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I.

forc'd it with peculiar motives. It will always SERM, have great weight with every fincere difciple of L. Christ, that this is, by his own express declaration, an effential part of that character, and an indispensable condition, without which we cannot expect his approbation: If any man will come after me let him deny himself. Whatever you do in compliance with the christian institution, must pass for nothing, if this one duty be neglected. Tho' you believe the gospel and profess it zealously, contend for the faith, and be ever fo affiduous in attending all the pofitive appointments of religion; what will all avail unless you learn to deny yourselves?

Farther we may obferve, that as divine wif dom fhines in all our Saviour's inftructions, fo particularly his enforcement of this duty is adapted in the best manner to our state of infirmity and temptation. When men are vehemently urg'd to indulge their appetites and paffions, as in the case of bad habits, or of fome peculiarly strong worldly attachments, as when the intereft of a tenderly beloved friend comes in competition with our duty; fo that the foliciting affection is dear as a right hand or an eye, in that cafe the mind under a violent hurry and perturbation, cannot calmly attend to more ingenuous confiderations, and therefore a ftronger remedy is applied; the terrors of the

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SERM. Lord are fet against the allurements of the I. flesh, and we are diffuaded from gratifying ourfelves by the fear of future punishment. Thus our Saviour fuppofing an inward cause of offence to tempt us very violently, and that so strong is our affection, we are as unwilling to renounce it as to fuffer the amputation of a bodily member, even that it felf would be fubmitted to for faving life, and here a greater neceffity is laid upon us; for we have no other choice than either to bear the uneafinefs of denying the present gratifications, or suffer the dreadful penalty of God's eternal displeasure, *It is better for thee to enter into life maimed, or balt, or having one eye, than having two hands, and two feet and two eyes, to be caft into hell fire, where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched. And,

Laftly, The example of our great Master himself is propos'd to us. It is faid of him, Rom. xv. 3. that he pleas'd not himself. He had no irregular appetites to gratify; but the fame fenfibility to the ease and innocent pleafures of life as other men: but he denied them, fubmitting to hunger and thirst, and weariness in attending the work his Father fent him to the world for, that is glorifying him

* Mark ix. 43-48.

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and doing good. He was denied to the honour SER M. I.' and esteem among men, which he had the best title to, enduring the contradiction of finners and bearing grievous reproach; and even to life itself which he facrificed to the cause of truth and holiness, and for the redemption of mankind. If then we abide in him, let us walk as he did, and follow his Example.

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SERM.
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SERMON II,

The Gospel a Law of Liberty.

James ii. 12.

So fpeak ye and fo do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

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LL men who have a juft fenfe of the dignity and privileges of the human nature, confider liberty as an ineftimable endowment which God has vouchfafed unto us, to be by all means preferv'd inviolable, to be zealously afferted and earnefty contended for. The greatest part of the creatures which we fee have no share in it; the whole system of inanimate things is neceffarily fubject to the direction of almighty power, and is moved by the fovereign will of the Creator. The lower Species of animals have a kind of Freedom, but in a very narrow fphere, being active and determining themselves only according to their Inftincts for the purposes of a very limited and fhort-liv'd existence. But, the author of nature having diftinguished man with much

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higher capacities and made him for nobler SERM. ends, has given him suitable liberty, a powsr of pursuing those ends by the light of his larger understanding, of comparing a great variety of motives to action, and making a choice upon the comparison. Every one feels himfelf poffefs'd of this privilege and rejoices in it; without it we cannot well conceive how we should have any tafte for happiness; this, at least, is certain, that the highest, and the greatest variety of our enjoyments fpring from our acting voluntarily. But it is in its own nature capable of being abufed; a liberty of doing right, is, in us at least, accompanied with a liberty of doing wrong; and if we may freely pursue our own happiness, we may also freely make ourselves unhappy, which indeed is the case of very many; not that they have any fuch exprefs intention, for it's impoffible any intelligent being should not defire its own good, but thro' miftake, and inadvertency, and corrupt prejudices, they are led into wrong measures. Nay, very often fo it is, that thro' a fupine indolence, neglecting to use and to improve those powers which ought to direct the exercise of their liberty, and giving up themselves habitually to be conducted by the lower fpring of action in human nature, by appetites and paffions, men lofe in a great measure,

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