really wife without innocence.-Let no one then conceive himself to be wise, in that he can go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter; unhappily versed in the mean arts of tricking and impofture, whereby to depress his neighbour or advance himself; because the Lord (as the Apostle teftifies) is the avenger of all fuch. He, unto whom all hearts are open, will bring every fecret thing into judgment. Such indeed is the wifdom of the Children of this World; of whom our Saviour obferves, that they are wifer in their generation than the Children of Light[i. e. worldly-minded men are for the most part more ingenious and diligent in pursuit of their temporal interefts, than those who are enlightened by the knowledge of true religion are in providing for their eternal welfare.] But that wisdom which does not proceed from good principles (whatever it may be in the fight of men) is in the esteem of God, God, who judgeth of things according to the truth, but vanity and folly. "The wisdom of the world, faith St. Paul, is foolishness with God." This is not the wisdom of the Serpent we are directed to imitate in a cautious felf-preferving conduct; but the cunning of that old Serpent, who was a liar from the beginning, the father of treachery and deceit. It must be acknowledged that the concerns of the prefent life, as well as of that which is to come, require a good deal of wariness and attention, confidering the malice and wickedness of many, with whom we are obliged to converfe; and the errors and temptations to which we are always liable. And fo long as we act upon the defenfive, our fagacity is honeft, our forefight commendable : But to attempt the making any acquifitions by oppreffion and wrong, by artifice and fraud, is to be guilty of bad policy; which, though it may poffibly fucceed E 4 fucceed here, muft infallibly be accounted for hereafter. Hence then, from the double precaution delivered in the text, and which I have hitherto been explaining, we may rest assured that to behave inoffenfively in all branches of his conduct is the primary duty of every Difciple of Christ : And further, that confiftently with this reftraint he cannot act too wifely. For harmless wifdom what is it but Prudence? a cardinal virtue both in the moral and Chriftian fyftem. The happy effects of which I proceed in the next place to point out in fome principal inftances, and fo recommend it to your obfervance. 2. And here-whoever allows himself to reflect upon the nature and danger of that probationary ftate, wherein he is placed in this world, muft needs be fen- fible that much virtuous wifdom is neceffary toward fecuring alike his present and future happiness.—If a man does not look to himself, if he is not watchful at home, even his own paffions will betray him into numberless extravagancies, productive of nothing but difquietude and vexation in the end. Hence the knowledge of a man's felf was a fundamental article in the heathen philofophy; and much more fo is it in the Christian Religion; which hath difcovered to us our corruption and infirmities, together with the occafion of them, in a manner unknown to those darker ages. Experience almoft daily may convince us, that we are very liable to be drawn afide from our duty, through the untoward motions of our own appetites; which do therefore require a most suspicious guard, especially in thofe cafes which tend more directly to fome habitual and beloved gratification. And this is doubtless a great part of that felf-denial prescribed in the gofpel; confifting not literally in the cutting off a limb, or plucking out an eye, nor in fuch acts of mortification as are beyond the powers of our nature; but in a prudent abstinence from fuch gratifications as, though innocent in themselves, may, to particular tempers and complexions, be of dangerous confequence. It is then a principal point of difere tion, what the wife man recommends, to "keep the heart with all diligence, because out of it are the iflues of life"i. e. to look inward upon ourselves with a jealous and prying eye; to regulate our thoughts, curb our affections, watch our faculties; because upon the obfervance or neglect hereof, depends in great measure the good or ill fuccefs of our outward conduct. Again, The |
