Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

SERMON LXXXVI.

PREACHED AT A CONFIRMATION.

THE SIN AND DANGER OF GRIEVING THE
HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD.

EPHES. iv. 30.

GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD, WHEREBY YE ARE SEALED UNTO THE DAY OF REDEMPTION.

EFORE I enter upon this fubject, I will endeavour to fatisfy you, that notwithstanding the good purposes you have this day made, and notwithstanding the good prayers which are offered up to God on your behalf, there is yet a greater poffibility of your mifcarrying than you are aware of.

The reafon why I observe this to you, is becaufe I know the frailty of human nature better than you can be fuppofed to do.

When a perfon is made fenfible of his duty to God, and that it is truly his interest to ferve him faithfully, and that there is great uneafiness and danger in the ways of vice and impiety; while thefe thoughts are warm in his heart, he is apt to be very confident that he, for his part, fhall never run into that wickedness

wickedness which others fall into, and by which they are ruined.

[ocr errors]

And if I fhould take any of you, [who have this day been confirmed in your holy purposes of obedience] if I fhould call you afide, and give you this advice:-" Pray have a care left you "fall into the fins of drunkennefs, or whore"dom, which are but too common amongst us; have a care of lying or fwearing, or ftealing, which will certainly fhut you out `" of heaven;" it is very probable thefe would be your thoughts and your anfwer:- I am fully refolved against all fuch great crimes; 'I have no manner of inclination to drink too 'much; I know not what it is to be unchafte; ' but this I know, that it is better to marry than be fubject to the torments of luft; I am fo far from the danger of fwearing, that I am uneafy when I hear others fwear; and for lying, and ftealing, I wonder that any body should fear that I could ever be guilty ' of fuch crimes.'

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Now you must know, that this is the confidence of unexperienced Chriftians; for those that know themselves better, know, that there is nothing more deceitful than the heart of man, and that in time, if we give way to our defires, we shall love thofe very things which now we abhor, and do thofe wickedneffes which at present we had rather fuffer death than be guilty of.

And

And that you may be fatisfied that this is very true, I will give you two inftances out of the holy fcriptures, one out of the Old, and another out of the New Teftament, which may convince you, that no man ought to be confident of himself, what he will be, and what he will do; but that it will become the very wifeft and the best of us, to be very careful of our ways, and to look up to God for help, by whose spirit alone those that are not as wicked as their neighbours are preserved from being fo; and if we do not take care of ourselves, and beg of God to take us under his guidance and bleffing, we may too likely fall into thofe very fins to which at present we have no manner of inclination.

When Elijah told Hazael, that he should do very fevere things to Ifrael, that he would burn their cities, dash their children, and rip up their women with child; Hazael was at that time so far from fuch thoughts, that he asks, What, am I a dog, that I should do this? And yet, in procefs of time, he did this, and became one of the greatest fcourges that Ifrael had.

St. Peter had, perhaps, as much natural courage as most men, as appears by his behaviour in the garden; and he had pofitively given his master his word, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wife; and yet within twelve hours after, he fwears he knows * 2 Kings viii. 12.

YOL. IV,

him

him not. What account can be given of this? Why, this was the cause of such a ftrange alteration in the apostle: he trufted to his own ftrength, and God for that time left him to himself, and you fee what followed.

And fo it will ever be, when God, for our fins, leaves us to ourselves. There is not the vileft thing we now abhor, nor the basest vice which we may not be guilty of, if ever the Spirit of God gives us up to the government of our own wills.

And now you fee, that notwithstanding the good purpofes and refolutions you have this day made, and the prayers that have been offered up for you, it is neceffary that you fhould be put in mind of the danger you are in, if, by any wilful continuing in known fin, you grieve the Holy Spirit of God, and force him to leave you to yourselves.

To come, therefore, to the words of the text, and to the apoftle's advice,-Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are fealed unto the day of redemption.

The plain meaning of these words is this: God has given you the earnest of his Spirit into your hearts, by which you have been taught your duty, by which you have inclinations to perform it, and by which, if you perfevere, you will be fecured against all dangers, and under all temptations, till you come to heaven, where all dangers will be over.

But

1

But take great care that you grieve not this Holy Spirit, and force him, by any great wickedness, or by continuing in a wilful course of fin, to leave you to yourself, and to the power of the devil; for if you do this, you are undone for ever; if the Holy Spirit takes off his feal, the devil marks you for himself, and for eternal mifery.

And this is literally true, and may be justly said to all you who have this day been confirmed.

God, whofe good bleffing goes along with the wholesome methods of his church, has given you fuch a proportion of his Spirit, as will for the prefent fecure you from danger, and will, as you go on to make use of these measures of grace, ftill give you greater, till you come to heaven.

Take good heed, therefore, that you do not abuse this great bleffing, by making yourfelves unfit for the Spirit of God to dwell in your hearts; for if you continue to grieve the Holy Spirit, he will at laft leave you; and when you are left by God, it is not in the power of all the world befides to make you

amends for fuch a lofs.

But that you may be more fenfible of this, I will lay before you these following things to be seriously confidered by you:

A. What your condition is, while you continue under the government and protection of God's Holy Spirit. 2dly. What

02

« AnteriorContinuar »