Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

:

wisest and most confiderate perfons to be our conductors. For as we should never haftily run after uncommiffioned guides, fo above all things we should beware of artful or felf-sufficient, of rash and impetuous ones which laft, however it happens, man are peculiarly apt to follow, though almoft fure of being led by them, not only wrong, but great lengths in what is wrong whereas there are no plainer rules of behaviour than thefe, that in proportion as we are in the dark, we should go on gently; and wherever there may be hazard, keep on the fafer fide.

:

He that will conduct himself thus, may foon make large advances in religious knowledge: and wherever he ftops, needs not be uneafy. Though the arguments, which he hath for his faith, may not be the strongeft: yet a tree, but weakly rooted, often brings forth good fruit ; and if it doth, will never be bewn down, and caft into the fire.* Though he may be ignorant of many things, and doubt or even err concerning many others, yet they may be of small importance; or, though of great, yet having ufed a competent care to inform himfelf, he will obtain pardon. We cannot indeed fay with exactnefs, how much of their time and pains men are bound to spend upon exami, nation, any more than how much of their wealth in works of charity, and the less, as both duties vary according to the circumstances of every individual. But let each confult his confcience, with a serious defire of being told the truth, whether it hath been, and is now his habitual endeavour to determine and to act as rightly as he can: and, if the answer be clearly in his favour, when he is neither difpofed to frighten nor flatter himself, let him truft in God, and be at peace. For like as a father pitieth his children, fo the Lord pitieth them that fear bim.t

Not that, after all, it is indifferent, whether we fall into errors concerning religion, or escape them. For both mistakes and bare ignorance, where they are accompanied with little or no guilt, may often be followed by great difadvantages. Wrong notions in the understanding may produce wrong movements in the heart: which, even when they will not bring down upon us future punishment, may unfit us for certain degrees of future reward. And, on the contrary, a larger portion of piety and virtue, and therefore of heavenly felicity, may prove

B 2

Matth. iii. 10. vii. 19.

† Jǝb. xxii. 21.

Pfal. ciii. 13.

prove to be the natural confequence of a more extensive acquaintance with gofpel truths. So that, in the reafon of things, as well as the fure foundation of divine promifes, good Chriftians are intitled to expect thofe diftinguifhed glories in a better world, for which, others, though, in proportion to their talents, truly good, may not be qualified.

But ftill it is allowable to hope, and to rejoice in hoping, that a being unfpeakably gracious will confer fome measure of happiness hereafter on all the fons of men, who have not made themfelves incapable of it; and that neither involuntary nor excufable mifapprehenfions will exclude any from it. If indeed, under colour of reafoning freely, men will argue fallaciously, conclude precipitable, and behave prefumptuously; talk and do what they pleafe without modefty or fear, and fet themselves up, on this merit, for the only affertors of liberty, when in truth they are willing flaves to a wicked mind; thefe, of all men, have no cloak for their fin*. But the virtuous and humble inquirer, who ftudies to conduc his understanding with impartial care firft, and his life with inoffenfive fincerity afterwards, yet confcious of his many failings, begs for pardon and flrength to be given him in fuch manner as his Maker fees fit, may furely comfort himself with pleafing expectations of acceptance after death. As many, therefore, as walk according to this rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the Ifrael of God t

• John xv. 22.

↑ Gal. vi. 16,

SER

SERMON XLIV.

FIRMNESS IN THE PRACTICE OF RELIGION AND VIRTUE.

I THESS. V. 21, 22.

Prove all things: bold fast that which is good; abstain from all appearance of evil.

THE

"HE first duty of reasonable creatures, with respect to religion, is, informing themselves, as fully as their natural abilities, their improvements in knowledge, and their conditions of life permit, concerning its truth, and the doctrines it teaches. Multitudes are unable to procced far in this inquiry: of the reft, fome totally neglect it, fome carry it on with lefs care and integrity, or fewer advantages, than others. And hence it comes to pafs, that different perfons think upon the fubject in very different manners: and even the fame person, in progrefs of time, very differently from himfelf. But then every flate of mind, that men can be in, relative to thefe matters, hath its proper obligations belonging to it: and, for want of paying due regard to them, they whofe opinions are right may be very bad in their practice; and they whofe opinions are wrong, much worfe, than even their own notions, by any juft confequence, allow them to be. Not uncommonly indeed the goodness of mens nature prevails, through God's mercy, in fome points, over the ill tendency of their principles; and makes them better than they profcfs themselves. But much oftener they run into fuch behaviour, as must be unwarrantable, according to the very doctrines which they have embraced. And therefore every one fhould confider well, to what fort of conduct these really direct him, and from what they restrain him. Men may think, they could not help being of the opinions they are: but if they take still greater liberties, than their opinions lead them to; instead of fufpecting, that poffibly

they

they may lead them too far: this they must know to be their own fault; and, while they indulge it, one doth not fee, what they will stop at: whereas keeping carefully within the bounds, which their judgements fets them, will be the best excuse they can have, in their prefent way of thinking; and the likeliest means of difcerning and amending the errors of it.

Having therefore laid before you, in the first place, the duty of proving all things, and the general difpofition of mind with which it should be done: I proceed now to the confequent duty of holding faft that which is good, and abftaining from all appearance of evil. And as the appearances of good and evil muft vary, according to the notions which are espoused about them; it will be useful to confider thefe of unbelievers, as well as believers: for which purpose, there must be some extraordinary fuppofitions made: but I hope the truly pious will neither think them shocking, nor useless; being introduced only for the fake of suggesting to them fuch things, as though they want not for themselves, or for others like them, they may perhaps employ to good effect for convincing or filencing infidels and libertines, when cccafion requires; and there hath feldom been more occafion, than at prefent.

To begin then with imagining a worse cafe, than perhaps is poffible. Were any one perfuaded, not only that all religion is groundless, but that virtue and vice, right and wrong, are mere words without meaning: yet even fuch a one, if he did not think wisdom and folly, pleasure and pain, empty founds too; would have fome rule of conduct, fo far as it reached. Still it would be a matter of ferious confideration, what behaviour promises the most happiness, upon the whole, to fuch beings, placed in such a world, as we are. And our present interest here, had we no other guide, far from permitting us to do every mad thing, that paffion, appetites or fancies, prompt us to, would direct us, in a great measure, to a course of honesty, friendlinefs and fobriety. For not only life and health, and fafety and quiet of which no other method can poffibly give us, in general, near fo good a profpect; are of much too high. importance, to be hazarded wantonly: but reputation alfo is a matter of no small value; and peace within of greater ftill. Now fuppofe there were no reason in the leaft for any one to feel fatisfaction in doing good natured and just things, or uneafinefs from the reflection of having done cruel and bafe ones;

yet,

yet, as in fact, almost, if not absolutely, all perfons do feel both to aim at the former, and avoid the latter, is, without regard to principle, a dictate of common prudence.

But farther, whatever fome may think of moral obligation themselves, they have many reasons to defire that the world about them should think highly of it. For though difcretion,

abstracted from fense of duty, might reasonably, in most cases, restrain those, with whom we are concerned from using us ill; yet it will reftrain them but in few inftances; and then very imperfectly. So that whoever is confiderate, will be extremely unwilling to weaken the bonds of human fociety: which he will find, at beft, are by no means too ftrong. And therefore, fhould he think it his own intereft to be wicked; yet if he be wife he will never attempt to make one fingle perfon like him, befides those whom he absolutely needs for affociates: and even of such he will beware: for he hath taught them an evil leffon against himself. But fpreading his opinions farther, he will look on as the fillieft of vanities and be earnestly defirous, that others fhould act upon principle, whatever he doth himself: that his friends should be faithful and affectionate, his servants honeft and careful, his children dutiful and regular. And they, who, in the fancied fuperiority of their knowledge, teach those about them, or those with whom they converse, to be profligate; by expreffing, either defignedly or carelesly, a contempt of virtue; well deferve the return, they often meet. with, for fuch inftructions.

Nay indeed every prudent man, be his private way of thinking ever so bad, will be solicitous to perserve in the world, not only morals; but, for the fake of morals, what is the main fupport of them, religion too: and that religion, which is the likelieft to support them. Though he conceive it to be false, he will respect it as beneficial, were he to imagine this or that part of it hurtful; he would ftill moderate this zeal against them, fo as not to destroy the influence of the reft. For if believing some things may do harm in the world, believing others may do good. And if any thing whatever can do much good, and no harm it is the perfuafion, that we live continually under the eye of an infinitely powerful and wife, just and good ruler; who hath fent us a person of inconceivable dignity, on purpose to give us the fulleft affurance of his rewarding all, who

Ecclus, ix. 1.

« AnteriorContinuar »