mean that glory which con- fifts in making effed:ual the purpofes of his grace towards thofe whom he hath chofen out of the world. For were he to leave or for- fake his people, they muft fall a prey to their fpiritual enemies, and yield to the adverfary of God and man, that triumph which he hath fought from the beginning. That apoftate fpirit never deferts his purpofe of enfnaring and deftroying the fouls of men. He is ever on the watch to feize them in a defencelefs moment ; fo that, were God to leave them without his protcdion^ they would fall eafy vidims to his artifices. And will he fuffer his .purpofes thus to be bafHed by his declared foe?
Z 4 It
352 SERMON XV.
It cannot be ; and therefore he never will leave nor forfake his people.
1 fhall now conclude this difcourfe with a ihort praftical improvement, addrefled to two different claffes of people. And the
\Jl Sort of perfons to whom I will addrefs myfelf, are thofe who are yet in a ftate of ar iienation from God. It is poffible, that, at prefent, you may not fee the value of this pro- xnile which 1 have been unfolding. You have never, perhaps, been fenfiblc of the vanity of earthly enjoyments; or, if you have been wea- ry of fome of them, you promife yourfelves a more permanent fatisfadion in others. Alas! this is a delufive expectation ; for happinefs never can be extracted from the creatures. God hath pronounced an irreverfible decree of vanity upon them all. Ye are therefore pur- fuing what will for ever fly from you ; — ye are feeding upon mere hufks, which can nei-r ther nourllh nor fatisfy you. But though you fhould even be contented with this poor and errpty portion, yet you cannot always en- joy it ; for v^hat will you do when every earthly prop is tottering and ready to fink un- ^er you ? — What will ye do at that period,
when
SERMON XV. 3^3
when neither riches, nor power, nor friends, nor any thing that this world aiFords, will be able to give you the leaft relief? Let mc therefore intreat you fpeedily to feek the fa- vour of that God who is the only adequate portion of an immortal foul. Liften to that kind expoftulation and advice (Ifa. Iv. 2, 3.), " Wherefore do ye fpend money for that *' which is not bread ? and your labour for " that which fatisfieth not ? Hearken diligent- *^ ly unto me, and eat ye that v/hich is good, " and let your foul delight itfelf in fatnefs. *' Incline your ear, and come unto me ; hear, ^-' and your foul (hall live : and I will make ** an everlafting covenant with you, even the *' fure mercies of David," But I nov/ addrefs rnyfelf, in the
id place, To thofe happy perfons who are in a ftate of friendihip with God, To you, then, I fay, that this gracious promife fhould both excite and encourage you to ftedfafcnefs in the ways of religion. " For if God be • ' with you, who can be againfl: you ?" — -. " Be flrong, then, in the Lord, and in the " pov;er of his might."— All necefrar^,^ aid i^ provided for you in the tenor of the well-or- dered
554 S E R M ON XV.
dered covenant, and will not fail to be im- parted to you in the time of your need. Your help is laid on one who is mighty to fave. and who is no leis willing than abk to fupport you under all your trials. " Wherefore, gird *' up the loins of your mind, be fober, and *^ hope to the end." But the principal im- provement which you ought to make of this promife is to put away from your minds all difllitisfadtion with your prefent condition, or iinxiety about your future provifion in the world. God hath charged himfelf with the care of providing for you while you are here. He hath not, indeed, promifed you an ex- emption from poverty, hardihips, or afflic- tions. But he hath alTured you, that thefe things are no tokens of his difpleafyre ; nay, on the contrary, that they are intended for your greateft good, and that he is never near- ex to his people than when they are in the furnace of afflid:ion. What abundant reafon, then, have you to be contented with whatever Jot he is pleafed to appoint you in the world, and to look beyond all the momentary dif- trefles you now fuffer, to that incorruptible inheritance which is refcrved for you in hea- ven.
S E R M O N XV. j5^
ven. " Let your converfation then be with- " out covetoufnefs ; and be content with fuch " things as ye have : for he hath faid, I wil! " never leave thee nor forfake thee."
SER^
559
SERMON XVL
Galatians, v. 24.
And they that are ChriJTs have crucified the jfiejhj with the affediions and liijls.
NO man, who hath experienced the de- ceitfulnefs of his own heart, will think the fubje£t of this text improper for the pre- fent occafion *• Jt is true, this day is fet a- part for thankfgiving ; and with the higheft pleafure would I enter on the delightful theme of divine love and condefcenfion, which fhall employ the praifes of the redeemed through endlefs ages. But a folicitous concern, that your joy may be well founded, hath induced me to propofe to you a ftrifl: examination of
yourfelves,
* Preached on a Day of Thankfgiving, after the dlf^ penfation of the Lord's Supper.
SERMON XVI. 35^7
yonrfelves, whether you have indeed an intd-» reft in him, through whom all favour and good will to finners is conTeyed. The text furnifheth us with an infallible rule to dire£t our judgment in this inquiry. " They that *' are Chrift's," not all who are called by his name, but they who are united to him, as the branches are united to the vine, who are go- verned by his Spirit, and have a right to the benefits of his purchafe, are diftinguiflied by this attainment, " They have crucified the " flefh, with the afFedions and lufts.'* In difcourfing on thefe words, I propofe, Ftrfty To fhow what is meant by crucify- ing the flefh, with the affedtions and lufts.
Secondly^ To fhow, that it is the diftin- guifhing charader, and the ^eal attainment of all who are Chrift^s, to crucify the flefh, with the aflfedions and lufts. And then to con- elude with an improvement fuited to the oc- cafion of our prefent meeting.
I begin with inquiring what is meant by " crucifying the flefh, with the affeaions and " lufts." By " the flefh," we are to under- ftand the corrupt nature of man 3 and by " the
*' affedions
f3J# S E R M O N XVI.
cc
afFedtions and lufts," thofe depraved appe- tites, which maintain their power within us, until the renewing grace of God implant in us thofe feeds of holinefs, by which the image of God is formed on our foul. When man came firft from the hands of his Maker, his reafon, pure and uncorrupted, was the go- verning principle of his mind. But by tranf- grefling the original commandment, and eat- ing the forbidden fruit, in compliance with a mean corporeal appetite, the fenfitive part of his nature obtained that dominion or predo- minancy, which it ftill maintains in every unrenewed man. Accordingly, we find our natural condition oppofed, in Scripture, to our regenerated ftate, under thefe metapho- rical expreffions oi jiejh and fpirit. " That *' which is born of the flefh, is flefh; and that '' which is born of the Spirit, is fpirit." The meaning is plainly this : The temper and dif- pofitions which we bring with us into the world by ordinary generation, are, fmce the fall, carnal and depraved ; whereas the tem- per and difpofitions which we receive by the regeneration of the Holy Ghoft, are, like their original, fpirituaLand holy. The fame
idea
SERMON XVI.
359
idea IS exprefled in the 17th verfe of this chap- ter ; where it is faid, " The flefh lufteth a- ** gainft the fpirit, and the ipirit againft the " fleih ; and thefe two are contrary the one " to the other." It appears, then, that by the " flefh, with the affections and lulls," we are to underftand the corrupt ftate of man's mind fince the firft tranfgreffion, and all thofe depraved difpofitions and affedions which na- turally flow from the corrupt principle, and which incline us to feek happinefs from earth- ly things, independent of God. We learn, too, what is meant by '^ crucifying the lufls " and affedtions of the fleih ;" namely, that this natural depravity of mind is fubdued ; that the carnal principle, like a crucified male- fad:or, languiflies and decays ; until, by de- grees, gracious or renewed habits are formed in us, which at laft obtain the full poffeflion of our minds.
What hath been faid may fufiice to give a plain and intelligible explanation of the terms in the text ; and to purfue the metaphor far- ther, would neither be profitable to you, nor agreeable to myfelf. The words thus ex- plainedj give us a very diftinguifliing charac- ter
36a SERMON XVI.
ter of a true Chriftian. He is one who, by the grace of God, hath obtained the vidory over his corrupt appetites and inclinations. He is in a great meafure refcued from the ruins of the fall, and is no longer a fervant of fin, that he fhould obey it in the lufts thereof, *' He hath put off, concerning the former " converfiition, the old man, which is corrupt " according to the deceitful lufts • and being " renewed in the fpirlt of his mind, hath put " on the new man, which after God is crea- " ted in righteoufnefs and true holinefs." — " The law of the Spirit of life, which is in " Chrift Jefus, hath made him free from the " law of fin and death." Confcience, long dethroned by imperious paflions, hath reaf- fumed its authority ; and all the faculties of his mind purified and exalted, unite in the purfuit of fpiritual enjoyments.
And now, my brethren, let me entreat you to flop your ears for a little againft the fug- geftions of felf-love, and let confcience bear teftimony, w^hether you have indeed a claim to this character. Alas ! if you have no claim to it, this can be no day of thankfgiving ta yoy. If you have adventured to approach
the
SERMON :^Vl. 36i
the table of the Lord with all your unmortifi- ed lufts about you, ye have been guiliy of the body and blood of Chrift ; ye have fealed the fentence of your own condemnation ; and lamentation becomes you better than the voice of praife. You may, perhaps, complain of this as a fevere and heavy meffage ; but dare any of you fay that it is a meffage without a warrant ? Shall I fpeak peace to thofe to whom God hath not fpokcn peace? Shall 1 foothe you w4th falfe comforts, which might lead you down to the grave with a lie in your right hand ? No ; I remember too w^ell the wo pronounced againft the prophet " who " dealeth falfely, and healeth the wound of " the daughter of God's people (lightly." I fhould not wiih to be an eternal fubjed of im- precation to hopelefs fouls, which 1 fliould well deferve to be, if I fpoke any other lan- guage to you than what I now fpeak.
But you have as yet no caufe to complain : I have indeed fet before you the danger, but I have not faid you muft defpair. On tiie con- trary, my only objed is to prevent your ever- lafting defpair, by awakening your fears ere it be too late, and the door of mercy be ihut a-
VoL. III. A a gainft
o
62 S E R M O N XVL
gainft you. That doer is ftili open, and tlic call is yet, "Tc-day hear his voice." O thea harden not your hearts againft convidion. Decline not an impartial fcrutiny into your real ftate. Let this paffage of Scripture in- form you, whether you indeed belong to Chrift. If you do poflefs the marks of thofc who are his, take the comfort of your fmceri- ty, and give God the glory. But if the iffiie of the inquiry fhould turn out otherwife, O beware of refting in this dreadful condition. Give no fleep to your eyes, nor flumber to your eye -lids, till you have fecured an interefb in that blood of fprinkling which cleanfeth from all fin. "
Need I enter on a detail of thofe lufts and affedions which flow^ from a corrupt and de- praved principle within ? *' The works of the *'flefh," faith the Apofilc, at the 19th verfe of this chapter, ". are manifefc ; which are " thefe, adultery, fornication, unclcannefs, *' lafcivioufnefs, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, " variance, emulations, wrath, ftrifc, fedi- *' lions, herefies, envyings, murders, drun- *' kennefs, revellings, and fuch like ; of the " which I tell you before,* as I have alfo told
you
SERMON XVI. 3G5
U
you in time paft, that tliey which do fuch ** things fhall not inherit the kingdom of " God/'
I am fenfible, that, after the recital of fo black a catalogue of crimes, the moft of you will already have acquitted yourfelves of fuch enormous degrees of guilt* And I am afraid^ that this general acquittal from the charge of heinous tranfgrefTions, lulls the confciences of many into a fatal fecurity. I will not go fo far as to fay, that it were better for the un- converted fmner, that his confcience could charge him with fome of thefe glaring iniqui- ties, although our Saviour's faying feems to imply as much, viz. That the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of heaven before the fcribes and pharifees. All that 1 affert is, that you ought not too hailily to conclude that the flefh is crucified wuth its affeftions and lufts, merely becaufe your, lives have not been fpotted with any of thofe grofs and fcan- dalous fms. In thefe days of light and know- ledge, Satan doth not find it for his intereft to pufli men to the extremities of vice. He ra- ther endeavours to keep the garrlfon in peace, A a 2 by
364 S E R M O N XVI.
by blunting .the edge of convidion with the: fair fhows of outward decency and formahty. Be perfuaded, then, to go deeper in your uiquiry. Search the very inmoft corners of your hearts. Put the authority of God in one fcale, and the interefts of the flefh in an- other, and fee which of the tv/o weighs hea- vier in your affedxions. You frequent the church, you attend on ordinances, and per- form the external parts of rehgion with an ap- parent relifli and alacrity. All this is good ; but beware of building too much on it. Con- fider that thefe obfervances do not in any great degree thwart the interefts of the flefh. The law^s and cuftoms of the land favour you; vour eftates are not thereby impaired, nor your lives endangered ; nor is your reputation, hurt, but rather advanced. But fuppofe the cafe to be otherwife, and let your hearts give the anfwer — Would you perfift in the fame courfe at all rifles, though your eftates were cxpofed to confifcation, though your names w^ere to be branded with every term of re- proach that malice could devife ; yea, though all the engines of torture lay in the road of duty ? Would no profpeft of gain, however
fecure
S E R M ON XVI. 365
^fecure from human difcoveryj tempt you to encroach on the divine rules of jyftice and e- 'quity? Can you blefs them that curfe you, and render good for evil, and forgive the moft galling injuries, even when Providence puts your enemies in your power ? Did the ob- jects of criminal defire not only tempt but fo- licit you ; were you favoured with every cir- cumftance of time and place, could you check the career of paffion, with Jofeph's reflection, ^' How can I do this great wickednefs, and fm " againft God ?" Thefe, indeed, are fure figns that the fleih is crucified, with its affec- tions and lufts. But if, on the contrary, the fear of man's cenfure or punifhment w^ould turn you afide from the pradice of your duty, if the profped: of fecret gain could tempt you to lie or cheat, or differable ; if any injury appears too great to be forgiven, or any fen- fual appetite too importunate to be denied ; in a word, if any temptation, be its circum- ftances what they will, would prevail on you to indulge yourfelves in the deliberate omif- fion of any known duty, or in the pradice of any known fin ; then, Vv^hatever your pre- tences arc, the flefh, with its afFedions and Aa3 lufts.
36G SERMON XVI.
lufts, is not yet crucified in you. But do not miftake me, as if I meant to afiert, that none liave crucified the fiefli but thofe who are per- fefl: in holincfs. No ; the righteous man fal- leth feven times a day, and rifeth again. Nay, there is not a jufl: man upon earth that doth good, and finncth not. And therefore I fpeak not of thofe falfe fteps to which thebeft are liable through the remainders of corruption ; but of known and habitual fins, committed with the full bent and inclination of the will. Thefe plainly betray the predominancy of the flefh, with its affedions and lufts ; and fhow, that the perfon who is under the doniinion of them, has no juft or. Scriptural claim to an in- tereft in Chrift. For a worldy Chriftian, or ^ carnal Ghriftian, or a diOioneft Chriftian, are as grofs contradictions in terms, as an infidel Chriftian. And this naturally leads me to the
Secorul thing propofed; which was to fliow, that it is the diftinguiftiing character and the real attainment of all who are Chrift's, to cru- Qify the flefli, with the aftedions and lufts. • This is fo much the uniform language of the IS^gw Teftamentj, that one fliould hardly think
it
SERMON XVL 3^7
it required a proof. The great Icffoa which our Lord taught his diiciples was exprefled in thefe words : *' If any man will come after " me, let him deny himfelf, arid take up his " crofs, and follow me." This he repeated on various occafions, as a fubject that ought to employ their conftaat attention. " He that ^' taketh not up his crofs and followeth after "me, is not worthy of me." — If^ any man *' come after me, and hate not his father and " mother, and wife and children, and breth- " ren and fifters," thofe neareft and deareft relations according to the flefli, " yea, and '' his own life alfo," when the prefervation of it becomes inconfiftent with the duty he owes to God, " he cannot be my difciple." And again, " Whofoever he be of you that for- " faketh not all that he hath," namely, habi- tually in affedion, and adually too, when God calls him to it, " he cannot be my dif- " ciple." — -Thefe are the permanent, the in- variable laws of Ghrift's fpiritual kingdom, and are equally binding on us, as on thofe to whom they were originally addreffed. For had our Lord ever intended to relax or mitigate them in any degree, he would certainly have done A a 4 it
s>
68 5 E R M O N XVI.
it in favour of his firfl difciples, wKen hb chmxh was yet in its infant ftate, and there- fore ftood in need of greater indulgence. But thefe fccmingly hard fayings exprefs the true fpirit of Chiiftianity, and afford the meft con- vincing proof of its divine original. Man fell by feeking hixifelf, and muft therefore be raifed in the way of felf-denial. He forfeited his innocence and happinefs by hearkening to the foiicitation of a fiefhiy appetite ; and, be- fore he can regain happinefs, the fiefh muft be crucified, with the affedions and lufts.
Accordingly, we find that our Saviour's meaning was well underftood by his immedir ate followers ; and their pradice is the beft commentary on his injunccions. What he recommended, they laboured to attain. Thus Paul writes to the Corinthians, " I keep un- ^^ der my body, and bring it into fubjeclion, '' lefl when I have preached to others, 1 my- *' felf fhould be a caft-away." The remain- ders of corruption within him, made him ery out with all the emphafis of diftrefsj " O ^' wretched man that I am, who fhall deliver *' me fi'om the body of this death." Nay, fo fenfible was he of the importance and neceffi-r
ty
SERMON XVL 369
ty of this deliverance, that, as he expreffeth it himfelf, " He counted all things but lofs and ^' dung ;" firft, " That he might win Chiift, " and be found in him, not having his own ^' righteoufnefs, but that which is through " the faith of Chrift, the righteoufnefs which *^ is. of God by faith." And next, " That he ** might know Chrift" experimentally, *' and " the power of his refurredlion, and the fei- " lowfhip of his fufFerings, being, made con- " formable unto his death." Nor was this only his wj/h ; we find alfo that it was hig real attainment. " I am crucified," fays hej' *' with Chrift : neverthelefs, I live ; yet not " I, but Chrift liveth in me: and the life " which I now live in the flelh, I live by the " faith of the Son of God, who loved me, ^' and gave himfelf for me." And '* God *' forbid that I fhould glory, fave in the crofs " of our Lord Jefus Chrift, by whom the " "w^orld is crucified unto me, and I unto the *' world." Neither was Paul fingular in this. It appears to have been the common attain- ment of all true Chriftians in his time. For it is fpoken of in my text as the badge of Chrif- tianity, the very thing which diftinguifhed
Chriftiana
370 SERMON XVL
Chriftians from all other men. " Thiey that " are Chrifl's have crucified the fleih, with " the affedions and lufts." I have given a recital of thefe paffages of Scripture, as they ferve to explain one another : and I hope" that when they are compared together, and duly confidered, they will appear to be. a fufficient demonftration, that none whofe. fleih is not crucified, with its afledlions and lufts, can, with a Scriptural warrant, lay claim to an in- tereft in Chrift.
Thus I have endeavoured to explain what is meant by " crucifying the flefh, with the *' affedions and lufts ;" and have ihown you, that this is the adual attainment of every true Chriftian. Allow me now to conclude this difcourfe w'ith a practical improvement of the fubjecl. — From what hath been faid, then, we learn, in the
\Ji place. What is the true nature of our holy rehgion. It is not a mere bodily exer- cife, confi fling only in external ceremonies or obfervances. Earthly rulers can afk no more but an outward homage : but the Searcher of hearts challengeth the fincere adoration of the inner man : he who is a Spirit, niuft be wor-
ihipped
SERMON XVI. ^71
fiiipped in fpirit and in truth. So that to at- tend the church, to partake of religiouo ordi- nances, and to perforin the external duties of religion, will be of no avail in the fight of God, unlefs thefe outward fervlces proceed irom a heart warmed with his love, in which every ufurping luft, that would fhare his place, is vanquifhed and dethroned. To be a real Chriftian, therefore, is not fo eafy an attain- ment as many feem to imagine. Flefh and blood muft be wreftled with, and overcome ; " for flefh and blood cannot inherit the klng- " dom of heaven." Every gratification that is contrary to the holinefo of the divine nature, although dear to us as a right hand or a right eye, muft be denied. Nay, the very inclina- tion to vicious indulgences muft be fubdued, otherwife our abftaining from the outward ads of them will be of no avail. It is the heai:tsj;hat God requires ; and if v/e deny him this, we can give him nothing that is worthy , of his acceptance.
An inofFenfive outward deportment -may footh your confciences, and prevent the un- eafy feelings of remorfe, but will not lave you from final ruin. The very interefts of the
fielh
zi-^
SERMON XVL
flefh may make a man forbear difgraceful fms, and may, for a. time, chain up, without weakening the vigour of corruption. You may be pofleffed of many amiable qualities, by which you deferve well of fociety, and yet be total ftrangers to that character of real Chriftians which is given in this text. If temporary good impreffions, or reftraints of the flefh for a feafon, would amount to that charader, then Felix, who trembled under <:onvi6tion. and Herod, who did many things in confequence of the BaptilVs preaching, had been real Chriftians. If the eftimable quali- ties of focial life Vv'ere a proof that Chriftiani- ty had its full efFed on the mind, then the young ruler, who had kepi the fecond table of the law from his youth upwards, would have had an unreferved approbation from our Lord. But Felix and Herod relapfed under the dominion of their lufts ; and, through the iove of this world, the young ruler fell fhoit of the kingdom of heaven. — In the
id place, From what hath been faid, let each of us be prevailed on to try how matters ftand with himfelf. You fee that it is not a point to be lightly taken for granted, that a
man
SERMON XVI. 373
man hath a real intereft in Chrift. I have al- ready mentioned feveral things under my firft head of difcourfe, which may lerve as hints to direct you m this trial. All that I have further to beg of you is, that you would judge yourfelves impartially, as thofe who exped a judgment to come. Try every ground of hope upon which yoii have hitherto refted ; let. every rotten pillar be removed, or elfe the whole building, however glorious in appear- ance, will fhortly fall to the ground. Self- love may, for a feafon, blind your eyes : but remember, that it will throw no veil over that impartial judgment which will overtake you at the bar of God. Compare, then, your actions and difpofitions with that holy and fpiritual law which flatters no man ; and then,^ if confcience gives an vmbiafled judgment, I have little doubt that numbers in this afTem.- bly will difcover, that " the flefh, with ita *' affections and lufts," is not only alive, but in full Vigour, Nay, the very beft will find caufe to conclude, that the corrupt principle is not yet crucified as it ought to be.
As for thofe of the fi.rft clafs now mention- . ed, if the text itfelf does not furnifli them
with
374
S E R M O N XV
with r. liifficieat motive for crucifying the fieili, I defpair of being able to offer any other which will he more powerful. I might tell you, how mean it is to let fenfc give law to reafon, and to prefer the earthly tabernacle to its immortal inhabitant. I might aiTure you, that you are ferving an ungrateful mafter, whom you can never ilitisfy ; that, while you feed one luft, you muft ftai-ve another, whofe Importunate cravings will deftroy the relifh of your imagined happinefs. I might tell you, that the flefh muft ere long be reduced to rot- tennefs and duft, and be buried under ground, that it may be no offence to the Uving. But what are all thefe arguments, compared with that m.otive which is implied in the text, that, imlefs you crucify the flefh, you do not be- long: to Chrift ; and if vou have no intereft in Chrift, God is a confuming fire. So that this, furnifiieth me with an addrcfs, to the fame purpofe with what a brave officer made to his foldiers in a day of battle, " Unlefs ye kill '' your enemies," faid he, " they will kill " you." In like manner, I fay to you, Unlefsr ye crucify the flefh, it will be your evenafting
ruin*
SERMON XVI. 375
ruin. " For if ye live after the flefh, ye fliall "die."
As for you vv^ho are mourning over the re- mainders of corruption, and ftruggling t9 get free from them, I know that you will require no motives to engage you to go on in this op- pofition to the carnal principle. I fhall, there- fore, only offer you a few diredions, with which I will now conclude.
Keep a ftri£t watch over your fenfes. Let nothing enter into the foul by thefe avenues without a ftrid: examination. Avoid with the utmoft caution all thofe things which may in- flame your pafTions, and accuftom yourfelves to- contradict them in their firft tendencies to evil. A fpark may eafily be quenched, which, after it hath kindled a flame, will bafile all your induftry. Improve that holy ordinance, which vou have been celebratino;, to this fa- lutary purpofe.. The contemplation of a cru- cified Saviour is an excellent mean to afliifl you in crucifying the flefh. When your ap- petites folicit any unlawful indulgence, re- member him who had not even the common accommodations of nature. When your flefh requires eafe and pleafure, think of him who
pleafed
376 SERMON XVI.
pleafed not, or minded not himfelf, but for your fakes fubmitted to hunger and thirft wearinefs and watching, pain and reproach, and at laft to an ignominious death. When riches inflame your defires, refled: on the hif- tory of Jefus, " who, though he was rich, for *' your fakes became poor, that ye through *' his poverty might be made rich." When the defire of applaufe, or the fear of cenfure, from man, tempt you to defert the path of duty, then remember him who for you made himfelf of no reputation, gave his head to be crowned with thorns, and his body to be ar- rayed with the garb of derifion, and was fuf- pended on a crofs in the company of malefac- tors. In all thefe views, let your eyes be di- rected to Jefus, the author and finilher of your faith. Above all, depend much on the grace of God, and pour out your fouls in fervent fupplications for the Spirit of Promife, by whofe affiftance alone you can mortify the deeds of the body, and crucify the flefh, with its aflfe^Lions and lufts. Principles of philofo- phy may reftrain our evil paQions ; but no- thing lefs than the Omnipotent power of di- vine grace can overcome them. Plead, there- fore,
SERMON XVI. 37;
fore, earneftly, that he who is now afcended up on high, and hath received gifts for men, may grant you every needful fupply in this, difficult warfare : that fo, when you have fought the good fight, and overcome your enemies, both within and without you, you maybe publicly acknowledged and acquitted in the^ay of judgment, and made perfectly hap- py in the full enjoyment of God for ever^
Vol. III. B b S E R-
578
SERMON XVII
Psalm, Iy. 6. 7.
'There he many that fay^ Who w^l!Jhe^v us any good f Lord^ lift thou up the light of thy countetiance upon us. T'hou hajl put glad^ nefs in my hearty more than in the time that their corn and their wine increaftd.
THE chief diftindion between a child of God, and a man of the world, lies in the prevailing tendency of their defires. Both of them are engaged in the purfuit of happi- nefs. But the one aims at nothing higher than the prefent gratification of his appetites, 'w^hile the other rifes above this world, and afpires at the fupreme felicity of his immortal nature. The one feeks information from eve- ry quarter concerning the object of his pur- fuit \ the other afks the bleffing directly from
the
SERMON XVIL 379
th-e Giver of all good. The one feeks a hap- pinefs feparated from God : the whole earth, without the light of God's countenance, would appear to the other a barren wilder- nefs, and a place of exile.— -I prbpofe, in dif* courfing on this fubjed:,
Firjl^ To make a few remarks on the Pfalmift's defcription of thefe oppofite cha- racters.
Secondly^ To illuftrate the two following propofitions, which naturally arife from the text, namely, That wordly men have little caufe to rejoice in the temporal advantages which they pofTefs ; and that the light of God's countenance is fufficient to gladden the heart of a faint in all circumftances what- foever.
The illuftration of thefe particulars will give rife to a practical improvement of the fubjed. — Let us,
Firjl^ Attend to the defcription of world- ly men in the firft part of the 6th verfe, " There be many that fay, Who will ihew *' us any good ?" — It is obvious, in the
ijl place, That this queftioa betrays a B b 2 great
38o SERMON XVIL
great degree of inward dlffatisfaction and per- plexity. They fpeak like men who have no relifh for w^hat they pofrefs, and who are ut- terly at a lofs to what hand to turn for en- joyment. They do not afk, who will fhew ws, xho, chief good ? But, '' Who will fhew " us a7iygoodf any thing to fill up the cra- ving vacuity of our minds : a plain intima- tion that hitherto they have been miferably difappointed in their purfuits, and that at the time of the queftion they cannot find any thing in their lot that deferves the name of good. They are unacquainted with happi- nefs, though they have been always in fearch of it, and neither know wherein it confifts, nor how it is to be obtained. — It deferves our notice,
idly^ That the only good which they in- quire for is fome prefent fenfible enjoyment, which may be pointed out to the eye of fenfe, and may be immediately laid hold of. " Who *' will pjew us any good ?" They are ftran- gers to tlie operation of that faith, which is ** the fubftance of things hoped for, and the " evidence of things not feen." They look not " at the things which are unfeen and eter-
" nal;.
SERMON XVII. 381
■^' nal ;" their views are confined within the narrow limits of this prefent life ; and they covet no other portion than they fuppofe may be found in the world of fenfe. — ^It may be obferved,
'^dly^ That they make no difcriminatioa of the objects which they feek after. Any good will be welcome to them : let it be good food, or good clothing ; a good eftate by lawful means, or a good eftate by any means whatever ; a good bargain in bufmefs, or a good booty by theft or plunder : no matter what it is, provided it gives them pleafure in the mean time, or relieves them from the irk- fome labour of thinking on themfelves, and on the great end for which they were made. • — Once more, in the
A^th place. You obferve, that am id ft all their diffatisfadion with their prefent ftate, and their eager defires after fomething better, they do not turn their thoughts at all to God, but feem rather determined to banifti the re- membrance of him from their minds. They feek couniel from others, but none from him: they inquire at weak and erring mortals like B b 3 themfelves,
382 SERMON XVII.
themfelves, but they neither afk wifdom nar grace from God.
Such is the rcprefentation which the Pfal- mift gives us of the temper and of the lan- guage of worldly men. He further tells us, that the charaGer of which he gives this def- cription, was a common one in his time : ** There be many that fay, Who will fhew " us any good ?" And it is but too appa- rent, that multitudes of men do ftill exhibit the fame temper. They have no relifh for fpiritual and divine enjoyments ; their only care is, " What they fhall eat, and what they fhall drink, nnd wherewithal they fhall be clothed."—^" They labour abundantly for the meat which periiheth, but not at all " for that meat which endureth unto ever^ " lafting life." And though they meet re- peated difappointments in every new experi- ment ; yet inftead of feeking after happinefs where it is alone to be found, they ftill re- new the fruitlefs fearch among the creatures around them, and cry out with as much keen- nels as ever, " Who will (hew us any " worldly good ?"
Let us now turn our eyes to a different ob-
jeftj
SERMON XVII. ^3
jefl:, and eonfider the temper of a child of God, as it Is beautifully dcfcribed by the Pfaimift.. Whilft others fay, " Who wiU " fhew us any good ?" the language of his heart is, " Lord, lift thou upon nxe the Ught *^ of thy countenanee." He, too, feeks what is good ; for the defire of happinefs is Qommoa to all.-^But you will obferve,
ly?, That it is EOt ^/ifj good that will fatif- fy him : he cannot feed upon hufes ; it is a real and a fubftantial good that he feeks after* Nay, iti is the chief good. He difdains the thought of having any thing lefs than this for the portion of his foul. He knows that all other fources of enjoyment are no better than " broken cifterns, which can hold no water ;'* adapted indeed to fupply the wants of the bo- dy, but in no refped: fuited to the immortal fpirit, either as the objects of its choice, or the fources of its happinefs. — And as nothing can flitisfy him but a real and permanent good, fo we find,
^dly^ That he know^s where that good is to
be found. He has no need to folicit infor«.
mation from every one he meets. He knows
^hat the favour of God, and the fenfe of his
B b 4 loving
3S4 SERMON XVII.
loving kindnefs, are the only fources of true happinel's. Here therefore he fixeth his choice, and is perfedly fatisfied that he is right in doing fo.
The worldly mind is in a ftate of perpe- tual fluctuation. Having no determinate objed in view, it runs wild in purfuit of every delufive image of good ; and when dif- appointed in one objedl:, only feels a more intenfe defire to feek its gratification in an- other.
But the enlightened mind feeth vanity en- graved, in deep and legible charaders, on all things below the fun ; and therefore looks be- yond and above them for its portion, faying, with the devout Pfalmift, " Whom have I in ** heaven but thee ? and there is none upon ^' earth whom I defire befide thee. My flefh *^ and my heart faileth : but God is the " ftrength of my heart, and my portion for- * ever." — I obferve, in the
3^ place, That a child of God goes di- redly to God himfelf, and begs the blefling from him. He lofes no time in w^andering among the creatures, or in making experi- ments of fenfual pleafiire ; but takes the flior-
tefl
SERMON XVII* 385'
teft road to the objed he purfues. He flies to the arms of his Father, and implores t^at he would fmile on him, and grant him his falvation. Senfible at the fame time of his unworthinefs, he claims nothing as a debt ; but what he afks, he prays for as a free un- merited gift, fetching all his arguments from, his mercy, and pleading with him for his own name's fake, " O Lord, lift thou upon m^ " the light of thy countenance."-— -Once more, in the
^th place. It deferves our notice, that the Pfalmift, in the name of all the godly, ufeth this prayer in dired: oppofition to the carnal language of worldly men, who are continu- ally crying, " Who will (hew us any good?" Hereby intimating to us, that a child of God can relifh no fweetnefs in any inferior good, till he be affured of the divine favour ; and that when this great blefling is obtained, no- thing amifs can come to him. Even amidfl the abundance of outward things, he mourns and languiiheth, as long as he apprehends God to be at a diftance from him. And no fooner doth he behold his reconciled counte-^ nance, than he forgets every outward calami- ty,
2i6 S E R M O N XVII.
ty, and can rejoice in the loweft ftate of po- Terty and diftrefsi^^:^ «Uiw
In a word, to the fpiritual man the favour of God is one thing needful. As to other things, which may be either good or bad, as they are ufed, he dares not be peremptory in his choice ; '' For who knoweth what is good ^ for man in this Ufe ?" But the favour of his God he cannot want. Here all his dcfires centre, and here he hath treafured up all the wifhes of his heart.
Having thus confidered the Pfalmift's de- fcription of thefe two oppofite characters in the text, let us now proceed.
Secondly^ To illuftrate the propofitions which arife from this comparifon — The
Firjl which I mentioned was, That world- ly men have little caufe to rejoice in the tem- poral advantages which they poffefs.
Stretch your imaginations to the utmoft • fancy to yourfelves a man raifed above all his fellows, enjoying every thing that his heart can wifh, obeyed and honoured by all around him ; let luxury furnifli out his houfe and ta- ble ; let profperity attend his fteps, and crown
his
SERMON XVir, 387
his undertakings with glory. Add to thefc advantages, if you will, the fplendid titles of king and hero ; and when you have finiihed the gaudy picture, fay, what doth the value of it amount to ?
i/?. May not all thefe outward things con- fift with the prefent mifery of the perfon who poflefleth them ? May not the man who hath reached the fummit of earthly grandeur be the wrecthed flave of his own paffions, and fuffer all the torments of a difeafed mind ? Who have, in fad:, held the mod complain- ing language on the fubjefl: of human life ? Have not thofe who have drunk deepeft of the cup of profperity, and whofe minds, fa- tiated with pleafure, have become the prey of fpleen and difappointment, Unlefs, therefore, we can finifh the defcription of the profpe- rous man, by faying, that his foul is as flou- riihing as his body, and that his eternal inte- reft is as well fecured as his temporal advan- tages feem to be, all that we have fuppofed him to poflefs muft go for nothing. He is indeed more fumptuoufly mlferable than any of his fellow-creatures, but cannot be allow- ed to have the leaft reafonable caufe of jpy,
God
^^8 SERMON XVir.
God feeth not as man feeth. Man looketh ea the outward appearance, but God fearcli- etli the heart. Accordingly, he fpeaks a lan- guage very different from the men of the world, and calls thofe " wretched, and mife- *' rable, and poor, and blind, and naked," W' ho think themfeives, and perhaps are thought by others, to be " rich, and increafed in goods, *' and to ftand in need of nothing." And will any wife man, then, rejoice in thefe out- ward circumftances, wdiich may fo eafily con- fji> with the real mifery of the perfon who polTefleth them ? — Efpecialiy if we confider,
2dly^ That thefe very things are frequently the means of making men miferable, and of fixing them in that deplorable ftate. How many have been fruitful in the low valley of adverfity, who have proved barren, after they removed their habitations to the high moun- tains of profperity ? And Ihould any man rejoice, becaufe he muft pafs to heaven as a camel muft pafs through the eye of-a ne«dle ? Is it not difficult enough to keep our hearts and alFedtions above, when even we have lit- tle or nothing to confine them below ? And ihould we, who already ftumble at a ftraw,
rejoice
SERMON XVI. 389
rejoice that we have rocks of offence, and mountains of provocation caft in our waj ? Hovs^ few are advanced to higher meafures of faith and holinefs, by their advancement in the world ? How ftrangely doth profperity transform men, and make them forget their former apprehenfions of things, their convic- tions, their purpofes, and their vows ; nay^ their God, their happinefs, and themfelves ? V/hile men are low in the world and live by faith, they do good with the litde which they poffefs, and have the bleffing of a willing . mind : Whereas, when they are hfted up, they often lofe the inclination, in proportion as they increafe in the ability of doing good, and ufe their fuperior talents only to bring upon theaifelves a heavier condemnation. The carnal mind commonly grows with the car- nal intereft, and the greateft oppofers of God have in all ages been the very perfons who w^ere moil indebted to his goodnefs. Rejoice not then in the poffeffion of thefe common mercies for their own fake ; and learn to va- lue them only as they are made fubfervient ta your real ufefulnefs,. and to your fpiritual joy. for, in the
3<^
390" SERMON XVIL
3^ place, All thefe things may end in mife- ry, and leave the owner in everlafting wo. He who to-day " is clothed in purple and " fine linen, and fares fumptuoufly," may to- morrow " hft up his eyes in torments." — *' Weeping, and wailing, and gnalhing of " teeth" may fucceed to his carnal mirth. If this fhall happen, he fhall then cry out, O that 1 had lain in medicinal rags, inftead of having got this mortal furfeit of profperity ! Alas ! are all my pleafant morfels to be for ever exchanged for this gall and wormwood ! O deplorable ftate ! O wretched iflue of a carnal life !
Think not that I am an enemy to your joy, in urging thefe remonftrances. My fole aim is to lead you to that fountain, which will at all times fupply you with the moft exalted de- light ; the fenfe of the love of God, and the fure profpeft of immortal felicity. Were you in this happy condition, then fliould I bid you rejoice even in thofe temporal mercies, as the giftsof your Heavenly Father, the tokens of his love, and the pledges of your future inheri- tance. I would then addrefs you in the words of the preacher, "Go thy way, eat thy bread
" with
6t]& R M O N XVIL 391
" with joy, and drinl; thy wine with a mer- " ry heart; for,?Gpd now accepteth thy ** works." But until you have made fure of this one thing needful, I muft be an enemy to your fecure and carnal joy. The frantic mirth of a madman is an objed that will caft a damp on a mind the mod: addifted to gaie- ty ; and I appeal to yourfelves, whether it be reafonable for a man to rejoice, who, in the midft of all his pleafures, cannot have the fmalleft affurance that he fhall be the next moment out of hell. A wicked man, fuffer- ing the horrors of an awakened confcience, is indeed an objed: of commiferation : but a far greater objed of commiferation is that man, who, in the depths of mifery, and on the very brink of perdition, ftill retains his thoughtlefs and infenfible gaiety of heart. This is that laughter of which Solomon might well fay, " It is mad ;" and that mirth of which he faith, " what doth it ?" How many are now in forrow, by reafon of this unleafonable and finful joy ? They were too gay to liften to the grave admonitions of God's word ; too eagerly bent upon their delufive pleafures to attend to the motions of his Holy Spirit; and,
therefore,
392 SERMON XVIL
therefore, becaufe when God called they would not hear ; lb he now laughs at their calamity, and mocks when their fears are come upon them. It is the awful apprehen- fion of this which conftrains me to be earneft with you in my prefent argument. The plea- fure which you take in the enjoyments of fenfe, is that which makes you carelefs of the pleafures of religion. Could I for once pre- vail with you to enter into your own breafts, to abftracl yourfelves from the bufmefs and pleafures of this vain world, and to think fe- rioufly for one day upon your everlafting ftate, I fhould not defpair of convincing you, that this earth can afford nothing which can be an equivalent for your immortal fouls. But, alas ! your fenfual diiTipated mirth ba- niiheth all refledion, and makes you deaf to the lober voice of reafon. When you are confined to a bed of ficknefs, indeed, or lan- guifhing under fome painful difeafe, it is pof- fible for a religious monitor to obtain fome- thing like a patient hearing from you : but when your flefh is in vigour, and capable of relifhing outward pleafures, this docile feafon is no more, and all the truths which relate to
another
SERMON XVII. 393
another world become grating and ofFenfive to your ears, like the found of an inftrument out of tune. I have only to add on this head, that were your mirth, Inch as it is, to endure for anytime, I Ihould wonder the lefs at your rejeding this admonition. But, alas ! to be jocund, or even happy, for a day, and then to lie down in endlefs torment, is a difmal profpedt indeed. To fee a man laugh and play, and brave it out, in a veffel which is fo fwiftly running down a ftream which termi- nates in a gulph of endlefs horror, is a fhock- ing fpedacle, and calls loudly on every one who fees it to warn the unhappy perfon of his danger. This hath been ray office to you ; and could I be your friend if I did lefs ? If I did not obteft you with all the, earneftnefs of which I am capable, to fecure your intereft in anotl\er world than this, and to derive your joys from fomething better than the portion of the fenfualift ?
Let us now turn our eyes to a more agree- able objeft, and furvey thofe folid grounds of joy which belong to the people of God. — For the
Voi. Ill, C c Second
394 SERMON XVIL
Second propofitlon which I propofed to II- luftrate was, that the liglit of God's counte- nance is fufficient to gladden the heart of a faint in all circumftances whatfoever. For this purpofe, let us confider from what four— ces the joys of a faint proceed.
ly?, Then, he is poffeffed of the joy which refults from comparing his prefent happy con- dition with the mifery in which he was once involved. He remembers a time when, like others, he wandered in the vanity and dark- nefs of his mind, ftill putting the anxious queftion, *' Who will fliew me any good ?" When, like a flieep, he went aftray, in the dark and howling wildernefs ; when he fed upon mere hufks, and fpent his money for that which is not bread. " But now he is re- " turned to the Shepherd and Bifhop of his *'' foul." He is paffed from death to life : the Judge of the univerfe is at peace with him, and hath call all his fins into the depth of the fea. He hath got within the walls of the city of refuge, where the avenger of blood cannot enter ; the fword of juftice is put up in its fcabbard ; and that Almighty Being, upon whom he conftantly depends, hath laid afide
his
SERMON XVII. 395
his wrath, and beholds him with a pleafant countenance. And, therefore, '' Akhough " the fig-tree (hall not bloffom, neither Ihall " fruit be in the vines ; the labour of the *' olive fhall fail, and the fields ihall yield no " meat ; the flock fhall be cut off from the " fold, and there fhall be no herd in the " ftalls ; yet will he rejoice in the Lord, he " will joy in the God of his falvation," — But a
Q^d Source of joy to a child of God, confifts in the adtual honours and privileges conferred upon him. He is advanced to the deareft and moft intimate relation to God, adopted into his family, and invefted with all the rights of a fon. In him that life is begun, which, being hid with Chrift in God, fhall be preferved and improved, till at length it be perfeded in the heavenly world. '* Rejoice " in the Lord, O ye righteous ; and fhout " for joy, all ye that are upright in heart." To you it belongs to come boldly to a throne of grace, in the affured hope that you fhall obtain mercy, and find grace to help you in every time of need : by the blood of Jeius you can enter into the holiefl, and in every thing Cc 2 by
395 SERMON XVIL
by prayer and fuppllcation, vAih thankfgiv^^ ing, make your requefts known to God ; caft- ing all your care upon him, becaufe he careth for you. He is yours who poffeffeth all tilings, and what can you want ? He is yours who can do all things, and what fhould you fear I He is yours who is goodnefs and love itfelf, bow then can you be miferable, or what imperfedlion can there be in your felicity ^ His faithfulnefs is pledged to make all things work together for your good. The moft af- fli4^ive events, like the furnace or pruning hook, fhall only purge away your drofs, or render you more fruitful. So that you may glory in. tribulation, " knowing that tribula- *' tion worketh patience, and patience expe- *^ rience, and experience hope that maketh *' not afhamed." To conclude this detail of the privileges of a faint, hear how the Apoftle to the Corinthians defcribes them ( i Corinth. ail. 21.), " All things are yours, whether *' Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, ** or life, or death, or things prefent, or things *' to come; all are yours j and ye are Chrift's; *' and Chrift is God's." — Once more.
SERMON XVIL 397
3^/y, The joy of a liiint proceeds from the contemplation of thofe future bleffings which^ as yet are only the objeds of hope. But in fpeaking of thefe, where fhall we begin ? Shall! pafs beyond the dark and lonely grave, which Job hath ftyled " the houfe appointed " for all living," and lead you upwards at once to the realms of light and joy, to furvey that houfe, with many manfions, whither Chrift is gone to prepare a place for his peo- ple ? No; in the paiTage I laft quoted, we find death reckoned among the poiTeffions of believers. To thofe who belong to Chrift, death ceafeth to be the king of terrors. The ftroke he gives doth indeed put an end to the exiftence of the old man ; but by that very flroke, the fetters which galled the new maa in Chriit are broken afunder, and the life im- parted by the fecond Adam comes to full ma- turity, when that which was derived from the hrft Adam concludes. When, therefore, We view death and the grave as confecrated by Chrift, who died and was buried, they are no more to be ranked among the articles of the curfe denounced againft the original apoftafy", but tliU to be inrolled amonc: the " ihines to
C c 3 . ^" come f
9? SERMON XVII.
*' come ; of which every believer may fay^ They are mine. In this Hght did Paul be- hold them, when he faid, *' To me to live is *' Chrift, and to die is gain. — I defire to de- *' part, and to be with Chrift, which is far *' better," — " While I am at home in the bo- *' dy, I am abfent from the Lord. I am, *' therefore, confident and willing, rather to *' be abfent from the body, and prefent with *' the Lord." — " O death, where is thy fting ? " O grave, where is thy vidory ? The fting *^ of death is fin, and the ftrength of fin is *' the law. But thanks be unto God who •* giveth us the vidory, through Jefus Chrift *' our Lord."
5ut it is the refurredlon which Ihall com- plete the triumph of the faints, when that which is fown in weaknefs, in diflionour, and corruption, fhall be raifed in power, in glory, and incorruption. In that day of the mani- feftation of the fons of God, when our vile bodies ftiall be changed and fafhioned like un- to Chrift's glorious body, ■' when this corrup- *' tible fliall have put on incorruption, and ♦* this mortal fliall have put on immortality, *^ then fhall be brought to pafs the faying
" that
SERMON XVII. 399
^' that is written. Death is fwallowed up in " vi<3ory." But how (hall we Ipeak of the glory yet to be revealed, *' which eye hath " not feen, nor ear heard, neither hath it en- " tered into the heart of man to conceive." Should I attempt any defcription of it, I fhould only " darken counfei by words with- *' out knowledge."-—" It doth not yet ap- *' pear," faith the Apoille John, " what we ^' ihall be : but this we know, that when he " fhall appear, we Ihali be like him ; for we ** fhall fee him as he is." Here, then, let us Hop. To be made like the Son of God, to behold his unveiled glory, and to be for ever y/ixh him : thefe particulars muft furely in- clude every ingredient which can belong to the higheft perfedion and happlnefs of a crea- ture. With this great objed in our eye, how well doth it become us to adopt the language of the Apoftle Peter, and to fay with fervent gratitude, as he did, " BiefTed be the God and ^' Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, which ac- " cording to his abundant mercy hath begot- ^* ten us again unto a lively hope, by the re- ** furredion of Jefus Ghrift from the dead, to C c 4 an
400
SERMON XVII.
*' an inheritance incorruptible, iindefiled, and ** that fadeth not away."
Thefe are the peculiar fources from which the godly man derives his joy. And may I not now appeal to you, whether they are not of inch a nature, as that no outward diftrefs or calamity can take them away ? Even -when the heavens-'fhall be rolled together like a fcroll, and' the elements (hall mek with fer- vent heat, lV& will be dblc to look at the migh- ty defolation, and faf-*, "when all thefe materi- al . a~e confumed, I fhall have loft* nothing ; " Godliveth, bleifed be my rock."— " The " Lord is the portion of mine- inheritance," and in him I poflefs and enjoy all things.
And now, what improvement are v/e to make of this fubjefl: ? — In the
ly? place, Let us inquire which of the cha- raders defcribed by the Pfalmift belongs to us. Are we among the many that fay, " Who will *' ihew us any good ?" or are we among the happy few who feek the light of God's coun- tenance above all things ? There is no neutral perfon in this cafe. Every man that liveth upon the earth, is either " carnally minded, *^ which is death} or fpiritually minded, which
" is
SERMON XVII. 4or
" is life and peace ;" either a child of God, or a drudge and flave to the world. To which party, then, do you belong ? What are your hearts principally fet upon, and whither do you bend your chief and moft vigorous en- deavours ? If you can find but little leifure for the fervice of God, and the care of your fouls; if you can fpciid whole days without calling upon God, or reading his word ; if the Sab- bath appears burderif'^me to }ou, and you join in your 'hearts wit U ihofe profane perfons whom the Prophet Amos defcribes, a^ .faying (viii. 5.), " When will the new moon be " gone, that we may fell corn ? and the Sab- " bath, that we may fet forth wheat ?" If you are confcious that it is thus with you, I need fcarcely inform you, that you muft be claffed with thofe whofe language it is, " Who. " will fhew us any good ?" A
<id Ufe, therefore, which I would make of this fubjed, is, to exhort you, who are yet carnally minded, to think ferioufly of your condition. Ye are purfuing what will for ever flee from you. Ye are combating with a decree of him who is Almighty, even that irreverfible decree which hath pronounced va-
403 SERMON XVIL
nity on all things below the fun. Ye are oppofing the experience of all who ever made the fame trial before you ; ye are ftruggling with the very feelings of your own hearts, which as yet have never found that perma- nent fatisfaftion which they require. O then be perfuaded to relinquifh thofe falfe plans of happinefs by which you have been hitherto deluded, and to feek the favour of that God who is the only adequate portion of an immortal foul. Liften to that kind cxpoftulation and advice (Ifaiah iy. 2. 3.), " Wherefore do ye fpend money for that *' which is not bread, and your labour for *' that which fatisfieth not ? Hearken di- '* ligently unto me, and eat ye that which *' is good, and let your foul delight itfelf " in fatnefs. Incline your ear, and come " unto me ; hear, and your foul Ihall live ; *' and I will make an everlafting covenant " with you, even the fure mercies of Da- '' vid."
Lajily\ Let me call on thofe who have been taught to value the light of God's coun- tenance above all thiugs, to be humble and
thankful.
SERMON XVII. 403
thankful. Often recoiled: that mercy which plucked you as brands out of the burning, and fet you apart to fee the gloiy of the Lord, and to fhow forth his praife. Often acknow- ledge that fovereign grace by w^hich you were arrefted in the broad way that leads to deftruc- tion, and led to him who alone hath the words of eternal life. " Who made thee dif- " fer, and what haft thou that thou didft not " receive ?" If he who commanded the light to {hine out of darknefs hath fhined into your hearts, to give you the light of the knowledge of his glory, as it fliines in the face of Jefus ; adore and praife this diftinguilhing goodnefs ; acknowledge, with humble gratitude, that It was the doing of the Lord. And if you would continue to enjoy the comfort which arifeth from the light of God's countenance, be care- ful to abound in all thofe " fruits of righte- *' oufnefs, which are through Chrift to the " praile and glory of God." Our duty and our comfort are wifely and gracioufly con- neded together. " Great peace have they " that love thy law," faith the Pfalmift, " and *' nothing fhall offend then;." — " The work
« of
404 S E R M O N XVII.
" of righteoufnefs fhall be peace^ and the ef- " fed of righteoufnefs, quietnefs, and affur- " ance for ever." — "As many as walk ac- " cording to this rule, peace fhall be on them, *' and mercy, and on the Ifrael of God." Ameru
SER-
4^5
SERMON XVIII.
Hebrews, ix. 28.
Chrijl was once offered to bear the fins of ma-' ny ; and unto them that look for him fhall he appear the fecond time^ without fin ^ nnto falvation.
THERE are two things which we are taught to believe concerning Chrift. The frf is, That he once appeared in this world, clothed with our nature ; that he pub- lifhed to finners of mankind a pure and hea- venly doQrine ; and after exhibiting, in his own condud:, a fair and unblemiihed example of holy obedience, at laft offered up himfelfa facrifice to God, to expiate our offences, and purehafe our eternal redemption. Th.t fecond. is, That this fame Jefus, who was dead, is
now
4o6 SERMON XVIIL
now alive, and fitteth on the right hand of the Majefty on high, from whence he fhall come at the end of the world, crowned with glory and honour, and attended with all the hoft of heaven, to judge the quick and the dead.
We were this day commemorating, in the Holy Sacrament of the Supper *, what Chrift hath already done for the redemption of his people. There we beheld him " evidently " fet forth as crucified before our eyes," bear- ing our griefs, and " wounded for our tranf- '' greffions." And now, to difplay the rich- es of his grace, and our infinite obligations to love and ferve him, let us with joy contem- plate what he is farther to do, as it is fhortly expreffed in the latter part of my text : " Un- *' to them that look for him, fliall he appear *' the fecond time, without fin, unto falva- " tion." The
Firjt thing that claims our attention is the certainty of our Lord's return. " He fhall
" appear
* Preached on the evening of a Communion Sabbath, March 1 6. 1783, a few days before the Author's death.
SERMON XVIII. 407
" appear the fecond time." And, blefled be God, this comfortable truth doth not depend upon any doubtful procefs of reafoning, but Is both fupported and illuftrated by a variety of the moft clear and exprefs declarations of holy writ. The Apoftle Jude informs us, that Enoch, the feventh from Adam, by faith fore- faw this great event, and faid, by divine in- fpiration, " Behold, the Lord cometh with " ten thoufand of his faints, to execute judge* '' ment on all." It was Chrift's promife to his difciples, " In my Father's houfe are ^' many manfions ; if it were not fo, I would " have told you : I go to prepare a place for " you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myfelf, that where I am, there ye may be alfo." The angels who attended him at his afcenfion into heaven, bare witnefs to the fame trutli. " Ye men of Galilee," faid they, " why ftand ye gazing up into hea- " ven ? This fame Jefus, which is taken up " from you into heaven, fhall fo come in " like manner as ye have feen him go into " heaven." Nay, we are told, that the Fa- ther hath appointed the very day in which
" he
4o8 SERMON XVIII.
" he fhall judge the world in righteoufnefs, *' by that Man whom he hath ordained." In a word, this dodrine is not only frequently afferted in Scripture, but is fo intimately con- ne£ted with all the other parts of revelation, that the whole muft (land or fall with it. Is not the Sacrament of the Supper a vifible pledge of our Lord's return, as well as a me- morial of his fufferings and death ? And do we not profefs an equal belief of both every time we partake of that holy ordinance. " For *' as often as we eat this bread, and drink this *' cup, we do fhew the Lord's death till he *' come 3" that is, we commemorate his death In |:he faith of his fecond and glorious appear- ance.
This, my brethren, is ^n interefting truth, and doth juftly challenge our moft ferious attention. It is not more certain that we arc met together in this place, than that we fliall all meet again at the tribunal of Chrift, where every one of us fhall appear in his true co- lours, without any ma{k or difguife. At pre- fent we are but little acquainted with our- felves, and frequently miftaken by others; but the fentence of the Supreme Judge will
reftifv
SERMON XVIIL 409
rectify all miftakes, and at once put an end to the prefumptuous hope of the hypocrite, and to the fears and anxieties of the humble felf-fufpeding foul. Whom he then juftifies, none can condemn ; and whom he then con- demns, none dare juftify, neither is there any that can deliver out of his hand. What a mighty influence ought this to have on our temper and pradice ? Were any of us to be tried for our lives at a human bar, I am per- fuaded that the thoughts of it Vv^ould fo fully poiTefs our minds, as to leave room for almoft nothing elfe. Yet the moft that the judge can do in fuch a cafe, is to determine the day be- yond v^hich we ihall not live ; while neither he, nor any man in the world, can fay with certainty, that we fhall live till that day come. One of a thoufand accidents may cut us off, and prevent the execution of his fentence ; fo that the legal date of our lives may be confi- derably longer than the term which the Au- thor of our lives hath appointed. But the if- fue of that trial, which we muft undergo at the fecond appearance of Ghrift, is of eternal confequence to us. Our final fliate is determin- ed by it; and no pov/er in heaven or on earth Vol. III. D d is
4IO S E k M O N XVIII.
is able to defeat or alter the fentence. And is it pofiible that we cm banij[h the thoughts of this for one moment, or that we can think of it with cold and imafFeded hearts ? The
Second thing that deferves the peculiar no- tice of believers is, the gracious defign of our Lord's appearance. " He fhall appear the fe- " cond time, unto falvation." Some may, perhaps, be at a lofs to conceive what fhould remain to be done for the falvation of the faints, after their fouls are admitted into hea- ven. But if we refledl a little, we ihall be fenfible, that even after the foul's admiffion into heaven, there are feveral things to be done by Chrift for his people, which will in- creafe their happinefs, and render their falva- tion more perfed:. — For,
ly?. At his fecond coming, Chrift will raife the dead bodies of his fervants, which will, without doubt, be a confiderable addition to their felicity. The fouls of the faints are re- prefented in Scripture as waiting and longing for the refurre6tion of their todies. Hence thei^ fleih is faid to reft in hope : and, there- fore, when this hope is fulfilled at Chrift's fe- cond
SERMON XVIIL 411
iConA appearance, we may juftly conclude, that the joy of the foul (hall be heightened and improved ; efpecially when we confider the wonderful change which fliall be wrought upon the body itfelf. When, in the morning of the refurrediion, the trumpet fhall found, and the graves fliall be opened ; when that which was fown^ in weaknefs and difhonour, fhall be raifed in power and glory ; when the formerly vile body fhall not only be refined, but fafhioned like unto the glorious body of the Redeemer, with what triumph and exul- tation fhall that fong be fung ! " Death is fwal- *' lowed up in vid:ory." — " O death, where " is thy fling ? O grave, where is thy vidto- *' ry ? The fling of death is fm, and the " flrength of fin is the law. But thanks be *^ to God, which glveth us the vidory, '^ through our Lord Jefus Chrift."
2d/y, in that day the church, which is call- ed the body of Chrift, fhall be complete; which mufl add to the happinefs of every faint in particular. For the feveral members of that spiritual body being clofely united, not only to the head, but alfo to one another, each of them cnuft neceflarily partake of the happinefs and D d 2 g^oj*y
412 S E R M O N XVIII.
glory of the whole. Mufl: not every child of God be more joyful when the whole family is affembled in the iminediare prefence of their Father, and not one member is wanting If there is joy in heaven at the converfion of one fmner, though afterwards^he hath a wafte and howling wildernefs to pafs through, and ma- ny a toillbme and dangerous ftep to take ere he arrive at the end of his journey; how much greater joy fhall there be in the heaven- ly Jerufalem, when the many fons of God are all brought home to glory ?
'^dly^ Then alfo Ihall believers be folemnly acquitted by the Judge himfelf, and publicly acknowledged in the prefence of an affembled world. " They jfhall be mine," faith the Lord, " in that day w^hen I make up my jew- *' els/' Having wafhed them v^^ith his blood, and fandified them by his Spirit, he will not be afhamed to call them brethren, but will confefs them before his Father, and prefent them at his throne, without fpot and blemifh. . — And,
4//&/y, To complete the happinefs of the faints, then fliall there be the cleared difcove- ly of all God's works, and the moft full and
open
SERMON XVIII. 413
open manifeftation of his glorious perfedions. When all his great defigns are accompliflied and brought to their intended iffue, then fhall the wife order, and harmonious contexture, of divine Providence be clearly difcerned, the mofl: intricate and perplexed difpenfations (hall be explained and vindicated : and it fhall then appear, to the full convidion of the whole ad- miring tamiiy of God, that all things have wrought together for their fpiritual improve- ment and eternal felicity. This Ihall be the day of folemn triumph, the grand jubilee, up- on the finifhing of all God's works from the creation of the world, upon which enfues the refignation of the Mediator's kingdom. For although Chrift fhall continue through eterni- ty to be the head of his church, yet the pre- fent manner of his adminiftration Ihall then'' ceafe. He fhall then deliver up the kingdom to the Father, that God, or the undivided God- head, Father, Son, and Koly Ghofl, may be all in all. This fad is diftindly afferted (i Cor. XV. 24. — 28.), " Then cometh the end," faith the Apoftle, " when Chrift fhall have deliver- " ed up the kingdom to God, even the Fa- " therj when he fhall have put down all rule, D d 3 and
414 SERMON XVIIT.
" and all authority and power. For he mufi ** reign till he Hath put all enemies under his " feet. The laft enemy that ihall be deftroy- ** ed is death. For he hath put all things un- " der his feet. But when he faith that all " things are put under him, it is manifeft that '' he is excepted which did put all things un- " der him. And w^hen all things fhall be fub- " dued unto him, then fhall the Son alfo him- " felf be fubjeft unto him that put all things " under him, that God may be all in all."
Thus you have heard how Chrift's fecond coming fhall complete the falvation of his people, and increafe that happinefs at the re- furreftion which commenced at their new- birth ; and which, though greatly improved by the releafe of the foul from the earthly ta- bernacle, was not carried to its full perfeftion at death. — -The manner of our Lord's appear- ance, when he comes upon this gracious de- fign, is the
^hird particular in the text, which comes now to be confidered. " He fhall appear the *' fecond time, without Jin^ unto falvation." When in the fullnefs of time God fent forth
his
8 E R M O N XVIII. 415
his Son into this world, although he was ab- folutely pure and fpotlefs in himfelf, yet then he " bare the fins of many ;" and " he who *' knew no fin, was made fin for us." Ap- pearing ill the likenefs of finful flefh, he was numbered with tranfgreflbrs, and treated as if he had been the worft of criminals : But by his fufferings and death, having fully expiat- ed the guilt of fin, he obtained a public and legal difcharge, by being releafed from the prifon of the grave, and " fet at the right *' hand of God in the heavenly places, far *' above all principality and power, and might " and dominion, and every name that is nam-^ " ed, not only in this world, but alfo in that " which is to come." When, therefore; he cometh again, he fhall appear, " without fin ^"^ without that guilt which was charged upon him, while he fuftained the charafler of Sure- ty, and flood in the place of finful man.
He Ihall likewife appear without any of the effeds of fin, fuch as pain, poverty, reproach, or infirmity of any kind. It fl^all not be' fuch an appearance as his firft was, when he " made " himfelf of no reputation, took upon him " the form, of a fervant," and fubmitted to all D d 4 th(g
4t6 SERMON XVill,
the indignities attending that mean condition. He will not come to be bufFeted and fcourged, and fpit upon, and crowned with thorns. He will not comCj O carelefs and ungrateful fm- ners! to be defpifed and rejected in all his gra- cious offers. No ; 4ie fliall come in the clouds, with great power and glory : he fhall be re- vealed from heaven, with his mighty angels : he fhall appear in all the' fplendour of Zion's King, arrayed with that glory which he had with the Father before the world was. Then Ihall the reproach of the crofs be wiped off, and all his fufferings fully recompenfed. In liis humble ftate, he was attended by twelve poor and illiterate men : but then fhall he come with " ten thoufands of his faints, and *' all the holy angels with him.'' He was in- troduced to his public miniftry by the " voice *' of one crying in the wildernefs :"■ but then ihall his approach be announced by the "voice *' of the archangel and the trump of God." And he who on Mount Calvary was lifted up on the crofs between two thieves, fhall then afcend bis " great white throne, high and lift- *^ ed up ;" from whence, with unerring wif- dom, and almighty power, he fhall feparate
the
S E R M O Mr XVIIL 417
the righteous from the wicked, adjudging the
one to everlafting life, and the other to end-
leis mifery.
Thus fhall he appear, when he " comes the
" fecond time, without fin, unto falvation."
And ought not the profped of this to have a ^
mighty influence upon us in the mean time I
" Behold he cometh with clouds, and every
" eye fhall fee him, and they alfo who pier-
" ced him, and all kindreds of the earth fhall
" wail becaufe of him." How great will be
the confufion of ungodly men, when they fee
that Jefus, whofe grace they defpifed, coming
to fix their everlafting ftate. The multitude
that came determined to apprehend him in the
days of his flefh, went backward, and fell to
the ground, when, with an air of majefty, he
only pronounced thefe few words, *' I am he.'*
And if the Lamb's voice was fo terrible, how
dreadful will he appear when he roareth as a
lion ? If his voice fhook the earth when he
publifhed the law from Mount Sinai, how
muft it {hake the hearts of his enemies, when
he pronounceth the fentence of. the law, and
dooms to thofe punifhments which the law
hath awarded ?
But
4i8 SERMON XVIIT.
But the profpedt of this appearance is no lefs comfortable to believers, than it is terrible to the ungodly. Then fhall his own people lift up their heads, and behold his glory with exceeding joy. His coming (hall be to them the dawning of an everlafting day. They know that he brings falvation with him, the full harveft of that light and gladnefs which were fown for them in time. He comes to wipe away all tears from their eyes, to com- plete their vidory over death and hell, and to put their whole perfons, fouls and bodies, in full poffeflion of that heavenly inheritance, *' which is incorruptible, undefiled, and that i* fade^h not away."
If it is comfortable at prefent to hear of him, to think of his love, to commemorate his death, and to behold his beauty in the or- dinances of his grace ; what muft it be to fee him in all the glory of his exalted ftate? When a dear relation, who hath been long abfent in a far country, returns to his kindred and friends, how do all concerned haften to meet him, and to exprefs their joy at his arrival ? And will not the faints then rejoice at the coming of their Saviour ? With what tranf-
ports
SERMON XVTTL
419
ports of gladnefs will they cry oilt, Behold, yonder he comes ! He whofe blood hath re- deemed, and whofe Spirit hath fandified us. Yonder he comes in whom we trufted, and for whom we have long waited; .and now we fee that he hath not deceived us, and that he hath not made us wait in vain* " Even fo, come " Lord Jefus." — And this leads me to the
Fourth and lajl particular in the text, which is the charader of thofe to whom this fecond appearance of our Lord fhall be comfortable. They are fuch as *' look for him." This fhort, but fignificant defcription, may be con- fidered as including,
ly?, A firm belief of this event. One who looks for it in the fenfe of the Apoftle's words, is as thoroughly perfuaded^of its certainty, as he is that the fun, which fets to-night, fhall rife again to-morrow. His faith is built on the fureft foundation, the word and promife of his Saviour himfelf : and, therefore, his heart is impreffed with Chrift's fecond appearance as much, at leaft as really, as if he already faw him coming in the clouds of heaven. But,
%dlyy The expreffion denotes the love and
defire
420 SERMON XVUL
defire of this event. The faints take pleafurc in the profpect of it, and accordingly are de- fcribed by the Apoftle Paul (2 Tim. 4. — 8.), by this very circumftance. They are fuch as *' love his appearing." If the faints under the old difpenfation longed for the manifeft .tion of our Lord in the flefh, how much more ought w^e to long for that more glorious ap- pearance v^hich he fliall make in the end of the v^orld. The Atheift rejeds this dodrine altogether ; the profane fcoffer fays, " Where *' is the promife of his coming ?" Carnal fm- ners are afraid of it, when alarmed with the rebukes of confcience : as when Paul preach- ed of righteoufnefs, temperance, and judg- ment to come, Felix trembled. But to the godly it is not matter of terror, but of delight. Islay, they would even haften its approach, if It were in their power. A believer, "when his heart is right, will fay, like the mother of Si- fera, when {he cried through the lattefs, *' Why is his chariot fo long in coming? Why *' tarry the wheels of his chariot ?" ' At the fame time,
2^dly^ This expreflion imports a patient waiting for his appearance, in fpite of all dif-
couragements.
SERMON XVIII. 421
couragcments. Love makes the believer to long 5 bar faith enables patiently to wait for his I ord's coming. What though he dwells in an unkind world, wounded with fharp af- flidk'Qs, harraffed veith temptations, and op- prefTed with a body of fin and death ? Yet all this notwithftanding, he ftill looks and waits with patience and refignation. He knows that the fecond coming of hivS Lord will abundantly compenfa*"e all hi^ prefent de- lays and difcouragements. And " that this " trial of their faith, being much more pre-^ *' cious than of gold that j^erifheth, though it " be tried with fire, fliall then be found unto " praife, and honour, and glcry." Bur the moft effential part of the charadter of thofe ro whom the fecond appearance of our Lord fliall be comfortable, is, In the
/[th and laji place, An habitual preparation for h''S event. They will endeavour "to have *' their loins girded about, and their lights " burning, and them elves like unto men that " wait for their Lord, that when he cometh *' and knocketh, they may open unto him *' immediately." The beft evidence which we can give that we truly look for him with
faith
422 SERMON XVIII.
faith and love is, our being diligent, that w^ may be found of liiin in peace, without fpot^ and hlamelefs. As the proper improvement, therefore, of all that hath been faid, let me addrefs to you this concluding exhortation* *' Give all diligence to make your calling and election fure." — ** Take heed to yourfelves, left at any time your hearts be overcharged with furfeiting and drunkennefs, and the *' cares of this life, and fo that day come iip- *' on you unawares." — " Let your w^holc converfaiion be fuch as becometh the gof- pel of Chrift." Never think " that you have already attained, either are already perfect ; — but forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forth to thofe things which are before, prefs towards the mark, for the prize of the high calling of « God in Chrift Jefus."— " Set your affec- tions on things above, not on things on the earth, that when he who is your life fliall appear, ye may alfo appear with him in glory." Amen,
END OF THE THIRD VOLUME,
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