Mankind are generally wedded to their own Opinions and Practices and are more influenc'd by Education and Custom than Reason so that tho' they are convinc'd they are in the wrong yet it goes against the Grain to confess and acknowledge their Error For Wisdom and Knowledge is the distinguishing Character of Mankind that which renders one Man more excellent than another and by consequence gives the Superiority for whoever is mistaken must acknowledge his defect in Wisdom or Prudence at least as to that Particular and that he was in some measure a Fool which is the greatest Reproach and Imputation can be cast upon a Man For tho' 't is the necessary consequence of the Fall of our first Parents and the Weakness and Corruption of our Natures that amidst the hurry of worldly Business and the many Emergencies of humane Life the best and wisest Man in the World is frequently guilty of Follies and Over-sights yet we shall find few Men willing to acknowledge it and 't is Grace alone which by rendring us truly humble can make us sensible of our miserable and indigent Condition Rev. 3.17 and how poor and blind and naked we are These are the Difficulties which must be encountr'd withal by that Man who undertakes to Reprove his Neighbour which would be sufficient to discourage any wise Man from venturing upon this Province were he influenc'd only by prudential Principles and temporal Inducements but since God has made it the Duty of every good Man we may be assur'd III. That he has given us sufficient Motives to go thro' with it and Encouragements to perform it which are such as these Consider 1. That much Glory will accrue to God by a faithful Discharge of this Duty 2. Much Good-will redound to our Neighbour 3. We our selves shall reap much Benefit thereby 4. We shall avoid those Mischiefs which the neglect of this Duty will certainly bring upon us 1. By a faithful Discharge of this Duty we shall bring much Glory to God by encouraging Vertue and Goodness and preventing a multitude of Sins for the best way to keep out that Deluge of Atheism and Profaneness Looseness and Debauchery which of late years is broke in upon us and is like to be our Ruine is vigorously and courageously to oppose our selves against the Stream and by shewing our open Detestation and Abhorrence of it if possible to stem the Tide of prevailing Vice At such a time as this when the Calamity is grown Publick there is no standing Neuter he that is not active and zealous in this Matter and doth not use his utmost Endeavours to discourage Vice and Profaneness is to be deem'd a Rebel and Traytor against Vertue and Religion For when Men who profess that they believe the Gospel of our Saviour Christ and expect Salvation thro' his Merits shall sit still and hear the Holy Scripture made the Subject of the Jests and Drollery of prophane Men his Gospel ridicul'd his holy Name dishonoured and not be mov'd and transported against such blasphemous Discourse when they shall shew no open Abhorrence and Detestation at unjust unrighteous or wicked Actions they give these impious Wretches too much Reason to believe that tho' they make Profession of Religion with their Mouths yet they are such Fools Psal 10.1 as to say in their hearts There is no God and that they have as little true Sense and Reverence for a supream Being as themselves For what generous Man can be contented to sit still and hear his best Friend reproach'd and spoken ill off What dutiful Son can endure that any Aspersions should be cast upon his Father that his Words and Actions should be ridicul'd without taking notice of and resenting the Affront much more Reason have we to be zealous when we hear prophane Wretches set their mouths against Heaven and blaspheme the God that made them and with one Breath of his Displeasure can reduce them into nothing or into a Condition worse than nothing If good Men would resent this Dishonour done to God and Reprove those who are guilty of it Men might be privately wicked but they durst not be so publickly Prophane there might be many ill Men but there would be very few ill Examples Vice would be out of Countenance and be depriv'd of its keenest Weapon and most prevailing Argument Fashionableness and Imitation Dan. 12.3 and if those who turn many to Righteousness shall shine as the Stars of the Firmament certainly those who hinder and prevent others from being wicked shall not miss of a due Reward 2. Our Neighbour would receive much Benefit by a friendly Admonition For tho' at first Reproof will be unwelcome and troublesome and he may be rather enrag'd than amended by it yet by degrees a gentle Reproof will make its way and Gain upon him and if ever he comes to be reform'd he will reap the Benefit of it Peace of Conscience and Quiet of Mind in this Life and everlasting Happiness in the Life to come And who can be justly sensible what inestimable benefits he confers upon his Neighbour and what apparent Danger he delivers him from by being instrumental in his Reformation and yet think any Pains too great to bring about this excellent Work For shall wicked Men take more Pains to pervert and ruin the Souls of Men then good Men shall to save them alive Shall the Drunkard and Lascivious Person be more diligent to draw others into the same excess of Riot than the Chaste and Temperate are to reclaim them from those Vices This would be to Dishonour our Christian Profession and publickly to own that the Devil has more faithful Servants than our great Lord and Master Let us therefore follow the Example of the blessed Jesus who made it his chief Business to reprove the World of sin of Righteousness and Judgment John 16.8 he came upon this Errand liv'd a Laborious Life and dy'd a painful and ignominious Death for this very End that he might turn Sinners from the evil of their ways and promote Vertue and Piety in the World To Reprove our Neighbour is therefore the highest Instance of Charity since hereby we design him the greatest good Imaginable the Happiness both of Body and Soul And this we should be the rather prevail'd upon to attempt since 3. By Reproving others we may reap much Benefit and Advantage by it our selves First hereby we shall provide our selves a Friend to do the samekind Office for us For most Men are apt to recriminate and when they are touch'd to the quick themselves they think to extenuate their Crimes by finding fault with those who Reprov'd them and since we are all weak and infirm Creatures and subject to the like Passions with other Men a most excellent use may be made of such Recriminations We may hence discover our most secret Faults and form an effectual Motive to amend them For 2. It will make us asham'd to be guilty of those Sins which
nearer we resemble him the more we shall enjoy of him in which the Happiness of our future State doth consist 'T is a State of perfect Purity and Holiness and consists in repeated Acts of Love and Zeal and Devotion and therefore the better fitted and prepar'd we are in this World by furnishing our Souls with vertuous Habits and those Divine Qualities of Humility Meekness Charity c. the more capable we shall be of partaking of those heavenly Pleasures Psal 16.11 Which are at Gods right hand for evermore Our time in this World was given us for this very Purpose that we might furnish our selves with such Vertues and Graces those wedding Garments which will render us fit Guests for the Marriage of the Lamb. 'T was easie for me to demonstrate that every Vertue has an influence upon our future Happiness and is a necessary Qualification which we must obtain before we are capable of enjoying it but this would take up too much time at present Dr. Scot in his Christian Life Part. 1. and has been already largely treated on by an excellent hand I shall therefore only remark That nothing can be more absurd than to frame a Notion of our future State from the Pleasures and Delights of our present Condition Or to take those figurative Descriptions of it which we meet with in the Holy Scripture in a literal Sence Our Saviour Christ has plainly told us That in Heaven we shall neither eat nor drink Mark 12.25 nor marry nor be given in marriage A sensual Paradise might reasonably be expected by a Turk or Pagan but not by a Christian whose Religion teaches him to Crucifie the Flesh with the sinful Lusts and Desires of the same It permits him indeed the moderate use of the good things of this World to render his Pilgrimage more easie and his Journey to Heaven more comfortable But yet it teaches him that his chief Happiness ought not to be plac'd in transitory Delights that they are Joys of a more Sublime Nature Such as neither eye hath seen 1 Cor. 2.9 nor ear heard neither hath it enter'd into the heart of man to understand which God hath prepared for those who love and serve him such Blessings as are agreeable to our immortal part such as the blessed Society of Saints and Angels and the Spirits of just Men made perfect the Vision of God in which our Souls being transform'd into his Image will be continually delighted and transported in admiring and adoring the Perfections of their Creator If therefore we hope to be Happy hereafter Heb. 12.14 we must practise Holiness in this Life For without Holiness no man can see God We must make it the business of our Lives to keep our Passions within their due Bounds and under the Government of our Reason to mortifie our immoderate Appetites and exercise our Graces such as Faith Hope Patience and Charity This is that Godliness which has the Promises of the Life that now is and that which is to come And now what remains but that every one who hears me this day be perswaded to embrace this pleasant Course of Life And methinks there should need no more Arguments to prevail with you presently to enter upon it since I have already prov'd that it is unquestionably both for your temporal and eternal Interest For what doth God require of you which is not highly just and reasonable What doth he command you But to do Justice to love Mercy Micah 6.8 and to walk humbly with your God i. e. to live up to the Dignity of your Natures and to Act as becomes reasonable and dependent Beings Consider what can you wish for which is not to be obtain'd by observing the Precepts of Religion Length of days are in her right hand and in her left hand riches and honour she shall give thy head an ornament of Grace Pror 3.16 and a Crown of Glory Exalt her and she shall promote thee and bring thee to Honour it shall be an Ornament of Grace to thy head and as a Chain about thy neck What Allurement can there be in the Pleasures of Sin which are but for a Season and perish even in the Enjoyment that you should prefer them before those which flow from a vertuous and religious Life And now may not God justly expostulate with us as he did with the People of Israel and Judah Isa 5.4 What could I have done to my Vineyard which I have not done unto it What more probable and more rational Methods could God have taken to perswade us to be Good and by consequence Happy than he has made use of He has address'd himself both to our Hopes and Fears he has plac'd eternal Happiness on one hand and eternal Misery on the other And moreover has strow'd our way to Heaven with the good things of this Life And now if notwithstanding all that God has done for us we resolve to be miserable and to take even Hell by force we have nothing to blame but our own stupendious Folly We can't sure be so silly as to imagine that God reaps any benefit by our Service or that our Praises make any addition to his Glory Job 35.6 for as Elihu very well argues If thou sinnest what dost thou against him or if thy transgressions be multiply'd what dost thou unto him if thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he at thy hand thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art and thy righteousness may profit the son of man And therefore 't is evident that 't is only our Welfare God seeks 't is our Good he is so sollicitous for and as he made us at first with a Design to communicate Happiness unto us so he still retains the same gracious Intentions towards us And shall not we be wise for our selves Shall we willfully and obstinately go on to defeat all the gracious Purposes of his Mercy and Goodness to trample under feet the Blood of his dear Son and grieve his Holy Spirits Shall not these Cords of a Man be able to move us Shall neither our eternal nor our temporal Interest have any influence upon us This would certainly be such unaccountable Folly and monstrous Ingratitude as no considering Person can be Guilty of Let me therefore beseech you by the Mercies of God Rom. 12.1 that you present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is but your reasonable Service Let me beg and entreat of you in the name and for the sake of your blessed Lord and Redeemer that you would so far consult your own Interest as to lead a pure holy and devout Life which is the only way to pass your time chearfully and comfortably in this World And to make sure of everlasting Happiness in the world to come SERMON II. PSALM CXIX 59. I thought on my Ways and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies THERE is nothing which with greater Reason hath
circumspectly and that by the assistance of God's Grace they will yield a more exact obedience to his Commands This ought to be the Business of every Lord's Day and every Day hallowed and set apart for the Worship of God but more particularly of those times when we intend to prepare our selves for the receiving the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper Then it behoves us to make a more diligent search into our Lives and Conversations that we retain no Leaven of Malice and Hypocrisie no evil thing unrepented of which may deprive us of the Benefits of this blessed Ordinance Next to the time let us consider 2. The Subject of our Examination And here let us make an exact Scrutiny into all the thoughts and intents of our Hearts the words of our Lips and the Actions of our Lives Concerning our thoughts let us ask our selves such Questions as these What is it that I most think upon Are my Thoughts serious seasonable and pure Are my Inclinations compliant with God's Law What doth most easily stir me and how is my heart moved Are my Affections calm and orderly and well plac'd What Plots do I contrive What Projects am I driving on Are my Designs good Are my Intentions upright and sincere Concerning our Words let us demand thus Psal 39.1 Have I learn'd to keep my tongue as it were with a bridle to refrain from all manner of evil Speeches and to imploy it to that use for which it was design'd viz. to glorifie God and to communicate the Thoughts of our hearts one to another As to our Actions let us first enquire whether they are good and agreeable to the Rule of God's Word and then let us reason thus with our selves This Action was indeed well done but might I not have done better might I not have brought more Glory to God and procur'd more good for my Neighbour Was not this good Action imperfect as to some Particulars Was I not too blame as to some Circumstances And if so let us resolve That if ever God puts another opportunity into our hands of performing the same Action again we will mend these Defects and be wiser and better for the future But on the other hand if upon comparing our Actions with the Rule of God's word we find they have been evil and disagreeable to it then let us say thus to our selves I have done this wicked Act and hereby offended my good God but what benefit or advantage have I got for my self Doth not that trouble and remorse of Conscience which I feel for the Commission of this sin much exceed the Pleasure I took in it Is it not a very foolish thing to purchase so little so momentary a Pleasure at the expence of the Quiet and Repose of my Mind a good Conscience here and eternal Happiness hereafter And that we may have a true and lasting Sense of the evil Nature of our Sins let us consider the several aggravating Circumstances which attend them Perhaps the Crime which we committed was done with Deliberation perhaps in despight to the Checks of our Conscience and the blessed Motions of God's holy Spirit perhaps it has been frequently repeated and we still continue to go on in it notwithstanding the many Calls to Repentance and the many Vows and Resolutions we have made of leaving and forsaking it These and many more are the aggravating Circumstances whereby our Sins are render'd more heinous and more exceeding sinful Thus the Treason of Judas was a Sin of the deeper die because he was one of Christ's familiar Friends and Disciples who convers'd with him and did eat of his Bread And Solomon's Idolatry did offend God the more because his heart was turned from the Lord 1 Kin. 11.9 who appeared unto him twice and had commanded him concerning this very thing that he should not go astray after other Gods These are the steps by which we ought to proceed in the Examination of our selves Which when we have perform'd that we may make a right Judgment of the State of our Souls let us take a review of what we have done and compare our present Condition with our former Course of Life and then let us consider with our selves whether we grow in Grace whether our vertuous Habits and Resolutions are more rooted and confirm'd 2 Pet 1.8 or else whether we lose ground and become barren and unfruitful in every good work And here that we may not be mistaken I shall interpose one Caution that the Standard of our improvement in holy Living and growth in Grace is not to be taken from the Affections These for the most part are most vigorous and lively when we first enter upon a religious Course of Life we are then soonest warm'd and rais'd up into Extasies and Raptures of Devotion especially in our tender years when our Passions bear the greatest sway in us and captivate our Reason but as we grow in years these heats languish and decay and as our Reason and Judgment improve we are less Subject to these Transports of our Assections and proceed in a steady and regular Course of Piety and Vertue And therefore the best way to make a right Judgment of our spiritual Improvements is to consider whether we live up more exactly to the Rules of our Duty Whether we yield a more ready Obedience to the Laws of the Gospel than we have formerly done whether we have left off any of our evil Practices and bid adieu to our beloved Sins whether we have brought our selves to suffer Affliction patiently to resign up our Wills to the Divine Will more contentedly These are the most certain Signs by which we may best judge of our Improvements in Grace And if we find that we do indeed grow better and better then in the next place let us endeavour to call to mind by what means we have made these Improvements What Motives and Inducements most wrought upon us What Rules and Directions were most useful What Company and examples were most alluring Phil. 3.16 And then let us walk by the same Rule let us mind the same things But if on the other hand we find that we decline in Vertue and Piety that our Sins those Sons of Anak have been too hard for us and that we have been guilty of many hainous and presumptuous Crimes then let us carefully weigh and consider what it was which betray'd us into these Sins how we came to be prevail'd with to do such foolish and unreasonable Actions Actions which are both displeasing to God and unbecoming the Dignity of our Natures and that rank of Being which we hold in the world by what means and methods did the Devil that old Serpent wind himself into our Souls with what bait did he allure us under what specious shews did he represent his Temptations which was our weak side that first yielded to the Assault what were the occasions and inducements of our falling into Sin And when we have found out
1 Cor. 9.27 so as to save others and yet he himself numbred amongst the cast aways I shall add no more Instances because this Proposition is plainly affirm'd in the Text not only that there are some that have the Form but not the the Power of Godliness But that many shall deny the Power of Godliness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. they do not only fail in observing it through frailty and infirmity But they wilfully and presumptuously in despight of God's word and their own Consciences Act quite contrary and go directly against it like Herod they are convinc'd of the Evil of their ways and perhaps in part reform their Lives and do many good Deeds but still they are resolv'd to keep their Herodias their beloved Sin and darling Vice and this they will by no means forego even for Heaven it self They say with Naaman the Syrian 2 Kin. 5.18 in this one thing pardon thy Servant And if there are so many who have a Form but not the Power of Godliness then certainly it ought to be our great Care in the 3. Place To make a diligent Search and seriously to consider with our selves whether we have the Power of Godliness or no. And this may be discover'd by the following Marks and Characters set down by St. Paul in this Chapter immediately before the Text Verse 2 3 4. They are says he lovers of themselves covetous proud boasters blasphemers disobedient to Parents unthankful unholy without natural Affection Truce-breakers false accusers incontinent fierce despisers of those who are good Traytors heady high-minded lovers of Pleasure more than lovers of God On the other hand if we would know who they are that have not only the Form of Godliness but also the Power and Spirit of it we are told That the fruits of the Spirit are Love Joy Peace Gal. 5.22 23. Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance But because a wicked and bad Man may counterfeit these Graces so exactly as to deceive not only other Men but himself also I shall therefore lay down four Rules by which any Man who will but honestly and conscientiously examine his own Heart may certainly know whether he has the Power of Godliness or the Form only And they are these 1. Such who have the Power of Godliness will Act out of religious Motives and Principles i. e. They will be Religious because God has made Religion their Duty and has annex'd the Rewards of eternal Happiness to the due Obedience of his Laws Their Religion is not taken up from the Mode and Custom of the place in which they live and only for this Reason because they think it will suit best with their Interest nor do they make it an Engine to carry on their worldly Projects and Designs but they search the Scriptures to find out what is the Will of God and then they readily comport their Obedience to his Commands they look upon serving God as the great Business of their Lives and make all other things truckle and subservient to it Their first and principal Care is to make sure of the Kingdom of Heaven and its Righteousness Matth. 6.33 and then they are not very sollicitous for those other things which will be added thereunto They prefer a good Conscience before all other Comforts this world can afford them and had rather part with Father Mother Wife and Children Mark 10.29 nay their own Lives than deny their great Lord and Master 2. Such as have the Power of Godliness are religious in Private as well as in Publick They who have the true Fear of God and retain awfull Apprehensions of his Majesty consider that his All-seeing Eye is every where and beholds the very intents and purposes of the heart He therefore who is truly Religious is as devout in his Closet as he is in the Church as conscientious in performing his private Devotions as in frequenting the publick Worship of God He is as careful to avoid all unjust Actions tho' he is assur'd they will never be discover'd as he is to prevent open Violence He will not defame back-bite or so much as speak an evil word against his Neighbour tho' he is Morally assur'd it will never come to his ears Nay he will not harbour the least wicked Thought against God or injurious Intent against his Brother because he believes that God who takes notice of all his Thoughts Words and Actions will one day call him to an Account for them Matth. 16.27 and either reward or punish him according to his Deeds 3. That Man who has the Power of Godliness yields an uniform and universal Obedience to all God's Laws he has the same Reason for obeying one Precept which he has for observing the rest and therefore doth not think that his performance of any one part of his Duty will attone for the neglect of the other He doth not take up with the more easie Duties of Religion or avoid only such Vices as are burthensome and unacceptable to him but he performs whatsoever God has Commanded him how contrary soever to his temporal Interests and corrupt Inclinations Heb. 12.1 He forsakes every evil way and lays aside every weight and has respect unto all God's Commandments Luk. 1.6 He doth not endeavour to reconcile God with Mammon or by being nice and exact in performing some of God's Commands to make amends for the breach of the rest but he gives himself up to obey God without any manner of Exception or Reserve and endeavours to serve him with all his Soul with all his Heart and with all his Strength 'T is true a good Man may be guilty of some Sins The weakness of our Nature is such Prov. 24.16 That the most just Man falls seven times a day But tho' he falls yet he quickly rises again by a sincere and hearty Repentance He sets a Watch over himself and resolves to be more careful for the future He doth not willfully and obstinately go on in his Sins but he is sorry for them he Prays and strives against them and by degrees he gets the Victory over them 4. He who has the Power of Godliness is Religious through the whole Course of his Life he doth not only repent of his Sins and obey the Law of God at some certain Times and Seasons but his whole Life is regular and uniform and he maintains the same steady Course of Piety and Devotion Many there are who are very Religious and Devout at some times but then they let the Reins loose at others and think by a strict Observation of some Duties to make amends for those gross Miscarriages they allow themselves in all the rest of their Lives But the truly Religious Man perseveres to the end in Practise of Piety and Holiness He is not indeed always equally zealous and fervent he doth not always worship God with the same Ardency of Affections nor is he always wrought up to the
of Jesus Christ and pray incessantly for the continuance of God's Favour and Assistance without being puff'd up with an over-weening Opinion of your own Abilities or casting an envious Eye or a disdainful Look on the Attainments of other Men. These are the Chief and Principal Fruits of the Holy Spirit and are the necessary Effects of saving Grace Gal. 5.22 And if after a diligent Search and serious Enquiry it plainly appears that you are possest of these Qualifications you may then and not otherwise be secure that you have truly God's Grace even the Grace of Life 2. If you find you have true Grace endeavour to cherish and encrease it For though God has promised That his Grace shall be sufficient for us yet this is a Promise made good only to such Persons who perform the Condition annexed to it that is who joyn their own Endeavours with it This is the Duty on our part to be perform'd which if neglected will intercept the Emanations of God's Grace grieve the Holy Spirit and provoke him to depart from us and forsake us if therefore we would keep that Grace which God has given us we must cherish and improve it we must hearken to its Motions obey its Commands comply with its Councels and pray that God would continue and encrease it to us Let us Pray for all such Mercies both Temporal and Spiritual as we stand in need of but let us make our most fervent and frequent Addresses at the Throne of Grace for the Blessed Influences and Assistances of God's Holy Spirit and beg of God instantly that he would be pleas'd to give us his Grace to enlighten assist and comfort us in all our Exigences and to teach and enable us to make a due Use and right Improvement of all other Mercies Thus much in the General but more particularly 3. Let us learn to be thankful for that measure of Grace which God has bestow'd upon every one of us since 't is such as God sees sufficient for us and as much as will enable us to work out our Salvation If David can slay the Philistine with a Sling and a stone what need has he of Saul's Armour If God enables us to perform what he requires of us what occasion have we for any irresistible Impulse or any force upon our Wills When we may be sav'd like Rational Creatures by God's Grace in Conjunction with our own Endeavours why should we expect to be driven on by a blind Instinct or Fatality If our Gifts are sufficient to subdue our Spiritual Enemies and obtain Heaven we ought to be content and thankfully acquesce in the Bounty of our good God and liberal Benefactor We are taught indeed to covet earnestly the best Gifts 1 Cor. 12.31 and to strive continually to grow in Grace but having done our Endeavours we ought to rest satisfy'd with that Measure and Proportion of Grace which God is pleas'd to impart to us If our Neighbour has greater Gifts than we have it 's a Sign that he has made more use of them that his Nâ—cessities are greater his Duties Temptations and Tryals more weighty frequent and troublesome whether therefore we have ordinary Grace let us neither repine at God nor be dejected in our selves nor envy others Or whether we have extraordinary Grace let us not forget God or be puft up 1 Cor. 12.11 or despise others for this diversity of Gifts proceeds from the same Spirit distributing to every Man as he will 4. Let us hence learn to endure Temptations and Afflictions patiently For though our Afflictions at the first sight appear never so grievous and insupportable yet God has promis'd that he will lay no more upon his Servants than they are able to bear he will proportion his Assistance to their Wants and give them Strength to undergo that Burthen he is pleas'd to lay upon them His Grace will be sufficient for them What good Man can undergo greater Troubles and Calamities than St. Paul did And yet through the Grace of God he was not only supported under them but he arriv'd to so high a Degree of Trust and Confidence in God as to make them matter of Joy and Satisfaction and to Glory in them Where that long Catalogue of Afflictions is introduc'd with this Preface Seeing that many Glory after the Flesh 2 Cor. 11.18 I will also Glory And let us but summon up our Christian Courage and Resolution let us but put forth that Strength which God has given us and pray to God fervently and uncessantly to give us his Grace and Blessing and there can no Affliction befall us which we shall not be enabled to go through with and at last see a Happy and Comfortable end of it we shall receive the benefit of it in this World and obtain the Reward of our Patience in the next And therefore 5. and Lastly We may from hence learn to refer the Success of our Prayers unto God If we do not presently receive an Answer to our Petitions let us not despond or conclude that God either doth not hear or will not grant a favourable Answer to our Requests for there may be many Reasons why God may defer the giving us those Mercies we pray for and sometimes to deny us those things which we think good and convenient for us Perhaps there may be a Defect in our Prayers we may not have pray'd with sufficient Fervency Piety and Perseverance Perhaps the thing we pray for is not expedient for us or God sees it will be more for our good to be without it and in all these Cases though he denies our Requests Gal. 6.9 yet he consults our benefit and advantage Let us not therefore be weary of well doing considering That at last we shall reap if we faint not our Prayers will return into our Bosoms loaden with Blessings And in the mean while it may be sufficient to support and comfort us to consider that God deals with us after the same manner he did with many holy Men and eminent Saints whose Examples are recorded in the Holy Scripture for our Instruction David tho' a Man after God's own Heart yet by much Weeping Fasting and Praying 2 Sam. 12. could not obtain the Life of his Child And Samuel though a Prophet of the Lord could not prevail with God to continue the Kingdom upon Saul and his Posterity St. Paul in the Text 1 Sam. 16.1 though one of the Apostles of our Saviour Christ and though he not only pray'd thrice but offer'd up vehement Supplications and Prayers could not obtain an Exemption from the buffetings of Satan When therefore we offer up our Prayers and Supplications to God let us always make our Requests with Resignation and Submission to the Divine Pleasure and after the Example of our Blessed Saviour annex this Condition to all our Petitions Nevertheless not as I will Mat. 26.39 but as thou wilt And then if God doth not see fit to give
The Heart of Man is deceitful and desperately wicked Jer. 17.9 who can know it Which Text though primarily intended to denote the Difficulty of knowing what other Men think or what Opinion we shall have of things hereafter as appears by the coherence of the Words with those which went before yet they may well serve to intimate to us the Difficulty of giving an impartial Judgment of the present Sentiments of our Minds and what the true bent and Tendency of our Desires and Affections are for we are so fond of our Bosom sins and those darling Delights which either Custom or Inclination has endear'd to us that we think we can never sufficiently caress them and though our Affections are drawn out after the most extravagant manner after them yet we cloath them with such plausible and specious Pretences as make the most criminal Enjoyment of them appear at least to us harmless and lawful Who is there that will not readily acknowledge that we ought to Love God with the most intense and zealous Affection With all our Soul and with all our Strength and the good things of this World in a lower and subordinate Degree and yet how difficult a Task would it be to persuade the most sordid and miserable Worlding That his Affections are not plac'd on things above but on things below and though he is notoriously guilty of this Vice of Covetousness and sees the Folly of it in other Men yet is he not able to turn his Eyes inward and to discover it in himself so great Diligence and Industry doth it require to range over all the turnings and windings of our Hearts and to be acquainted with all those crooked Paths which Sin and Error have made in our Souls And if there is so much Diligence requir'd to know the thoughts of our Hearts it must needs call for our utmost Care to manage them aright and keep them in due Order And therefore there will be the more need to consider III. The Motive made use of in the Text to engage us to the Performance of this Duty For out of them are the Issues of Life i. e. our Happiness both in this Life and the next doth depend upon a diligent and conscientious Discharge of this Duty 1. Our Happiness in this World depends upon it For 1. By keeping our Hearts we shall learn to manage our Affairs with Prudence and Discretion For the greatest part of those extravagant Actions which Men commit proceed either from the want of a due Deliberation before they enter upon Action Or a discreet executing what their Reason tells them is fit and ought to be done Either they are hurried on by the Violence of their sensual Appetites and head-strong Passions or byass'd by some inordinate Lust and corrupt Affection and these betray them into indiscreet absurd and sinful Words and Actions Now he that is accustom'd to keep his Heart considers well and deliberately every Circumstance of an Action before he puts his Thoughts into Excution he weighs first his own Power and Ability and then enquires both into the Lawfulness and Expediency of the thing he undertakes by which means he avoids those Rocks upon which so many split i. e. Rashness in setting upon those things he has neither Power nor Skill to perform on the one hand and a too great Diffidency and distrust of his own Abilities on the other The first of these produces Shame and Disappointment when a Man finds himself not able to compass the End he aim'd at and falls short of his too bold and daring Designs the second deprives him of many valuable Benefits and Advantages which lie in his way and require only the Pains of seeking after them and possessing himself of them And in truth since all our Words and Actions are the Streams which flow from the Fountain of our Hearts therefore it must needs follow that he who governs his Heart wisely and prudently cannot go far astray in his Words and Actions all our vital Operations will savour of that Root and Principle from whence they proceed and a Holy Life must needs be the necessary Effect of a sanctified Heart 2. A due Government of our Hearts will produce Peace and quiet of Mind by freeing us from those raging Passions and sensual Affections from proud malicious and envious Thoughts which disturb our Peace and Quiet and render our Lives uneasie and burthensome to us For it has been an old and a very true Observation that Content and Satisfaction and by consequence Happiness in this Life doth not proceed from the abundance of the Goods of this World or the indulging our selves in sensual Pleasure but from the Temper and Constitution of our Minds in a contentedness and satisfaction with that Condition the wise Providence of God has allott'd us and a discreet Enjoyment of those good things he has made our Portion in this World A sound Mind in a sound Body was the wise Wish of a Heathen Poet for that Man whose Heart is full of Envy or Malice or sollicitous Care or Pride would be uneasie on a Throne and miserable amidst the most plentiful affluence of worldly Enjoyments but he who has obtain'd the Art of Governing his Thoughts by the Laws of Reason and Religion will enjoy the Pleasure of a quiet and compos'd Mind amidst all the noise and hurry of this World and remain contented and satisfy'd with his Condition without casting either an envious Eye on the Possessions of those who are above him or a disdainful Look on those who are in a meaner Condition than himself From hence will flow 3. Peace of Conscience 1 Joh. 3.21 for if our Hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God that Man who has been so careful as to set a strict and diligent Watch over his Thoughts will be from thence assur'd that his Heart is upright towards God and has good grounds to believe that he is in his Favour and under his Protection and this will produce the greatest Joy and Satisfaction imaginable and therefore 't was good Advice which the Oracle gave Craesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the way to be Happy is to know thy Self for a through Knowledge of our own Hearts and the Government of our Thoughts according to the Rule of God's Word is a chief Ingredient as well as the principal Cause of a happy Life in this World These are the blessed Effects of Keeping our Hearts as to the Concerns of this Life but if we consider 2. It s influence on our eternal Happiness we must needs judge it highly reasonable to use our utmost Care and Diligence in the Performance of this Duty For 1. God has made the Keeping our Hearts one part of our Duty The words of the Text are not only a prudential Councel containing Matter of Advice but a Positive Command God expects we should comply with it and yield our Obedience to it 'T is true the Jews of old did imagine that
without Labour and yet we have this Encouragement that every day will make it more easie the greatest Hardship is in the beginning But when we have accustom'd our selves to pious and devout Meditations they will become more delightful to us than the most voluptuous and sensual Imaginations We shall take more Pleasure in meditating on God's Word and contemplating those Joys which are at God's right hand and will be the Lot and Portion of the Blessed in Glory than we could do in an earthly Paradise Certainly there can be no greater Happiness on this side Heaven than that which the pious and devout Soul enjoys when he is enflam'd with Zeal and transported with Devotion when with St. Paul he is as it were caught up into Heaven on the Wings of Contemplation and receives the earnest of the Beatifical Vision These are Joys beyond the Ken of a sensual Mind and the peculiar Rewards of those Persons who have prepar'd themselves and render'd their Hearts capable of receiving them by cleansing them of all sinful and impure Lusts and decking and adorning them with Holy Affections and Desires With these Men the Holy Spirit will take up his abode and where he dwells there must needs be Love and Peace and Joy unexpressible This is the most Blessed Condition we can attain to in this Life and the surest Mark and Token that we shall be eternally Happy hereafter SERMON X. MATTH VII 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do unto you do ye so unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets COMMENTATORS put their Invention upon the Rack to find out a Connection between these Words and those which went before The word therefore seems to denote that they are an Inference drawn from preceding Premises Some there are who think that they bear a Relation to those Precepts in the fifth Chapter of this Gospel and the beginning of this which treat of the Love of our Neighbour Others are of Opinion that they relate only to the seventh and following Verses of this Chapter in which our Saviour teaches us how we ought to Pray and then as they think presently adds a Rule for the Government of our Actions hereby intimating to us That our Prayers and Endeavours ought to go hand in hand and that when we pray to God for those things we want we ought to make use of the Means which God has appointed for the obtaining them This is certainly true and affords us matter of wholsome Advice but upon reading the Chapter we shall find that this Connection seems to be rather strain'd and extorted from the Text than the natural Design of the inspired Pen-man and therefore I shall rather look upon these Words as an intire Proposition containing matter of Advice how we should behave our selves towards our Neighbour And the rather because 't is observ'd that this Particle therefore is often redundant and serves only to pass from one Subject to another and in the Syriack Version 't is wholly omitted As to the Occasion of these words 't is highly probable that they were design'd to oppose the gross Mistake of the Scribes and Pharisees who doated so much on the Rites and Ceremonies of the Jewish Law as to prefer them before the Works of Justice and Mercy as may plainly be gathered from the thirteenth Chapter of St. Matthew the twenty third and twenty fourth Verses And therefore we find the Prophets so earnest in exhorting them to Works of Justice and Mercy proving that these are the great Lines of our Duty Isa 1.11 and that in Comparison with these the Rites and Ceremonies of the Law were of little value or worth Amos 5.22 And the same Design is carried on by our Saviour in the Text he endeavours to take them off from being too nice and superstitious in the Observance of the Ceremonial part of the Jewish Law and to engage them in the pursuit after real Holiness and the Practice of the Moral Precepts of Religion Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do unto you do ye so unto them for this is the Law and the Prophets In my Discourse upon these Words I shall Consider I. The Meaning and Design of this Rule II. I shall mark out its Bounds and Limitations III. I shall recommend it to your Practice by shewing its Usefulness and Excellency IV. I shall conclude with some few Reflections on what has been said in the preceeding Discourse I. As to the Meaning and Design of these words They are certainly an Appeal to that first Principle of Self-preservation which God has implanted in all animate Beings Irrational Creatures are guided to it by Instinct i. e. the unerring hand of Divine Providence but Mankind is directed by Reason which teaches them to seek after those things which support their Being and by necessary Consequence which contribute to their Well-being and Happiness in this World Now since our Well-being and Happiness in this World doth consist in the Enjoyment of those agreeable Objects which are presented to our Appetites and Desires according to the Rules of right Reason And since the same Objects produce the same Inclinations and Passions in all Men therefore from hence will result an unavoidable Obligation of dealing by all Men as we our selves would desire to be dealt withal if we were in their Condition and they in ours for since we should necessarily desire such and such things if we were in the same Circumstances our Neighbour is in therefore 't is but reasonable that we should grant him the same things when in our Power which we should expect from him if he were in our Circumstances and we in his This therefore is an universal Rule of Justice and Equity and made use of by our Saviour Christ to supply the Defects of those particular Laws which he has laid down in his Holy Gospel that when we are at a loss how to Act either because the Action is not determin'd in the Holy Writ nor have we any plain Precept for the performance of it or when we suspect that our Passions and corrupt Inclinations have clapt a byass upon our Reason or when we would discover the due measure of our Actions and with what agreeable Circumstances they ought to be perform'd then we may appeal to this dis-interess'd Judge which God has plac'd in our Bosoms and demand boldly of our selves how we should desire to be dealt with and what we might reasonably expect if we were in the same Condition our Neighbour is in For the Holy Gospel has not provided particular Laws of equal extent with all the Actions of humane Life nor given Directions how and in what manner and in what measure every Circumstance of an Action ought to be perform'd If this were attempted we might well say That the World it self could not contain the Books which should be written Joh. 21.25 And therefore the Gospel only Chalks out to us the great Lines