Page images
PDF
EPUB

guished excellence, transcending the common measures of duty. And though none should aim at what is beyond his strength, and all should first ground themselves thoroughly in things necessary, before they aspire farther; and ever beware of doing the least evil, to bring about the greatest good: yet, these precautions being observed, If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise; any singular opportunity for exerting superior goodness, and acquiring proportionable honour; to this also the Word of God, far from discountenancing an ambition so laudable, excites and encourages in the text. Here then every one is called forth, by the voice of Heaven, to every thing great and good, that shall at any time lie in his power: to serve his Creator, and benefit his fellow-creatures, the most eminently that he can, by all the means, that his knowledge and wealth, his example and persuasion, his influence and authority, can furnish out. And blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing

These then are the things, on which the Apostle directs us to think: and the general observation which I would make upon them, in the second place, is, that we cannot think of them in earnest, as enjoined by our religion, without honouring it highly, and being strongly moved by it to every part of right temper and right conduct. Such precepts evidently prove, that Christianity is not a contrivance to make men, by faith in speculations, and exactness in observances, happy in another world, without being good in the present. Articles of belief, and institutions of worship, are instruments only: proper indeed, and appointed ones: and we must never hope to be amended or accepted, unless we take the way to be so, which God hath marked out. But neither must we hope,

* Matth. xxiv. 46. Luke xii. 43.

that a formal use of the means will be sufficient, without serious care to attain the end. Now the end of the commandment is charity, Love to God and man, out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned*; which words express the very same temper with those in the text.

If then these be the things, which mankind have need to learn, and God expects; it should be remembered, that they are taught in perfection by the Scripture Revelation, and the methods of acquiring them too that neither the one, nor the other, were ever taught, without revelation, either generally, or statedly, or without gross defects and errors: and that they, who reject this way of instruction and worship, have not pretended to substitute any other; but shewn, by neglecting the commands, and transgressing the restraints of natural religion, that their disregard to Christianity proceeds from bad motives; and will produce, in proportion as it increases and spreads, the very worst effects. Whoever, therefore, is indeed concerned for true virtue and moral piety, will affectionately esteem those incomparable lessons of each, which the Gospel affords him: and whoever hath at all a due sense, how very often he hath violated, on one occasion or another, the dictates of both, will rejoice from his heart in those assurances and means of forgiveness for what is past, and assistance in what is to come, with which nothing but the Gospel can bless him. For, however thoughtless offenders may flatter themselves, every considerate mind must see and feel, that sin deserves punishment, and repentance is not innocence; that pardon and grace are not debts, but voluntary favours; and God alone can inform his creatures with certainty, on what terms he will bestow them, and

* 1 Tim. i. 5.

to what degree. Now he hath accordingly informed us, that only faith in Christ, working by love availeth any thing*, and that shall intitle us to every thing.

But then faith is not mere belief; nor is love mere admiration, of the advantages and promises of the Gospel: but being moved by these to an uniform practice of its laws is the single evidence which proves their genuineness and unhappily is the very attainment of which the generality of men fall short. Some there are, who retain the name of Christians, and seem to think it their due, though perhaps they scarce remember the time, when they performed any one act of Christian devotion, at least, in private. On public worship, it may be, or some part of it, they do attend sometimes, to save appearances, or in hope of entertainment, or from a confused notion of its being, they scarce know why, a duty; but without the least conception, almost, of any further difference, between having religion, and having none. Others, that make a conscience, such as it is, of part of what they are commanded, have no regard at all to the rest; but they will be pious without virtue, or virtuous without piety; or they will chuse just as they fancy, which of the laws of either they will obey, which they will not. Even the more truly good seldom think of aspiring to eminence of goodness and they, who in many respects attain high perfection, often fail most unhappily, of adding the beauty of holiness to the reality of it, by an amiable and obliging deportment and conversation. Thus it comes to pass, that some despise religion, as useless; and others are disgusted with it, as harsh and disagreeable: that not a few of its professors will find it contribute only to their heavier condemnation;

[blocks in formation]

and many of those who are intitled to reward will obtain a much inferior reward to what they might have done; and all owing to the neglect of thinking, as they ought, on the important virtues recommended in the text. We give much attention to low and transitory things; too much it may be feared, to sinful and forbidden ones. We must know these excellent qualifications to be the worthiest objects of our thoughts: why should they not also be the most constantly present to them? But suppose they were, it is of no more use to think with speculative delight on the precepts, than the privileges of the Gospel: but we must so consider both them and ourselves, as diligently to examine, and faithfully bring to account (for this the word thinking on strictly denotes in the original) our duty and our practice under each article; and compute the goodness of our condition, not by the share that we possess either of the gay, or the solemn trifles, to which alone men commonly attend; but solely by the result of this momentous inquiry, made with great impartiality, and with earnest prayer for the divine illumination. Nor will thinking on our spiritual state, merely enough to know it, benefit us; without thinking effectually how to mend and improve it: by imploring God's pardon for every thing wrong, and ascribing to his grace every thing right in us; and asking and using his future assistance, to withstand all temptation, and increase in all goodness. These things, therefore, think on and do; and the God of peace shall be with you*.

* Phil. iv. 9.

SERMON XIV.

JOSHUA XXIV. 15.

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, chuse you this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served, that were on the other side of the flood; or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

THE Sovereign Disposer of all things, being resolved to destroy the inhabitants of the land of Canaan for their impious and barbarous idolatries and unnatural lusts, was pleased to make the Jews who were a much better, though far from a blameless, people, the instruments of their destruction, in order to warn them the more strongly against the like sins. Their leader in this awful work was Joshua: who after he had accomplished it, divided his conquests amongst them ; and then having received, from the gratitude of the people, an inheritance in his own tribe*, no way considerable, which however was all that he asked; appears to have retired thither, and spent the rest of his days in an honourable privacy; leaving the administration of affairs, in time of peace, to the ordinary civil magistrates; till, finding his end approach he gathered all Israel, and called for their elders, their heads, their judges and their officers; and * Josh. xix. 49, 50. + Chap. xxiv. 1.

« PreviousContinue »