YALE
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

FOURTEEN
DISCOURSES

O HI

PRACTICAL SUBJECTS.

BY THE LATE

REVEREND GEORGE INNES,
OF ABERDEEN,

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR J. MURRAY, N° 32>
FLEET-STREET. M.DCC.iXXXin.

ADVERTISEMENT.
THE author of thefe Di£-
courfes, in his life-time was
much efteemed for his private
virtues, and greatly admired in
his public capacity :  He had
eonfented to their publication j —
but death prevented his execut
ing this taflc himfelf.
They are now given to the
public from his own manufcript ;
and the Editor fincerely wifhes
a. they

iv ADVERTISEMENT.
they may be as favourably read,
as they were attentively received
when delivered from the pul
pit; — and, if they may be any
way conducive to the advance
ment of religion, or the eternal
good of mankind, he confiders
the chief end of their publication
as fully anfwerexL

CON-

*T"H E Comforts of a religious Life i
On Humility, and Truft in God z i
The former SubjeSl continued 3 7

The former SubjeSl continued, and
concluded ^

Early Piety inculcated, and recom
mended 75,

The former Subject concluded 97

Our AffeElions ought to be fixed on
God only 115;

Missing Page

Missing Page

2 Cor. v. 7.
We walk by faith, not by fighf.

IN his former, epiftle. to the Corinthi
ans, St. Paul had * told , them, that
the i natural ;maji receiveth not the
things of the Spirit of God ;, for they are
foolifhnefs unto him : and no doubt this
maxim. in mytext is one of thpfe fpiri-
tual truths, which every neural or carnal-
minded.man will accqu^nt, the very height
pf folly — To walk by, faith, and not by
fight. "What!" -will thefe men be ready
to fay to the Apoflle, as the Ifraelites did
to. Mofes, " wilt \thou put out the *eyes
" of this people?" , Wouldyou have us
forego the plea/uresx.- fenfe, the natural
entertainments of thisprefent life, for the
diftant hppes, and remote expectations of
another world ? No,; truly ! Give us
B2 * fome

4 tfhe Comforts of
fome fuch gods as may:go in and out
before us. Give us fome lively, chear-
•ful, fenfible recreations •, for as to thefe,
your future and invifible things, we wot
not what may become of them. Give
us fuch enjoyments as the prefent world
affords ; and let thofe live upon hopes,
who can be content with fo thin a diet,
or who have nothing elfe to live upon.
Such is the language of every natural
or unregenerate perfon, whenever he
fpeaks out the real fentiments of his
heart. And yet, as wife as thefe people
imagine themfelves, and as foolifh as
they think thofe who take the fame
courfe with our Apoftle, 'tis evident that
they themfelves contradift the notions of
all the wife men that ever were ; nay,
they contradift, in fome refpects, the no
tions of all mankind, even in the ma
nagement of their temporal affairs •, for
in thefe, as well as in the matters of re
ligion, we are forced to walk by faith, at
leaft full as much as by fight, and to ex
ert our endeavour*, upon the hope of
what is to come, *and even when the
event is very uncertain.— Thus the tra
veller walks, in hopes of coming to his
journey's end, which at prefeitt is out of
his

Difc. I. a Religious Life. 5
his fight. And his faith has fome fefem-
blance unto Abraham's ; who is called
the Father of the Faithful, becaufe he
went forth, not knowing whither he
went. — The hufbandman lows, in hopes
of reaping a plentiful harveft ; though,
for a feafon, his hopes lie all buried un
der ground. And this cafting his feed
into the earth, St. Paul ufes as an argu
ment, or at leaft an illuftration of that
fundamental point of faith, .the refurrec-
tion. — The merchant ventures all his
flock upon the fame affurance, and parts
with his prefent fubftance, in "hopes of a
good return to come. And this traffick
alfo our Saviour makes an emblem of
the kingdom of Heaven, that pearl of
great price, for which a wife man fells
all that he has to buy it. — Since then it
is fo ordinary a thing for men to walk
by faith, and not by fight, even in the
affairs of this world, which are the pro
per objects of our fight, what unreafon-
able perverfenefs is it to reject the Chrif-
tian faith, which is the evidence of
things notfeen •, and require a vifible de-
monftration of that which, in its own
nature, is at prefent above, and out of
the reach of our bodily fenfes ! — But, in
order to convince you of this the more
B 3 perfectly,

6 The Comforts of
perfectly, I fhall profecute my difcourfe
on this fubject in. the following method :
lft, I fhall confider what St. Paul here
means by walking by faith, and walking
by fight. 2dly, I fhall fhew the happy
effects and confequences of walking by
faith, and not by fight : and fo conclude
with a fhort practical application of my
whole difcourfe.
i ft then, we are to confider what
St. Paul here means by walking by
faith, and walking by fight. Faith, as
the fame Apoftle elegantly defines it *,
is the fubftance, or rather, as it is
tranflated in the margin, the ground or
confidence, or confident expectation,
of things hoped for ; the evidence
or conviction of things not .feen ; i. e.
' in other words, it is the knowledge
-6f thofe things which we do not per
ceive or difcover by our fenfes -t the
knowledge of God and of another world,
and of all thofe things relating thereto,
which God hath been pleafed to reveal
and difcover unto us. "When this know
ledge is merely fpeculative •, when it is
wholly confined to the head or under-
ftanding, but has little or no influence
• Heb. xi. i. upon

Difc. I. a Religious Life. ¦<¦¦
upon our hearts and lives, it is what we
commonly call a mere hiftorical faith,
and what St. James calls a dead faith ; a
faith that will never be of any benefit or
advantage to us, but, on the contrary,
will aggravate our fin, and fo increafe
our condemnation. But when our faith,
or knowledge of God and fpiritual
things, has its proper effect j when it
makes us live and act like thofe who
look beyond this prefent (late, and know
that our eternal happinefs or mifery, in
another world depends upon our beha
viour here ; then it is what the Scripture
calls afaving or juftifying faith; a prin
ciple that makes us act juftly and pro
perly with refpect to God, our neigh
bour, and ourfelves •, and for which,
when we are brought to judgment, God
will accept of us, and reward us as juft
or righteous perfons, overlooking, and
not imputing to us, the manifold defects
or imperfections of our righteoufnefs,
for the fake and merits of Jefus Chrift,
our Saviour. In few words, then, to
walk by faith, is to live up to the rules
and maxims, and with a ferious regard
to the promifes and threatenings of the
gofpel. It is, to have a conftant eye to
B 4 God

8 The Comforts of
God in all our actions, and a lively fenfe
of his prefence ; a firm belief that he is
privy to the mod fecret motions of our
hearts, and that he will at laft reward or
punifh us, according as we have done
good or evil in this prefent ftate of trial :
in confequence of which belief, we regu
late our intentions and actions by his
holy and righteous laws, and fincerely en
deavour to approve ourfelves in his
fight. It is to live fuitably to that faith,
whole (harp and piercing eye looks
above and beyond this prefent perifhing
world, and tells us that we have no
abiding eity, no fixed or permanent
abode here ; but that we are haften-
ing to a country where we rriuft remain
for ever in a ftate of unchangeable blifs-
or woe : in confequence of which, we
live like pilgrims and ftrangers here, and
make it our chief bufinefs to provide
ourfelves a happy fettlement in that
country to which we more properly be
long, and in which we are for ever to
remain. This is " to walk by faith."
I need not ufe many words in defcrib-
ing what it is to walk by fight, as it is the
very reverfe of this, and the courfe that
is daily taken by the men of this world. Thefe

Difc. I. a Religious Life. 9
Thefe men will perhaps acknowledge
that there is a Supreme Being, and that
he is the firft caufe or Creator of all
things ; but they never confider him,,
either as theWitnefs of their actions now,
or as the Judge of them hereafter. On
the contrary, as the Pfalmift expreffeth
it, " God is not in all their thoughts"
They have neither a fenfe of his prelence,.
nor a truft in his providence, nor the
leaft fear of his vindictive juftice. In
confequence of this, they live as without
God in the world ; they walk by the
fight of their own eyes, and in the ways
of their own hearts, without the leaft re
gard to that aweful denunciation That
for all thefe things God will bring them
into judgment. Senfe is the low and'
narrow principle by which they judge of
every thing v and to believe any thing
that lies beyond its reach, they think
foolifh credulity. For inflance, we can
know nothing by fenfe, no, nor by our
natural reafon, without the help of reve
lation, what (hall be the condition of mem
after death. There is a black thick
cloud between the living and the dead,
through which we cannot fee with our
bodily eyes,, and a gulph which we caa-
B r. not

10 The 'Comforts of
not pafs. We have no intercourfe, no
correfpondence there; and no mere man
ever came from thence to give us infor
mation : none but Chrift, who is both
God and man ; it is he only who has
difcovered to us the fecrets of the other
world. But thefe philofdphers, as our
modern infidels vainly affect to call
themfelves, will truft to nothing but
their own fenfes, and their own experi
ence ; and fo reject the rational fol id evi
dence which we have for the truth of the
gofpel ; and will not believe a future
ftate, becaufe they have not yet feen it
with their own eyes : juft as the African
or Indian prince, who lived under the
Torrid Zone, ridiculed all that the Eu
ropean traveller told him, concerning
froft and ice, as fiction, becaufe there
was nothing of that kind ever feen or
heard of in his country. Such, precifely,,
are the reafonings and arguments of
fome of the moft celebrated infidel*wri-
ters of the prefent age. And when fbch
is their belief, or rather I fhould fay
their unbelief, we need not- wonder at
their practice. When men imagine that
there is nothing to be either hoped or
feared after death, what wonder if their
hearts,

Difc. I. a Religious Life. 1 1
hearts are wholly fet upon prefent enjoy
ments ? what, wonder although they
flick at nothing, if they can but accom-
plifh their prefent views? The truth is,
the heart mifleads the head full as oft as
the head mifleads the heart. Whatever
they may pretend, their averfion to the
Cnriftian faith is not becaufe any point
of it is contrary to their fenfe and rea-
fon -, for there-are few of them of fo lit
tle fenfe as to reject it upon that fcore :
but the true reafon why they reject reve-
Jation is, becaufe it contradicts their
fenfual inclinations ; teaches them to
deny,, not their natural faculties, but
their ungodlinefs and worldly lufts, and
xommands them to live foberly, righte-
oufly, and godly in this prefent world.
Now, this is a fort of life which they do
¦not defire to be acquainted with : they
have no heart for fpiritual duties, no re-
lifh for fpiritual rewards, and therefore.
they .cannot comply with a revelation
.that is fo contrary to flefh and blood..
Had the gofpel complied with their, fen^-
,fual humour, they, would have been as
credulous as Chriftians are. This, joined,
¦to their ignorance,- was. the very thing
that made To great a part of mankind.
B 6. run

12 The Comforts of
run fo eagerly into the Mahometan reli
gion, in fpite of its grofs abfurdities ;
even becaufe it indulged their fenfuality
in this world, and promifed them greater
indulgences in the next : and for the
fake of this, there is no error fo abfurd
that they will not believe, no enterprize
fo hazardous that they will not under
take. As long as their religion main
tains their pleafure, they will maintain
the honour of their religion ; and do not
think it any violence to their reafon to
walk by faith, and not by fight. The
cafe is much the fame with our modern
Deifts and unbelievers •, they embrace
the errors and abfurdities of infidelity,
which are grofs and glaring, and reject
the evidence for Chriftianity, which is
clear and rational ; and all this, becaufe
their hearts are wholly taken up with
the enjoyments of this world, the luft of
the eyes, the luft of the flefh, or the
pride of life ; i. e. in other words, ava
rice, fenfuality, and pride or ambition.
The gratifying one or other of thofe
paffions, is the chief good of thefe men ;
and fo, for the fake of thofe, they break
through all the rules, of religion, and re
nounce

Difc. I. a Religious Life. 13
nounce all hope or belief of .4^ life to
come. ^""*V
And having thus fhewn you what itW
to walk by faith, and not by fight ; and
likewife what it is towalk by fight, and
not by faith ; I fhall now proceed to the
fecond branch of my propofed method
of difcourfe, viz. to point out to you
fome of the happy effects and confe-
quences of the former of thefe courfes.
—And j ft, The walking by faith, and
not by fight, is the only way to make our
life tolerably eafy and comfortable.
Contentment and peace of mind are fo
eflentially neceffary to our prefent hap
pinefs, that without thefe, all wordly
acquisitions, of whatever kind, turn out
not only to be mere vanity, but likewife'
vexation of fpirit. But how little of this
inward peace and contentment is to be
found among thofe who walk not by
faith, or are not under the influence of
religion ! To outward appearance, in
deed, they may feem happy ; and they
who look no farther, will be ready to
fay, Where is happinefs to be found, if
it is not among the gay and the great j?
among thofe who figure in public places^
who balk in the funfhine of profperity, are

-14 The Comforts of
are cloathed in purple and fine linen,
and fare fumptuoufly every day, and
Jaave riches, pleafures and honours at
command ? Does not the fum and fub-
ftance,. the heigh th and perfection of
human happinefs confift in thefe things?
Thus do they think who look no.
farther than the furface ; but are ftran>-
gers to the real ftate of great,, irre*
liigious men. Thofe who are more
thoroughly acquainted with them plain
ly fee, that there is often more real mi-
fiery in the ,moft fplendid palaces, than
in the meaneft cottage. Deftitute of
Beligion, the great and rich are mere
flaves to their own fenfual appetites,,
which feldom give them any reft or
peace, but tyrannize over them with the
moft defpotic fway. Satiated, cloyed,,
and wearied with their enjoyments, they
fbmetimes may be ; but never are fatis-
fied. Hence we fee them continually
reftlefs, and roaming about in purfuitof
new objects, and always in want of fome-
. thing elky or fomething:morethan what
they have. Some of them perpetually
.engaged in artificial amufements, and
trifling, infignificant diffipation ; fome
grafping at the airy phantoms of low
ambition,,

Difc. I. a Religious Life: 15
ambition, or profecuting the fordid de-
figns of avarice and felf-intereft ; and
others rioting in brutal debauchery, and
fuch abandoned profligacy of manners as.
renders them at once the fcorn and nui-
fance of all rational fociety, and the im
mediate inftruments of their own ruin.
Such is the life of wicked, irreligious.
men, even in their beft and moft pros
perous ftate; a life embittered with cor
roding cares and raging paffions, which:
are continually tearing and tormenting
their minds ; to fay nothing of the out
ward croffes and troubles they daily meet
with, from the oppofition of thofe who-
are as worldly-minded or as wicked as
themfelves. And if fuch is their ftaf.e-
in their greateft profperity ; if it is fa
remote from true happinefs and content ;,
how compleatly wretched muft they be^
when they fall into adverfity ! Whem
all, I fay not their goods, but their very
gods in whom they trufted,. are taken
from them j. and they have nothing left,
but the cutting remembrance of what
they once were,, and the burning de-
fire, without the leaft hope, of being
fuch sigain ! What wonder if they then.
fink, as they ufually do, into all the
3 horjors

1 6 The Comforts ef
horrors of grief and defpair! What
wonder if they become as mean-lpirit-
ed and abject in adverfity, as they were
haughty and infolent in profperity !
How widely different from this, is
the ftate of the man who walks by
faith, and has an eye to God in" all his
actions \ His paffions are corrected, his
affections and defires are elevated far
above any thing that he fees here ; and
enjoying, as he does, communion with
his God, and the hopes of a happy eter
nity, he looks with due indifference on
all the objects of fenfe ; and heartily de-
fpifes all the allurements of this pafling,
perifhing world. In the principles and
practice, in the joys and comforts of re
ligion, he finds, a folid and true happi
nefs; happinefs fuperior to chance or time,
and independent of all earthly power
or connections. God, the perfect, alj-
fufficient good, the fountain of all true
blifs, is always prefent to his mind, as.
his father and his friend ; and heaven is
ever open to his eye, as his inheritance
and final portion, in and through Chrift
Jefus. And hence it is that he is fo
happy ; hence it is that he is fo con
tented and eafy, in every ftate and con
dition.

a Religious Life. 17
dition. His truft in God is fo entire;
and his acquiefcence in the divifie will fo
fincere, that he neither grieves immode
rately for what is paft, murmurs at the
prefent, or is too anxious or fearful about
what is to come. He knows that the
providence of God is fufficient for every
time and place, and for every exigency
and occafion. He knows that God's
dutiful children and fervants have the
promife of his fpecial care, even as to their
moft minute concerns ; that the very
hairs of their head are all numbered ; and
that all things, however feemingly crofs
and fevere, are really and effectually
working together for their eternal in-
tereft and good. Therefore, defpifing
all thofe brittle reeds, which worldly men
are fo apt to truft to ; and all thofe anxi
ous unprofitable cares and defigns with
which they are fo continually tormented,
he cafteth all his care upon that God, who,
he is perfectly well aflured, will always
care for him. Such is the happinefs of
the man who walks by faith, during the
courfe of his life.
2dly. There is another feafon in which
faith dilplays its comforting power and
influence, in a yet more lively manner j
i. e.

1 8 The Comforts of
i. e. in the hour of death. The fears
and apprehenfions of death are at all
times a dreadful terror to the worldly-
minded man; but moft of all, when he
finds the time of it drawing nigh. He
knows, that when he dies, he muft leave
all his pomp and all his pride behind
him : and the greater his fortune is, the
more unwilling is he to leave it. He
finds all his worldly advantages to he
but miferable comforters indeed, in that
critical, that aweful moment. He finds
all his appetites for them dead and gone
already ; his body jyft finking into duft
and rottennefs ; and his foul, which is
now his all, unadorned with virtue, un
endowed with grace, and wholly unpre
pared for that world, to which it is de
parting. But that which diftreffes him
moft of all, is the remorfe and lafhes of
his own confcience. Formerly he could
make a fhift to drown its voice, by the
noife and buftleof his fenfual enjoyments.
But now, it fpeaks loud, and will be
heard; and all the obftacles are removed,
which before hindered it from doing its
office. Alas ! what does it fpeak ? Not
joy or comfort, but anguifh and fear in-
expreffible ! It prefents to his mind, not
the favour or the mercy, but the juftice of

Difc. I. a Religious Life. 19
of an offended God, and the remem
brance of a life fpent in fin and folly f
It prefents to his view, not the merits or
the mediation of a Saviour ; but the
wrath of the Lamb, from which he
would now wifh to be delivered, at the
expence of ten thoufand worlds ! This is
a fituation too dreadful to be defcribed.
And I pray God, none of us may ever
know any thing of it, from our own fad
experience. But now, let us turn our
eyes to the different ftate of the truly
good and religious man, at that aweful,
that important period. His faith pre
fents to his view, the gracious promifes
of the gofpel, and all the joys and glories
of eternity. He muft be confcious to-
himfelf of many fins and imperfections;
he well knows the worthleffnefs even of
his very bell fervices. But his con
fidence at the fame time bears witnefs
to his fincere forrow and repentance for
all his tranfgreffions, and to his hearty
endeavours to lead a life of true Chriftian.
piety and holinefs : and his faith pre
fents him with the comforting view of
Jefus Chrift the righteous, interceding
with God the Father in his behalf, and
covering all his defects by the bright

garment

20 The Comforts, &c.
garment of his own perfect obedience,
and unfpotted righteoufnefs. Thefe, and
fuch thoughts as thefe, are the fupport
of every fincere Chriftian, at the hour of
death, and enable him to fay trium
phantly with St. Paul, " O death I
*' where is thy fling ? O grave ! where
*e is thy viStory?" — It remains then only
that we all be perfuaded fo to walk by
faith, and fo to defpife all thofe allure
ments to fin, which prefent themfelves
to our fenfes, that, having fent our hearts
before us, to that bleffed place, which
our Saviour Chrift has gone to prepare
for all his faithful followers, we may
be at laft received into it, through the
merits and mediation of the fame Jefus
our Saviour.

n i s-

DISCOURSE II.

O N
HUMILITY, AND
TRUST IN GOD.

[ 23 3

2, Kings vi i.

Now Naaman, captain of the hojl of the
king of Syria, was a great man with
bis mafier, and honourable, becaufe by
him the Lord had given deliverance
unto Syria •, bf was alfo a mighty man
of valour ; but he was a leper.

TH E fhort hiftory of Naaman the
Syrian affords us room for great
plenty of curious remarks and profitable
fpeculations, which may ferve for our in-
ftruction in all the feveral circumftances
of our fortune, all the difpenfations of
human life. I intend therefore, with the
divine, affiftance, to offer fome remarks
upon this piece of facred hiftory, with
out confining myfelf wholly to the fingle
verfe I have read for my text ; but tak
ing in fuch other circumftances as are
moft

24 Oft Humility,
moft worthy of notice, and beft calcu
lated for improvement.
i ft, then, let us confider Naaman, as
he is reprefented to us here in my text ;
where we obferve him defcribed in fuch
a fituation, as may at once render him
the object both of envy and of pity.
In his perfon he was a mighty man of
valour, which is one of the higheft gifts
of nature ; and God, who is the true
and only fountain of honour, had made
him his inftrument in giving deliverance
to Syria his country ; by which means
he came to make a great and fhtning fi
gure ; was advanced to be captain of hi*
mailer's hoft, the very next place, in
thofe days, to the fovereign himfelf; and
behaved himfelf fo in that high ftatioi\
as to become great in the eye of his
prince, and honourable in the eye of the
people : which two things do not always
go together ; for a man may be great,
without being truly honourable ; as on
the other hand, a man may be truly
honourable, who is not what is com
monly called great. For true honour is
not confined to any particular degree,
ftation, or condition of life, but lies open
to, and may be attained by a man of
any

Difc. II. and Truft in God. 25
any rank whatever. It is true, the com
mon notions of honour are very diffe
rent from what the Spirit of God in
fcripture means, and exprefles by this
term. According to thefe common
notions, riches or greatnefs, and honour,
muft always go together. Whence it is,
that fo many fcruple not to ufe the
bafeft, and moft indirect means to be
come wealthy and great, becaufe they
vainly fancy this is the only way to be
come honourable. But true honour is
a quality of the mind, which riches can
not give, nor poverty take away. It is
fuch a fixed and fteady principle in a
man's own breaft, as does not depend
upon any outward, or accidental ad
vantages, but is grounded on the love
and fear of God, and a regard to truth
and virtue ; and is indeed what entitles a
man to be called Good rather than Great.
Such a man as this is at the fame time
truly great, both in the eyes of God,
and of all good men. His fpjrit is a-
bove the temptations of power or wealth,
when they are not confident with his
religion. He defpifes any fortune at
the expence of his integrity; thinks no
thing can be for his advancement, that
C is

v;6 ,.'¦ On Humility,
is not " alfo for his commendation ; and
difclaims all paffeffions that cannot' be
held, without wounding his .confidence,
and bringing difgrace upon the owner.
This is the man of a truly great and ge
nerous fpirit ; who fcorns to owe his
greatnefs to any bale, indirect means, or
to employ it to any unlawful or unwor
thy end. Whereas, the low, impotent,
narrow foul is impatient to be great,
without any regard to being honed;
never confidering, that the higher he
rifes in this way, is the expofing himfelf
the more ; and making him eminent
only to his own fha'me. And truly,
when a man thus hades to be rich, his
edate is very often as hady as himfelf.
His wealth and greatnefs frequently
make to themfelves wings and fly away;
and leave nothing but an afflicting ding
behind them. Whereas the man who
looks upon his wealth with an indiffe
rence of mind, and is not dazzled with
its ludre, but accounts it fo i'av good,
as it is well gotten, and well employed ;
this man turns his riches into an ever-
lading inheritance, and makes that in
heritance to be a blefiing. And when
this is the cafe, profperity is not only a
lawful

Difc. II. and Truft in God. if
lawful but a commendable ftate; even
fuch a ftate as is commended in my text,
for honourable, by the Holy Ghoft. It
is the blefiing of God upon our honeft
endeavours, and the natural reward of
lawful induftry ; it is what a good man
may defire with moderation, and reflect
upon with comfort. To fee all things
profper which he takes in hand ; and
the hand of God feconding all his la
bour ; furely this mud infpire him with
gratitude and devotion towards theGiver
of his good gifts, and make him rejoice
more in his divine favour than that his
corn and wine and oil increafe. It gives
him a generous, commanding fpirit; a fu-
periority over thofe very bleffings which
he enjoys; and teaches him the true,
original ufe of the creatures, as God de-
figned them ; even that they fhould be
fervants unto us, and not we flaves unto
them. This is that greatnefs of fpirit,
that largenefs of foul, which God ex
perts from them to whom he has given
large poffeflions. It is this only which
ftamps the character of honour upon a
rich man ; and makes his power to be a
true image of his Maker. It is certain,
indeed, that poverty has its peculiar
C 2 virtues j

2 8 On Humility,
virtues ; and the man, however poor,
is truly honourable, whofe fpirit is above
the frowns of fortune. But, 'tis a yet
harder tafk, and therefore a' greater ho
nour, to be above the fmiles of fortune,
and to maintain one's religion and virtue,
in fpite of all the allurements of eafe and
pleafure. Adverfity has a natural tendency to
awaken a man's refolution, and put him
upon his defence : and »he who refifls
may eafily overcome. But profperity
comes upon men with fubtilty and arti
fice ; it undermines their virtue by its
flatteries ; betrays them into confidence,
and felf-conceit; and foothes them gently
into their ruin. In fhorr, it works itfelf
fo into- their affections, and beguiles and
blinds their reafon by its infinuating,
deceitful careffes, that nothing but an
excellent fpirit can find out the cheat;
and he would need to be a mighty man
in valour (I mean in a fpiritual fenfe,)
that can refid the charm.
The ufe then we are to make of
all thefe reflections is this: — If we are
under the cloud of adverfity, let us re
member that true greatnefs of mind can
raife us above it, and preferve our real
honour,

Difc. II. and Truft in God. 29
honour, in the mid ft of our greateft dif-
trefs. Or, if we. are in the funfhine of
profperity, let us reflect, that true ho
nour confifts not in outward greatnefs
or wealth , but that the only way to be
truly great is to be truly good.  And
this leads me to another obfervation upon
Naaman's character as it is given us in
the text;-— his employing the might and
valour which God had given him in the
defence of his country, and promoting
the public good.
Every man ought to ftudy the public
good, according to the abilities, more or
lefs, which God hath entrufted him with.
And no man, to whom God has given
the ufe of his reafon, is fo inconfiderable
in a commonwealth or" fociety, but he
may contribute fomething to its advan
tage and prefervation. He may, for
example, be an indrument, either of re
conciling its differences, or of forefeeing,
and forewarning it of its dangers ; — he
may promote or advife its peace and
profperity ; — or, if he can do nothing elfe^
he can at lead pray for it. And if he is
a truly pious, good man, his fervent
prayer to God may be more effectual for
its prefervation and advantage, than the
C 3 counfels

3o On Humility,
counfels of the wifeft irreligious Achf-
tophel. So that, as Solomon expreffes
it, " even a poor man may fave a city, as
" well as a mighty man in valour." — Some
may think, that acting with a view to
the public good may indeed be their
worldly intered, and a thing that con
cerns them in point of human policy,
but that it is no part of religion, nor to
be preffed upon them in that Tight. — But
who can imagine, that the Holy Ghofi:
fhould give fa honourable a character of
Naaman, only for profecuting his own
interefr; or that his worldly policy would
have made him fuch a noted favourite of
Heaven, as that God would have made
him his fpecial inftrument in delivering
his country •, or interefted his providence
fo much as he did, in bringing about his
converfion ? — We need not doubt but
God himfelf is more folicitous for the
public good, than for any man's pri
vate advantage : and therefore it is our
duty to be.fo too.— It is our duty to
have a principal regard to the welfare of
our country, a generous compaffion for
the fufferings of our brethren, and a
common concern for the good of all
mankind -x and not. think that we were
from.

Difc. II. and Truft in God. $i
born only to pleafe ourfelves, or that
any portion of the good things of this
life, was beftowed upon us, to be wholly
fpent upon ourownentertainment. — 'Tis
a fmall thing to preferve our own lives,
and a little labour would fuffice to fatis-
fy the neceffities of nature : and we do
not therefore admire and honour the rich,
merely for his gay cloathing, or becaufe
he himfelf fares fumptuoufly every day;—
. but it is then, and then only, that hegets,
"or deferves fincere refpect and true ho
nour, when he feeds the hungry, and
clothes the naked ; — *when hefupports the '
weak, protects the innocent, and encou
rages theinduftrious-, — when helifts them
up with his hand, defends- them with' a
ftretched-out arm, and fupplies the place
of God himfelf, in undertaking the pro
tection of his creatures. — This is truly
honourable,, and indeed all that is ho
nourable in man, be his wealth ever fo
great, or his ftation ever fo eminent in
the world.
It is indeed a commendable thing,
for a man to make provifion for his
own houfe, and have a due regard for
poftenty. But he who thinks to fecure
his own private intereft at the expence of
the-public, begins at the wrong end of
C 4, his

32 On Humility,
his work, and builds his houfe without
laying the foundation : and for the moft
part his buildingfares accordingly. — We
have even feen fome inftances of this :
and we have heard or read of many more,'
where men, regardlefs of the public good,
have even taken the opportunity of the
general diftrefs and danger of their coun
try, to purfue only their own private ends,
and amafs wealth for themfelves and
their pofterity.-— When behold! fome
notable judgment has fuddenly over
taken them, either in their perfons, their
families, or their eftates v and God has
blafted all their defigns, and returned
their wickednefs upon their own head.
We have feveral examples of this recorded
in fcripture, as fo many beacons or warn
ings to us, to beware of indulging fuch
a narrow, contracted, felfifh fpirit, in any
degree. See, for inftance, what became
of the churlifh Nabal, when he re-
fufed to entertain the fervants of Da
vid, who had been fighting the bat
tles of the Lord *. — The hiftory and
fate of Gehazi, as recorded in this very
chapter, is another ftriking inftance.—
Though his country, it would feem, was
• i. Sam. xxv. m

Difc. IL and Truft in God. 3%
in danger, he thought of nothing but
Naaman's prefents, and how to lay the
foundation of a fair eftate for himfelf
and his pofterity. " Is this a time" faid
the prophet to him, " to receive money,
and garments, and olive-yards, and vine
yards, andfheep, and oxen, and men fer-
vants, and maid-fervants.—Tbe leprofy
therefore of Naaman fhall cleave unto
thee, and to thy feed for ever." A pro
per reward, truly, for a coveting, itching,
fcraping man. — And, God knows, there
are but too many in the world ftill,
whofe felfifh defigns and practices too
well deferve Gehazi's cenfure, though
they have the fortune to efcape his dif-
eafe ; who not only make their advan
tage of public calamities when they
come, fuch as war, fcarcity, and dearth,
and the like ; but even try to bring on,
aggravate, and increafe fuch calamities,
that they may make wealth for themfelves
in the ruins of their neighbour or coun
try. — Surely no character is black
enough to defcribe the guilt of fuch
perfons ; nor any dif^afe too foul for
their punifhment. — In all ages and plates
of the world, we read of public monu-'
ments and ftatu.es erected for the honour,
C 5 ' and

34 On Humility,
and public provifion often made for the:
maintenance of thofe who have diftin*
guifhed themfelves in promoting the-
public good1: but as for them whofe-
ambition reached no higher than the.
railing of their fortunes, and leaving ber
hind them a great eftate, we find1 only
fome flight remembrance left of a very
few of them, and that feldom without
reproach. — And fuch is the cafe, in the-
oppofite characters here fet before us;
What can be more defpieablethan the
memory of Gehazi, that little, avari
cious Jew, who thought of- nothing but,
to make a trade of his religion ? — And .
on the other hand, whaf can be faid
more honourable of a man, than what is
here recorded of Naaman the Syrian,— -
tljat by him God had given deliverance
to his country? It is a glorious thing, ,
in any cafe, to be the inftrument, of,
God ; that- we fhould work by his ap
pointment, and he fhould work' by our
hands;— but 'tis ftuT more glorious to .
be his inftrument for good, and that
he fhould derive bleffings to others of his ,
creatures, through our hands, and by the
means of our endeavours. — — -<-From all *
which we may learn many ufeful leffoas, i
but,.

0ifc.IL and Truft in God. 35
but more efpecially thefe two, with
which I fhall conclude my prefent dif
courfe. lft. That whatever fociety we
may happen any of us to be a member
.of, we fhould always~p"refer the common
good to our own particular humour or
intereft.— For^ whatever men of narrow, .
felfifh, or even proud and ambitious
fpirits may imagine, this is the fureft way
to honour and refpect, as well as the fafeft
1 way for one's own private intereft. For,
though a proud, 'over-bearing'man, may
think to over-top his neighbours, and
may feem 'to do fo in fome refpects, by
his wealth and power, and by oppref-
fing or undermining others ; and though
fuch perfons will never want flatterers,
to foothe them in. their pride, and make
them believe that all the world refpects,
honours,and loves them, as much as they
do themfelves ; — yet certain it is, that
the man who is moft eminently and truly
ufeful, the man who is fo generous and
difinterefted as on all occafions to prefer
the common good to his own particular
and private advantage ; — he it is who
will pofiefs the higheft degree of the real
efteem, love, and honour of his neigh
bours j-r-he it is, whom they will look
Cv-6 ^ upon

3 6 On Humility, &^.r
upon as truly great and honourable,
and whofe memory will continue longeft
among them. 2dly. Another leffon we
may learn from what I have faid on
this fubject, is ;— that however great or
ufeful we may be, or whatever good
we may do to others, we are only
God's inftruments : and therefore, as all
our ability to do good flows original
ly from him ; and the continuance of
it depends entirely on his pleafure ; fo
all the,,honour of it, is constantly/ to
be afcribed to him ; and every man, to
keep himfelf duly humble and thank
ful, fhould often afk himfelf thefe quef-
tions ; " Who maketh thee to differ ?" or
what baft thou that thou baft not re-
*' ceived?"
God imprint thefe truths upon our
hearts, that the fruit of them may ap
pear.

DIS4

DISCOURSE III.

THE
FORMER SUBJECT
CONTINUED,

r 39 r

21 Kin os v. i.
Now Naaman, captain of the boft of the
king of Syria, was a great man with
bis mafter, and honourable, becaufe by
him the . Lord had ' given, deliverance
unto Syria; be was alfo ^ a mighty man
of valour ; but be was a leper.
PROPOSING to make fome obferva-
tions on the hiftory of Naaman, as
recorded in this chapter, in my former
difcourfe I confidered him in his profpe«.
rous ftate, as defcribed in my text — He
was a -great -man with his mafter, and
honourable, becaufe- by him the Lord
had given deliverance to his country — he
was alfo a mighty man of valour. — Here
in this character and account of Naaman
is all that -could make a man great and
happy.- And in difcourfing on this point,
I endeavoured to. ihew what it is that
makes a man truly great and honourable
in the eyes of God, and of all wife and
good men;— that it is not the outward ad,-
2 vantages

40 On Humili/y,
vantages of fortune, but that inward
freainefs, .generofity, and gpodnefs of
eart, which "is grounded on thetove, and
the fear of God, and a firm regard to
truth and virtue, and which fets a man
above the frowns of adverfity, and pre-
ferves him from being corrupted by the
fmfl.es of profperity. — -I fhewed likewife,,
that Naaman became great and honour
able, both with his fovereign and people,.
by employing his talents in the fervice of
his country. From which I took occa-
fion to difcourfe a little upon the obliga
tions every man is under to fhew a public
fpirit, and promote the public good of
the fociety whereof he is a member, fo far
as God has given him ability and opporr
tunity. —This was one of the inferences
with which I concluded my difcourfe ;
and the other was, That when Providence
puts it into ourpower to be of any remark
able ufe or fervice to, our neighbours, or
to our country, we fhould nevertheless.
always remember, that we are but God's
inftruments ; that . the power of doing
good proceeds wholly from him, and de
pends entirely upon his pleafure -, and
therefore, that we muft beware of arro
gating the prajfe or merit of it to our
felves,

t)iic. III. and truft in God. 41
felves, but fhould afcribe it, ultimately
and chiefly at leaft, to the Author and
Giver of every good and perfect gift.
Having thus confidered Naaman fn his
profperous ftate, let us now confider him
in his affliction, and fee what ufeful ob-
fervations we may raife to ourfelves from
his diftemper and diftrefs. He was a
great, honourable, and mighty man ; —
but he was a leper. A naufeous, afflicting
difeafe had feized upon his flefh, which
was fuch an abatement upon his fpirit,
fuch a diminution of his happinefs, as all
his matter's favour could not recom-
penfe, and all his hoft could not drive
away. 'Twas fuch a perplexing, prevail
ing evil, as, in fpite of all his honours and
preferments, muft needs render him un
serviceable in the field, unwelcome in the
court, and uneafy even to himfelf.-— In
fhort, his body was fo tormented, and
his foul fo perplexed with this naufeous
difeafe, that all his victories and fucceifs
could yield him no fatisfaction ; but go
he muft, from the country he had fo
well defended, to a foreign, hateful na
tion, as the only place where he could
find a cure.— There is nothing nearer to
a man than his own fkin ; nothing is, na
turally,

42 On Humility,
turally, dearer to him than his flefh ; in-
fomuch that all the profperity and plea
fure of the world can neither remove, nor
recompenfe an evil that cleaves fo clofe
unto him. " Touch but his bone and his
"flefh," faid the Devil, fpeaking of Job,
" and he will curfe thee to thy face." And
though Job difappointed the Devil in
this, yet it muft be confeffed that Satan
had fome fort of rcafon to guefs as he
did, from the frame of human nature,
and from his experience of what wild,
irrational, and even finful things men are
often tempted to do and fay, when in the
agony of tormenting pain. And accord
ingly we may obferve of Job himfelf,,
that though he did bear up with great
fortitude and prefence of mind againft
all the ravages that were made upon his.
family and eftate, yet, whemthe malice
of the Devil fixed upon his body, and:
touched him to the quick, then his great
fpirit began to fink ; and though he did
not curfe God himfelf, yet his wife won
dered how he couldforbear : nay, for all
his patience, and a mod eminent inftance
of it to be fure he was, yet human weak-
>nefs got the better of it fofar, that he bit
terly curled the day of his own birth.—
How-.'

Difc. III. and Truft in God. 43
How vexatious then, how intolerable a
thing muft it be to a man likeN,aaman, in
the height of all his pomp and triumphs,
to carry thefe thorns and briars in his
fkin, which the weight of his dately robes
about him would but drive the deeper
into his flefh, and nearer to his heart !
And yet, fuch things as thefe are com
monly the effects of plenty and profperity,
and a flourifhing eftate : for that is fome-
times the natural caufe of our diftempers,
and fometimes, nay. I believe very often,
the moral caufe of them. — When men
live at eafe and in fulnefs, and allow
themfelves to pamper their bodies with
floth and luxury, this, in its ordinary,
natural courfe, brings trouble upon their
loins ; and their affliction may, in this
fenfe, be faid to fpring out of the ground
that feeds them. Sometimes, again,
men's luxury and extravagance bring a
judgment upon them for their rebuke ;
and their affliction, whatever may feem
to be the immediate caufe of it, comes
down from Heaven. — God corrects one
man for the reclaiming of his folly, and
another for the punifhing of his vice:
and no man enjoys fo perfect ferenity, fo
calm a life, but he often finds a cloud.
hanging-

44 On Humility,
hanging over him, and all his gaiety dj{-
turbed and overcaft.
Such is the nature of all human great
nefs ; — fo deceitful and inconttant a thing
is this world, and fo vain it is for a man
to build his happinefs upon the goods
and enjoyments or it ! And indeed, when
we think of it ferioufly, this may be
enough to convince us, that if we would
be truly happy, we muft feek for forrie-
thing elfe to make us fo than the pre
fent life can afford. For this life is fo
clogged with inconveniencies, fo fub-
jedt to changes, and what we com
monly call Chance, that it yields nothing
of moment or certainty enough for us to
depend upon ; but when we are arrived
to the very height of our expectation,
we find fome unexpected accident that
dafhes all our hopes to pieces ; fome one
unlucky drop that embitters all out
cup, and takes off the relifh of all our
enjoyments. — For we fee the very great-
eft men, juft like Ahab with Naboth's
vineyard, if they want but one of ten
thoufand conveniencies, they can neither
fleep nor eat •,— they think more upon
this one thing, which they fancy they
need, than upon all the innumerable things

Difc. III. and Truft in God. 45
things which they poffefs. — In a word,
the Divine Author of nature hath fo or
dered it, that there is nothing perfect
upon earth ; but a mixture of good and
evil runs through the whole compofition
of our life •, and if we weigh the one
againft the other, we fhall not find fo
very great reafon to envy thofe whom
we fee above us, or to prefer one ftate or
condition of life to another fo much as
we commonly do. — For the fimple natu
ral pleafures of life are as open to one
ftate as to another ; and the flave that
waits at the door of the tent, may be,
nay fometimes is, as happy a man as the
captain or general of the hoft, who
lodges in it. — Alas ! little do the gene
rality of men think how vain and fantaf-
tic are all the purfuits of avarice and
ambition, -thofe two reftlefs unhappy
principles that fo much difturb the peace
of the world, and occafion fuch a variety
of calamities and misfortunes to the fons
of men ! — Little do they confider,
though the fact be manifeft from daily
experience, that the higher one's ftation
is, the more he is expofed to ftorms and
dangers ; and that the more any one has
been ufed to pleafure, the lefs he is able to

46 On Humility,
to bear pain. And though an ambitious
fpirit, who has not had a trial of fuch a
ftate, may vainly fancy that there is no
happinefs like being great; and that to
a great man no happinefs can be want
ing ; yet, when he comes to make the ex
periment, he commonly finds himfelf
miferably dilappointed, and, inftead of
being fatisfied, is abfolutely forry for the
change. — Whilft David was a private
man, and employed himfelf in feeding of
the fheep, how eafy, and happy, and me
lodious was his life !— But no fooner did
he appear in a higher fphere ; — no fooner
was he called to attend the king, and re-
fide at court, than his troubles began ;
and when he was raifed ftill higher, and
employed to feed the people, we fee his
charge and his danger increafed in pro
portion to his advancement. — Had he
continued in his firft and private ftation,
it is highly probable the ion of his own
bowels, and of his affections too, would
never have rebelled againfthim,orfought
to drive him from his own houfe.—
When we fee a man's fuccefs anfwerable
to his hopes ; when we fee him balking
in the funfhine of profperity, and every
thing, as we imagine, falling out accord

ing

Difc. III. and Truft in God. 47
ing to his heart's defire, how ready are
we to envy his condition, and to fancy, •
that, if we ourfelves were in fuch a ftate,
nothing in the world could poffibly dis
turb us ? and yet, all the while, this
feemingly happy man may have fome
unaccountable fecret vexation lurking
in his foul, fome vexatious diflemper
afflicting his body, or fome infuperable
burden annexed to his edate, that fhall
effectually deject him in the height of
his advancement, and make him bewail
and lament himfelf, when all the world
befides is either congratulating his hap
pinefs, or envying his fuccefs. So falfe
a judgment are we apt to make, when we
look upon the outward appearances of
things ! We look at nothing but the
feeming advantages of a great man's
condition ; never confidering the difad-
vantages or inconveniencies that attend
it, and far lefs the general mutability and
uncertainty of that and every thing upon
earth. But why fhould any man in his
right wits be fond of fuch a flation, that
is fo much expofed1 to change and
chance ? — Why fhould men labour, and
didrefs themfelves fo much as they do,
in getting the riches of this world,
which,

48 On Humility,
which, when they have got them, they
are not fure to keep ; or, if they could
keep them, yet, God knows, they are
not worth the keeping. — They do but
lead us into inconveniencies, and there
they leave us ; and all the riches in the
world may only caufe a leprofy, but can
never cure it. — A little more pleafure, or
a little more wealth, is that which fills
all our heads, and employs all our
hands : and yet, if, indead of a little
more, we had a little lefs, perhaps it
might be much better for us. — We pray
for profperity and honour ; or at leaft,
if we have not the affurance to fall on
our knees, and beg thofe things formally
of God, we neverthelefs long and wifh
for them in our hearts, which is much
the fame thing; but in this cafe, like the
fons of Zebedee, we pray or wifh for
we know not what ; becaufe, for any
thing we know, a bitter cup may go
along with our advancement ; — a leprofy
may be entailed" on our eftate, that will
quickly make us repent our wifh, and be
defirous to exchange again. — You fee,
the difeafed Naaman would have gladly
given ten talents of gold, and 'many
good things befides, for his cure : And
1 who,

Difc. III. and Truft in God. 49
who, that had laboured all his life to get
a fortune, and at the fame time laboured
under a difeafe, would not at laft be glad
to refigh up the one, in hopes to cure
the other ? — The truth is, profperity, or
what men commonly call fo, i. e. wealth
and abundance ; this, I fay, even when
it comes moft eafily and difengaged, is
but like a troublefome, {lately gueft ; it
brings fuch a train of cares and diftrac-
tions with it, that it fpoils the honour of
the vifit, and takes quite off the pleafure
of the entertainment. It is like the pof-
feffion of a great eftate with fo many in
cumbrances, or fuch a load of debt upon
it, as eats out all the profit. And there
fore, were it in every man's power to fol
low his own inclinations, what man is
there of tolerable good fenfe or wifdom,
who would not chufe a competent retire
ment, a comfortable and fafe retreat,
where he might enjoy his health, his plea
fure, his God, his friend, and himfelf, and
live free from the noife, the trouble, and
the dangers which await upon the bufy,
or the mighty man ? Were not men
obliged, both by reafon and religion, to
facrifice their own eafe and fatisfaction
to the public good, who would not (if
D he

go On Humility,
he could) fit down under his own vine
and his own fig-tree ; yea, who would
not retire, even to a wildernefs, rather
than appear in any public ftation what
ever, and there be obliged to ftand the
brunt of the malice of his enemies, and
the envy and detraction of his pretended
friends ! And indeed, there have been
many inftances of men, in the higheft
flatipns and moft flourifhing conditions
of life, who have refigned even empires,
and renounced all the falfe pleafures of
power and ambition, to rid themfelves
of the inconveniencies which are infepa-
rable from fuch a ftate. Nay, it is al
ways the practice of the greateft princes
in the world* and of thofe great men who
wallow in wealth and power, when they
want to enjoy themfelves to purpofe ; it
is their practice, I fay, to lay afide all the
circumftances and badges of their ftate,
all their pomp and pageantry, all their
ambition, power, and pre-eminence, and
reduce themfelves as much as poffible
to the condition of private men ; be
caufe this is the only way to come at the
enjoyment of thofe pleafures that are
alone natural and true.
Upon the whole then, from this cir-
cumftance

Difc. III. and Truft in God. 5 1
cumftance of Naaman's being a leper,
the rich or great man, and the poor ;
the mighty and the humble, may equally
draw moft ufeful and inftructing leflbns.
The mighty man may learn to be hum-,
ble, and the, humble or poor man not
to repine. Are we in a profperous and
flourifhing ftate, healthy in body, and
eafy in mind? Let us not, however, for
get either God or ourfelves. Let us re
member, that the higheft degree of hu
man greatnefs cannot fecu re any man
from the common infirmities of human
nature, nor yet from the crofTes and ca
lamities which God may fee fit to vifit
us with, in order to keep down the natu
ral pride of our hearts, and make our
worldly enjoyments more wholefome and
more fafe. — -And, on the other hand, if
we enjoy many worldly comforts and
conveniencies, but at the fame time are
actually expofed to fome particular and
great diftrefs, let us adore the wifdom
and goodnefs, of Divine Providence, in
thus tempering bpth our bleffings and
our crofTes ; for, if they were without
fuch a mixture of good and evil, the one
might lead us into prefumption, *»r the
other into defpair. D 2 Again ;

*{2 On Humility,
Again ; are we in a poor and mean
condition ? Here then, from the con-
fideration of Naaman's cafe, we may
learn not to envy the rich and great.
Their very greatnefs, as I have been
fhewing, fubjects them to many dif-
^treffes, difafters, and inconveniencies,
which we fee ; and they have often many
crofTes and thorns galling them, which
we fee not, and which their wealth and
^greatnefs may render more fharp or in-
fupportable, but can in no wife contri
bute to their eafe and relief. Let us
endeavour then to learn, with St. Paul,
that great and important leffon, In what
ever ftate we are, therewith to be content. -?•
And moreover, from this circumftance
of Naaman's leprofy, let all of us, both
rich and poor, learn, when we fee any of
our brethren labouring under any grie
vous difeafe, or bodily infirmity, never
to defpife them on that account ; and
far lefs to over-value or exalt ourfelves
in our own eyes, as if we were greater
favourites of Heaven than they, becaufe
God has exempted us from fufferings fuch
as theirs ; for thefe afflictions are often
the expreffions, not of God's hatred, but

Difc. III. and Truft in God. 53
but of his love: and had not Naaman
been a leper, he might very probably
have continued an infidel, and never
have come to the knowledge of the true
God.

D 3 D I S-

DISCOURSE IV.

THE

FORMER SUBJECT

CONTINUED.

D4

[ si ]

2. Kings v. i.
Now Naaman, captain of the hoft of the:
king of Syria, was a great man with
his mafter, and honourable, becaufe by
him the Lord had given deliverance unto
Syria ; he was alfo a mighty man of va
lour ; but he was a leper.

¥ N my former difcourfes on this
-*¦ fubject, I confidered Naaman, ift,
As in a ftate of profperity ; a mighty
man of valour, great in the eyes of his
prince, and honourable in the fight of
his countrymen ; God having made him
a fpecial indrument, it would feem, in
delivering the Syrians from their ene
mies. Then, 2dly, I confidered this
great and mighty man in his ftate of af
fliction, perplexed in his foul, and tor-
D 5 mented

5 8 On Humility,
mented in his body with a naufeous dif
eafe, which no human art could cure, or
fo much as alleviate ; fo that, finding
no relief at home, he was forced, no
doubt much againft his inclination, to
go to another countcy for a cure, even a
country which he hated, and very pro
bably had been fighting againd.
On each of thefe heads I made fuch
obfervations, and drew fuch inferences
from them, as I thought would be moft
profitable, and fhew us how we ought to
behave ourfelves, whether in a profpe
rous or adverfe ftate. Let us now pro
ceed to confider Naaman's cure ; and
when we have done that, and weighed
all the confequences of it, we fhall foon
perceive that we have not fo great reafon
to pity his difeafe, as perhaps we might
imagine ; but, that what feemed to be
his mifery, was in reality his mercy ; that
it was to his leprofy he owed his health,
and that it was the anguifh of his body
which faved his foul. Such a fecret
over-ruling providence attends a virtu
ous, a truly honourable man, that God
often raifes comfort to him out of his
greateft afflictions, and, if I may fo ex-
prefs it, difappoints him into happinefs. — But,

Difc. IV. and Truft in God. 59
— But, let us take a more particular
view of fome of the moft remarkable
circumftances of this cure, becaufe there
is an unfpeakable deal of inftruction
couched in every one of them.
A party of Syrians had made an in
road into the land of Ifrael, and had
brought away captive- a little maid,
whom Naaman's wife had got for a flave,
to wait upon her. And to all appear
ance, what was there extraordinary in all
this ? fo would the natural man fay ;.
the man who looks no higher than to
the operation of fecond caufes. But if
we look at this event with the eye of
faith, we fhall here perceive (jud as in
the parallel hidory of Jofeph) the' hand
of Infinite Wifdom and Goodnefs direct
ing and conducting this feeming chance
to the greateft good : and, as a final!
chink may let in great light,, and very
(lender beginnings have often given birth
to the moft confiderable events ; fo here,
a poor flave brings falvation to this
great man's houfe. — And indeed, in the
weaknefs of worldly caufes, we often fee
moft clearly the fuperior wifdom and
omnipotence of God, who frequently
choofes the foolifh things of the world,,
D 6 on.

60 On Humility,
on purpofe to confound the wife ; and
the weak things of the world, to con
found the things that are mighty. — But
to proceed : This true daughter of
Abraham, though fhe had lod her li
berty, had not lod her faith, but knew
that there was a God in Ifrael, whofe
Prophet had power to heal her. mader.
Nor had her captivity embittered her
fpirit towards the family which fhe
ferved. Though her perfon was en-
flaved, her mind and her charity were
free. She makes no conditions for her-
felf, no bargain for her own releafe, but
feems only folicitous for her mader's
good. A noble generofity ! — a moft dif
interefted benevolence, truly ! — and fuch
as few friends, and yet fewer fervants,
would now-a-days, I am afraid, imitate.
I fay it again, there are but few Chrif
tian fervants fo faithful to their Chriftian
maders, as this Jew, this little flave, was
to her heathen lord. And indeed, from
the general concern expreffed by all
Naaman's fervants for his welfare and re
covery ;— as, firft this little maid's wifh,
then another's readinefs to report what
fhe.. faid, and afterwards the feafonable
advice of his attendants to comply with the

Difc. IV- and Truft in God. 61
the prophet's order ; — I fay, from all thefe
circumftances, we have reafon to believe,
that Naaman was extremely happy in
the love and fidelity of his domeftics.
And we may prefume likewife, that this
happinefs was owing in a great meafure
to certain virtues, which endeared him
fo much to his whole family. Indeed,
the only fure bond and cement of do-
meftic peace and happinefs, is a mutual
benevolence, and a faithful difcharge of
our refpective duties towards one ano
ther ; for he is certainly a worthlefs
mafter who will be unkind or unjuft to
a faithful obedient fervant : and he is no
lefs worthlefs a fervant, who will be crofs
or unfaithful to a juft, kind, and gentle
mafter. — But to go on with the hiftory.
Naaman, perfuaded by this young
maid's report, and having likewife, it
is highly probable, heard of the fame of
Elifha from others, fets out on his jour
ney, with a letter of recommendation
from hjs mafter, and takes with him a
fet of prefents in money, and other
things, fuch as was fuitable to his own
high rank, and to the greatnefs of the
favour which he expected. — Thus
worldly men, whofe faith is weak and
imperfect,

62 On Humility,
imperfect, have always recourfe to world
ly means to accomplifh their ends, and
that even in fpiritual things and the
concerns of religion ; till God in his
mercy opens their eyes more fully, and
lets them fee, that in all fuch cafes as
thefe, human power, or worldly wealth
and policy, are but mere vanity. — Jeho-
ram, the then king of Ifrael, like his
father Ahab, had forfaken the true God;
and therefore, when he received the king
of Syria's letter, thought not of his pro
phet, or of the power that God had given
him to do many things above the pitch of
natural caufes. Yet in this he was fo
far modeft, as to confefs his own weak-'
nefs and inability to do any thing in fuch
a cafe ; and that as none but God could.
kill or make alive, fo nothing lefs than di
vine power could cure a difeafe, that was.
naturally incurable. — And now from this
I might take occafion to obferve unto you
the difference between the ecclefiaftic and.
the civil power, the church and the king..
The temporal authority extends only to
temporal things. But as to the power
and office of the clergy, though their
perfons and properties arefubject tO'the
civil magiftrate, as much as thofe of
others,.

Difc. IV. and Truft in God. 63
others, yet in the exercife of their func
tion, and in all acts purely fpiritual, they
are wholly independent on the ftate. The
king of Ifrael was confcious that he was
no prophet, that he had no fupernatural
powers; therefore, rends his cloaths, and
complains of mal-treatment, when ap
plied to in a matter that belonged not to
his province. But Elifha, who was duly
invefted with thofe fupernatural powers,
defires the cafe might be turned over to
him : and fo the king fends the leper to
the prophet, which was all he could do.
— It is the prerogative and honour of the
regal office to maintain and defend the
church ; to point out, by their laws,
which is the true ; together with the way
and the guides which lead thereto. But
to admit into this heavenly kingdom, to
make us members of Chrift by baptifm,
and cure the leprofy of fin, is a privilege
that belongs only to the prieftly office.
But not to infill on this; — Naaman be
ing thus fent to Elifha, the prophet well
knew that he had an inward, fpiritual
difeafe, which needed to be cured, full
as much as his bodily diftemper ; even
that pride which is fo deeply rooted in our
corrupt nature, and which is the chief
fource

64 On Humility,
fource of all our deadly fins. Elifha
therefore treated him accordingly, and
took ftate upon himfelf, that he might
humble this proud Syrian. He doth not
fay, as this great man no doubt expected,
¦=-1 will come to him — but, " let him come
" to me." And ftill more than that; even
when he came to the prophet's door, he
does not vouchfafe to fee him, but fends
him his orders by a fervant. This had
proved too hard a trial for Naaman,
had he liftened only to the advice of
pride ; and had that prevailed, he had
never been cleanfed. — And here in
deed we have a moft lively reprefen-
tation of the ftruggle between Nature
and Grace, and the different workings
of the Flefh and the Spirit. Natural
men look no farther than natural caufes:
they fee not, nor expect any other effects,
than what the ordinary courfe and event
of things are wont to produce. They
fee only the creature ; for they want both
eyes and light to fee the Creator, even
the eye of faith, and the illumination of
the Holy Ghod. Such men, therefore,
upon all occafions, think and reafon jud
as Naaman did ; " Are not Abana and
" Pharpar,, rivers ofDamafcus, better than
!' all

Difc. IV. and Truft in God. 65
" all the waters of Ifrael f" They pretend
to know nature in all its fhapes, and to
make nature their only rule. This is
that philofophy, which theApoftlejuftly
calls vain*. For, however right philo
fophy may be, in defining the operations
of nature, it is (lark blind as to thofe of
grace ; and therefore vain and unprofit
able, when it pretends to go beyond its
own limits or extent. The wifdom of
this world is but a falfe, or incompetent
guide in heavenly things : it treats with
contempt the fuperior efficacy of grace ;
or thinks itfelf affronted, when any thing
is offered, that is above its fphere. It is
wroth, and turns away in a rage from the
prophet that recommends arty fpiritual
matter; and rejects all, as foolifh and
jmpertinent, which fuits not with its own
prejudices. This is what the men of this
world, the fine Athenian wits of the age,
call Reafon ; and this attachment to their
own mifguided and ill-informed reafon, is
the great ftumbling block or rock of
offence, at which they ftumble, when the
doctrines of faith are propofed to them.
But if the conduct of Naaman, before
his wafhing, reprefents to us the common
practice .of all carnal men, the example
* Col. ii. 8. of

66 On Humility,
of his better-advifed obedience fhould be
Hill more inftructive to us. After much
ftruggle, you fee, he humbles himfelf to
the voice of the prophet ; yea he wifely
fubmits to the prudent counfel of his
own fervants ; and by thus conquering
his pride, found the cure of his difeafe.— -
And in this procedure we may likewife
obferve, that the prophet acted here as
the type and representative of Chrift, who
fends all that are yet without the pale of
his church, to the waters of baptifm ;—
none muft come within his gates, till they
wafh and be clean. Naaman, with his
horfes and his chariot, flood at the door
of Elifha ; he was not allowed to enter.
No human grandeur, no wealth, nor ho
nours, nor wordly means or considera
tions whatever; nothing, in a word, but
Chriftian Baptifm, can procure admiffion
into the houfe and family of Chrift. " He
*' that believeth and is baptized, fhall be
"faved:" and, "Except a man be born
*' again, of water and of the Holy Ghoft, he
*' cannot enter into the kingdom of God."—
What an unhappy prejudice then muft it
be, for thofe who live under the full light
of the gofpel, to defpife or reject this di
vine inftitution, and fo forfeit the inefti-
mable

Difc. IV. end Truft in God. 67
mabk benefits of it ? To this purpofe
our Lord applies this miraculous cure of
a heathen and ftrarTger^ and remarks the
great blindnefs and perverfenefs of thofe
Jews, who remained infenfible to the of
fers of his grace ; while others, who were
¦aliens, the publicans and finners, came
in, and took as it were the kingdom of
heaven by violence. " Many lepers,"
&it!h he, " were in Ifrael, in the time qf
** Elifeus the prophet, and none of them were
** ckanfed, faving Naaman the Syrian."—
The grace of God isfree ; is not due to any
man, either by his nature or his merit ;
but God beftows and difpenfes it accord
ing to the good difpofition of the will and
Che fincerity of the heaTt : and therefore,
they who obftinately difobey his com
mands, or defpife his inftitutions, can
have no claim to it.' — But to proceed :
The next circumftance that attracts our
•obfervation in thisftory, isNaaman's gra
titude ; a virtue in itfelf moft natural and
rational ; and yet, alas ! nothing rarer to
be found, even among thofe of the houfe-
hold of faith, efpecially towards God. Of
ten lepers whom our Lord cured, but one
returned to acknowledge his cure, and
give glory to God, and he was a ftranger. And

68 On Humility,
And here, a Syrian ftranger is thankful
for his double cure, his leprofy and idola
try ; but we hear not of one Ifraelite pro
fited by the miracle, or the example; not
even the prophet's own fervant. On the
contrary, we may rather obferve, thofe
whom mercy and pardon of fin does, not
melt into thankfulnefs and praife, it com
monly hardens. We muft be firft truly
penitent, before we can be grateful or
thankful. — But not to infill on this, we
may obferve, next, that the cure of Naa
man's leprofy proved at the fame time
the cure of his idolatry. He refolved
henceforth to worfhip none but the true
God ; and therefore begged two mules
, burden of Ifraelitifh earth, to build an
altar upon for that purpofe ; and at the
,fame time (if our Englifh tranflation be
right) petitions the prophet, that God
would pardon any feeming idolatry he
might be guilty of in the houfe of Rim-
mon, when attending upon his mafter.
But feveral very eminent and learned di
vines have obferved, that the original will
here bear to be tranflated in the perfect
or paft,.full as well as in the prefent time:
~ and therefore, that this paffage ought to
have been rendered thus : " In this thing
" the

Difc. IV. and Truft in God. 69
' the Lord pardon thy fervant, that when
' my mafter went into the houfe of Rim-
' mon to worjhip there, and he leaned on
' my hand, and I bowed myfelf in the
1 houfe of Rimmon ; the Lord pardon thy
''fervant in this thing." Idolatry being a
crime fo extremely grofs and hateful in
the fight of God, that Naaman thought
himfelf obliged to make a particular con-
fefiion of bis guilt in this refpect, and
beg the Divine mercy and forgivenefs for
it, in the moft. earned and particular
manner. And this indeed feems to be
vaftly more confiftent with the truth, and
with the prophet's principles and cha
racter, than our common tranflation. For,
could we fuppofe Elifha giving him, as I
may call it, a difpenfation of this kind,
to worfhip occafionally in the houfe of
Rimmon, how could we clear either the
brie or the other from hypocrify and dif-
fimulation ? Had Naaman's example, in
this fenfe, been made a precedent, Daniel
and the three children, in the court of
Nebuchadnezzar, and oldEleazar, amidft
Antiochus's officers, might have efcaped
perfecution. Shadrach, Mefhach, and
Abed-nego, at the found of the mufical
ioftrumeiats, might have fallen down be
fore

70 On Humility,
fore the image, not out of any_principle
of adoration, but in pure obedience to
the king's orders. And many of the
primitive Chriftians might have efcaped
the moft cruel deaths, if they had only
differed it to be attefted that they had of
fered facrifice to idols, though they had
not actually done fo. But fuch a piece of
prevarication they always looked upon as
unworthy of the fincerity of a Chriftian ;
and fuch as were fo weak as to be guilty
of it, were expelled the communion of
the church, till they gave fufficient evi
dence of their repentance. Let us conr
fider then how inconfiftent with fincerity
it would have been in Naaman, with th?
fame breath that he renounced idolatry,
to profefs his readinefs to relapfe into the
fame crime, and to defire God's pardon
for it before hand-: whereas, to afk par
don for what he had done amifs, and to
defire the prophet's interceffion with God
in that behalf, this argued a mind truly
fenfible of his former tranfgrefiion, and
very much refolved to avoid it for the fu:
ture ; fo thatElifha gave him a favourable
anfwer, and bade him "go in peace."
And now, to conclude my obfervations
on this piece of facred hiftory ; we have
feen, '
01

Difc. IV. and Truft in God; 71
feen, as I obferved in the beginning of
this difcourfe, that Naaman's leprofy oc-
cafioned his converfion from his idolatry :
what then fhould this teach us, but to reT
ceive with patience, nay even with thank-
fulnefs, whatever comes to us from the
hand of God, fince the moft grievous af
flictions here may be moft conducive
to our eternal happinefs hereafter ?— But
alas ! how contrary to this is our common
behaviour ? If the courfe of our life does
not run fmooth, and as we would have it,
we prefently repine, and think ourfelves
undone. An eafy fortune, and a pleafant
life, we account an argument of God's
kindnefs to us, and think thofe are the
greateft favourites of Heaven, who enjoy
the quieteft portion upon earth. But fb
deceitful are our judgments, that the
very contrary of this is true; and they are
only God's beloved children whom he
corrects : for virtue generally thrives beft
under a heavy hand ; without which, the
rankeft weeds grow always in the richeft
foil : it was the wildernefs that reformed,
but Canaan that corrupted Ifrael. If
eafe and plenty could fecure our eternal
happinefs, we fhould labour for plenty,
and pray for eafe ; but if we find that
they

71 On Humility,
they only betray us into ruin ; if men's
virtue commonly grows heavy, and their
devotion cold, under the indulgent cir
cumftances of fortune, have we not much
more need to beg, that God would ufe a
feverer method, and bring us, like Naa
man, to a fenfe of religion, though it
fhould be through a fenfe of pain ? 'Tis
thus that God adopts his children, and
nurtures thofe whom he pleafes to call
his friends, As for his enemies, he gives
them up to their own devices, and their
own defires : and fince a portion in this
world is all they afk, and 'tis all they are
like to have, fo indulgent a father is God,
even to his mod reprobate, prodigal fons,
that he divides unto them that portion
which they requed, and leaves them to
their own difpofal. Their falfe and finful
hopes he feeds with falfe, deceitful joys ;
and gives them their hearts defire, but
fends leannefs withal into their fouls. —
Since, therefore, profperity often proves
the occafion of a great man's fall, and
adverfity always turns to a good man's
advantage, let us leave it to God, the
only proper judge, to ehufe for us that
ftate, which is moft for our real intereft.
And if he fhall fee fit to deny us that eafy
part

Difc. IV. and Truft in God. 73
part which our vicious affections and
flothful lufls prompt us to choofe and
wifh for ; if he fhall fee it neceffary to
extinguifh thofe pleafures which ftand in
the way of religion, and to tear from us,
with pain and violence, the idol of our
hearts, whatever it be, which turns or
keeps us from his fervice ; let us blefs his
mercy for thus chufing for us better than
we would for ourfelves ; and let us chear-
fully fubmit to thofe prefent tranfient
pains, which will deliver us at laft from
eternal torments.— May the HolySpirit of
God imprint thefe truths upon our minds,
that the effect of them may appear in our
life and con verfation. May we be enabled,
" in whatever ftate we are, therewith to be
" content," and to turn every difpenfation
of Providence to our everlafting benefit
and comfort.

E D I Si

DISCOURSE V.
EARLY PIETY
INCULCATED, and RECOMMENDED,

E a

[ 77 J

E c C L e s. xi. 9.
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let
thy heart chear thee in the days of thy
youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart,
and in the fight of thine eyes : but know
thou, that for all thefe things God will
bring thee into judgment.

TN this book of Ecclefiaftes, Solomon
calls himfelf the Preacher; and thinks
it no difparagement to his royal dignity,
to defcend from governing, to inftrucft
his people. — And he was accompliflied
for the difcharge of this office in an ex
traordinary degree: God had blefled
him with the greateft wifdom ; the cir-
cumdances of his reign had given him
the greateft experience in the world ;
and, after he had obferved and tried
E 3 all

it Early Piety inculcated,
all the feveral courfes of human life, in
this book he funis up all his obferva-
tions, for the honour of God, and the
advantage of fucceeding ages. — Here
he has fhewed us the true bounds of
wifdom and folly, what is profitable,
and what is hurtful to the fouls of men.;
the powerful inclinations which we have
to vice, and the more powerful motives
to virtue. Here the ways of God are
faithfully related -, the nature of man is
perfectly defcribed ; and, above all, the
riecefTary connexion between folly and
repentance, between fin and judgment,
is exactly and movingly fhewn : for,
after wifdom has done its beft, and ex
perience has convinced us of the folly
and falfity of our ways, there is nothing
but this doctrine of terrors that can per-
fuade us ; nothing but punifhment can
effectually reftrain our lulls ; and it is
not the vanity of fin, but the vexation
of fpirit unavoidably following upon it,
that muft reclaim us.
All this is declared throughout the
whole feries of this grave and excellent
book ; but- more particularly in the
words of my text : which are indeed
principally directed to the youngvman ;
but

Difc. V. and recommended. 79
but yet they comprehend the whole
compafs of our life, and may ferve for
inftruction to every age. They fhew us
how naturally our youth begins in folly,
and how neceffarily thefe follies of our
youth lead us to repentance and bitter
forrow in our riper years ; but if we let
that feafon flip, and will, even then, ftill
run on in the ways of our own hearts,
and be deluded and led away with the
fight of our eyes (which, alas! is too of
ten the cafe with the old as well as the
young) then my text fhews us how un
avoidably fuch a continued courfe of fin
brings us to judgment at our latter end.
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let
thy heart cbear thee in the days of thy
youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart,
and in the fight of thine eyes. Thus far
my text (peaks comfortable things ;
things joyful and agreeable to the gay-
eft and vaineft young man ; and had the
Preacher dopt here, or fpoke in earned,
no doubt but every young man would
become his profelyte. But mark what
follows : His next words are of a quite
different damp, and fpeak a far ocher
language; they check the young man
In his career, and damp and difcourage
E 4 him

8o Early Piety inculcated,
him in the height of his enjoyments;
they fhew him the precipice and gulf on
which his headftrong courfes lead him,
and bid him, as it were, flop fhort and
look before him, that fo he may correct
and retract his vain imaginations, before
it is too late : — But know, that for al\ thefe
things God will bring thee into judgment.- ->-
Therefore, it is our wifdom to weigh
both parts of my text deliberately, and
chufe that which we find of greateft
moment ; Whether we will be always
young, and go on to walk according to
the ways of our heart and the fight of
our eyes, and run the rifque of the for-
rowful confequences of fuch a courfe ;
or, if we will govern our life according
to the evidences of reafon and religion,
and the certain knowledge of a future
judgment ; if we will forego the vain
joy of the finful pleafures of this life,
that we may fecure to ourfelves the fub-
dantial and everlafting comforts of the
next. Solomon has placed thefe two in my
text, one againft the other, and fairly
laid/them both before us : and, that we
might not complain of an unfair repre-
fehtation, as if the Preacher, now turned
ferious by age, had dealt partially in fa
vour

Difc. V. and recommended. Si
vour of religion, we find here the plea
fures and delights of youth let off to the
beft advantage, and fo heightened with
all their commendations, as if the
Preacher himfelf had inclined to the
young man's fide. Only at laft he cuts
them all off with one peremptory word,
But know, and weighs them all down
with only the name of Judgment ; But
know, that for all thefe things God will
bring thee into judgment.
In the following difcourfe, therefore,
I fhall confider thefe two things :
ill, The natural inclinations of
youth ; and how ftrongly they
lead us into vanity :
And, 2dly, The curb that is put
upon us by religion ; and how
much more reafonable it is that
we fhould comply with the ap-
prehenfions of afuture judgment,
than to walk in the ways of our
own heart, and in the fight of
our own eyes.
As to the firft of thefe — The inclina
tions of youth, and the vanity of thofe
inclinations, cannot be more lively or
more elegantly expreffed, than we find
them in the former part of my text ;
wherein Solomon artificially exppfcs the
E 5 humour

Si Eafly Piety inculcated,
humour of that age, and, by the very
manner of his expreffion, fhews how it
indulges its own fancy, lets fly at all di-
verfions that come within its reach, and
affects nothing more than a boundlefs
uninterrupted flow of pleafures. — He
well knew the natural heat- ahd incon-
fideratenefs of thofe giddy years ; how
want of experience renders them inca
pable of advice, and impatient of all
contradiction or reftraint ; how want of
weight and folidity makes them launch
out into the deep, with more fail than
ballaft, and value themfelves only upon
their fpeed ; how they difdain the
thoughts of being cautious, for fear of
being accounted flow ; and take a fort.
of pride in leaving all prudence and con-
, fideration behind their backs. — All this
the Preacher knew, and therefore fpeaks
to the fool according to his folly. He
does not attempt, at the very firfi, to
flop the young man in his courfe, or to
ftem the current of his pleafures ; for he
knew that was the way to make him
purfue them more eagerly : therefore,
he feems to give him his heart's defire ;
idlows him the full fcope and fwing of
feis tufts, and lets him fairly run to the
litnioft of his line: — Do, follow thy own
inclinations,

Difc. V. and recommended. 83
inclinations, and fee what will be the
event and fuccefs : Rejoice, 0 young man,
in thy youth, and let thy heart chear thee in
the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways
of thy heart, and the fight of thine eyes.-—
Here we have a goodly profpect, which
at firft fight, and at a diftance, makes a
glorious fhew •, but if we view it nearer,
and examine the feveral branches of it
feparately, we fhall find it made up of
fuch dangerous precipices, fuch ratal
ruins, as will rather difcourage a wife
man's attempts, than invite his. curi-
ofity. As, 1 ft, Rejoice, O young man. And,
I fuppofe, moft of us will be ready
to fay, Where is the harm of fo doing ?
Is not youth a natural feafon for joy and
mirth ? why then go about to debar the
young man from it ? To which J anfwer,
That innocent chearfulnefs and mirth is
not to be condemned in any age, far lefs
in youth ; and religion is fo far from
hindering or forbidding it, that, on the
contrary, it is the only folid foundation
and mean of it. — Religion is the only
thing that can preferve our own inward
peace and tranquillity of heart; and the
man who is thus found and ferene in his
own breaft, will fcarce fail to be chear-
E 6 ful,

84 Early Piety inculcated,
ful, eafy, and agreeable, both in his
words and actions. Do not then mif-
take the Preacher, in my text, as if he
wanted.to darken the human mind with
a gloomy furlinefs, or imagined that a
moderate purfuit of innocent pleafures
was any way inconfiftent with true reli
gion. No, this is not the joy he means;
this is not the rejoicing he fo ironically
fpeaks of: But what he means is, that
fenfual, finful joy, that heedlefs, intem
perate, brutifh courfe of life, which
ib many give themfelves up to, efpe-
cially in their youth, without the leaft
regard to reafon or religion. And what
is this, but folly inftead of mirth, ,and
madnefs indead of joy ? — What is it, but
fuch a loofe inconfiderate habit of mind,
as not only endangers, the health of our
fouls, but is unbecoming and difagree-
able to our nature ? — Through pangs
we came into this world,, and with our
tears we fird faluted the light ; and from
that time to the very agonies in which
we mud depart, there is nothing in this
life that can warrant a wife man's fetting
his .heart upon it, or taking great com
placency or fatisfaction in it. — The pro
vidence of God has difpenfed unto every
ma,n his portion in this world, with a
mixture

Difc. V. and recommended. 85
mixture of good and evil; and every
prudent man is contented with that al
lay, and takes it as it comes : — But, if we
feparate the bitter from the fweet, and
make our potion all lufcious and plea-
fan t in our youth ; what fhall we do
when we come to the dregs, when all
the bitternefs remains fettled at the bot
tom, and God himfelf puts trembling
into our cup befides ?— It was well ob
ferved by a wife Heathen, that true joy
is a ferious thing. And a wifer than
he has faid of laughter, that /'/ is mad-
nefs -, and of mirth, what doth it * ? — •
Alas ! the laughter and mirth which the
wife man there fpeaks of; the finful,
frothy, noify mirth that generally accom
panies . the riot and extravagance in
which the young, and I fear too many
of the old men of this world, fo freely
indulge themfelves ; this mirth, I fay,
inftead of doing them fervice, does them
a world of mifchief : it effeminates their
fouls, and deludes them with falfe ap
pearances of happinefs ; it brings them,
as it were, into a fhady pleafant vale, and
there foothes and careffes them for a
while, till at lad they find that it is but
* Eccl. ii. 2. the

86 Early Piety inculcated,
the valley of the fhadow of death, where
a fnake lies lurking in the grafs, and the
brood of the old ferpent ftill haunts the
bewitching tree.
Thus finful joy and pleafure lead us
into a fool's paradife, and there leave us
to confefs and lament our folly when our
true paradife is loft. They feduce us
out of the manly, rugged paths of virtue
and honour, into a fmooth and feemingly
even way ^ and then draw a mift before
our eyes, that we may not fee the preci
pice and gulf to which they lead us :
they give a loofe to our paflions, take us
off our guard, and banifh that wife and
ferious habit of thinking, which, under
God, is our beft defence. Rejoice, O
young man ; but know, that whilft thoU
layeft thy bofom thus open, by intem
perate and finful mirth, thou doft but
invite the tempter to enter in and dwell
there ; and fo, inftead of filling thy
heart with true joy, thou emptieft it of
all thy virtue, and admitteft into thy
foul a viper that will at laft prey upon
and devour thy very heart.  But let us
go on to confider this ironical advice of
the Preacher •, Rejoice, 0 young man, in
thy youth. And, when we think feri-
oufly

Difc. V. and recommended. 87
oufly of it, pray what is youth, that it
fhould occafion fuch rejoicing in it ?
'Tis a time of weaknefs and inexperience
in all ; and, for the moft part, is it not
fo ill managed, as to prove a reproach
and forrow unto our old-age ? — Is this
a fit matter of fo much joy ? — Is this a
proper feafon for us to rejoice, when we
are fowing the feeds of a long and bitter
repentance ? — Is this a time to give the
reins to our fancy, and truft our virtue
without a guard, when our reafon is fo
weak, and our paflions fo ftrong, that we
really do not know well what we are do
ing ? — But youth, fays the young man,
is a time of bodily ftrength and vigour j
our fpirits are then active, and our hu
mour is gay ; and therefore moft perfons
in that period of life look upon plea
fure as their portion, and rejoice in their
lot, and fo refolve to go on and purfue
it at any rate : which refolution the
Preacher continues feemingly to encou
rage ; Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth,
and let thy heart chear thee in the days of
thy youth ; i. e. improve all opportuni
ties of joy, encourage thyfelf in pleafure,
and let not the apprehenfions of any evil
come nigh unto thy foul. This is the
fpring-

88 Early Piety inculcated,
fpring- time of the year, when all things
are frefh and fragrant, and nature itfelf
is in its prime ; and therefore it is fit we
alfo fhould comply with the chearful-
nefs of the feafon, and enjoy the bleflings1
that are before us. This is the purport
of the wife man's irony ; and, were he
in earned, how few young men are there
but would rejoice in fuch doctrine !
Youth, like the fpring, is indeed a
time of hopes ; but what is it that makes
the fpring fo ? Why, 'tis only the hopes
of a joyful harveft ; — then is the proper
time for joy. And juft fo, 'tis nothing
but the profpect of what he is to be
when he comes to man's eftate, that can
authorize and judify a young man's
pleafure. — Youth is but a common paf-
fage into the world ; and according as
ovir ftation in the world is like to prove,
fuch fhould our paffage be. — It may lead
us into a prifon as foon as into a para
dife ; why then fuch unlimited joy in
the expectation, before we know the re-
fult ? Why fhould we make our misfor
tunes, when they come upon us, prove
more uneafy, by means of this difap-
pointment, and flatter ourfelves with the
hopes

Difc. V. and recommended. 89
hopes of a glorious harveft, which per
haps we never may reap ?
Youth is a time of growing ftrength
and vigour : but, alas ! how fhort is
that time, and how uncertain is that
ftrength ! — How liable is youth to be
fupplanted by a difeafe, or to be fnapt
off by an untimely death ! Or how cer
tain is it to be fwallowed up in a few
years by impotent age I Yea, even
whilft we reflect upon it, we grow old ;
and our ftrength decays and wears away
by the very ufing of it. — '• Thou mayeft
rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and
thy heart may chear thee in the days of
thy youth ; but know, that thefe days
are few, and whilft thou rejoiceft in
them, thy youth not only flies away, but
the extravagance and irregularity of thy
joys fhortens thy youth, and makes thee
grow old before thy time.
All this the young man, ignorant as
he is, cannot but know : but prudence
is a contradiction to his years, and fore-
caft is the thing he hates ; and he will
not confider, nor think, whether, or how,
he is to live for ever. Though his un
derstanding, young as it is, could inform
him better, yet ftill he perfifts to follow thofe

90 Early Piety inculcated,-
tnofe counterfeit, ironical directions i«
my text, to walk in the ways of his
heart, whatever happens to foul, body,
or reputation ; and will not depart from
following the fight of his eyes, for all the
dull, blind morals in the world : and
therefore, as his fancy leads him, and
his paflions drive, fo he runs defperately
on, and refolves to allow himfelf the full
fcope of his prefent inclinations, without
any regard to things to come. — What a
terrible, what a dangerous courfe is this i
Alas ! age itfelf, with all its temper and
experience, ftands in need of good ad
vice : why then fhould a young man
think his heart fo wife as to truft it with
out a guide ? — 'Tis a dangerous thing for
the wifeft man to lean unto his own un-
derftanding ; and very few are fo foolifh
and felf-conceited as to do fo in the af
fairs of common life. Upon what con
fidence then does this young man pre-
fume, with refpect to eternity, that he
alone fhould walk in the ways of his
heart, and the fight of his eyes, whild
yet his eyes are fhort-fighted, and his
heart deceitful ? that he fhould fet up
all his fails, and deer himfelf by the di
rection of his own extravagant and wild
imaginations,

Difc. V. and recommended. g i
imaginations, without confidering how
many fatal rocks and quickfands lie in
his way, too deep for him to difcover,
and yet too high and too numerous for
him to efcape ? And yet, tell him of his
danger, and he does but defpife the in
formation : he looks no farther than the
furface ; and where the face of the fea is
fmooth, he apprehends none of the dan*.
gers that are out of fight. — Therefore he
ftill prefles forward in his courfe, dif-
dains all rules, breaks all bounds, and
defires no better authority for what he
does, than the warrant of his own de
luded eyes, and the approbation of his
own weak, wicked, ahd mifguided
heart !
Thus he comes forth full of his
youth, and rejoices in it, like a giant to
run bis courfe, and refolves to purfue
his pleafures, though it be to the de-
ftrudtion both of them and of himfelf.
His foolifh, inconfiderate heart is like the
ftubble, 'tis quickly in a flame-, and yet
he is never well, nor eafy, but when he
is playing with the fire ; and if he can
but get fome prefent Satisfaction from
the warmth, he lets it burn on, without
confidering that the fire which heats him,

92 Early Piety inculcated,
him, confumes him too ; and that the
ways of his heart, inftead of prolonging
his youth, or his life, lead him directly
to the chambers of death.
And thus I have endeavoured to dif-
cufs the firft branch of my difcourfe, by
fhewing the follies and dangers of youth,
and how ftrongly our youthful inclina
tions naturally lead us unto vanity.— But
before I proceed farther, let me obferve,
that if the rafhnefs, the ignorance, and
the inexperience of youth are no fuffi-
cient excufe for fuch a foolifh, irreli
gious courfe of life-, how much more
inexcufable are they who continue the
fame practice in their riper years, and
carry their youthful vices up with them
into manhood, and thence to the very
grave ! — Yet, alas ! how common is
this? — Yea, how is it, I may fay, poffible
that it fhould be otherwifc ? For, youth
is the ordinary and proper time to mo
del our hearts into any frame : then our
faculties are frefh, active, and vigorous,
our will compliant, our underdanding
not prepofiefied ; and at thefe tender
years we receive impreffions with eafe,
and by ufe and practice retain them to
great perfection. Now, this being the
cafe,

Difc. V. and recommended, 93
cafe, and our young men being fo very
profligate and irreligious as they gene
rally are, being guided only by the fight
of their own eyes, and following and
delighting in nothing but the ways of
their own heart, how is it poffible, I fay,
but thefe youthful vices will grow into
deadly habits ? — And will not thofe paf
lions, which we fo indulge andcherifh in
our youth, grow too powerful for all the
reafon and consideration of manhood,
and fo prove the fhame and reproach
of our old-age, maugre all its gravity
and experience ?— And yet, would thefe
young-old people, as I may call them,
but ferioufly think of it ; — how unbe
coming the reafon and ftate of a man are
the extravagancies and wild frolics of
youth ? and how difagreeable a thing is
a grey head and a childifh heart? When
experience and years have ripened their
reafon, improved their underftanding,
and given them a judgment of discre
tion ; at leaft fhould and might have
done fo; what a Shame is it to deliver up
themfelves to the guidance of their paf-
fions and the government of their lulls,
their irregular unreasonable inclinations ;
and, forgetting the gravity of their age, to

94 Early Piety inculcated,
to be carried away, like children, by
every toyifti fport and trifling plea
fure ? How abfurd a fight is it, to fee
a man's foul and body fo unequally
yoked, that his vices Should not only
keep up with, but outrun his ftrength ;
and that with the reafon and confidera-
tion of manhood, and under the decays of
a feeble age, he fhould affect and purfile
youthful lulls, and its vain and finful:
pleafures ?— When we have had fo long
experience of their vanity, who could
think that we fhould not yet be convin
ced ?— When we have enjoyed fo many
opportunities of exerqfing and improv
ing our virtue, what a reproach is it to
our nature, that we have made no pro-
grefs all this while in the only bufinefs
of importance we haye to do in the
world ? — How can we fee our own
nakednefs and not be afhamed ? — How
can we hear the voice of God and not
be afraid ? — 'Tis he that upbraids our
folly, in my text; 'tis he that denounces
judgments againft us ; and though the
fentence is tranfmitted to us through the
Preacher's hands, yet the voice is the
voice of God, and fo fhall certainly be
ascornplifhed,— If then thou wilt rejoice,
2 Oyoung

Difc. V. and recommended. 95
O young man, in thy youth, and let thy
heart chear thee in the days of thy youth,
and continue to walk in the corrupt ways
of thy heart, and in the deluding fight of
thine eyes ; know thou, and be affured,
that for all thefe things God will bring thee
into judgment*

DISJ

DISCOURSE VI. v
THE
FORMER SUBJECT
CONTINUED,

33

[ 99 1

Eccles. xi. 9.
Rejoice, 0 young man, in thy youth, and let
thy heart chear thee in the days of thy
youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart,
and in the fight of thine eyes : but know
thou, that for all thefe things God will
bring thee into judgment.

*TPH I S excellent book, whence my
"*¦ text is taken, may be called the
Recantation of Solomon : a man fo ex
traordinary, both in virtue and vice,
that, except it w,as our father Adam, no
man ever rofe fo high, or had fo great a
fall. How long he continued in his ex
travagancies is uncertain ; but,, through
the grace of God, he did return to him
felf at laft, and gave warning to* all that
fhould come after him, to avoid thofe
defperate courfes which he had run. Re-
F 2 membering

ioo Early, Piety inculcated,
membering what it was that feduced
him at fird, where it was that he loft
hjs way, and upon what rocks he had
fplit ; namely, by walking in the way!
of his heart, and in the fight of his eyes ;
he fets up a beacon, and affixes a warn
ing, for the direction and advantage of
all pofterity : — for; in' this book, he re
counts all the, follies of his youth, and
the excurfions and irregularities of his
riper years ; his fond purfuits after plea
fure and mirth, women snd wine, and all
things which vain, intemperate, and in-
confiderate men are apt to fet their
hearts upon ; and,, after reprefenting
them to the utmod advantage, at the
foot of the account he fums them all u
in a cypher : Vanity of ' vanities, fays th
Preacher; all, none excepted, is vanity'-,
yea, not only vanity, but vexation of
fpirit. — But, led unthinking men Should
reckon all the vexation of fpirit fufE-
ciently balanced by the pleafure, vain as
it is, of walking in the ways of their heart,
md in the fight of their eyes, the Preacher,
in the clofe of my text, adds a grave and
peremptory intimation' of a worfe con
fequence of fuch a courfe : But know
thou, fays he, that for all thefe things God
¦will

Difc. VI.' and recommended. lot
will bring thee into judgment ; which, no
doubt, was one of thofe confiderations
that had at laft reclaimed the Preacher
himfelf. In the tenth and eleventh verfes of the
twelfth chapter of this book, we read,
that the Preacher fought to find out accep
table words -, words that Jhould pierce as
goads, and flick like nails faftened in the afi
fembly by a mafterly hand. And certainly
theie words of my text are fuch ;— very
apt and proper to Strike our affections,
and to fix themfelves in our memory ;
and, if they are but believed and looked
upon as a certain truth, enough to cor
rect all the loofenefs and, irregularity of
our minds, and to make us give over
walking in the ways of our hecrt, and in
the fight of our eyes, and to take a better
courfe. — And, in order to this great and
good end, .1 propofed, in difcpurfing
from thefe words, to illuftrate and lay
before you thefe two particulars :
id, The natural inclinations of youth,
and how drongly they lead us unto va
nity. — This I have already fpoken to
pretty fully ; and fhall proceed to con*
fider the fecond, vix.
[ The curb that is put upon us by re
ligion ; and how much more reafonable
F 3 it

102. Early Piety inculcated,
it is. that we fhould comply with the ap-
prehenfiohs of a future judgment, than
to walk in the, ways of our own heart, and
in the fight of our own eyes."— —Know thou,
fays the wife man ; i. e. be allured of this
great truth ; for there is not the leaft
rbom to doubt of it, or disbelieve it.
And indeed, whatever libertines and free
thinkers may affect to fay, the doctrine of
a future judgment is agreeable enough
to their underftanding ; but only difa-
greeable to their will, and to that in
which they have chofen arid refolved to
place their intereft.— The ways of their
heart, and the fight of their eyes cannot
ftand the trial of 'judgment ; and there
fore they would fain perfuade them
felves that there is no fuch thing as an
after-reckoning. But 'tis not in the
power of the Sinner's fancy, and wifhes
to alter the nature of things, or reverfe
the decree of God ; to difTolve the con
nection between folly and repentance,
and to prevent the confequence of judg
ment upon fin. 'Tis appointed for all men
once to die, and after death the judgment'.
How much more prudent a courfe
would it therefore be, to alter thofe prac
tices which are within our power, and
comply

Difc. VI. and re&mmtndti* 103
comply with thofe divine decrees which
are unalterable ! To forfake the ways of
our heart, and the fight of our eyes, which
make us fo averfe to the thoughts of
judgment ; and; feeing we cannot bring
down religion to the level of our irregu
lar lives, to raife up our lives to the rules
which it prefcribes ; to deny ungodlinefs
and worldly lufts, and live fiber ly, righteouf-
ly, and godly in this prefent world ; looking
for that blejfed hope, and the glorious ap
pearing of the great God and our Saviour
Jefus Chrift, when he fhall come to judge
the living and the dead.
We fee to what a prodigious degree
of folly and extravagance we might be
carried by the inclinations of nature and
the heat of youth, did not the expecta
tion of that great account check thofe
inclinations, and cool our hearts into
fome ferious thoughts. This grave con-
fideration is enough to confound our
lufts, and baffle our enjoyments ; and
whdn we look to the fword hanging over
us, we fhall have but little relilh for the
dainties that are before us. This is the
great power of God, whereby he over
rules the intemperance of man, and cor
rects our folly, by Shewing us our dan-
F 4 ger :

104 "Early Piety inculcated,
ger: Rejoice, 0 young man, &c. but know
thou. — But how Should a young man
know, when his eyes are fo dazzled
with vanities, his heart fo prepoffeffed
with pleafure, and his fpirits fo full of
joy, that he has left no room for fuch
melancholy confederations ? And as for
thofe judgments of God, they are fo far
out of his fight, that he is, he fays, at a
lofs whether there be fuch a thing or
not. The Preacher indeed tells him fo ;
but for this he hath only the Preacher's
word. — Nay, but 'tis the word of God
tells him fo ; and he himfelf at laft will
find it fo ; and then he will wifh that he
had believed the Preacher fooner. — Then.
what comfort will he receive from all the
rejoicings of his youth ? What will it
then profit him to have walked in the
ways of his heart, and in the fight of his
eyes, when that indecent liberty, which
he fo unreasonably ufed, Shall end in an
odious confinement, and he fhall reap in
tears what he fowed in joy ? — Then all
the former delicacies of his life will
ferve only to make his death the more
intolerable ; and the Short-lived plea
fures of his youth will but increafe the
fenfe of his never-dying pains. — How
difmal

Difc. VI. and recommended. 105
difmal will be the remembrance of his
fin, when he fhall confider, that it was
only the walking after thofe ways of his
heart that has brought him into this
place of torment ; only trufting to the
fight of his eyes that has loft him thofe
pleasures, for evermore, which eye hath
not feen, nor the heart of man con
ceived ? And can he think that all the
entertainments of his youth were worth
this ? — If he was put to his choice again,
would he, upon fecond thoughts, fubmit
to the exchange, and once more give up
his foul for nought ? Why then does he
not take warning, before it is top late,
now, whilft his ibul is in his own keep
ing ? Why does he not fecure his hap
pinefs before that dreadful day comes,
when his negligence may be repented of,
bur can never be retrieved ?• — Since he
knows that there remains a fatal ac
count, why does he not take care to
come prepared ? — Since he knows, that
for all thefe things God will bring him into
judgment, why does he not fludy to pa
cify his _ Judge, and fit himfelf for mer
cy ? — When the irreverfible decree is
once paffed up'on him, then what would
he not give to reverfe the fentence ? '
F 5 What

106 Early Piety inculcated,
What lulls of the flefh, what pleafures
of the body, or what fin of the foul
would he not forego and give up, to re
deem himfelf ? And how will he wifh
that the ways of his heart had been cor
rected long ago, though it had been by
lofing the fight of his eyes, arid pulling
out thofe deceitful glaffes that betrayed
him ?
'Tis a melancholy thing to reflect on
thofe pleafures that fhall be no more, and
fbr a man to think that he hath been
happy; but it will be much- more mi-
ferable and tormenting, to think that he
might have been fo for ever.— He knew,
the terrors of the Lord, and would not
be perfuaded ; he was often admonifhed
of his danger, but would not be con
vinced; and now fhall he be forced to
acknowledge, and fay, I am juflly pu-
nifhed for my unbelief! now ami per
fuaded with a vengeance !
Indeed, it is fuch reflections as thefe
that aggravate the punifliment of the
unbelieving, "impenitent, and obstinate
finner, and increafe fhe torments of hell
itfelf? This is a worm in' his confeience
that never dies.; this is fuch a heart
burning within him as never goes out :
'tis

Difc. VI.' and recommended. 107
'tis a folly for which he can never excufe
himfelf; and the remembrance of thofe
ways, which were the vain and vicious
entertainments of his youth, will prove
his torment to all eternity.
All thefe are moving and difmal con
siderations.— An wounded fpirit is the
moft exquifite pain; and the wrath of
God in judgment is what no mortal man
can bear : 'tis fuch a burthen as the
young man, with all his fpirit, cannot
caft off; and the old, inveterate, hardy
finner is not proof againft it. But Still,
how fhall the young man know, and be
convinced, that this is true ? We have,
indeed, the word of God to vouch it ;.
but it is that God whofe power the fin
ner has defied ; and then what hearing
or credence will he give unto his word ?
But we have not only the word of God
for this great truth (and fure even that
alone might well fatisfy us) but we have
the voice of nature too to fecond thefe
truths of our religion ; we have the uni*
verfal cry and confent of all mankind.— »
We may aSk fuch as. .pretend to disbe
lieve another life, what' is the meaning
of thofe prefages of their own hearts i
that active moving principle within them,
F 6 which.

io8 Early Piety inculcated,
which gives them a boundlefs defire to
live, and fhews them fome confufed
profpeft of a vaft time to come ? What
is this but fome stances of their immor-
tality, fome dawnings of an eternal day ?
And do they not know, that God will
then bring them into judgment? — From
whence then proceed thofe Startling ap
prehensions and remorfes in their fouls,
which all their obftinacy cannot ftifle,
and all their intemperance cannot re
move ? This certainly is the voice of
God within them ; the forebodings of
hell, and the prelude to a future judg
ment. Let the young man then fortify him
felf in fin, and intrench his foul within
his pleafures ; though he think them
fecret as the darkneis, and quiet as the
grave, yet the eye of God will break in
upon him. Both His eye and His han$
can reach us when we are mod retired ;
and though fig-leaves may hide our
Shame from the fight of men, yet all the
trees in Eden cannot Shelter us from the
prefence of God. — ;Even our own obfli-
nacy and fin, dupid as it is, -can give us
neither diverfion nor relief; but, though
we have hardened our hearts like the
nether

Difc. VI. and' recommended. ioc)
nether mill- Slohe, yet God makes them
foft again, and prepares them for the
impreffions of his wrath ; puts fears and
terrors into our foul, and then gives the
deadly blow.
All this the finner knows, though he
will not confefs. It is not death alone,
but fomething after death, of which he
Stands in awe : it is not the fear of being
reduced to nothing, that difturbs his
pleafures •, he would willingly compound
with God for fuch a date as that, and
would gladly give up his Soul for lod, ib
his body might not be tormented in this
flame : he does all he can to perfuade
himfelf that he dropt into this world by
chance, and Shall fink out of it into no
thing : nay, fuch a death as this is the
utmod of his ambition ; 'tis what he has
ufed himfelf to all his life; a dupid un
profitable date, wherein his foul and
reafon have been buried all this while,
and 'has only fome perverfe motions,
fome fenfelefs works, to prove that he is
alive. — Bur, for all- thefe things, God will
bring him into judgment; and God knows
to what a fatal fum all thefe things may
amount, or what may be the fatal con
fequence ! When all our evfl deeds fhall be

1 10 Early Piety inculcated,
be expofed in the fight of that God, whofe
eyes are too quick to overfee, and too
pure to behold iniquity, the leaft we can
expect is, that he Should remove us and
our fins together, that loathfome object,
from his prefence ; a punishment greater
than we can bear !
And now, the finner may walk on in
the ways of his heart ; and, if it Seems
good in his eyes,, he may trample upon
virtue and religion too ; he may run
down all reafon that- oppofes his lulls,
and look upon this world as- made for
his diverfion, and the other for his feorn
and derifi°n : yet Still there is a fecret
refentment in his mind, that will re
venge the quarrel of religion ; a fad
mifgivingjn his heart, which tells him
there, is a dreadful account to come,
and whifpers in his ears, that for all thefe.
things, God will bring him into judgment .
Confider this, O young man, and then
rejoice if thou dared, and let thy heart
chear thee, if it can : For to what purpofe
fhoulded thou truft. to the fight of thine
eyes, when thou knpweft not how ihortly
thou fhalt be deprived of them, and
when thou knoweft that God will bring
thee to a Stricter and Severer judgment ?
Why
3

Difc. VI; . and\ recommended, i * .
Why fhouldeft thou fpllow the ways of
thine own heart, when Shortly thy very
heart and thy ftrength Shall fail thee ;
and when this very heart of thine,
which flatters and betrays thee now, at
laft will accufe thee, condemn thee, and
torment thee ?
Since, therefore, the judgment which
we apprehend is fo very dreadful, and
our fins give us lb much reafon to be
apprehenfive of it ; what remains, but
that we make timely provision for our
fecurity, and immediately begin a wifer1
courfe of life, than to walk in the ways of
our hearts, and in the fight of our eyes.
Let us no longer dally with our deftruc-
tion ; let us no longer trifle with God's ,
judgments, nor live in fuch difmal fuf-
pence ; but let us offer up unto God our
darling vices now,, whilft we have fome
pleafure in them, and prefent him with
that Jin of our foul, whatever it is, that
lies neareft to our heart, that the coftli-
nefs of the preient may be an unde
niable argument of our regard a/id Ipye
for him, and an effectual recommenda
tion of us to his favour and mercy.— -So
early, To lively a Sacrifice, will be fure
to be accepted.— But if we firft allow the

1 1 2 Early Piety inculcated,
the decays of age; to come upon us, and
our pleafure to abandon us -, when we
mull be virtuous by force, and no
thanks to us for it neither ; then, alas !
how earnestly Shall we wiSh that we had
given up our youthful joys in time,
when we might have had heaven for
them in exchange.— Therefore, let us
look farther than the dim eyes of flefh
can carry our views. — Let us, with the
light of faith, penetrate into the invifible
and eternal world; and, as the Apoftle
fays of himfelf *, let us walk by faith, arid
not by fight. — Let us think ierioufly on
what the Chridian religion teaches us
concerning ourfelves : that our bodies
muft be buried, and this whole world
burned ; but yet it triumphs over death
by a general refurrection, and opens all
into an eternal ftate. — It has placed us
above our bodies, above the world, and
above death, and tells us that we Shall be
prefent at the diffolution of all things ; '
that we Shall fee the earth in flames, and
the heavens wrapt up like a Scroll ; that
we mull ftand up at the general refurrec- '
tion, and appear at the univerfal judg-!i
rrknt, and live and fare for ever, accord-

* z Cor. v.

l:°g

Difc. VI. and recommended. 113
ing to our behaviour here, when all that
our hearts have defired, and our eyes have
feen in this world, is paffed away and
gone, like a tale or a dream.
Let us then be pej-luaded in time, to
check the intemperance of our lulls ; let
us mortify the finful defires of our
hearts, and correct the vanity and wan
dering of our eyes, before they have run
us upon a rock, from which we Can ne
ver difengage ourfelves.— Let us re*
ftrain and abate our immoderate defirest
of airy pleafure, and endeavour to poife
and refreSh our fouls with more Solid,
ferious reflections. — Let us confider,
that one part of us is the offspring;
of Heaven, and of divine extraction ;
and therefore, that it is far below, us to
be wholly taken up with pampering or
amufing the flelh. — Let us remember,
that God fent us into this world to go
vern and fubdue it, and accordingly has
endued our fouls with reafon, arid a
graceful majefty and gravity, that fo we
might bring all his creatures under our
command. — Why then Should we fuffer
them fo perpetually to make flaves of
us ?— Why Should we tamely fee our
felves led captive by that world which is

1 14 Early Piety inculcated, &c?
is below us ; be drawn to and fro witit
: cords of vanity, and made the fport of
every temptation ? — Let others, then,
rove about for fuch fantaftical, finful
delights, who have |to folid joys' to dwell
upon ; but let us make it our chief bu
finefs to correct the vanity and extrava-
vagance of our nature, and make his
law to be our only rule, at whofe judg
ment-feat we rnuft appear, and. by whole
fentence we muft ftand or fall.
. Let us live in the fight of 'His eyes, and
walk in the ways o/His heart, fo may we
fincerely rejoice in our youth, and our
heart may chear us in our riper years ;
and when old-age fhall come upon us,
we may even long for that time, when
our bleffed Lord fhall bring us, and all
his faithful fervants, to a judgment, not
only terrible, but comfortable.
God give us all grace fo to live, that
we may have the joyful hope of this
at the hour of death, and find mercy
of him in the day of judgment.

PI St

DISCOURSE VII.
OUR AFFECTIONS OUGHT TO BE
FIXED ON GOD ONLY.

C xt7 1

Proverbs xxiii. 2<?.
My fon, give me thine heart.

TN many places of this book of Pro-
^ verbs, Wifdom and Religion. are fyno-
nimous terms, or words' that fignify_ the
fame thing : as their. oppofite, Wicked-
nefs, is as often branded witfi the igno
minious name of Folly, and the finrier
with that of Fool. — Nay, Wifdom^ in fer
veral paffages of both the canonical and
apocryphal writings, is'.ufed to 'fignify
God himfelf, efpecially the fecond per
son of the ever-blefled and glorious Tri-
nity,-the Logos or Word of God ; as pari
tfcalarly, Prov. iii. 19'. The Lord by wif
dom hath founded the earth. Or, as Wil-
dom Speaks in the eighth chapter, 27th
and 28 th verfes: When he prepared the
s heavens,

i 1 8 Our Ajfeffiohs ought to be
heavens, I was there ; when befet a cpmpafs
upon the. face of-Jhe deep;, when be eftablifh-
ed the clouds above ; when be ftrengthened
the fountains of the deep ; when be gave
the fea his decree, that the waters fhould
not pafs his commandment ; when he ap
pointed the foundations of the earth : then
was I by him, as one brought up with him ;
and I was daily, his delight, rejoicing- always
before him. All which is plainly applied
by St. John to the Logos, or eternal Son
of God : In the beginning was the Word,
and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. The fame was in the beginning
with God. All things were made by him ;
and without him was not any thing made
that was made*. — Now, whether we fup-
pofe that it is God himfelf,,or Religion,
that Solomon introduces as Speaking in
my text, it makes no efiential difference ;
for religion is nothing elfe but the duty
we owe to God, and the way to the en
joyment of him ; and therefore, the fet-
ting our hearts ferioufly and fincerely to
the work of religion 'is the fame thing in
effect as giving our heart to God.
Man is fo formed by the wife Creator
of all things, that he naturally arid ne-
* St. John i. 1,3,3. ceffarily

JDifc. VII: fixed, en God only. iiij
celTarily places his heart upon fomething
or other, in order to attain a fupport of
that weaknefs, and a fupply of thoSe
wants, which he finds in himfelf. And
hence it is that the fons of men are en
gaged in fuch various, and many times
oppofi'te purfuits ; becaufe fome fet their
hearts upon one object, others upon an
other, as the only thing that can fupply
all their wants, or, in other words, make
them perfectly happy.— It is true, there
are Some things which we know will fup
ply our wants only in part ; and there
fore, on thefe we beftow only a propor
tionable Share of .our affections : but
whatever thing we apprehend to be that
on which our happinefs depends moft,
and the want of which will make us moft
miferable, on this we place our hearts
moft ; this we defire above every thing
elfe ; and for the fake of obtaining this,
we will chearfully forego every Idler
pleafure or enjoyment. This was what
the philofophers called man's fummurn
lonum, or his chief good ; and what our
Saviour, ,in the gofpel, calls a man's
treafure : Where your treajure is (fays he)
there will your hearts be alfo. — -Now
there are two things in general which offer

12 o Our,. Affection's ought to&jt
offer themfelves' to mankind, as can-^
didates and rivals for their hearts or af-
fedlions ; viz. God, and the world ; or,
the things of this prefent life, and of the
future: and reafon, revelation, and ex
perience, all concur in teaching us, that
we cannot give our hearts to both. — A
man indeed hmSc have two hearts, and
two fouls', before he can give an heart to
God and an heart to. the world, too; for
no man can have more than one chief
good. — And henceit is that the Apoftle
fo positively pronounces, that if we love
the world., the dove, of the Father- is not,
cannot be in us. — Too' many, I/know,
have thought ro join both ; but it is
becaufe they understand neither ; for
thefe are rivals whom 'tis impoffible to.
reconcile ; mafte;s .whofe intereds : and
commands are fo . oppofite and contra
dictory, that we cannot Serve both Of
them : and therefore, thofe men are moft
wretchedly deceived, who think to di
vide their hearts between them ; to com-
pafs heaven, as it were, with the. one.
hand, and earth with the other :: for the
wifdom of God has decreed.it otherwise ,
and theaequifition of one world, as it is
all that is allowed, fo is Jt enough to
take •

Difc. VII. fixed on God onlyl "121
take up the whole man ; to employ his
heart; i.e. all the powers and facul
ties of his foul; and fo leave nothing of
him to be employed in acquiring the
other.— Behold then, and wonder at the
aftonifhing goodnefs and condefcenfiori
of the great and good God, who gave us
our being, all that we are, and all that
we have ; and confequently can need
nothing, or be profited by nothing that
we have to give him ! And yet, how
does he vouchfafe to folieit, and even
court our affections ! My fon, give me
thy heart.— Yea, on this he fets So great
a value, that our love is all the price he
has been pleafed to fet upon glory, ho
nour, and immortality, and the eternal
enjoyment of himfelf; fo that there is
nothing fo great and glorious which a
creature is capable of, but God is ready
to give it a man in exchange for his
heart. It is therefore highly, nay absolutely
neceffary, that we Should often look into
the ftate of our own hearts, and con
fider, with ftrift impartiality and atten
tion, upon what it is that we have placed
our affections : whether we have com
plied with the gracious invitation and
G call

122 QwAjfetiionsoughttobe
call which our heavenly Father here
gives us in my text ; or whether we
have fet our hearts upon fome one or
other of the alluring vanities of this
world. Few men, indeed, but will
profefs that God is the great object of
their love : nay, I am afraid, there are
too many who deceive themfelves with
a vain irrjagination that it is fo-; for no
thing is fo deceitful as our own hearts,
and in nothing are they more apt to de
ceive us than in this very point. — In
order then to prevent us from thus
impoSing upon ourfelves, I Shall en
deavour to point out fome marks and
tokens, whereby . we may be able to
judge whether we have really given our
hearts to God, or to the; world. After
which, I Shall endeavour to perfuade you,
by fome fuitable motives and arguments,
to yield your hearts unto God.
ill, then, If God is really poffeffed of
our hearts and affections, 'tis certain he
will be always uppermost, and moft fre
quently in our thoughts ; fo that what
ever elfe we may be employed about, and
although our lawful worldly bufinefs, and
the neceSJary cares and occupations of
this life» may engrofs the greateft part of
our

Difc. VII. fixed on God only. 123
our time, yet it is not in the power of
thefe things to drive the great object of
our love out of our minds ; but, in the
midft of all our worldly cares and la
bours, our hearts will rife above them,
and carryx our minds naturally to that
object which we efteem and love as our
chief good. — You cannot but be fenfible
that this is the cafe with refpect to
worldly things. Whatever thing or
perfon we have once fixed our love
upon, our thoughts are always running
after-, for Strong love is fuch a biafs
upon the mind, that 'tis as impofiible
for a man to live and not to breathe, as
not to think often, nay, aliTroft con
tinually, upon the chief object of his
affections. And therefore, if we have
fincerely given our hearts to God, we
Shall riot think it enough to beftow Some
trahfient fcattered thoughts upon him
now ahd then, and when we have no
thing elfe to do, or are not allowed to
do any thing elfe : This, 'tis to be
feared, is the cafe with too many : But
the man who truly loves God, raifes
himfelf into the Divine prefence as oft
as he can, by devout contemplation ; and,
though he cannot perhaps perfonally re-
<. G 2 tire

1&4- Our Affetlions ought to 'be
tire often from the world, but mud toil
and drudge for the neceffaries of life,
and in fulfilling the duties of that Station
in this world, wherein Providence has
feen fit to place him ; yet Still his heart
"is in heaven, and his converfation too.
He often fixes his thoughts upon that
glorious throne where the Lamb of God
fitteth for ever and ever : — he often con-
fiders how happy they muft be who Shall
be admitted to behold the Author of all
perfection •, — yea, who Shall partake of
his glories, who is the Fountain of all
glory and happinefs :— he thinks, with
unfpeakable pleafure, of that infinitely
merciful and good Being, who can make
us happy by infinite ways ; who can fup
ply all our defects, fatisfy all our defires,
and in whofe bleffed and glorious pre
fence nothing can be wanting. — Thefe,
and fuch thoughts as thefe, are the chief
entertainment of his mind ; the fubjects
he takes moft delight to furvey and' me
ditate upon.— Whereas, to a man whofe
heart is devoted to the world, all thefe
thoughts are quire unpalatable, and even
naufeous ; he has no reliSh for them, or
delight in them. As the Pfalmift ex-
preffes it, God is not in all bis thoughts :
10 or,

Difc. VII. fixed on God only. 125
or, if at any time by chance he enters-
there, the man is uneafy, and, as it were,
out of his element ; and the profpeft of
any lucrative purchafe, or any fenfual
enjoyment upon earth, is what he takes
more delight to think of, than all the
eternal joys and glories of heaven.
2. Another mark by which we may
know whether we have furrendered our
hearts to God, is, our readinefs to part
with any thing that comes in competi
tion with his love and fervice. In vain
do we pretend to love God, while we
prefer any thing to his friendship and
favour, or chufe to fin, rather than to
fuffer, when his providence is pleafed to
call us to a ftate of differing. — It is true,
a man may not always have an opportu
nity of having his love put to any Severe
trial of this kind.' — In times of peace
and profperity, his religion and his
worldly intereft may go hand in hand
together. — But even then, the man who
truly loves God, will endeavour to*be
always in a readinefs or preparation of
mind, to part with- all his worldly en
joyments, if need be, rather than offend
his God, or wound the peace of his own
confcience.— Not but it is poffible a man
G 3 may

is.6 Our Affedions ought to be
may deceive himfelf as to this point,
until he is brought to an actual trial. —
An over-confident perfon may, like St.
Peter, imagine that tie would die for his
God, rather than deny or offend him;
whilft, on the other hand, a fincere, but
humble and timorous Christian, may be
very apt to fear, that, fhould God put
him to any fuch fevere trial of his love,
his faith and his courage would fail hiim
But the beft way to judge of ourfelves
as to this point, is to confider our beha
viour at prefent, and whether we have
already, for God's fake, chearfully and,
heartily given up thofe things, which
either his word has commanded us to
part with, or his providence has feen fit
to take from us.
For example — God has commanded
;-cs to put away from us all our corrupt
and vile lufts ; to fubdue and mortify
all our fenfual and diforderly affections.
But he who will not do this upon God's
command, we may depend upon it, will
never part with his life for God's fake.
He that cannot endure the little Severi
ties of mortification, will hardly endure
the pains of martyrdom.
Again, — We are Jifcrictly commanded bv

Difc. VII. fixed on God only. 127
by God to beftow a proportionable Share
of the temporal good thi rigs which he
hath given us, upon the needy and ne-
ceSfitous. — But he who will not be per-
Suaded to do this ; . he.who cannot find
in his heart, notwithstanding all our
Lord's Strong commands, and mod
bountiful promifes, to expend any con
siderable part of his worldly goods in
pious and charitable ufes ; you may be
certain,, if Chrift fhould call him to
fbrfake all, and follow hirii, he would
turn his back upon his call; arid though
perhaps, like the rich young man in the
gOfpel, he might go" away Torrowfu.l, an
being loth to leave his hopes of heaven-
yet away he would go, leaving Chrift,
and cleaving to this world.
Once more. God, in his infinitely
wife and good .providence, Often fees fit
to deprive us, thbugh hot of all, yet
perhaps of fome of our greateft worldly
props and comforts, — The wife Of out
bofom, the child of our affections, or
the friend whom we love as our own
foul, is taken from us ;— or our enemies
are permitted, iri fome greaij degree, to
prevail againft us, and to deprive us of
fome considerable part" of our fubftance,
G.4., by

J28 Our AffeSions ought to be
by force or fraud, by oppreffion or injuf-
tice, in fome Shape or other ; or Storms
and tempefts, or fpme one or other of
thofe events which we commonly, though
very improperly, term accidents, have
overtaken us, and reduced us to poverty,
or at leaft brought us much nearer to it
than we were before. — Now, he who can
not fubmit to any thing of this kind,
with that humility, patience, calmnefs,
and refignation which God requires, but
either becomes quite funk and difpirited
under his affliction, or breaks out into
violence, impatience, and murmuring
againft Providence s this man, we may
be certain, would never voluntarily part
with life and all, for the fake of God and
a good confcience.— In fine, no covetous,
voluptuous, or ambitious man, while he
remains fuch, will ever love or rclifh the
doctrine of the crofs, or take it up, if he
can Shun it.
But, on the other hand, the truly
mortified Chriftian, whofe heart is dead
to this world, and Spiritually rifen with
Chrift ; who lives the life of God, and
endeavours to ferve him, and do his,
duty faithfully in time of peace ; let not
fnch an one be over-folicitous what he
would

Difc. VII. fixed on God only. 129
would do in time of perfecution :- let
him only refolve to do what he ought,.
and humbly depend upon the grace and
goodnefs of God to fupport and enable
him.— Let him comfort himfelf with th?
fure promife of God to all good Christi
ans, which is made by St. Paul * ; God is>
faithful, who will not fuffer yo.u to be'
tempted above what ye are able to bear ;
but will with the temptation alfo make a
way to efcape,' that ye may be able to bear-
it."?— Another ftrong mark of our having.
given our hearts to God;, is, our having.
earneft longings and defires for that
bleffed place,, where the moft perfect,
enjoyment of him is to be found. — The
man whofe body is burnt up with a
raging fever, may as well not defire a.
drop of water to cool his tongue, as the
foul will fail of defiring to be in heaven,.
where it looks for the enjoyment of the
fupreme object of its love. — Every man*
who knows and confiders what it is to
be completely and eternally happy, muft
defire it; and whoever has .a well-
grounded hope of it, cannot but long.,
* \ Cor. x. 13,
G 5 for

i so Ouf AffeSions ought to be
for it. The Supreme Being is fo lovely
in himfelf, and his attractions fd ftrong,
that due and frequent contemplations on
them cannot but excite the moft earneft:
defires of being as clofely and intimately
united to them as 'tis poflible for a crea
ture to be. The foul will pant for
God, as the hart panteth after the water-
brooks : !lt will (as the Pfalmift expreff-
eth it) be athirft for Qod, even for the liv*
ing God, and long to appear before bisprt-
Jtnce. It will find nothing in heaven but
him,' nor any thing on earth defirable in
comparifon of him ; and will therefore,
with St. Paul, have a defire to depart
from this vain world, and to be with Chrift,
which is better.— If we do not find in
^ourfelves thefe longings and defires after
our heavenly blifs, 'tis certainly owing
to fome defect in our love of God, and-
that the joys and glories of heaven have
not yet made a fuffkient impreffion upon
our hearts ; for, had we the tafte and
reliSh for them that they deferve, had
they once captivated our affections, they
wOuld not fail to raife in us a propoN.:
tionablccontempt of all inferior enjoy
ments : they \SOuM make us ready to
cry out, in the words of the Pfalmift,, OtbaP

Difc. VII. fixed on God only. 131
O that I bad wings like a dove ; for then
would I flee away, and be at refti
But, 4-thly, The laft and fureft mark
of all, of our love to God, is, our fincere
and univerfal obedience to his laws ; our
endeavouring, without referve or excep
tion, to keep all his commandments. —
And this I fhall endeavour to prove and
illustrate unto you fully, on another oc
casion. In the mean time, and indeed
frequently throughout the whole courfe
of our lives, let us lift up our hearts to
God, and make our addreffes to him, in
thofe excellent words of the church,
" * O God, who haft prepared for them
" that love thee fuch good things as pafs
"man's understanding; pour into our
" hearts fuch love towards thee, that
" we, loving thee above all things, may
" obtain thy promifes, which exceed
" all that we can defire, through Jefus
[* Chrift our Lord."

* Colled for the 6th Sunday after.Trinitjv

G6 DIS-

DISCOURSE VIII.

THE
FORMER SUBJECT
CONTINUED.

C 133 ]

Proverbs xxiii. 26.
My fin, give me thy heart.

A LL religions, and each different fecY
of every religion, are agreed ia
making the love of God to be, as our
Saviour calls it, the firft and great com
mandment:- and all- men, who pretend to
any religion at all, will profefs that they
love God ; that he is the fovereign
mafter of their hearts and affections.
Yet nothing is more certain, than that
too many deceive themfelves as to this
point; and that, however much the love
of God may be in their mouths, his great
rfoaf, this 'workk has the real poflfeflion
of their hearts.
In ord&r then to gtotfd us agatnfivde-'
7 ceiving

I $6 Our Affeclions ought to be
eeiving ourfelves in this manner, I pro*
pofed to lay down certain marks, or to
kens, whereby we may be able to
judge whether we have fincerely given
our hearts to God, as our chief good, or
have fet them upon fome other object.
And of thefe I mentioned the three fol
lowing: ift, That if God be realty poffeffed
of our hearts and affections, he will be
always upperrnoft, or moft frequently,.
in our thoughts. So that though the
neceffities of this life, or the Station
wherein God hath placed us in the
world, may employ us outwardly ; yet
ftiil in our hearts and. minds we Shall be
often Soaring above all thefe fublunary
things,, and darting our- thoughts to that
happy place where our chief treafure is
to be found.
2dly, That another mark of our hav
ing yielded and given up our hearts to
God, is, our readinefs to part with. any
thing -that comes in competition with.
his love and fervice. —When God calls
us to a ftate of Suffering, if we chufe to
make free with our conference and our
duty, and to fin rather than to fuffer j,
or if, when any temporal lofs or afflic tion

Difc. VIII. fixed on God only. 137
Uon comes upon us, we do not bear it
with that resignation and- patience, that
calmnefs and ready acquiefcence in the
Divine will, which God requires ; this is
a ftrong fymptom that there is fome
other objeft, which holds a higher place
than God in our hearts and affections.
And, even when we are not in a State of
actual differing, yet, if we truly love
God, we Shall always endeavour to be in
a readinefs and preparation of mind for
it, Should it happen to be our lot—
And I pointed out, likewife, the bell rules
whereby to judge whether our love to
God would Stand a trial of this kind, in
cafe we were put to it.
3dly, Another mark of our love to
God, is, our having earneft defires and
longings for that bleffed place, where
the moft perfect enjoyment of him is to
be found. The heart that is duly im
pregnated with divine love, will look
with contempt upon all other enjoy
ments, and often and earneftly defire to
be difmiSfed from this vain, troublefome
world, and to be with Chrift, which is
better. All thefe topics I fpcke to in my for
mer difcourfe 5 and concluded with men
tioning

138 Our Affections ought to be~
tioning one other mark of our love to
God, which I am now to infift upon,
and that is, fincere and univerfal obedi
ence to his commandments. — This is
the fureft mark of any-, and accordingly
is, as it were; the only teft of our love
that God himfelf in the fcripture con
stantly requires. — Thus, when' he fays,
in my text, My fan, give me thy heart, it
immediately follows; as a proof of our
having done fo, and let thins eyes obferve*
my ways.-*So' likewife, in Mofes'S laft
exhortation to the Ifraelites *, he tells
them, And niv),- Ifrael', what doth the Lord
thy God require of thee, but tv fear the
Lord thy God, and' to -kve him J and to1
•boalk in all his ways; and to ferve the
Lord thy God with dll thy heart, and with-'-
Ml thy foul; to keep the commandments of
the Lord, and hisftatutes, which I command.
thee this day, for thy good?— And our Sa
viour himfelf inculcates the fame thing,,
Still more distinctly and ftrongly; and.
that, no doubt, becaufe he forefawj that,
though this be: the beft and clearest evi
dence of their love to G6d,yet it is the,
one. that many men would chiefly wilLto;
* Beut. x. jz*
ba

Difc. VIII. fixed on God only. 139
be difpenfed witti. If ye love me (fays
he) keep my commandments : He that hath
my commandments, andkeepeth them, be it is
that lovetb me *. Agreeably to which,
his beloved difciple (who, as he leaned
more nearly upon his matter's breaft,
feems, in this point, to have been more
particularly infpired with his Lord's
Sentiments) tells us, in his Firft Epifth%
Whofo keepetb bis word* in him verily is
the love of God perfected. Hereby know we
that we are in Mm : For this is the love >
tf God, that we keep his commandments.
And again, in his 2d Epiftle, ver. 6. TMs+
faith he, is love, that we walk after bis '
commandments.*— 'And indeed, what is ra
tional love ? or what is the principal
effect that it produced*? Is it not a
defire to pleafe the perfon belovfed, and •
a complacency and fatisfactiori in pleat
ing him ? — Now, the only way whereby -
we can pleafe God, is by fincerely en
deavouring to obey his holy laws, and
to become as like him as we can, in
thofe virtues and moral perfections '
which he hath propofed for our imita
tion. And therefore, till we find this
• St. Johnxiv. *$, 21. proof

1.40 Oar Affections ought to de
proof of our love to God, let us not reft
fatisfied with any other.— We may, per
haps, think and fpeak of God in high-
raptures of admiration and praife ; and,.
if we are naturally of a warm imagina
tion and Strong paflions, we may fancy
that thefe rapturous thoughts and ex-
preffions are fuffkient evidences of our
love, and that while we employ our
felves in fuch delightful contemplations-
as that of admiring the Divine perfec
tions and excellencies, we need not be
fbjlicitous, or very Scrupulous, as to the
exactnefs.of our obedience to the Divine
laws.— But this is a moft unwarrantable
and^£ated~dfiJrUfi.Qn ; — for, as they who-
tisanfgrefs, or neglect to obey the Divine
laws, are itileithe-eriemies of God, and
are faid to hate him, and to be at vari-
- ance or enmity with him ; fo 'tis only
thofe who pay a chearful and univerfal
obedience to his commands,, that he will
look upon as having truly loved him. — ?¦
Ye. are my friends, fays our Saviour, if ye
do whatsoever I command you * : and his
words are Still more emphatical ; Wha^
foever fhall do the will of my Father who:
* St. John xv. 14. » is

Difc. VHI. fixed on God only: 141
is in heaven, the fame is my brother, and
fifter, and mother *. Plainly telling us,
that he will acknowledge no relation,
but what arifes from religion only, nor
regard any declaration or profeflion of
love towards him, which is not accom
panied with obedience to his commands.
And this, by the way, may be matter
¦of great comfort to many fincere and
pious Christians, -who really love, and
fear, and ferve God, and make it appear
that they do fo, by a regular, virtuous,
and religious life ; but yet, becaufe they
do -not feel in themfelves that fenfible
•warmth of affection, or thofe fublime
tranfports which fome pretend to, or
perhaps really have* they are apt to be
afraid, and fufpect that they do not love
God Sincerely, and as they ought. But
let not fuch perfons be difcouraged -,
for though I cannot, as fome do, defpife
all ,pious heats and tranfports, and im
pute them wholly to enthufiafm ; yet
certain it is, we muft not truft too much
to them, as if they were the only infal
lible marks of true love to God. — -They
may often proceed from mere mechanical
caufes, as I may fay ; from the tempe-
* St. Matt. xii. 50. rature

442 Qur Affections ought toll
srature of our body, and the warmth of
ourpaffions and imagination ; and where
they are not accompanied with a holy
and virtuous life, they, are of no value,
nor in the leaft to be depended upon.
-But when a man is confcious to himfelf,
that it is his chief Study and care to
pleafe and imitate God ; to Obey all his
commands, and become as like him as
paSfible, in truth, righteoufnefs, and
goodnefs; he needs no other; — he can
have no furer evidence, that his heart
is fincere and right towards God ; — for, as
the' tree is known by its fruits, even fo
is the love of God bed and moft furely
known by a fincere, univerfal, con
stant, and chearful obedience to his com
mandments.  And thus I have dif-
patched the firft general head of my
difcourfe; and pointed out feveral marks
and tokens by which (and efpecially by
the laft of them) we may be able to
judge, whether or not we have really
given God the poffeffion of our hearts.
Allow me now to mention fome motives
•a-nd considerations to perfwade us thus
to. give our hearts to God ; i. e. to look
upan him as our fupreme goo4 and
make

Difc. VIII. fixed on God only. 143
make him the great object of our af
fections. lft. Let me obferve, that this is the
only way to enable us to bear the af
flictions and difficulties, we muft una
voidably meet with in this life, with
fortitude, equanimity, and constancy.
Man is born to trouble, as the Jpazks fly
upward : and this is the peculiar ad
vantage of the Chriftian difpenfation,
that it alone can furnifh men with a
juft and reafonable fupport, under all
poSfible calamities and fufferings. — The
infidel, when dangers and calamities
Surround him,, has nothing to do, but
defperately and wretchedly give himfelf
up for loft ; and either meanly fink un
der them, or madly endeavour to end
them (as too many do) by ruShing on his
own destruction.— -But the good Chrif
tian, .who loves God, and has a wellr
.grounded hope of the eternal enjoyr
ment._of him in heaven, has a moft
noble. foundation for courage and con
stancy ; has reafon not only to. endure,
but even to defpife the greateft ca
lamities he can meet with in this world. —
Let the ambitious man lofe his friends, his

144 Offl 'AffeCtiom -ought to be
his health, : Or his eftate ; yet, if the
darling of his thoughts, his honour, and
his fame, continue entire, his Spirit will
ftill keep up. — Let a voluptuous man
be Stripped of his credit and good name,
yet his pleafures and fenfuality, while
they remain, will relieve and comfort
himy — or, let a covetous mifer have both
pleafure and honour taken from'hifn;
yet, fo long as his bags' are full, and
the golden- heaps glifter in his eyes,
other loffes will affect him but little. —
And juft fo it is with the man whofe
treafure is in heaven •, whofe heart and
affections are fincerely devoted to his
God. -'—Secure of his favour, he looks
with a kind of holy indifference and
Contempt upon every thing elfe that
can be taken from him. — He fees the
captain of his falvation made perfect
through fufferings, and leading him
the way to eternal glory, through po
verty, perfecutions, and death r-^-Why
then Should he grudge to fuffer, with,
and like his Redeemer ; when he knows
he Shall be infallibly glorified with him ?
To be fure, it is only our Letting too
great a value upon any of our temporal
comforts or bleflings, that makes us fo

Pifc. VIII.' fixed onGod only. 145
fo extremely unhappy when we are
obliged to part with them. We take
up the complaint of Micah *, and are
ready to cry out, Ye have taken away-
my gods, and what hdve I more ? for
whatever a man fets his heart moll.
upon, that he makes his god, and adores,
whether he be fenfible of it or not ;
an'd' therefore, when he is deprived of
this, as fome time or other every man'
muft be of all that this world affords,"
no wonder if he: becomes Spiritlefs and
Wretched, abject and'forlo'rn.
But the man whofe heart and affec-'
ribns are in heaven, is Subject to no fuch
diftrefs or disappointment:. He does not
account any -thing here his chief good;
and therefore, though he may feem troiiJ-
b.led on every fide, yet he is not diftreST-
ed ¦, though perplexed, he is not in de-
fpair •, though perfecuted, he is not
forfaken ; though cflft dbwn, yet he is
not dedroyed; yea, though to appear
ance in a Sorrowful State and condition, '
yet is he always rejoicing. — Such is the
account St. Paul makes of himfelf jand
the other apoftles, in the midft of all
their; per fee utions ahd Sufferings ; and
* Judg. xviii. 24.
H the

146 Our Affections ought to be
the fame is proportionably true of every
fincere and pious Chriftian : however
hard his lot may feem to be, and however
great his outward fufferings, he has a
fund of joy within him, that the whole
world is not able to take from him.
His piety may not indeed be able to
fecure his temporal eftate ; but it can
make his calling and election fure ; it
can fecure to him the love, an'd favour,
and eternal enjoyment of his God,
which are infinitely and unfpeakably
more valuable than all the eftates, plea
fures, and greatnefs of the world.
And this leads me to oblerve, in the
fecond place, That by thus Setting our
hearts upon God, and upon the glorious
and bleSfed State he hath provided for us,
we Shall not only fortify ourfelves a-
gainft all misfortunes, but even -find
more prefent joy and delight, than the
world and all that is in it can give us.
— All earthly enjoyments whatsoever
are mixed and imperfect ; they are too
worthlefs and mean in their very nature
to fatisfy the heart of man ; that heart
which God made for his own peculiar
ufe, and on purpofe that he might dwell
in it himfelf. — So that let the man of
this

Difc. VIII. fixed on God only. 147
this world, from among all his enjoy
ments, fingle out that one which he
thinks the belt, the fulleft, and moft re
fined of all, and offer it to his reafon and
affections ; and after he has poffeffed it to
the utmoft, then let him fay, if he can,
With this I am fatisfied -, here I have all
that I can defire and wifh for. — No, they
may be furfeited, but they cannot be fa
tisfied ! And therefore we fee them al
ways running about in quell of fome
new object, to fupply the defects of
their former enjoyments. And befides
all this, the poffeSfion of all our worldly
comforts is fo very uncertain, that this
alone is enough to Strike a damp upon
our hearts, even when in the fulleft frui
tion of them.— On the other hand, the
pleafures of the mind are more rational
and pure ; and when thefe pleafures arife
from the profpects that religion gives
us, they are ever more and more en
tertaining and reviving. — They grow in
ftrength as we grow in age ; and are .
never vinfeafonable or diftafleful. For
they fill the mind with a chearfulnefs
and ferenity, which attends it at all
times, and upon all occafions. Hence
the apoftle exhorts us fo earneftly,
H 2 " Rejoice

148 Our Affections- ought to be
" Rejoice in the Lord always, and again
" / fay rejoice." — As if he had faid ;
Be constant in reflecting on your re
demption in Chrift, and the inheritance
which he has purchafed for you; and
you will find fuch a fund of joy and
comfort, as cannot be exhausted. And
indeed, what words can exprefs that in
ward delight and confolation, which
muft flow in upon the mind of a good
man, when he looks up to his God, and
thinks upon the joys and glories of Hea
ven ? How low and contemptible muft
all earthly things appear to the heart
that is thus exalted ? and how great
muft be the comfort of expecting from
heaven the Lord Jefus Chrift, who fhall
change this vile body, that it may be fa-
fhioned like unto his glorious body, accord
ing to the mighty working, whereby he is able
to fubdue all things unto himfelf? 
Let us then be perfuaded to raife our
thoughts frequently from things tempo
ral to things eternal, and to have our
converfation in heaven, whilft we fo-
journ here on earth, that we may here
after be admitted to the everlafting
enjoyment and poffeflion of it. — Inftead
of amufing ourfelves with vain airy
fchemes

Difc. VIII. fixed on God only. 149
fchemes of fuccefs. and pleafure here,
let us fix our thoughts on that folid
and Substantial happinefs hereafter,
which nothing but our own perfeve-
rance. in fin can deprive us of. — Let
us often entertain our fouls with the
love of God, and of the bleffed Jefus -,
and with the tranfporting pleafures of
that glorious place, where the Divine
prefence is moft eminently displayed *
the hallelujahs of angels, the fhouts of
victory, the fruit of the tree of life, the
Streams that water the Paradife of God.
Let us think how inexpreffible the Di
vine goodnefs is, that fo gracioufly of
fers thefe inestimable treafures to us j
and how unbounded the love of our
bleffed Redeemer, who died to fecure
them unto us.— Such contemplations,
if Steadily purfued, will bring us equal
profit and delight ; they will gradually
wean our hearts from all inordinate af
fection to any thing here "below ; they
will leffen our complaints, Strengthen;
our resolutions, and help us to rejoice
every day more and more, in hopes of
the glory of God. — It is matter of daily
complaint among the fons of men, that
our afflictions here are great, our tempi-
H 3 ' tations

150 OurAffeClionsoughtto.be
tations ftrong, and our comforts Small.—
If then we defire to make our- uneafineis
lefs, our enjoyments greater, and our
temptations weaker, let us throw the
comforts and profpects of religion into
the balance againft them ; and we fhall
foon feel the happy effect. Let us but fix
our eyes Steadily on the recompence of
¦reward, and that will break the force
of the Strongest temptations. — Let us
think of the joys and pleafures of
heaven ; and that will make us eafily
bear with all the fatigues and in-
cpnveniencies of our journey thither.—
Let us often confider, that we have
but a little way to go, till we reach
our father's houfe ; the glories of which
are fo refplendent, as to extinguish even
the light of the fun ; and where the
faints and fervants of God, being fixed
in the Divine prefence, enjoy one per
petual and everlatling day, enlightened
"by the great Sun of Righteoufnefs, who
js always rifing, and never fets.-— Thefe
considerations, if duly imprinted upon
our minds, are enough to overcome even
the terrors of the grave itfelf ; and to
make us embrace with pleafure that
momentary death, which thus opens the
door to an eternal weight of glory. — Let us

Difc. VIII. fixed on God only. 15*
us then be ftedfaft and immoveable, always
abounding in the work of the Lord, foraf-
much as we know,- that our labour is not in
vain in the Lord. — Let us Shew, not only
by our words, but much more by our
actions, that God has really the poffef-
fion of our hearts ; for this we may de
pend upon as an infallible truth, thad
unlefs we fend our hearts to heaven> be
fore us, we ourfelves Shall never- be al
lowed to enter there.-

H 4. ' D I

DISCOURSE IX.
OBSERVANCE OF GOD'S LAWS,.
THE ONLY TRUE WISDOM.

Hi

[ 155 ]

Psalm cxix. 34.
Give me Under/landing, and I fhall keep
thy Law>-

1^7 1'S DOM, -or understanding, is' a
thing which all men are apt to
value themfelves upon ; and yet^ alas !
they who value themfelves the moft
on this account, have commonly the
leaft reafon for it. — It is indeed the
moft excellent of all human accomplish
ments; and yet,, few men feem to un
derstand wherein the true excellency of
it confifts. — Some think themfelves very
wife, if they can but look deeper than
other men, and fearch ouc the nature of
thofe things that are uncommon and
abftrule :— others think.themfelves very
H . 6 under--

156" Ohfervance of God's Laws,
understanding;, if they can but look far
ther than other men, and take in a wide^
compafs of things that are remote, and.
fnfignificant :™whereas, the only way
to excel in wifdom, is to look higher
than other men ; to make heaven the
object' of our contemplation, and reli
gion the rule of pur life. — Which great
truth is evidently implied in thewords
of my text. Give me underftanding, fays
the Pfalmift, and I fhall keep^ thy law ;
plainly teaching us, that the religious
man is the only wife man ; the only one
who has any juft pretence to under
ftanding, or true wifdom. — For, man, if
he acts as a rational Being, muft act from
proper motives and inducements ; and
all his actions mult have a tendency to
fome wife and good end.— With refpect
to himfelf, the main end, of all, is the
perfection and happinefs of his nature;
the attainment of fuch a ftate, as will be
moft blifsful and moft lafting: and. to
purfue this end with conftancy, and by
juft andproper meafures, is true wif
dom ;— as every deviation from it, or
miftake concerning it, is an equal de
gree of madnefs and folly. From all
which it follows, that whatever bids
faireft

Difc. IX. the only true Wifdom. i 57
faireft to rectify men's errors in judg
ment and practice, with relation to the
true happinefs and perfection of human
nature, thatfcheme, whatever it be, has
the jufteft title to be called wifdom, or
the perfection of understanding. — This
is what the Scripture always afcribes to
religion, or the fear and the love of God,
and the obfervance of his laws. As Job
fays *, " The fear of the Lord, that is
wifdom, and to depart from evil, is un-
" derftanding." " The fear of the Lord
(fays the Pfalmift) is the beginning of
" wifdom -, a good under/landing have all
" they that do thereafter." And Solo
mon, throughout the whole book of
Proverbs,diStinguiShes religious and irre
ligious men by the oppofite titles of wifer
men and fools. — In difcourfing there
fore upon this fubject, my general de-
fign is, to fhew, that this teftimony of
the excellency of religion is by no means
partial, or too favourable ; but that it is
exactly agreeable to truth, and the na
ture of things. And this I hope will fuf-
ficiently appear from thefe following
confiderations. ift, That the end re-
* xxviii. 28. ligioij

egfT Obfervdnce of God's 'Laws;
ligion propofes,is themoftnobleand moft
worthy of a rational foul.— 2dly, That
this end is not imaginary, or beyond our
reach, but attainable by us.— ^dly, That
when attained; ifwillfully anfwer all our
expectations and defires. — And 4thly,
That, even before the chief and ulti
mate end of it is attained, it will in the
mean time have the moil happy influ
ence upon us, in all our other circum
ftances, employments, and purfuits. — --
Each of thefe points I Shall" endeavour
to illuftrate : — only give me leave, to
premife this general obfervation.
The greater part of the follies and dif-
appointmerits of mankind ; or, rather, I'
may fay, all of them, proceed from one or
other of thefe caufes : — that they either
propofe to themfelves low and bafeends ;
or fuch as are abfolutely, or probably at
leaft, out of their reach ; and conse
quently, all their labour, in the purfuit
of thefe things, is vain : — or, if they at*
tain, what they propofed at firft, they
find little or no fatisfaction in thefe
things, and confequently are as miser
able- as- when without them : — or, laft of
all, they involve themfelves in purpoSes
and. purfuits, which are contradictory, or

Difc. IX. the only true Wifdom. v$g
or inconsistent the one with the other :
and this neceffarily occafions to them a
great deal of pain and difquiet.— He then
muft furely deferve the noble character
and appellation of the wifeft and moft'
prudent of men, who purfues. the moft
noble ends, provided they are attain
able, or fairly within his reach ; and pro
vided likewife, that they will be Suffi
cient to anfwer all his purpofes when'
Attained ; and, in the mean time, and'
while he is in purfuit of them, will in-r
volve him in no perplexity or felf-coni
tradiction, but will on the contrary tend;
more than any thing elfe, to his prefent
happinefs and peace.— And how far this-
is the religious man's cafe, is what Inow
propofe to Shew, from- the feveral consi
derations, which I am to fpeak. to.
ift, then; I fay, the end which religion
propofes to man, is the moft noble and'
moft worthy of a rational foul. —For,
what end is fo noble and worthy in it
felf, as the procuring- the love and fa
vour of Almighty God, and the ad
vancing his glory in -the world ? What-
end fo worthy of a rational foul, .as that
of anfwering the defigns for which God
brought it intobeing ?— Now, thefe are the

\6q Obfervance of God's Laws,
the very ends which religion propofes.j
thefe are the ends which the good man
purfues both Steadily and confidently;.
and which he takes the wifeft and moft ef
fectual methods to attain.-— Every intelli
gent Being, who allows himfelf to think
at all, muft be fepfible of his dependence
on that Supreme Being, to whom he
owes himfelf and all that he has ; and on
whofe favour, or difpleafure his.happi-_
nefs or mifery muft depend. — Every
man of common fenfe muft know, how,
little he can really do for himfelf ; be
caufe he can neither govern the powers..
of nature, nor eqmmand the paflions
and . appetites of -his fellow-creatures j.
and yet experience muft convince him,,
that without he were able to do this, he
cannot prolong his own existence, or fe
cure any one of his enjoyments fo much
as for a moment.— -Now, when a mam
thus finds that he cannot, by himfelf,
command his own happinels, pray* what
is he to do ? Why, furely, if -he has any
true wifdom,.;his- next recourfe will be to>
Him who is beft able,, and moft willing
to fecure it : and this can only be the,
God of nature, whofe knowledge is in
finite,, and his power boundlefs. — He
alone

Diic. IX. 'the only true Wifdom; 1 6" i
alone can know the various wants and
diftreffes of men ; he alone can, with any
certainty, remove and redrefs them : and
therefore, the fecuring his love and
friendship, his affiftance and protection,
is furely the wifeft end that . any man
can purfue. — Now, if this be our unr
derftanding, to labour after the love and
favour of God, religion alone can be
this true wifdom : for both our own
-reafon, and his divine revelation, agree in
telling us, that this is the only proper
means for procuring his favour and af-
.fiftance. — For, - religion is plainly no
thing elfe but the SilialYear and love of
God, and the yielding a conftant and
uniform obedience to his will, fo far as
it is known to us, or difcoverable by us.
And as it is. our wifdom to purfue it,
becaufe it is fo very beneficial unto us ;
'fo there is another thing which Shews
clearly the intrinfic wifdom of religion in
itfelf, and Strongly recommends it to us
in that light ; namely, becaufe it is one
conftant, regular, and Steady principle
of action. — Accordingly, we may See
in fact, that the good man. is ever
fteady and confiftent.— He has one ge
neral or chief, point in view, which he
knows

1 62 Obfervance of God's Lawf,
knows to be well worthy of all his la
bours ; and therefore he purfues it with
all the vigour and uniformity it deferves.-
All his actions tend one way ; all1 his
thoughts and reflections center in it.
We certainly muft be fenfible, that no
thing argues greater folly and weaknefs
of mind, than to be ever veering from
point to point ; to be now in purSiiit of
one thing, then of another ; changing
and Shifting the objects of our defire, or
at leaft the methods of attaining them,
almoft as often as our drefs : this mani
festly implies, either a want of judg
ment in the cFIoice of our objects,, or
levity and inconfiftency in the purfuit
of them. And it is therefore a farther
and moft convincing argument of the
religious man's wifdom, that he never
finds reafon to alter his choke.— Ex
perience confirms his judgment of
things; and every Step he takes in. his
progrefs-in piety, difco vers- new charms
and lovelinefs in it,and attaches his heart
more and more to it: the farther he
proceeds, the more encouragement he
fipds ; and the more he reflects, or looks
back upon what is paft, the more he is
convinced, that it muft be his beft un
derstanding.

Difc. IX. the only true Wifdom. 1&3
derftanding to purfue the end for
which he was created ; and that he can
no otherwise do this, than by a truly
religious courfe of life. — Indeed, I am
afraid it may too.juftly be faid, that
there are but very few, who bfftow any
ferious or lading thought upon the
end for which God gave them a Being ;
yea, made them rational Beings, i. e. en
dued them with a power of thinking,
and a liberty as to their moral actions.
When we confider this, what can we
fuppofe to have been the defign of an
all-wife and all-good Being, in creating
us thus, but that it was in order to our
difplaying his honour and glory, in the
contemplation and imitation of his na
ture and works ; to magnify his good
nefs, and imitate his perfections ; and to
improve thofe noble faculties which he
has given us, by dedicating them to his
fervice; and by employing thern, as far
as we are able, in the fame or like acts of
goodnefs and benevolence to others, of
which God has given us fo wonderfully
Shining an example, in every part of the
creation ? Lfay, what end lefs noble can
we fuppofe worthy of an all-perfedt and
infinitely good B.eing,,when he exerted hi&

1 04 Obfervdnce of God's 'Laws,
his Almighty power in giving us life
and reafon ? And what is it to purfue
this end, in a regular and uninterrupted
courfe, but, in other words, to be reli
gious,? to believe in, obey, and glo
rify the God who made and redeemed
us ; to improve and perfecft the foul
that animates Us ; and to love, comfort,
and do good to all around us ? This, and
this only, is true religion-; .and a due
fenfe and consideration of this, is that
understanding which the Pfalmift fo de
voutly implores at the hands of God, in
the words, of my text. Give me un
derstanding, to confider what I am,
and for what purpofe I was made :— '
give me understanding, to difcern, and
wifdom attentively to weigh and con
fider what are the moft rational, the moft
noble and fublime purfuits, in which the
mind of man can be employed;— give
me this understanding, and the natural
confequence will be, that I Shall keep
thy law. — For, the laws of God are the
only means to attain thefe glorious
ends ; they lead us through the feveral
Steps, by which we muft advance to this
final perfection : and therefore, to obey
them is to know wifdom and inftruc-
tion, and to perceive the words of un
derstanding.

Difc. IX.- the only true Wifdom. 165
derftanding. — '—Which wifdom will ftill
further appear, when we have confi--
dered the Second particular I propofed
to Speak unto ; viz. That the end which
religion propofes, is not only thus noble,
but is likewife attainable by us.
If it be wifdom to purfue the moft
noble ends, it is only fo, on condition
that they be within our reach.— To em
ploy our labour and application in the
reach of any abfent good, how eXcellentr
Soever in itfelf, which we can never'at-:
tain, were vain and unprofitable, and
therefore, very foolifh.— And yet, this*
mark of folly evidently appears in
moft of thofe views, which the world
calls greaf and noble. For, worldly
men fet their hearts and affections upon
things that are quite out of their own
power ; they propofe attainments not
only difficult and uncertain, but many
of them absolutely out of their reach ;.
and therefore Such purfuits muft needs
end in certain Sorrow and difappoinu
ment. — Riches, for example, neither
are, nor can be, every man's portion^
and power and diftinction are the allot
ments only of a few* But every one
knows, that many, , yea very many, place

i€6 Obfervance of God's Laws,
place their whole happinefs in thefe
things •, and' therefore, the far greater
part of that multitude muft neceffarily
confume their days in vanity, and their
years in fruitlefs trouble. And ac
cordingly, when their days are near an
end, and death begins to Stare them in
the face, many of them are then inge
nuous enough to acknowledge, that their
whole life has been foolishly wafted in
mere delufive dreams, and in hunting
after Shadows. — But the religious man
has this advantage, that he cannot be
difappointed. — Thq excellent end he
jpurfues, he is fure to compafs : it is
not in the power of men or devils to
baulk him of it, either by force or
fraud.— It is in every man's power to
believe the truths of religion ; to be
chalte and temperate, juft and benevo
lent, humble, pious, and devout : he
may, if he will, through the aid of Di
vine grace, which is never wanting to
any man, if he be not wanting to him
felf; I fay, he may be continually en
deavouring to improve his own facul
ties, and to promote the honour of. his
Maker.— Every advance in chriftian
graces and virtues, is a Step to perfec tion ;

Difc. IX. the only true Wifdom. 167
tion ; and whoever does moft good to
others, is fure to do moft fervice to
himfelf : he is fure to improve his own
mind, and to pleafe his God : he is fure
to draw down upon himfelf the blef-
flngs of Heaven, and to procure the
afiiftance of God's Holy Spirit : he is
fure to meet with no difficulty in his
way, which will be too hard for him to
conquer, and to bellow no labour, which
fhall not meet with an abundant reward.
And therefore, to labour after a con
fidence void of offence towards God and
towards man, is every man's true wif
dom ; becaufe it is purfuing an end not
only great, but within his reach. — It is
in his own power, through the grace of
his bleSIed Redeemer, to improve daily
in it ; and by fo doing, fecure that hap
pinefs hereafter, which will exceed his
expectation, and is beyond expreffion.
And this would naturally lead me to
the third confideration, by which I pro-
pofed to ihew the wifdom of religion ;
viz. That the end which it has in view, is
not only the moft noble, and moft eafily
attainable; but, when attained, will fully
anfwer all our expectations and defires.
But I Shall defer fpeaking to this now, and

1 68 Obfervance of God's Laws,:
and conclude at prefent with a Short im-'
provement of what you have already
heard.- — — And here let me addrefs my
felf in particular to thofe who ' are
young, and who are yet but entering
upon the world, and have had little or
no experience of the vanity of all Sub- ;
lunary things. To thefe the feveral
objects of' fenfe are continually pre-
fenting themfelves ; the gaudy phan
toms of honours, riches, or fenfual plea
fures, are dancing before their eyes,
courting and folliciting their affections,
and each of them, as it were, crying
with a loud voice, Here ! and here only,
is true happinefs to be found ! Whilst
wicked and irreligious men are, both
by their example and difcourfe, ex-
preffing their contempt of -every thing
facred and ferious : : and, though their
heart does not fail, very- often, to give:
the lie to their tongue, they affect to
treat a life of regular piety and Strict
virtue, with the ftrongeft ridicule and
fcorn. — Hence it is that the young and
unwary are led fo early into the paths
of vice ; and taught to defpife all the
maxims and precepts of true wifdom.
They are encouraged- to follow Solo-'
jnon's

/

Difc. IX. the only true Wifdom. 1 69
mon's ironical advice, as if he had^been
really in earneft when he faid, " Re*
" joke, 0 young man, in tlry youth,- and
" let thy heart chear thee in the days of
" thy youth, and walk in the ways of tliy
" heart, and the fight of thine eyes ;' buc'
they mind not the check that he gives
them in the very next words, where he
Shews them the precipices to which thefe
headftrong courfes will lead them, and
bids them be wife before it be tod late :
*' But know thou (fays he), that for all
" thefe -things God will bring thee into
" judgment" And then, as the author of
the Book of Wifdom hath beautifully
defcribed it ; " then fhall the righteous
" man ftand in great boldnefs before the
*' face of fuch as made no account of his
" labours." When they fee it, they
fhall be troubled with terrible fear, and
fhall be amazed at the ftrangenefs of his
falvation, fo far beyond, all that they
looked for. And they, repenting, and
groaning with anguiih of fpirit, Shall fay
within themfelves, We fools accounted his
" life madnefs, and his end to be without
honour : How is he numbered among the
children of God! and bis lot is among the
I faints!"

a

j 70 Obfirvance of God's Laws,
** faints !" Such will one day be the
thoughts and confeffion of thofe, who
at prefent defpife and revile religion as
a foolifh vulgar thing, and below the
notice of their more refined and en
lightened understanding, as they' vainly
imagine. — Let me therefore caution all,
but efpecially the young and unwary,
to beware of the converfation of thofe
who fpeak lightly of religion ; for, what
ever wit may feem to be in fuch dif
courfe -, and poor and falfe wit it is in
deed which is employed to fuch a pur-
pofe ; they who talk thus, are utterly
void of true wifdom ; they neither know
what they are doing here, nor confider
what is to become of them through all
eternity. — Leave it then to the men of
this world, to act and fpeak as if there
was no God in the world : thefe, how
ever high and honourable, however wife
or learned they may feem at prefent,
are utterly void of true underflanding,
and may juftly be compared to the
beads that periSh. But fay thou unto
wifdom, Thou art my fifter, and call
underflanding thy Mnfwoman : and re
member that remarkable paffage of the
Pfalmift,

Difc. IX. the onty true Wifdom. 171
PSalmift, which I quoted before, The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wifdom ;
a good underftanding have all they that do
thereafter ; the praife of it endureth for
ever.— May God grant us this true un^
derftanding;

1 2 d 1 s;

DISCOURSE X.
THE
FORMER SUBJECT
CONTINUED.

u

i 175 ]

PSALM CX1X. 34.
Give me Underftandingi and I fhall keep
thy Law.

AS man is distinguished from the
"•' lower part of the creation by the
fovereignty and excellency of his rea
fon ; fo it is expected from him, that
he fhould act up to the dignity of his
nature, and employ his life, and all his
noble faculties, to the purpofes for
which they were given him. — For a
oreature of his rank and quality to be
occupied about mere trifles, and lie
.grovelling in fenfuality ; for an heir
apparent of immortal life, to be always
purfuing the paths of death and destruc
tion ; and for the image of God's own
eternity to look- no higher than the tran-
1 4 fitory

ij6 Obfervance of God's Laws',
fitory joys of this world, and feaft his
imaginations with flefh "and fenfe ; this
is a difgrace to his extraction, a contra
diction to the end of his being, and fuch
an abufe of his Creator's favour, good
nefs, and protection, as renders him very
unworthy of its continuance, either here
or hereafter. — It is therefore incumbent
upon every man, who pretends to any
degree of wifdom, to be always culti
vating that better parr, which can only
yield him true and lading blifs; to leave
ignoble purfuits to mean and fordid
fpirits, and the enjoyments of earth to
thofe who have no knowledge or defire
of heaven ; whild his foul afpires at no
thing lei's than to be wife as an angel
here, and happy as thefe celeftial Beings
hereafter : which wifdom and happinefs
is only to be attained by the belief and
practice of true religion, and making
the laws of God the rule of our conduct.
Give me underflanding, and I fhall keep thy
law, fays the Pfalmift ; plainly intimat
ing, that they who do not obferve the
laws of God are void of understanding ;
and that true wifdom and religion go
hand in hand together.
In order to make it appear that this is

Difc. X. (he only true Wifdom> 177
is not too favourable or partial a tefti
mony concerning the wifdom and excel
lency of religion, I propofed to confider
the following particulars :
i-'ft, That the end which religion
propofes is the moft noble, and
mod worthy of a rational foul.
2dly, That this end is not imagi
nary, or beyond our reach,, but
attainable by us.
3dly, That when attained, it will
fully anfwer all our expectations
and defires.
And,. 4thly, That, till it is at
tained, it will in the mean time
have the moft happy influence
upon us, in all our other circum-
dances,. employments, and pur-
, ; fuits. ,
As to the firft of thefe, I Shewed, that
man being unable to command his own
happinefs, his trueft wifdom, and only
fafety is,, to have, recourfe to that Su
preme Being on whom it depends, and
to fecure his love and friendship, by obe
dience tohis will,, and by endeavouring,
with, all humility and gratitu.de, to an
fwer thofe gracious ends, for which God
gave him a being, and'fent him into this ,
I 5 world:.

178 'Obfervance"ofiGodxs Laws,
world: And what were thefe, but to be
lieve in, glorify, and obey the God who
made and redeemed us ; to improve and
perfect the foul that animates us ; and to
love, comfort, and do good to all around
J Us ? This, and' this only, is true reli
gion •, and a due fenfe and consideration
of this, is that underdariding which the
Pfalmid fb' devoutly implores at the
hands of God, when he fays, Give me
underflanding, ana 11 'fhall keep thy law.
As tothefecond point,Thatthis mod
noble and rational end, which religion
propofes, is attainable by Us ; I men
tioned, that they who fet their hearts
upon any other end, propofe things to
themfelves, which are' riot only at all
times difficult and uncertain, but are
_ manv times absolutely, out of their
reach : whence it is, that the far greater
part of mankind, when they draw to
wards the end of life, find to their Sor
row, that they have only confumed their
' days in vanity, and their years in fruit
less trouble. Whereas the truly reli
gious man is fure of the end' he purfues 5
for nothing can deprive us of the love,
and favour, and protection of God, but
the treachery of our own hearts, and our
wilful

Difc. X. the only true Wifdem. 179
wilful difobedience to his holy and righ
teous laws.
It is in every man's power, through the
aid of Divine Grace, to keep a confcience
void of offence towards Goid, and towards
mart •, to improve his mind, and make
continual advances in grace and virtue ;
and by fo doing fecure that future hap
pinefs which is beyond all our prefent
expreffions or conceptions.
And this brings us to the third par
ticular: which I propofed to illustrate,
viz. That another proof of the wifdom
of religion is this : — The end which it
propofes is not only moft nobfe, anjd
moft certainly attainable, but when at
tained, it will fully anfwer all our ex
pectations and defires. — Do but con
sider the nature of all. the various enter
tainments and delights which this world
.affords, and which the fons of men fo
earneftly fet their hearts upon, and you
muft acknowledge they have univerfally
this defect — that,.- though they fatiate,
they cannot fatisfy.— If they gratify one
appetite, they leave others craving. — If
they could indulge all the inferior facul
ties in the higheft degree, the mind
would ftill be reftlefs, and anxioufly
I 6 afbire

1 80 Obfervance of God's Laws,
afpire after higher gratifications. And
even fuppofing they could gratify every
appetite, both fenfitive and rational, they
would ftill be wanting in duration,
though not in degree ; and, in the midft
of them all, the man would be in pain
and difquietude, for fear of daily lofing
what he knows to depend on fo precari
ous a tenure as frail human life. — But
the pleafures and rewards of religion are
allowed to be as pure and perfect as they
are certain. — This is readily granted by
all who admit that there are any fuch
things. — The glimmerings of reafon dif
cover Something of it ; or rather, per
haps, I Should fay, it is a truth which is
no fooner propofed and explained to us,
than our reafon acquiefces in it, and the
teftimony of revelation puts it beyond all
doubt. If we could fuppofe ,any thing want
ing in the rewards of religion, either as
to the degree, or the duration of them,
it muft proceed from one or other of
thefe three caufes •" — Either from the in
ability of the giver of the reward •, — from
its being ill fuited to the nature or facul
ties of him who receives it ;— or from the
perifhing nature of the perfon enjoying, or

Difc. X. the only true Wifdom. i &i
or of the thing enjoyed. — But none of
thofe cafes can happen in the future
manfions of blifs. — The God of nature
can want no power,— -What he propofes
for making his fervants happy, and for
the gratifying all their wiShes and defires,
mud be every way equal to that end :
and in the New Jerufalem, the place of
their future and final reward, every thing
of a perishable nature will be done away..
— This; as I faid before, is fo entirely
confonant to reafon, that nothing can be
objected againd it ; and we know it to
be a certain truth, by the declarations of
God himfelf. And indeed, this is all we
fhall or can know of the future glory,
till our prefent imperfections are re
moved, and till mortality is fwallowed
up in life.— All the images we can now
form of future happinefs, are but very
faint and imperfect reprefentations of
what Shall be hereafter.— Nothing that
we know, or converfe with on earth, can
convey to us equal fentiments of hea
venly objects ; we now fee all celedial
joys but darkly, as through a glafs. But
this we know, that the happinefs of
heaven will be the happinefs of the whole
man ; and that we Shall then know, as
wc

1 82 Obfervance of Gods Laws,
we ourfelves- are known. — And it mat
ters not of what kind thefe enjoyments
are, or how they are to be conveyed to
or received by the foul ; all we want and
defire is, perfect faculties, and perfect
blifs. — And fince the religious man is
affured that thefe will be his portion at
lad, though he cannot defcribe nor com
prehend the nature of thefe things at'
prefent, yet this is fufficient to demon-
ftrate the wifdom of his choice, in thus
• purfuing an end] that will fully anfwer
all his defires and; expectations.— But
to all this the fenfual man will perhaps
object, that thefe joys5 how perfect
and how certain Soever, muft yet be
allowed to. be at a diftance ; and that
great abatement ought to be made on
that account, with refpect to the pru
dence of preferring them, when weighed
in the balance with thofe which are cer
tain, and; nearer at hand;- And therefore
I add, as a farther proof of the wifdom
of religion, that the good man not only
choofes fych an end as is moft noble,
moft attainable, and moft fatisfadtory -and
blifsful at laft, but alfo fuch a one as
will, 4thly, Have the moft happy i§flu-
enc.es

Difc.X, the- only true Wifdn^. 1S3
e-ftoes- upon him' in all his other purfuits,
till fuoh time as he arrives at the enjoy
ment of it : — or, in other words,
The belief and practice of true reli
gion will not only procure a man
eternal felicity hereafter, but will like-
¦ wife be of the greateft advantage to
him here in the mean time, and will have
the mod happy effects upon his mind
in whatever laudable purfuits he is en-
•£as;ed, or in whatever Situation or cir-
cumdances. of life he may happen' to be.
—And, in order to make this appear,
let us place a man in the worft, and
in the bed lights we can fuppofe him,
with regard to his- worldly circum
ftances : let us confider him, I fay, in
each of thefe Situations, and obferve w-faat
effect religion will have upon him.
id, Let us fuppofe a man poor- and
defpifed, quite neglected; and out of re
pute ; in a word, wanting every thing
that the men of this world Call great and
good : and if you fuppofe him likewife
to be without religion, Will' he not be
wretched beyond expreffio' A ? To what
refuge can fuch a one betake himfelf,
either without or within him ? With
out, he meets with nothing but Scorn,
infults,

r&p Obfervance of God%s Laws;
mfults, and reproaches ; within, he feels
nothing but gnawing appetites which.
he cannot fatisfy, and tormenting paf-
fions which he cannot conquer : he is
without profpect of redrefs, or hope of
comfort : God deferts him, men defpife
and abufe him ; yea, he defpifes, and
even loaths himfelf. — In Short, he drag*
on a miferable, animal life, which is
more wretched than that, of the loweft.
- brutes ; inafmuch as. he is confcious of
his mifery, which they are not. — But
now, on the other hand, if we fuppofe
this man, whofe outward circumftances
are fo low and loathfome, to make reli
gion his conftant concern, how vadly
different will his cafe then be ! He will
then be all joyous within, however
gloomy without. — Gleams of light will-.
break in upon him, in the midft of all
his forrowS.— He can account for his
fufferings,. and learn to bear, them, in
fome meafure with alacrity, but at leaft
with patience.— Hispeace of mind gives
him a firmnefs of foul, which is proof
againft all the frowns and.-feyerities of
the world. — He Stands like a rock in a
tempeftuous feafon ; the winds and
waves may beat againft him,:and a little
v mar.

Difc. X. the only true Wifdom*. 1 85
mar or change his furface, or outward
appearance, but they cannot overturn
him ; and in the midft of all, his hope
in his God and Saviour is a well-fpring
of joy, of which he cannot be deprived.
It darts beams of light through the
thickeft clouds ; and he has at leaft this
great, this unfpeakable comfort, that he
knows his mifery will foon.be at an end,
and be followed by an exceeding and
eternal weight of glory. — So much oi>
the Supposition that a man is poor and
destitute, or in low and diftreffed cir
cumftances in the world.
Let us now turn our view to the op-
pofite extreme. — Let us fuppofe a man
arrived at the higheft pitch of human
glory ; and imagine him to be the rich-
eft, the moft powerful, or the moft vo
luptuous of men ; and let us confider
what this man's cafe will be, with, and
without religion. — All things fmile
about him ; men reverence and admire
him ; and all is, in appearance, joy and
tranfport: every appetite is courted, and
every inclination gratified. — But, not
withstanding all thefe flattering appear
ances, has he nothing within him to tor--
ment him r — Has he no paflions to con
quer,,

¦j 86 Obfervance of Gods Laws,
quer, the indulgence of which will give
him continual difquiet ?• — Is he. fure not
to defire another world, when he is. maf
ter of this ?—Is;he fure not to be. cho
leric and,peevjSh ; a,nd not be angry, be-
¦caufei he. cannot command the powers of
nature too Pr-rCan he joolf on others,
who are better, though lei's powerful
than himfelf, without envy or jealoufy ?
—If not, fuch paflions will imbittfr his
belt enjoyments, and he wifl. Still be
liable to difappointment and mifery. —
Human palfions feldpm kfe^ground by
being gratified, or indulged: and fad
experience may convince the world, that
men who are in, this State ; men who
have all the outward means of gratify
ing their paflions, and are not restrained
or conducted by inward principles of
duty, have proved in fact, not only a
curie to. mankind, but an infupportable
burthen to themfelves. < — Look into hif
tory, and you. will, find them generally
as deep indifquietude and perfonal ven
ation, as. in blood: even the gratifica
tion of their appetites torments them;
and by the very act of making othefs
-miferable, they Shew that they are mi-
-ferable themfelves. — But. perhaps you
will

Difc. X. the mfy true Wifdom, 187
will fay, this is fuppofing the very-worft
of them ; and that they are not only
wicked,: but weak and foolilh too. —
Weill we-fhall farther.fuppofe our man
of power, and wealth to.be a man of
natural fagacity and prudence ; and that
he has the difcretion to reftrain his ap
petites, in a great meafure, merely for the
fake of his own eafe and quiet:— And
yet all this will not fecure him from
many inward fears and perplexities :—
as. for example, from the fear of fick-
nefs and death. — Allowing him to be
temperate, that does not fay that he
muft be unthinking too. — Either he has
a high tafte and relifh of his pleafures,
or he has not.— If he has not, whgre is
his happinefs ?— If he has^ furely he
muft be- anxious about preferving them;
and the thoughts that they may- be inr
terrupued by ficknefs, or that, he may be
deprived of them by death, muft be, at
leaft fometimes, very uneafy and grie
vous to him. — Nay, let us go as far as
imagination can reach$ let us fuppofe
him to be brave, as well astegular, and
able, to faee-ficknefs or death with very
little concern ; yet, after all, his enjoy
ments, rife nohigher than mere feniual- ity.

i88 Obfervance of God 's Laws-,
ity. — He can have no pleafure, but what
arifes from the gratification of his fenfes^,
or from reflections on his prefent unre-
ftrained, but fleeting power.— The fub-
lime pleafures that flow from. the love of
God and heavenly things,are utterly un
known to him-, and the very beft that
can poSfibly be made of his cafe is this,
—that he revels in luft and luxury for a
few years, without controul, and then
difappears and perifhes for ever ; — or, in
other words, that he lives a happy
brute, and dies one.
But now, if we fuppofe a man with all
thefe outward advantages of wealth and
power, to enjoy likewife the .Superior
comforts of religion, what a noble luftre
will thefe give to all the reft ?— What a
.calm and ferenity of mind do they pro*-
duce ? — How happy is fuch a man in
himfelf, and what a bleffing to man
kind ? — His power is a general benefit to-
all within his reach ; and, while he em*
ploys it in relieving, protecting,, and
fupporting others, every fuch action re<.
pays him with double joy and con-
fblation in his own heart.— His riches*
are like gentle Showers in a thirfty foil ;
not only a few individuals, but the
whole:

Difc. X. the only true Wifdom. 189
whole community in which he lives, is
refreshed by them; and the more benefit
they reap, the more his Satisfaction rifes.
! — He is the idol of man, and the favourite
of Heaven : — he enjoys_ all that mortal
man can do, without fea'r.or danger : he
has nothing to reproach himfelf withal,
and it is every man's intereft to preferve
him : his turbulent paflions are under
the restraints of reafon and religion ; and
he therefore fuffers as little from" them
as is confident with a ftate of imperfec
tion : he feels not the weight of the in
evitable calamities of human life, be
caufe JGod anfwers him in the joy of his
heart : and he has no reafon to be afraid
or unwilling to refign his enjoyments,
becaufe he well knows they are but' the
r pledges of an infinitely better inheri
tance.— Any Short, he lives the life, and
reaps the fatisfadtions, of a rational
Being ; and he dies in peace, with a
heart full of the hopes of a happy redi
rection, and a bleffed immortality. .
And this, I hope, is diffident to make
it appear what happy influences the be
lief and practice of religion will have on
the minds of men, in any circumftances ;
upon the rich and powerful, as well as
7 the

i*qo +Obfervance of God*s Laws, &c. •
the poor' and the oppreffed. Hence may
appear the inestimable value of thefe be
nefits, which the world can neither give
nor take away-, and confequently we
may all be convinced how exceeding
preferable even 'oppreffed virtue anddef-
pifed innocence are to the moft profpe
rous and triumphant wickednefs.— r-Alas!
neither the moft affluent fortune, nor the
deepeft folitude, can fcreen a bad man
from himfelf. — As, on the other hand,
neither want nor violence can rob a
- good man of his peace.— To all which,
if we add the : greatnefs, and the fuffi-
ciency of the future rewards of piety,
and the eafe with which they may be at
tained, itfurely cannot be doubted, that
religion is the only true wifdom ; and*
that i all: the understanding which men
can boaft of, without this, is-nothing
but a i courfe of laborious arrdivexatious
folly. ,
May God give us grace to confider
this, before the feafon is paft; — for,
if we will not be perfuaded of it during
our life,, yet we fhair certainly be con
vinced at laft, when death will correct our
error, but cannot amend it.
DI S-

DISCOURSE XI.
HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE, THE ONLY
SURE FOUNDATION OF HAPPINESS.

t *9S I

Jos xxvik 8.
iFor what is the hope of the Hypocrite, though
he bath gained, when God taketh away
his foul?

TT was no fmall addition to Job's other
* afflictions; nay, it was perhaps the
very greateft trial of his patience, that
his friends, who pretended to come and
comfort him, did little elfe than reproach
and upbraid him. They told him
plainly that he was an hypocrite ; and
that the miferable condition he was in
was the juft punifhment of his pretend
ing to be religious, and a man of inte
grity, juftice, and goodnel's, when he
really was not fo: for, as Bildad faid,
God will not cafl away a perfect or fincere
X man -,

ig4 Hope of Eternal Life the only
man ; if thou wert pure and upright, furely
now he would awake for thee, and make the
habitation of thy righteoufnefs profperous ;
but the hypocrite's hope fhall per ijh, and his
truft fhall be as a fpider's web ; which,
though artfully contrived to take its prey,
yst is often too weak to hold it, and is pre-
fently broken through and deflroyed. Such
fevere cenfures as thefe did his miferable
comforters, as he elegantly calls them,
at every turn pafs upon him; and thefe
infults fo touched him to the quick, that
they almoft robbed him of the glory of
his patience, and extorted from him fuch
a vindication of his fincerity, as the hu
mility of fo good a man would not
otherwife have Suffered him to make.
One of the Strongest protestations of his
jnnocency, is that which he makes in the
5th, 6th, and 7th verfes of this chapter:
Till I die (fays he) I will not remove my
integrity from me. My righteoufnefs I hold
faft, and will not let- it go \ my heart fhall
not reproach me fa long as Hive. Let mine
enemy be as the wicked, and he that rifeth
up againft me, as the unrighteous. After
which, to Shew his contempt of hypocri-
fy,- as well as his deteftation of it, he
adds, in the words of the text, For what
f is thehope of the hypocrite, though he hath
'' gained,

Difc. XI. Foundation of Happinefs. 195
"gained, when God taketbaway his foul?"
 From all which we are not , to
infer, that Job looked upon himfelf
as entirely innocent, and altogether
without fin •, for, on the contrary, when
he fpeaks of himfelf with regard to God,
he expreffes himfelf in a quite different
manner * ; " If Ijuflify myfelf, my own
" mouth fhall condemn me -, if I fay 1 am
** perfect, my own mouth fliall prove me
" perverfe." But, with regard to great
crimes, which his friends argued he
muft have been guilty of, becaufe of his
prefent adverfity v.frpm thefe he con
stantly clears himfelf with great ' fteadi-
nefs ; and proves that they argued very
wrongfully for God, when they fup-
pofed, that no other caufe . could be
aSfigned for Job's being thus afflicted,
but only his hypocrify, or hidden wick7
ednefs. And, to Shew his deteftation of
all fuch hypocrify (throughout the fol
lowing part of this chapter) he expofes
th? wickednefs and vanity of it, in the
Strongest and moft elegant terms. No
thing can be more expreflive of this,
than .the words of my text, and the two
verfes that follow: " For what is the
" hope of the hypocrite, though he hath
* Chap. ix. 20.
K 2 v *f gained,

:ig6* Hope of Eternal Life the only
" gained, when God taketh away his foul?
*' Will God hear his cry when trouble
" cometh upon him ? Will he delight him-
" felf in the Almighty ? Will be always
" call upon God ?" — As" if he had faid, —
Allowing a hypocrite, to have made all
the advantage of his. hypocrify, that you
Can fuppofe Or imagine; yet what has
he to hope for at his death, or when God
taketh away his foul ? As he has no rea
fon to expect that God will hear him,
then, or when he is in his greateft
trouble; fo it is as little to be fup-
pofed that he Will then endeavour to
keep up ' the hypocritical farce he has
been all his life acting ; the mafk will
then fall off; and he will fhew that he
has no, real regard for, or truft. in that
Being, whom he had pretended to adore
and worfhip before. " Willie delight
u himfelf in the Almighty ? Will he always
" tali upon God?" No; it is fcarce to
be fuppofed that he will perfevere in a
practice which he knows will be to no
purpofe ; for what hope or expecta
tion can he have of reaping any farther
benefit by it, when God is taking away
his foul, however much he may have
gained by it formerly ?
My text being thus explained, I fhall
7 ~ g°

Difc.XI. Foundation of Happinefs. 197
go on, with the Divine afliftance, to
difcourfe from, it in the following me
thod. iftj I Shall' confider what forts of
men, according to the language
and meaning of Scripture, fall
under the denomination of reli
gious hypocrites.
• 2dly, I fhall Shew, the weakneft
and infufficiency of all the hopes
which the hypocrite can pro-
pofe to himfelf ;. and the great
disproportion: between the gain
he may make by his hypocrify
here,. and the lofs he muft fuffer
by it hereafter.
JSnd what I fay upon each of thefe
heads, I ihall endeavour to apply in
fome Suitable inferences and reflections,
ift, then, Let us enquire what forts
of men, .according to the language and
meaning of Scripture, fall under the
denomination of religious hypocrites.—
The original word, 'Tirox.% Ms, Hypocrite,
is borrowed from the Stage, and Signi
fies an actor, or one who, under a bor
rowed drefs, reprefents a perfon, which
he really is not. For thee, a beggarly
debauchee often a6ts the part of a virtu
ous prince or hero; and a Strumpet,
K 3. that

J 98 , Hope of Eternal Life the only
that of a virtuous wife or modeft vir-;
gin. — But, in the Scripture fenfe of the
word, it is ufed, only, to denote a man
who pretends, and Seems to the world,
to have fuch a regard for religion, and
fuch a degree of Chriftian purity and true
holinefs, as he has not. And of thefe
hypocrites there are feveral kinds, ac
cording to the different degrees of
hypocrify of which they are guilty.
The greateft, and moft criminal of all
thefe fin ners, are they, who having at
bottom no real regard for religion, nor
any fincere belief of the gofpel, do yet
put on an uncommon appearance of zeal
for God and his fervice, in order to carry
on fome worldly or corrupt ends. Such
were thofe Pharifees of old, whom our
Saviour compares to Sepulchres out
wardly whitened, or clean and orna
mented ; but inwardly, full of rotten-
nefs, and dead men's bones. And, alas !
there have been but too many of this
kind of Pharifees in the Chriftian
church, as well as in the Jewish : men,
who have put on a maSk of religion, in
order to fcreen and more fafely perpe
trate the greateft and moft daring vil
lainies : and who have attained the
higheft pitch of power, riches, and
popularity,

Difc.XI. Foundation of Happinefs. 199
popularity, by pretending to protect
and advance the intereft of a religion,
which in their hearts they delpifed, and
even hated, as much as its moft avowed
enemies eould do.
Crowns and kingdoms have been
obtained by this art : nor has the mitre
efcaped being polluted by it, any more
than the others ; nay, perhaps oftener
than any thing elfe.
Hiftory, both civil and ecclefialtical,
is full of instances of this kind. And
befides thofe left on record, we may
eafily think, from our own experience
and obfervation of what daily paffes in
the world, that there muft have been
many more of the like kind.
How many of the moft notorious
cheats in their dealings, have made the
loudeft pretences to fanctity with their
tongues ? and even made their houfes
and Streets ring with the found of their
pretended devotions ; whilft in many of
the moft important transactions of their
lives, they have moft grofsly violated all
laws of truth and juftice ? fo literally
have they imitated thofe Pharifees, of
whom our Lord fays, that while they
devoured widows houles, yet for a pre
fence, they made long prayers.
K 4 And

200 Mope of Eternal Life th only
And is it any breach of charity to fay,
that they are not a whit better, who,
under the maSk of chriftian cha
rity, moderation, mutual forbearance,
and univerfal benevolence, difguife their
capekSTnefs and indifference about the
moft efiential truths of religion ; and
endeavour to inftill the fame lukewarn>
nefs into others ?
In fine, there have been but too many,
in all ages and of all profeflions, who
have pot on a form of godlinefs, with
out any regard to the power thereof*
and who, while they pretended to ferve
and honour God with an outfide devo
tion, yet either faid in their hearts, that
there was no God ; or, if they had any
fenfe or belief of a Divine Being, enter
tained fuch vile and contemptible no
tions of him, as were much the fame in
effect with downright atheifm, and na
turally led them-to have no fear of God
before their eyes. — This, then, is the firft
and higheft degree of hypocrify ; when
men with a formed delign, and delibe
rate intention,, endeavour to carry on
worldly and corrupt ends, under a pre
tence of religion, and an appearance of
fervin& God.— --Now,, the wordHypo- crifv*.

Difc.XI. Foundation of Happinefs. sor
crify being generally ufed in this firft
and word fenfe, when men find them
felves free- of this greated and - moft
hateful degree of it, they are too apt
immediately to flatter themfelves, that.
they are, in no fenfe, hypocrites. But
the Scripture frequently ufes the fame
word in Several lower fenfes ; and, though
men be not fuch profligates as thofe I
have been Speaking of, yet, too many
of them may be juftJy charged with be
ing guilty ,of a. lower. degree of hypo--
crify. Such, for inftance, are they, who do >
not absolutely caft off all religion, do '
not in their hearts totally deipife it, but
yet. content themfelves with Some eafy
formal parts of it, and think thereby to
atone for their neglect of the reft. Thefe,
I fay, the Scripture. always includes un
der the character and denomination of.
hypocrites. This is that fpecies of hy
pocrify for which Samuel reproved i
Saul *'; " Hath the Lord, as great de--
* light in ¦ facrifices1, as . in obeying the .
voice of the Lord ? Behold, to obey is
"* better than facrifice, and tt hearken^,
•'i Saai. xv. 22^
K 5 '" than.

202 Hope of Eternal Life the only
than the fat of rams." And it is for
the fame that the prophet Hofea re
proves the whole people of the Jews,
when he fays, " Idefired mercy, and not
,*' facrifice ; and the knowledge of God move
" than burnt- offerings." This was alfo, in
our Saviour's days, the cafe of the bet
ter fort of Pharifees -, for they were not
all of them fuch abandoned hypocrites^
as to be void of all religion in theft
hearts; but yet, even the beft of them
feem to have been fuperftitioufly exact
as to Small, things, while they neglected
greater. — Thefe our Lord ftiles hypo
crites, for teaching as doctrines the cora-
mandments of men ; putting mere hu
man institutions upon a level with, di
vine ones ; nay, giving them, in many
cafes, the preference. — For inftance,
when they pretended to put into the
Corban, or public treafury, towards the
repair of the temple, what they ought
rather to have employed in maintaining
their poor indigent parents :- and when
rhey were zealous in obferving the cuf-
toms of their forefathers, as to the fre
quent warning of hands, and of cups ;
and precife in paying the tithe of mint,,
anife, and cummin ; things of very little
5 value;

Dife.XI. Foundation of Happinefs. 2©3
value ; while they omitted the weightier
matters of the law,— Judgment, Mercy,
and Faith.
So likewife, when they were more
follicitous about the obfervation of the
fabbath ; which it is true was their duty
to obferve, as being commanded by God ;
than to do the works of mercy, good-
pels, and charity, our Saviour brands
them with the name of hypocrites ; as
we fee in the cafe of the ruler of the Sy
nagogue *': " Thou hypocrite," fays our
Lord to him, " ought not this woman,
" being a daughter of Abraham!, to be
" loofed from this bond (i. e. the difeafe
She had laboured under) " en the fab*
" bath-day." In Short, whoever thinks
to compound matters with God ; to put
him off with any thing Short of fincere
and univerfal obedience to all his laws j
however zealous he may be as to the
performance of fome duties, that beft
fuit with his own tafte or natural incli
nation; or that happen to* be the duties
he hath been molt accuftomed to, by
education, and the example of thofe
among whom he lives ; fuch a perfon
* St. Lake xiii. i£.
K 6 (though

204 Hope of Eternal Life the- only-
(diough he go not upon the principles^
of atheifm and infidelity, like the former'
and word clafs of hypocrites) is never
theless, far from being a true, and fin-
Cere Chriftian ; and will find at laft, that
it is not every profeffion of religion that
will be accepted ; it is not every one
who faith unto Chrift,, Lord,. Lord, that
will enter into the kingdom of heaven,,-
but they only who do the will of his Fa
ther Who is in heaven.
Arid like to thefe, are another fort of*
men, whofe behaviour comes under the.
name of hypocrify, in the Scripture
fenfe, however little they may think of
it ; 1 mean thofe, who acknowledging
the neceffity of leading a virtuous and
holy life, in order to their being true
Christians, are always refolving to re
pent, and forfake their evil ways, yet
can never find in their hearts to give up
their darling fins, and repent and reform
effectually. This is a fort of hypocrify,
by which men impofe upon themfelves
more than upon others.— This is that de-
ceitfulnefs of fin, which trains and draws
them on from day to day, with the vain
hope, that it will be eafier for them to
amend their ways fome time afterwards, than

Dife.XI. Foundation of Kappinefs. to 5:
than at prefent : and it is againft this
deceit, that our Saviour warns us fo
very earneftly and affectionately * as he-
well knew,- there is not any one deceit
or Stratagem of the great deceiver, more-
common, or more fatal to the fons of
men :- '* Watch therefore" fays he,..
" f°r ye know not what hour your Lor di
doth come." — " Be ye alfo ready ; for in -
fuch an hour as ye think not,-— 'the fonv
of man cometb — Bleffed is that fervant
whom bis Lord when be cometb fhall find*
fo- doing.— But, and if that evil fervant
fhall fay in his heart, My Lord delay eth>
his coming ; and fhall begin to finite his
fellow- fervants, and to eat and drink-
with the drunken,— the Lord, of that.-
fervant fhall conn- in a day that he.
l&oketb not for him, and in an hour
that he is not aware of, and fhall cut.
him afunder, and appoint himjois por-
** tion with the hypocrites."
Once more. — The Scriptures reprefent
t-hefe as a Sort of hypocrites, who have
actually fet about, and begun their re
pentance, but are always falling back
and reklpfing, even into thofe very fins,
* St. Matth. xxiv. which

zo6 Hope of Eternal Life the only
which they had for fome little time for-
faken. In our Saviour's noted parable
of the fower, men of this kind arerepre-
fented by the Stony ground ; in which,
though the feed fprang up forthwith, it
as quickly withered ; i.'e. as our Lord
himfelf explained it ; though fuch men
receive the word with joy, they have no
root in themfelves, and lb endure but a
while ; and, either upon the approach of
perfecution, or the affault of a temptation
from fome beloved fin, they quickly fall
away. Their heart, as the Scripture
expreffeth it, is not whole, or right
with God ; th^ir affections are divided
between him and the world : and while
they continue in this languid, wavering
ftate, they are plainly of the number of
thofe, who, as our blefled Lord fays,
Shall feek to enter in at the Strait gate,
, but Shall not be able.
. However, though thefe men are at
prefent but in an evil State, yet they are
by no means fo bad as the others, who are
hypocrites in a proper fenfe of the word.
There is in them a root of fome love to
virtue, which affords great hope, that it
may fpring up in time unto righteouf-
nd's and life eternal. They are the
bruifed,

Difc. XI. Foundation of Happinefs. 207
bruifed reed, that ought not to be
broken ; and the fmoaking flax, which
ought not to be quenched. They are,
what the apoftle calls, the hands which
hang down, and the feeble knees ; the
lame, which ought not to be turned out
or the way, but that it rather be healed.
Such weak, unfteady Christians, ought
not to be terrified and driven into de-
fpair ; but to be often exhorted, witrh
meeknefs and compaffion, that they
finiSh their repentance, and compleat
the great work of their reformation,
while their day of grace lafteth, and be
fore the night cometh, when no man
can work.
Thus I have briefly Shewn the Se
veral forts of hypocrites (in the Scrip
ture fenfe of that word) and thefe ac
cording to the different forts and degrees
of hypocrify.
Allow me now/ before I proceed to
the fecond article of my difcourfe, to
exhort you, to make the proper ufe of
what you have already heard : That is,
to learn thereby, not to judge our neigh
bour, — but let every one try whether
there be any degree of hypocrify lurk
ing in our hearts, and ferioufly examine- ands

2o8: Hopfiof Eternal Life' the only'--
and. judge ourfelves ; that we be not:
judged of the Lord.— Let us aSk our-
.felves, whether we profefs Christianity -
from a fincere and rational conviction -
of its being: the only true religion, and:
the only way to attain eternal life,,
through' themercy of God,-1 and the me
rits of Chrift Jefus ; — or, — whether wer
content ourfelves with aa implicit, be
lief, and carelefs profeffion of what was-'.
taught us in our childhood, without be
ing able to give any folid reafon for the
hope and thefaith that, is in us ?— When
we do any thing good. or praifeworthy,;
is it with a fincere defigo to glorify
God, and to render him an acceptable
obedience ?— Or, is it only for the fake
of fafhion, and that we may be efteemed <
and well fpoken of, by thofe who fee, or
hear of fuch performances ? — Is our re
ligion the fame in private, as it is in
public ? — Are we as careful of the in
ward rectitude and purity of our
hearts, as of the outward regularity off
our behaviour ?— Are we really griev
ed and troubled, when at. any time.
we are tempted, , or iurprifed into any
tranfgreffion of God's holy will ? —
And,

DifeiXi; Foundation oj -Hdppineji. aogp
And, do we then fully refolve, to be
more watchful, circumspect, and care
ful of being true to our God and our
duty for the future ?¦*— And, is this our
endeavour after better obedience, en
tire •, without exception of any known.
part of our duty ; and without referve
in favour of any one vice or evil habit,.
which we are moft addicted to, or find
hardeft to give up ? —Or, have we put
off our reformation from time to time -%
always pretending that we refolve to>
grow better, but never actually avoid
ing or refuting any temptation that is
wont to lead us aftray ?' — And, finally,
Are we refolved to hold faft the profeP
fion of the true faith, and to keep, a,
good confeience, in times of danger and"
perfecution, as well as in time of peace ?
—Do we purpofe, through God's grace,,
to Suffer for the truth, rather than for
fake it ; fhould God fee fit thus to>
make trial of our fincerity ?
Thefe, and fuch like enquiries, will
make great difcoveries ; and will pro
bably Shew us more of our religion and.
of ourfelves, than ever we took notice
of before. And he who has the tefti-
, mony?

2 1 o , Hope of Eternal Life the only
rriony'of a good confcience in thefe par
ticulars, let him, in the name of God,
go on and profper : notwithftanding he
rhay be fenfible of innumerable failings,
defects, and imperfections, let him not
be too much difcouraged, or doubt of his
being a fincere Chriftian : for, he muft
not expect to attain abfolute perfection,
in this prefent imperfecSt ftate. If our
intention is good, and our practice re
gular and religious, to the beft of our
knowledge and ability. : if we are hear
tily penitent for what we have done a-
mifs ; and heartily purpofe and endea
vour to do better for the future, and
without delay ; joining thereto our ear
neft prayers to God, and a devout ufe of
all thofe means which he hath appointed
us to ufe, for obtaining his grace and af-
fiftance : this is all that we can do ; and
confequently all that our merciful God
expects that we Should do.— But, if we
come Short of this, and, notwithftanding
all our profeffions of religion and piety,
indulge ourfelves in any favourite fin, or
evil habit; — we are certainly in fome
fenfe, and in fome degree hypocrites ;
and if we continue So,, can have n®
reafon-

Difc. XI. Foundation of Happinefs. 2 1 1
reafonable ground to hope for favour
and acceptance with God at laft.—" For
" what is the hope of the hypocrite, though
" he bath gained, when God taketh away
" his foul?

DIS-

DISCOURSE XIL
THE
FORMER SUBJECT
CONTINUED.

[ 215 ]

Job xxvii. 8. -
For what is the hope of the Hypocrite,
though he hath gained, when God taketh
away his foul?

T N difcourfing from thefe words I
propofed, — ift, To confider what
forts of men fall under the denomination
or character of religious hypocrites, ac
cording to, the Scripture fenfe of that
word. — And, 2dly, To Shew the infuffi-
eiency and weaknefs of all the hopes
which the hypocrite can propofe to him
felf; and the great disproportion be
tween the gain he may make by his hy
pocrify here, and the lofs he muft fuffer
by it hereafter.
As to the former of thefe, I Shewed,
that there are different degrees of hypo
crify ; and confequently different claffes
or kinds of religious hypocrites. The

ii6" Hope tf Eternal Life the only
The firft and word of them are thofe
who, though they deSpife religion in
their hearts, yet make a pretence or pro-
feSfion of it, in order to cover and carry
on fome corrupt or worldly view. And
next are they, who though they do not
abfolutely disbelieve or defpife all reli
gion, yet content themfelves with prac*
tifing the outward, and eafieft parts of
it, while they utterly neglect that in
ward purity and real virtue, which is the
life, and foul, and power of true godli-
nefs. Thefe *two are what the .Scripture
calls an abomination to the Lord ; i. e.
the higheft poSfible provocation of his
difpleafure. But there is likewife a lower fort of
hypocrify, of which too many, 'tis to be
feared, are guilty ; and by which in
deed they impofe more upon themfelves
than upon others ; namely, the putting
off repentance and reformation till fome
time hereafter ; or, endeavouring to do
it at prefent, but faintly, and ineffec
tually, through the deceitfulnefs of fin,
and of their own corrupt hearts, which
too often betray them, and make them
forget

Difc. XII. Foundation of Happinefs. 2 1 7
forget and breakthrough their good pur
pofes and refolutions.
Thefe latter kind of hypocrites, how
ever, are far from being fo criminal as
the former : and therefore, God ufually
corrects fuch perfons with his judg
ments, or invites them by his mercies ;
he gives them fpace for repentance, and
bears long with them through his pa
tience ; till at length they either deli
ver themfelves out of the fnare of the
devil by a thorough amendment, or be
come finally hardened, and incorrigible.
I proceed now to the fecond general
head of my difcourfe -, viz. To Shew the
weaknefs and infufficiency of all the
hopes which the hypocrite can propofe
to himfelf, and the great disproportion
between what he may gain by it here,
and muft lofe by it hereafter. " What
is the hope of the hypocrite, though he
" hath gained, when God taketh away his
" foul .?"
I need not again mention, that reli
gious hypocrites, in the firft and worft
fenfes of that word, have always fome
worldly end in view, which they hope
for } and which the very words of my
L text

¦t 1 8 Hope of Eternal Life the only
text fuppofe they may gain by their
hypocrify. — Jofephus tells us of the
Pharifees of old, that they were in fuch
efleeni amongd the people, by pretend
ing to a greater exactnefs in. religion,
than the reft of the Jews, that they
made all other factions truckle to them ;
they governed in all matters of date,
and obtained a Angular edimation and
edeem among the multitude. And the
fame is the view or hope of all thofe
pious politicians, who have the affurance
to carry a didinction or referve in their
Sleeve, againft their confcience ; and can
turn themfelves into every Shape, upon
every occafion ; can call evil good, and
good evil; can humour all perfons, and
acft with and connive at all perfuafions ;
can flatter the proud ; vindicate and
glorify the oppreffor ; praife the ambi
tious, bribe the covetous, and comply
with every ft heme of profitable iniquity
that can be contrived by the devil, or
executed by his agents : and all this un
der the fpecious pretexts of prudence
and moderation ; yea many times under
the cloak of zeal for purity of religion,
and reformation of errors and abufes.
Whilft, at bottom, they act thus only for

Difc. X 1 1. Foundation of Happinefs. 2 1 g
for the fake of wliat they call a charac
ter in the world ; or, for fome profitable
preferment to themfelves or families.
This is their hope ; for, in the Scrip
ture dile, hope often Signifies the object,
as well as the act -, the thing hoped for,
as well as the actual hoping for it.
Thus*, " We, through the Spirit, wait for
" the hope of righteoufnefs, by faith-," i. e.
the promised reward of it. So likewife f,
" Looking for. that bleffed hope •" or, be
ing in joyful expectation of that irn-
menfe happinefs, which -Shall crown the
righteous, at the time " of the glorious
appearance of the great God, and cur
' Saviour Jefus Chrift."-  As therefore
the hope of a Chriftian Signifies, both
what his expectations are at prefent,
and what his reward Shall be hereafter ;
— fo the hope of the hypocrite, is the
reward he expects for his hypocrify ; or
the end he propofes to attain by it. And
what is this ; or, of how little real
value is it, all circumftances duly con
fidered ? For, fuppofing his reputation
ever fo fair, or his wealth ever fo great ;
— he muft Still be confcious to himfelf,
• Gal. v. 5. f Tit. ii. 13.
L 2 that

2 2 o Hope of Eternal Life the only
that it is all but an unjuft, ill-gotten
purchafe. — He muft know, that popu
lar praife and efteem, though ever fo
well grounded, is one of the moft fickle,
uncertain things in the world; and much
more fo, when fupported by nothing but
falfehood and deceit. — And, however
nicely he may act his part, and what
ever pains he may take to keep his dif
guife clofe about him, he cannot be
without fome fears of being catched and
found out; and fo mutt be continually
on his .guard, Jell nature Should appear
before he is aware, and fo ruin all his
plot in an inftant.
This has often happened, and the de
tected hypocrite has Suddenly fallen from
efteem and wealthy into contempt and
poverty.— 'What then is his hope, even
in this world, in comparifon of the'
drudgery he muft undergo, and the
rifque he muft run ?— And' how much
better and wifer is it, to feek for happi
nefs in the plain, Straight road of true
virtue and honefty ?
But now, fuppofing the hypocrite to
have attained his hope and wiShes,* as has
been often the cafe ; and to have efcaped
difcovery, all the days of his life, which
likewife

Difc. XII. Foundation of Happinefs. 2 2 1
likewife has Sometimes happened, yet
what will all this fignify at the hour of
death ; — and, as my text expreffeth it,
" when God taketh away his foul ?" —
When the poor wretch comes to quit
the dage, upon which he hath trod his
deceitful rounds fo long ; — when the
wolf is dript of his Sheep's cloathing,
and he is ready to go out of the world as
naked as he came into it ; — when he
finds himSelf upon the" brink of eternity,
and his foul draggling as it were to get
rid of his body, or rather, his body no
longer able to be a cover or lodgment
to his foul : — What is the hope of the hy
pocrite at that critical moment ? — Or ra
ther — what mud be his fears ?— Perhaps
he has brought himfelf to difbelieve a
future ftate, and to deny that there is
any fuch thing as rewards or punish
ments in another world. — Many have
brought themfelves to this ftate of un
belief ; or at leaft pretended fo; and
forne few have perfevered to the laft in
that impious profefiion ; and their
geat hope at their death is to fink into
nothing : a poor profpeft truly ; and
which can be of very little comfort to
them, when they are ready to be be-
L 3 ' reaved

222 Hope of Eternal Life the only
reaved of every thing, in which their
happinefs was placed ; and for which
they had laboured fo hard, all their
lives. But the far greater number of de-
figning hypocrites, have been frightened
out of their infidelity, as well as their
hypocrify, by the near approach of the
king of terrors ; and have let fall the
mafque of themfelves, when they faw it
ready to be torn from them. — And,
oh ! — what muft be the dreadful
thoughts and expectations ; what muft
be the Shame and anguifh of fuch a
Soul, when it hears and feels the laft fum-
mons of its Maker calling it away, to fix
it in a ftate, unchangeable and eternal ?
— Hopes of happinefs it can have none ;
and as little hopes of mercy. — It knows
that God has already marked out the
defigning hypocrite as one of the greateft
objects of his wrath ; and that even the
meek, the merciful Jefus, who called
upon and fpoke to all other Sinners with
fuch tendernefs and compaffion ; yet,
when headdreffed himfelf to hypocrites,
could, not refrain from terms of the
greateft fever jty ; " Ye ferpents" faid he,
" ye generation of vipers, how can ye efcape

Difc. XII. Foundation of Happinefs. 223
" the damnation of hell*?" And he makes
the portion of hypocrites, and of obsti
nate infidels and unbelievers, to be the
fame. — What" then can be the hope of
the hypocrite ; or of what value is all
that be hath gained, when God taketh
away his foul ? — All the riches and
treafures he hath purchafed by his double-
dealing and hypocrify, will vanifh like a
fhadow, and fignify no more to him
than if they had never been. — All the
alluring relifh of them will then be
gone; nay, turn into hatred of them, as
the caufes or instruments of his ruin :
and all the cunning and prudence he fo
much valued himfelf upon, will then
appear a courfe of the moft defperate
madnefs and folly.
O ! that men would think in time how
little any prefent, transient accommoda
tions or advantages will appear to them,
when laid in the balance with eternal
mifery ! O! that they would but con
fider how Short, and what a mere dream
this prefent life is ; or, rather what a
mere nothing, in comparifon with eter
nity ! • St. Matth. xxiv. St. Luke xii;
L 4 So

224 Hope of Eternal Life the only
So much for the fad ftate of the' de-
figning, crafty hypocrite at the hour of
death! — But the unthinking, cuftomary
one.; the one who has none of the vile,
¦underhand intrigues that the other hath,
yet minds nothing but the outfide of
religion ; or at leaft neglects fome of
its effential duties, and indulges him
felf in the habit of fome fins which it
exprefsly forbids ; thefe forts of hypo
crites will perhaps flatter themfelves,
that their hopes are better grounded,
and that the great Judge of mankind
will be as indulgent to them, as they are
to themfelves. But all this is mere in
fatuation. Though their guilt, indeed, may not
be fo great as that of the others, and
they may hope to be beaten only with
fewer Stripes ; yet it is great enough to
deprive them of all the benefits of our
holy religion, and, unlefs they timely
repent, to leave them in the fame fad ftate
as if there had been no Saviour of man
kind ; nay indeed their condition will
be far worfe ; becaufe they knew of this.
Saviour, and profeffed to believe in him
as fuch, and to be of the number of his
difciples and followers ; were duly in-
r {traded

Difc. XII. Foundation of Happinefs. 225
Strutted in the doctrine he taught, and
the conditions he required for attaining
eternal life ; and yet neglected all, and
were no better than the fhadows of a
true Chriftian. — No doubt, moft of this
kind of people have fome general hopes
of being faved, on account of their
Chriftian profeSfion ; yet thefe hopes are
utterly without foundation, like the
houfe built upon the fand ; and Should
not indeed be called hope, but the moft
arrogant and fooliSh prefumption. — A
man may as well expect a plentiful har
vest, whilft hefows mere chaff; as ex
pect the fight and enjoyment of God,
without that real holinefs of heart and.
life which the gofpel requires : — for we
are moft exprefsly warned, that " wbat-
" foever a man flows, that fhall he alfo
"reap." A fincere and hearty religion will
produce a fubftantial, full felicity ; but
that which is empty and formal, will
have as empty a reward — and the man's
fond fancies of his being made happy
by it, is all the tafle of happinefs he
will ever have :— nay, what is ftill worfe,
thefe barren, fruitlefs profeffors of reli
gion, if they continue fuch, will at laft
L 5 be

226. Hope of Eternal Life the only
be. treated like that fignificant emblem
of them, the barren tree, which was or
dered to be cut down and caft into the
fire. Every religious hypocrite therefore,
even thofe of the loweit, and leaft guilty
kind, though they may have no direct
intention of mocking God, yet moft
miferably mock and deceive themfelves :
they are willing indeed to do a little for
the fake of getting to heaven •, but they
vyould fain do as little as poSfible; — no
more than they think barely neceffary
to keep them out of hell. — They ac
knowledge that the hope and profpect
of eternal happinefs is* very comfortable
and defireable : 'but they cannot think
of parting entirely with the pleafures of
fin for a feafon.
And hence it is, that they lead fuch
a patched, motley kind of life: — fome
broken Shre'ds of piety appear in it now
and then : — fome particular virtues are
cultivated and practifed ; especially thofe
that are moft glaring and taking ; and
will procure them the largeft meafures
of popular favour and applaufe : — But
all the time they are as criminal in fome
refpects, as they are commendable in
3 others t

Difc. XII. Foundation of Happinefs. 227
others :— and, as their heart is not right
with God, fo they may be well affured,
that God, the great fearcher of hearts,
will never be impofed upon by any of
thofe fpecious pretences, wherewith they
fo miferably impofe upon themfelves ;
but is as much an enemy to fuch a par
tial, diffembled religion, as he is to thofe
who have no religion at all : — and he has
fairly warned all fuch pretenders to his
favour, that when they Shall come at
lad, pleading the merits of their profef-
fions and performances, and crying unto
him, " Lord, Lord, have we not prophe-
fied in thy name ? and in thy name have
caft out devils, and done many won
derful works .•" or (as Sr. Luke has ex
preffed it) " have eaten and drunk in thy
" prefence, and thou haft taught in our
" ftreets" — and therefore they thought
they might knock at the door with confi
dence, and fay, " Lord, Lord, open unto
"us." But " then" fays our Lord,
will^ I profefs unto them, I never knew
" you ; depart from me, ye that work ini
quity."
This is enough to baffle all the hopes
of every pretender to religion, who does
not live up to his profeffion, and endea-
L 6 vour

228 Hope of Eternal Life the only __
vour to ferve and pleafe God with fin
cerity, and finglenefs of heart. ¦
Let none of us then be fo unwife any
longer, as to flatter himfelf with ima
ginary and falfe hopes of happinefs,
while he wilfully omits - any thing com
manded, or indulges himfelf in any thing
forbidden by the law of God.
It is true, after we have done our
beft, our fins and defects will be fo
many, and our virtues fo imperfect,,
that had we not the' infinite mercy of
God, the infinite merits of our Re
deemer, and the gracious promifes of
the gofpel to truft to, the beft of us
might judly defpair. — But thefe are
abundantly fuffkient for the comfort
and fupport of every truly penitent-
and contrite foul ; of every one, who
can fay with the holy apodle St. Paul *,.
Our rejoicing is this, the teftimony of
our confcience, that in fimplicity and
godly fincerity, not with fiejhly wif
dom, but by the grace of God, we.
have had our converfation in the world"
Therefore, let it be our great Study to
act fo, in all things and at all times,
* z Cor. i, 12. that

Difc. XII. Foundation of Happinefs. 229
that our hearts may not reproach or
condemn us. For, if our own hearts
condemn us, God is greater than our
hearts, and knoweth all things: — But
if our hearts condemn us not, then,
and then only, may we have confi
dence towards God. Then may we
trud, not in our own righteoufnefs,
but in his manifold and great mercies
through Chrid Jefus ; then may we
hope, that, through the blood of the
Lamb, we fhall be walhed from our
fins ; and all our tranfgreffions be blot
ted out ; and that when the great Judge
bf heaven and earth Shall appear, to
Separate the chaff and tares from the
wheat, and the Sheep from the goats„
we Shall meet him, not with dread and
defpair, but with joy and gladnefs, and
receive from him that ravifhing ap
probation of our diligence and .fince
rity, " Well done, good and faithful fer
vant, enter thou into the joy of thy
" Lord." J
Who, that heartily believes, and fe-
rioufly confiders all this, can be fo
foolifh as to barter away fuch glori
ous hopes, for_the mean, fordid pro
fits, or the empty, unfatisfying plea fures

230 Hope of Eternal Life the only
fures of this vain world ? — What man'
of common fenfe and reafon would not
wifh to have fuch comfortable, refresh
ing thoughts all his life long ; but mgre
efpecially at the hour of death, and
when God taketh away his foul •, when
all the glittering vanities of life, which
fo many are bewitched with, cannot,
though he were poffeffed of them all,
afford him the lead fpark of joy or fatis-
fadtion ! — To think, that God is at
peace with his foul ; that the holy
angels are danding ready to receive it,
on its feparation from the body, and
to convey it into the manfions of reft
and peace-, till it be re-united to its
old companion at the redirection of
the juft ; and that then his whole man,
body, foul, and fpirit, Shall be tranf-
ported into the higheft heavens, there
for ever to behold the face of God
in the glories of Chrift Jefus our Sa
viour !
This is the faith, this is the hope
of every true Chriftian : and this faith
and -hope is fufficient (through the grace
of God) to enable him to triumph, not
only over all the troubles of life, but
likewise;

Difc. XII. Foundation of Happinefs. 23-1
likewife over all the horrors of death ;
and even to welcome his diflblution,
when it comes, with joy and thank
ful nefs.
Seeing then our bleffed Redeemer hath
opened the kingdom of heaven to all
true believers ; feeing he died for all, and
is not willing that any fhould perifh,
but that all Should come to repen
tance; — let us endeavour to do our part,
and to work out our own falvation with
fear and trembling : and may God Al
mighty grant us all, the grace fo to re
folve, and fo to do, through Jefus Chrift
our Saviour.

DIS-

DISCOURSE XIII.
THE ADVANTAGES ARISING
FROM GOOD COMPANY,
DISPLAYED.

C 235 ]

Prov. xiii. 20.
He that walketh with wife men fhall be
wife : But a companion of fools fhall be
deflroyed.

J T may be faid of this collection of
Proverbs, that it is afyftem of So
lomon's moral wifdom : and the words
of my text are one of thofe excellent
advices or maxims, which might rea-
fonably be expected from one of his
confummate prudence and experience
in the world, — even without the aid of
fupernatural inspiration. — I doubtnot,
but any aged perfon, who had formerly
been engaged in a vicious courfe of
life, upon the very hearing of thefe
words, would be ready to give his tef
timony to the truth of them, and to ac
knowledge

236 'The Advantages arifing from
knowledge with Shame and forrow, than
the company and converfation of fooliSh
or wiclced men, was the great fource of
all his mifcarriages and misfortunes.—
But that which 1 chiefly intend, by a
difcourfe on this .fubject, is to endea
vour, as much as I can, to imprint the
truth of what Solomon here advances,
upon the minds and memories of young
people ; in order to guard their inno
cence, and Secure their virtues, — and fo
prevent that trouble and remorfe in their
©Id- age, which a life fpent in folly or
wickednefs muft naturally occafion.
And with this view, which I pray God
to fecond with the powerful influences
of his grace upon their hearts, I fhall pro-
feCute ray difcourfe in. the following
method. ift, I Shall point out the ufe and
improvement to be made of good
company.
2dly, The difadvantages and ill
confequences which flow from.
bad company.
And then apply the whole in fome
practical inferences and reflec
tions.
But before I enter upon thefe topics,
it may not be improper to explain, in

Difc. XIII. good Company, difplayed 237
in a few words, the feveral terms made
ufe of in my , text. — The firft is, He
that walketh. — Walking is an expref-
fion frequently made ufe of in Scrip
ture, to denote the actions of the mind.
— It is taken from the motion of the
body, and by an eafy metaphor is fitly
transferred to the brifknefs and acti
vity of the foul. — But here in my text,
as in Several other places of Scripture,
walking doth not denote only a Single,
or cafual act, but a cuftom and habit of
converfation. An accidental meeting, or an extra
ordinary vifit, be it either for civility,
or in the way of bufinefs, may not be
attended with any uncommon effects.
— Nay, in many cafes we may find it
our indifpenfible duty, to be often in
company with men whofe characters and
morals are notoriously bad : but this is
riot voluntary, or what we would do of
our own free choice, which is the mean
ing of walking with them in my text;
for by this is meant the affociating and
linking ourfelves in friendship and fa
miliarity with men of honed, or of vicious
principles ; the making choice of, and
frequenting their company, as the per
fons in whofe fociety we take mod de-
5 light >

238 The Advantages arifing from
light ; and upon which, our own pro
ficiency in virtue, or our plunging into
vice greatly depends. Secondly, another
term heie made ufe of by Solomon, is
that of wife men. Wifdom is an ex-
preflion which is fometimes ufed in Scrip
ture to denote knowledge — but more
frequently it Signifies religion. — I Shall
touch on both thefe fenfes of it, in my
following difcourfe ; and fliall confider
the advantages that flow from fociety,
or intimacy with both intelligent and
pious perfons. — The -oppofite to wif
dom is folly ; and by confequence
we are to underdand by fools, either
ignorant, or irreligious perfons, but ra
ther, indeed, the latter, who are gene
rally difpofed to communicate their fol
lies and vices to thofe who affociate, or
converfe with them. — Their compani
ons, fays the text, " fhall be deflroyed :"
—Deflroyed in this' world, for want of
the knowledge and government of
themfelves, and for copying the fol
lies and extravagancies of their in-
drudtors ; — dedroyed in another world,
for want of thofe morals and principles,
which are neceffary for the falvation of
their fouls, and the enjoyment of celef-
tial happinefs. The

Dife.XI. good Company, difplayed. 239
The words of my text being thus
explained, I return to my propofed
method ; the fird article of which
was, to point out the ufe and im
provement to be made of good com
pany. — " He that zvalketh with wife men
" fhall be wife" — Now, if according to
the foregoing explication- of the word
wifdom, we take it, in the mod common
fenfe, for prudence, knowledge, or un-
derdanding in the affairs and occupa
tions of this life, it would need very few
words to convince you, that the keep
ing of good company is a due and pro
per means for the improvement of us
in the knowledge and management of
our fecular affairs. — It is not my bufi
nefs here, and as little am I able at any
time, to. inftruct you in the myfteries of
worldly wifdom (taking that word in an
innocent fenfe) or to Shew you the par
ticular methods of acquiring riches or
promotion. — It is only my province to
recommend in general, thofe duties of
prudence, diligence, and induftry, which
are fo neceffary to our well* being in
this world, and fo ufeful in their confc
quences to our families and posterity.
— Upon this footing, Solomon's advice
for the choice of our companions comes
recommended

840 2^c? Advantages arifing from
recommended to you, with all the ad
vantages of example, instruction, ex
perience, correction, rebuke, and the
like. He that walketh with wife men,
fliall, by all thefe methods, grow, and
increafe in wifdom ; he that is the hap
py companion of fuch knowing and
judicious perfons, fliall foon rectify the
miftakes of giddy and heedlefs youth,
and form truer notions of perfons and
things. — He fhall ripen in his judg
ment, improve his obfervations, reform
his conduct, furmount difficulties, and
guard againft errors for the future. —
Prudence and dexterity will infenfibly
Steal upon him ; and his very foul will
be enlightened with the rays, and invi
gorated by the influence and example
of his companions. — In Sine, it would
be almoft an endlefs taSk to enumerate
all the advantages that the world receives
from the fociety and converfation of dif-
cre'et and intelligent perfons ; from the
councils and cabinets of princes down to
the moft ordinary artificers and mecha-
chanics. This latter clafs of men is far
from being contemptible — for, as the
wife fon of Sirach expreffes it *, Though
* Eccl. xxxviii. 33, 34. they

DiSc. XIII. good Company, difplayed. 241
they may not be fought for in public
" counfel, nor fit in the Judges feat, nor
" underfland the fentence of judgment ; '
** yet they will maintain the ftate of the
" world ; and all their defire is in the work
" of their craft" Their bufinels, like
more noble occupations, is propagated by
Skill and instruction ; and the myfteries
of their refpective callings discovered,
by a familiarity with, and an imitation
of the compleateft artifts. — " As iron
" fharpeneth iron, fo a man fharpeneth
" the countenance of his friend." As ne-
ceSfity is the mother of invention, and
emulation the propagator of arts and
fciences ; fo mutual converfation heigh
tens men's curiofity, awakens their
parts, and is oft-times the occafion of
making the greateft difcoveries and im
provement, in all the various employ
ments and occupations of human life.
Reclufe and contemplative men, may
devour a number of volumes, and fur-
nifh their understandings with a noble
fet of ideas ; but it is action which is
the principle of good government ; and
mutual converfation and example is the
thing of any that will beft direct us as
to our actions, and introduce us to th®
M fecrett

£42 The Advantages arifing from
Secrets of bufinefs, both as to theory and
practice.— But not to infift longer upon
our temporal affairs, or the wifdom that
is neceffary for the management of them,
let us turn our eyes to that which is of
far greater moment to us, the advance
ment and fecurity of our eternal happi
nefs.— And here we Shall find Solomon's
maxim no lefs fully verified, " He. that
** walketh with wife men, fhall be wife."
He who affociates himfelf with perfons
of true piety and virtue, and takes plea
fure in their company and converfation,
will find it one of the beft means of his
own improvement in the knowledge and
practice of religion. — For there are three
things by which morality and religion
are, as I may fay, naturally inftilled into
US- by other men ; viz. Inftrudtion, Ex
ample, and Reproof.— Now friendship,
and intimate converfation with good
men, give us free admittance to each of
thefe, and confequently, are almoft infal
lible means of our improvement in virtue.
And ill, as -to Instruction. — " The
*' lips of the wife" fays Solomon, " will
I* dfty m t^e honey-comb *." They will
• Prov.jcvi. 24. refrefh

D ilc. X 1 1 1 . good Company, difplayed. *4$
refreSh and enliven, fweeten and com
fort all that are within the fphere of
their acquaintance. —The ufefulnefs of
their exhortations will Shew the integrity
of the advifers : and, if they are but to
lerably prudent in the manner of con
veying their exhortations and instruc
tions, there are but few men of fo rugged
and perverfe a temper as not to be moved
and foftened by them.
When a man, whofe character for vir
tue and probity is well established, has at
the fame time the art, as I may call it,
of fpeaking- out his virtuous fentiments
in an eafy and agreeable manner ; -r-
when, like Mofes, his doctrine drops as
the rain, and his fpeech diftils as the
dew ; — when his healing difcourfe de
scends as the fmall rain upon the tender
herb, and as Showers upon the grafs ;
how powerfully is the attention of his
hearers engaged ;— how do the hearts of
his companions burn within them ;—
and if there be any fpark of virtue in
their breafts, does not his breath blow it
up into a flame ? — It is certainly true,
that the Divine fpirit and grace of God
is the chief principle of virtue and hdli-
jaefs in the heart of man.-— But this does
M a not-

«44 CTbe Advantages arijingfrom
not hinder the ufe of exterior and fubor-
dinate means for the attainment of that
great end. And of thefe, good instruc
tion is one of the principal. " Hear,
" ye children, the inftrudion of a father"
fays Solomon, ' ' and attend to know un
derflanding. My fan, attend unto my wif
dom, and bow thine ear to my under."
" ftanding ; that thou may eft regard difcre-
' tion, and that thy lips may keep know-
" ledge." If'thou haft already attained
that noble prize, the company of good
men will be the Strongest guard and Secu
rity to thy poffeffion of it. If thou art only
in queft of it, the fame religious fociety
will greatly forward thy undertaking ;
and their wholefome directions will con
duct thee into the paths of virtue and
holinefs, — As the author of the book of
Wifdom expreffeth it, " Surely all men
" are vain by nature." — Many men fuck
in prejudices by education.; and moft men
contract bad habits of one kind or other,
by a vicious neighbourhood.— But good
company is one of the bed remedies for
all thefe ; it difpels our ignorance ; — re
forms our nature ; — refines our concep
tions ; — and Shews us the true and right
yfe of all our various paSfions.— For,
every

Difc. XIII. good Company, difplayed. 245
every truly good and virtuous man, en
deavours to be as ufeful in his genera
tion as poffible r and especially to help
forward the falvation of his brethren
with the fame zeal that he profecutes his
own : — he rightly confiders, that thofe
who win fouls are wife ; and that every
one who converteth a fihner from the
error of his ways, fhall fave a foul from
death, and cover a multitude of fins :
and therefore his heart's defire and prayer
to God for his brethren is, that they may
be faved : — and his greated pleafure is
to indruct the ignorant, and thofe that
are out of the way, if peradventure be
may be the happy instrument, under
God, of bringing them to repentancej
and to the knowledge of the truth.—
What an unfpeakable advantage then
mud it be to cultivate the friendship,
and frequent the company of men of this
ftamp ?— Men, whole converfation ad-
miniders grace to the hearers, and is
attended with all the circum dances of
profit and delight ! — It is a fait which
never lofes its Savour, nor grows infipid
by ufe and repetition. — It is a fore-tade of
the joys of heaven, while we Sojourn
here upon earth. — It is a near refem-
M 3 blance

246 The Advantages arifing from
blance to the communion of the faints in
blifs; — an imperfect admiffion to the
general affembly and church of the firft-
born j — and an imitation of the happy
converfe and fociety of the fpirits of juft
men made perfect.
2dly, From the Instruction of wife
and religious men, let us proceed to
their Example ; — the former respecting
chiefly the information of our mind,
and the latter the regulation of our ac
tions.— For, we are not only in a capa
city of knowing more than other per
fons, whilft we frequent the fociety of
good men ; but, we have the greateft
motives and encouragement to make our
practice conformable to our knowledge.
A- good example is virtue animated—
religion fet off to the life in all its fweer,
nefs and attractions; — not in the dull
letter of rules and precepts, but in the
commanding light and heat of action,
and all the efficacious motives of love
and obedience. There is fomething in
the example of a virtuous man, which
will affect one in fome degree, whether
he will or not.— -His very mien, and
geftures are oft-times instructive ; — his
very looks are like fo many laws, and
his fmiles and frowns like fo many re
wards

Difc. XII I. good Company, difplayed. 247
wards and punishments: — but, above
all, the comelinefs and gracefulnefs of
his actions command veneration and re-
fpect. Vice is ready to fneak and hang
down its head, on his appearance ; and
there are few profligates fo very hard
ened and abandoned as not to bluSh,
and be confounded, when they compare
their actions with thofe of a real good
man. — Villainy itfelf is not able to re-
fift fuch ftrong conviction ; and he muft
be a reprobate indeed, who can Spurn at
fb moving a call to repentance.
3dly, Another benefit which we receive
^frorn the fociety of good men is, Repxqof.
•—The very behaviour, and action's of a
^good man are in themfelves a Striking
_*epraoftoTa wicked perfon.— But this is
_not always fuffkient, — ft is often ,nqc,ef-
fary to tell men, -in exprefs terms, of the
.guilt and folly of their conduct.— -This
indeed is a very difagreeable talk : and
the more wife and virtuous a man is
himfelf, the more painful it is to him,
to rake into the faults and follies of ano
ther. — It is likewife an office that re
quires no little art and temper, in order
to make one's reproof have the defigned
effect. — A pedantic ftiffnafs, or a fuper-
M 4 cilious

248 The Advantages arifing from
cilious behaviour in the monitor, inftead
of fopthing the paSfions, or reforming
the manners of the offender, is rather
apt to raife his refentment, and harden
and embolden him in his offence.
Different perfons, indeed, muft be
treated according to their different- 'cir
cumftances. — -With fome, it is absolute
ly neceffary to ufe fharpnefs and feverity ;
efpecially when mild and gentle methods
have been tried, and found to fail.'- — But
for the moft part, the fofter the terms in
which a reproof is couched, the Stronger
effect it will have ;— for, as Solomon ob-
ferves *, " afoft tongue breaketh the bone."
And one thing ought always to be par
ticularly adverted to ; viz. that it is j»
man's faults and vices, and not his per
fon, which we condemn and diflike ;-*»
that it is not his hurt or ruin, but his-
happinefs and reformation we feek af
ter. Upon fuch a difcreet and humane
way of proceeding, the fuccefs generally
anfwers the application;— especially,
when the life and actions of the re
prover, give a due weight to his admoni-
, * Prov. xxv, 45. tions

Difc. XIII. good Company, difplayed. 249
tions and reproofs. — For he who hath
taught himfelf, is the perfon beft quali
fied to teach others. — He who lives in
the Strict practice of the fevereft duties
of religion, is in the faireft capacity to
admoniSh others for the neglect of them.
Let us never then be fo unwife as to Shun
the company and converfation of a good
man, for fear of meeting with a repri
mand from him : on the contrary, let us
efteem and court moft the acquaintance
of fuch virtuous perfons, as we find moft
ready to tell us freely and impartially of
our faults. — " Let the righteous finite
" me," fays the Pfalmift, " and it fhall
be a kindnefs ; and let him reprove me,
it fhall be a precious oil, which fhall not
break my head: Like a Skillful hand
that probes an wound gently, but at the
fame time thoroughly, and, by a feafon-
able difcharge of the latent corruption,
reftores the infected or bruifed part to
its former foundnefs, and administers
health to the whole body.
And this may fuffice at prefent for the
firft head of my difcourfe •, the advan
tages we may hope to reap from the
fociety and converfation of good mcy—
" He tbat-walketb with wife men, fhall be ¦
M5 wife."

a

25° 3^* Advantages arifingfrom, &c.
" wife." And I Should now proceed to
Shew, on the other hand, the difadvan-
tages, and ill confequences which flow
from bad company.
In the mean time, let us pray God,
that he would give us grace to receive
instruction with patience, to profit by
example, and to reform by reproof; that
we may, in due time, acquire that reli
gious and heavenly wifdom^ which will
conduct us with fafety through the dif
ficulties of this troublefome world, and
lead us to the pleafures and joys of
cverlafting life, through Jefus Chrift
our Lord.

DIS-:

DISCOURSE XIV.
THE,
FQRMER SUBJECT
C 0 N T I N TJ EB..

M 6

[ 253 1

P r o v. xiii. 20.
He that walketh with wife men, fhall be
wife : But a companion of fools fhall be
deflroyed.

T N difcourfing from thefe words, 1
have already endeavoured to lay be
fore you fome of the advantages of fre
quenting the company and converfation
of good men. " He that walketh with
" wife men, fhall be wife :" — and that with
refpect both to his temporal and eternal
concerns. — I infifted chiefly on- the laft
of thefe, and Shewed you how natural
and almoft neceffary it is that one Should
improve in virtue and holinefs, from the
instructions, the example, and the re
proofs of a truly good .and virtuous
man.— -And the truth of all this will he.

254 T"he Advantages; arifihg from-
be ftill further confirmed and illustrat
ed, by proceeding, according to Solo-
jajon's method in my text, to confider
the difadvantages and ill' confequences
which flow from bad company. — " A>
" companion of fools fhall be deflroyed" A
melancholy truth, which we fee almoft
daily confirmed by the fad fate of
many. A:fate, for which many an
anxious father deeply fears and feels ;
and for which many a prodigal "fon as
deeply grieves, when it is too late to
mend or prevent it.— A fate, which the
ruin of many ancient families bears wit-
nefs to ; and of which their dilapidated'
houfes are fo many frightful monu-.
• ments/ — To fay nothing of thofe many
untimely deaths and disgraceful execu
tions, which are fuch a reproach upon a
Chriftian country, and which generally
derive their fource from the baneful in
fluence of wicked company.
But, in order to mak« the deeper im-
preffion upon the hearts and minds of
young people, for whom a diScourfe of
this kind is chiefly calculated, I fliall ¦
be a little more particular in difplaying
the difadvantages of keeping bad com
pany, as they affect the body, — the re
putation,

Difc. XIV. good Company, difplayed. %s$
putation, — the eftate, — the morals, —
and the foul of man.
And I ft, Let us only think a little on
the destructive influence of bad company
upon the body :— and what a train of dif-
eafes it generally brings in; efpecially on
delicate, tender constitutions. — How
are the young bloffoms nipped in the
bud, and the very vitals wafhed away
by Surfeits and debauchery ? — " Who
" bath woe ? Who hath forrow? Who hath
" contentions ? Who hath babbling ? Who
" hath wounds without caafe ? Who hath
" r ednefs of eyes ? — They that tarry
" long at the wine, they that go to feek
" mixed wine."— And therefore, as Solo
mon wifely adds, " Look not thou upon
" the wine when it is red, when it giveth
" his colour in the cup, whenit moveth it-
" f elf aright; for at the laft it bUet'b like a
" ferpent, and ftingetb Uke an sadder." —
The fears are always frefh, and the
wounds 'feftering.— The venom is com
monly vifible, in the inflamed veins,
and the bloated countenances : -** the
flings -of it remain to the laft, produ
cing -Shattered constitutions^ and un
timely deaths.
Such is the common fate. of our rakes
4 and

.250" ^h'e Advantages arijingfrom
and debauchees, — many of whom become
Spectacles to the world even while alive.
¦—For how Often do their abominable
and wicked courfes, bring trembling
into their hands and rottennefs into their
bones ? — How often do they outlive
both their memory and judgment, even
while they are but very little advanced
in years ? — And what is all this chiefly
owing to, but the exceSfive liberties of
vicious converfation, — and the allure
ments of wicked companions ; — which
decoy the young, and even fometimes
pervert the old ; — which entrap the un
wary, — and impofe upon the ignorant;
—which enfeeble the mighty,— and de
bauch the innocent ? — : We may fay of
ill company in general, what Solomon
fays of one particular fpecies of it * j
" It hath caft down many wounded, and
" many jlrong men have been flain by it.
" It hath been as deftruffive. as armies,
" and rampant as the peftilence."
2dly, Another difadvantage of bad
company, is, the destructive influence it
has upon a man's reputation. —We are
generally anxious in the fupporting our
•° Erov. vii. 26. j character,,

Difc. XIV. good Company, difplayed. 257
character, and full of refentment, when
the leaft Slur is caft upon it. — But, in
ftead of being angry with others, it would
often be more prudent in many to re
flect upon themfelves ; and to confider,
whether their own behaviour has not
gone farther towards the ruin of their
good name, than all that the malice or
Slander of others could do. — For, all
calumnies will ceafe in time, if we do
not give encouragement to their conti
nuance, by our own vicious actions, and
prove them true by the irregularity of
our own practice. — But when we make
it our choice to walk in the counfel of
the ungodly, and to fit in the tabernacle
of the fcornful ; — when we take plea-
Ture in the riotous cabals of debauched
men, and the frothy falfe wit of profli
gates and Scoffers, we do but open the
mouths of our adverfaries, and. fupply
their ill-nature with matter to afperfe
us. — By our familiarity with wicked
men, we betray an affection to their te
nets and principles, and adopt their
vices for our own : — and fo become
anfwerable, in fome degree, for their
faults and mifcarriages ; and our cha
racters muft ftand or fall with theirs.—
If they are given to drunkennefs, we
fhall

258 The Advantages^ arifing from
fhall hardly be reckoned, fober ; — il
they are lewd, we Shall not be account
ed chafte; — if they are profane and
atheistical, we muft at leaft he deemed
well-wifhers to vice, and retainers and
abettors of infidelity.
We fhall do well then to take heed to-
the many precepts and exhortations in
Scripture, which enjoin us to abftain
from all appearance of evil, and not to-
truft our virtue in the confines or neigh
bourhood of vice.
We Should treat our reputation, as \sws
would our chaftity .; — keep it from ail
fufpicion of temptation ; — from th*
final left air or breath of debauchery,
left the infection fhould infinuate, and
the poifon fpread itfelf;,— and at leaft
. our honour fall a facrifice to the loofe-
¦ nefs of our companions*.
3dly, From the lofs of reputationr
• let us proceed to the ruin of men's
fortunes -, for, honour and intereft ge~
nerally fall together, — and a fet e£
¦ debauched companions will foon eat
out the bowels of a man's fubftance,.
as well as bring difgrace upon his name.
Next to the bleSfing of God,, and his
promifes to the faithful, the tendency of
aatural caufes will affure us, that dili
gence,

Difc. XIV. good Company, difplayed. 259
gence, care, and indudry are the proper
means of acquiring wealth.— But how dia
metrically oppofite is bad company to all
thefe thriving virtues ? — What a mif-
fpending of time is it attended with ? —
What an omiffion of opportunities ?—
What a negledt of application ?— What
a contempt of bufinefs ? — It is " the
band of the diligent," that " maketb
rich" fays Solomon : and, again,
Seeft thou a man diligent, he fhall ftand
before kings ; be fhall not ftand before
mean perfons"— But what claim hath
he to diligence, who abufes his ta
lents, and mif-fpends his time, with loofe
and idle companions ? — What claim
hath he to the countenance of men of
honour, who is never better pleafed than
when he is with the refufe and fcum of
the people, and that too, in the moft
Scandalous places, as well as the word
of employments: — fuch company, in
ftead of introducing a man to a court,
may well throw him upon a dunghill j
— and cloath him with rags rather than
purple. Profufenefs and- prodigality, are the
natural confequences of idlenefs and
vanity •, and whoever links himfelf with
loofe'

260 The Advantages arifing from
loofe and debauched perfons, makes a
fair ftep to ruin and beggary. Fetters
and imprifonment are often the confe
quences of that prodigality; — and fome-
times an untimely and ignominious
death concludes the tragedy.
Butfurther; This diSfiparion of wealth,
and forfeiture of reputation, do not only
affect the body, but the mind alfo ; and
are generally attended with the corrup
tion of manners, as well as the miferies
of want and poverty. — Prodigality and
impiety generally go hand in hand ;—
and the fame pernicious company which
waftes the Subftance in riotous' living,
debauches the conscience, and corrupts.
the morals by lewd examples. — I am
well perfuaded, that many a perfon
might have fecured his native inno
cence, and preferved his integrity un-
fhaken and inviolable, had he not been
feduced, by the example, and borne
down by the prevailing cuftoms of de
bauched men. — Some people feem to
have the feeds of virtue fo plentifully
fown in them, and fuch an innate Sweet-
nefs of temper and difpofition to good
nefs, that one could not fuppofe them
eafily feduced into vice, if cuftom didnot

Difc. XIV. good Company, difplayed. 26 1
not ftifle nature, and folicitations of
company deface the impreffions of a
virtuous education. — In this caie too, it
is remarkable, with what craft and po
licy the corrupters of manners begin
their ungodly work, and play their en
gines upon the raw and unguarded part
of mankind. — Youth is the age which
is generally attacked ; the age when the
blood is hot, and the paSfions run high ;
when the judgment is unfettlecj, and the
reafon not come to maturity : — and ic
is no wonder, that more converts to im
piety fhould be made at this giddy fea
fon, than when experience has fenced us
againft. danger, and grey hairs have
ripened us into habits of goodnefs.—
How thick do fharpers fwarm round a
young heir ? — How bufy are rakes for
the poifoning of innocence ?— How zea
lous are free-thinkers and infidels in ri
diculing the truth ? — With what un
wearied diligence do all thefe purfue their
prey? — With what infinuating craft
and caution do they fpread their nets ?
— Well then might holy David pro
nounce a bleffing upon that man " who
" hath not walked in the counfel of the
" ungodly,

2-6a • The Advantages arifing from
" ungodly, nor flood in the way of finnen,
*' nor fat in the feat of the fcornful."
Such company was indeed unworthy
of the man after God's own heart, who
'*' turned not afide from any thing that wai
" commanded him all the days of his life,
" fave only in the matter of Uriah the Hit-
" tite."— On all other occafions we find
him particularly careful, with regard to
the choice of his companions.—" 1 have
" not fat with vain perfons," fays he,
" neither will I go with diffemblers : I
<c have hated the congregation of evil-doers,
" and will not fit with the wicked."— And
certainly, thofe perfons are the juft ob
jects of every good man's averfion,
who affront his God, endeavour to lay
wafte his confeience, and rob him of his
principles. — And it were much to be
wifhed, that the like pious refentment
did always actuate the profeffors of re
ligion, when the decent rules of conver
fation are tranfgreffed, and things facred
and venerable are treated with fcorn and
buffoonery.— Nobody knows what fa
miliarity may produce, and how foon
too much intimacy may Shock the Strong-
eft refolutions.— Solomon was appre-
henfive of thefe dangerous confequences,
2 when

, Difc. XIV. good Company, difplayed. 2 6$
,when he put on all the authority of a
father, and exerted all the perfuafion of
an orator, to prevent the ruin of the
perfon whom he ftiled his fon, and to
caution him againft the example, the
manners and enticements of feducers.
" Enter not into the path of the wicked,"
fays he, " and go not into the way of evil
*' men. Avoid it ; pafs not by it ; turn from
" it, and pafs away : For tbeyfieep not ex-
" cept they have done mifchief; and their
" fieep is taken away, unlefs they caufe
" fome to fall. For they eat the bread of
" wickednefs, and drink the wine bfvio-
" knee."
It was with the fame charitable view,
and for the prevention of the like evils,
that God, when he was bringing the chil
dren of Ifrael into the land of Canaan,
inhibited them fo Strictly from all man
ner of communication and intercourfe
with the neighbouring nations *. — The
predominant vice of the JewiSh nation,
it feems, was idolatry ; and the way to
cherilh and promote it, was, by a fami
liarity and alliance with Pagans.— For
who can expect to hear or receive good,
, * Exod. xxiii. and Deut. vii, in

164. The Advantages arifing from
in the fociety of thofe who are the in
ventors or Spreaders of evil ? — Shall
modefty proceed from impudence, or
chaftity from the Stews .? Shall tempe
rance flow from a debauch, or fobriety
from frequenting a tavern ? Shall the
reverence Of an oath be learned from a
common fwearer;.orthebeingof a Gqd,
and the principles of religion, from an
Atheift, or an Infidel? — This were, to
bring light from darknefs ; or* to gather
grapes from thorns and figs from thif-
tles. — But we muft not expect to work
Such impoffibilities ; there can be, no
Such harmony between righteoufnefs and
unrighteoufnefs, — no concord between
Chrift and Belial ; nor Shall any man be
long a fincere fervant of God, who. takes
pleafure in the company and converfa
tion of the agents of the devil. — Alas !
alas ! the loofenefs and corruption of
our own times ; the very language of
our Streets, is too vifible a proof of the
deplorable effects, which ill company
has upon men's principles and actions.—
A fet of vicious companions, is enough
to corrupt a whole city or neighbour
hood ; and give fuch a fanction to im
piety, that not ten righteous perfons Shall be

Difc. XIV. good Company, difplayed. 265,
be found for the prefervation of a So
dom.— For men generally encourage one
another in the commiffion of evil : —A
multitude feems to attract, and indem
nify ; and numbers give life and fpirit to
a bad caufe ; tilt at laft the defection be
comes univerfal ; and cunning perfua-
fions-and vile examples have fuch a pow
erful influence, that all go " out of the
' way, become abominable, and there is
*' none that doth good, no, not one."
Which leads- me to mention the laft,
and moft miferable effect of bad com
pany ; and that is, the lofs of the foul-r»
A lofs fo great, that the gain of the whole
world cannot compenfate for it; much
lefs can the frothy delights of a filthy
converfation, or the furfeits and exceffes
of fenfual pleafure. — I have fhewed how
the foul is vitiated by bad company, and
defpoiled of all thofe principles which
are effential to its happinefs.— Now, the
confequences of perfeverance and induh-
gence in thefe debauches, muft be eter
nal destruction. — Repentance generally
comes too late, after fuch inveterate ha
bits of finning ; and grace ceafes to
drive any longer, with the repeated ob
stinacy, and perverfenefs of a Stubborn
N mind".-—

366 The Advantages arifingfrom
mind.— The devil enters, and takes pof-
feSfion, guards againft the returns of vir
tue -, and, at the long run, commonly
fills the distracted mind of an old finner,
with the moft dreadful anguifh and de-
fpair. We have heard of many of the moft
profligate and abandoned finners, who,
when death was Staring them in the face,
and their confciences began to awaken
and fmke them, have made the moft tra
gical outcries, and bitter complaints,
for having m if- Spent their time, and loft
the opportunity of working out their
falvation : And, above all, what doleful
exclamations do they then make, againft
the ways of the world, and the artifices
of feducers, whom they generally, and
very juftly blame as the chief instru
ments of their eternal ruin !
Wherefore, to conclude the whole,
Although I have not room for many
of thofe practical inferences and reflec
tions which this fubjeet would fuggeSt,
let me earneftly recommend it to all, but
efpecially to thofe who are young, and
but juft entering upon the world, to be
extremely wary in the point of contract
ing particular friendships, and chufing their

D i St. XIV. good Company , difplayed. 267
their moft intimate and beloved com
panions, fince their well-being and hap
pinefs, both in this World, and the next,
depend fo very much on this one thing.
— Whatever general acquaintance, or
even more particular connections we
may be obliged to have with men of
bad principles or loofe practices, let us
beware of taking them into our bofoms,
or of being more in their company than
neceflity forces us to be. — Let our
chofen intimates and familiar friends be
men of known prudence, probity, and
fidelity, — men of true honour and found
principles, — men who take all oppor
tunities of encouraging us when we do
well, and of blaming or reproving us
when we do amifs. — Thefe are the only
men to be trufted with the conduft of
our lives, or the fecrets of our hearts.—
Whereas, if we throw ourfelves into the
hands and counfels of wicked, irreli
gious men, we fhall certainly expofe
ourfelves to ruin and drfgrace. — And
in particular, let us beware of thofe who
are ready to flatter us, and to make fpe
cious excufes for our faults when we do
amifs.— No fpecies of men is more dan
gerous, than companions of this fort.-—
N 2 01

268 The Advantages arifingfrom
O ! that every young perfon would often
confider thofe elegant defcriptions of
flatterers, which the author of the Ec-
clefiafticus gives, in feveral parts of his
book. " A falfe companion" fays he,
" fpeaketh fweetly with his lips, but in his
" heart he imagineth how to throw thee
" into a pit. If thou be for his profit,
he will ufe thee ; but, if thou have no
thing, he will forfake thee : If thou have
any thing, he will live with thee ; yea,
be will make thee bare, and will not be
" firry for it. If he have need of thee,
" be will deceive thee, and fmile upon thee,
" and put thee in hope. When thou art
" prefent, he will fpeak fmoothly, and will
admire thy words : but, at the lafl 'he
" will writhe his mouth, and fiander thy
" fayings. He will jhake his head, and
-" clap his hands, and whifper much, and
" change his countenance." . What arti
fice is here difplayed, in entering into
the confidence of the thoughtlefs and
unguarded ! — Let prudence therefore
interpcfe, to guard us from fuch an
evil : — let us ponder men's words, fuf-
pe6t their officioufnefs, and defpife their
flattery ; led we fall into fuch hands, as,
in dead of helping us to work out our
falvation v

Difc. XIV. good Company, difplayed. 209
falvation, may be the instruments of de
stroying both our temporal and eternal
happinefs. Give us then, O Lord, thou lover
of fouls and preferver of men, the
grace fo to number our days, and regu
late our lives, that we may apply our
hearts to that holy and religious wif
dom, which will teach us to avoid the
folicitations of bad company in this
world, and fit us for the fociety of
faints and angels in another.

F I N I SJ-

YALE UNIVERSITY L

3 9002 08561 4544

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