when death, by dissolving the earthly | cy with that sobriety which the apostle tabernacle, shall pull down all that re-recommends? mains of the first Adam, and bring a final Will you call a man righteous, merely release from the body of sin. because he cannot be charged with any HAVING premised these general remarks, gross acts of fraud, injustice, and oppresI shall now proceed to remind you of sion, though perhaps, in the course of a those particular precepts to which our lawful business, he may sometimes use a conformity is required by the gospel of little artifice to impose upon the simplicity Christ. And we are happily furnished or ignorance of his neighbors? Or, supwith a short, but most comprehensive, posing him to be strictly honest in his summary of them, by the same apostle in dealings, doth the righteousness which the his epistle to Titus, (chap. ii. 11, 12.) gospel enjoins lay him under no obligation "The grace of God that bringeth salva- to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, tion, hath appeared to all men; teaching and to succor the distressed, according us, that denying ungodliness, and worldly to his ability? lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." To these general heads, all the particulars may be reduced that belong to a conversation becoming the gospel of Christ. And here indeed I might stop short, and only call upon you to weigh, with candor and impartiality, the full meaning and import of the expressions here used. What do you understand by ungodliness and worldly lusts? Do these terms reach no farther than to the grosser acts of impiety and sensual indulgence? And is nothing more intended by denying them, than a prudish reserve and shyness to comply with their demands; or such a feeble resistance as yields after a short and very imperfect struggle? Surely none of you can seriously entertain this opinion. You certainly must admit, that no exception is made of any species or degree whatsoever, either of ungodliness or worldly affections; and that by deny ing them, the apostle could mean nothing less, than such a refusal as proceeds from an inward abhorrence of them, even the most vigorous, determined, and persevering resistance of all their solicitation. Is every man to be reputed godly, who doth not openly blaspheme, nor reproach the laws and ordinances of God; who gives regular attendance at church on the Lord's day, though his heart even then be running after his covetousness; and God receive no homage from him at all, either in his family or in the closet, through the rest of the week? Were I to give such a loose interpretation of the apostle's words, I am confident, that the most partial offender who hears me, would not only condemn me in his heart, but even blush, or rather disdain, to plead my authority for defending or palliating his own misconduct. But the true import of sobriety, righteousness and godliness, is ascertained beyond any possibility of a mistake, by what I may call the statute-law of the gospel : I mean, plain and explicit decrees, respecting particular instances of duty, under each of these general heads. Thus, in the First place. With regard to sobriety, it is the express command of our Lord, "That we deny ourselves; " that we "possess our souls in patience; "-and be continually on our guard, "lest at any time our hearts be overcharged by surfeiting and drunkenness, and the cares of this life." It is required of us, "that we cru Again, What do you understand by living soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world? Doth sobriety mean no more than that species of moderation cify the flesh with the affections and which is commonly opposed to surfeiting lusts; " that we lay aside anger, malice, and drunkenness? Or admitting that it envy, hatred, and revenge," and "put on, excludes every kind of excess in gratifying as the elect of God, bowels of mercy, our bodily appetites, do you imagine that kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, it leaves the mind at full liberty, so that and long-suffering." We are exhorted, we may lay the reins upon the neck of our "not to think of ourselves more highly passions, and suffer them to run wild than we ought to think, but to think sowithout any control, in perfect consisten-berly, (mark the expression) according as God hath dealt to every man the measure | who shall one day be called upon to give of faith." "Let nothing be done through an account of our stewardship. And strife and vain glory," saith this same though the griping miser cannot be arapostle, at the 3d verse of the following raigned at any human bar, yet at the trichapter; "but in lowliness of mind, let bunal of Jesus Christ, he who doth not each esteem other better than himself. feed the hungry, and clothe the naked, shall Look not every man on his own things, be tried, and condemned to everlasting but every man also on the things of banishment from the presence of the Lord, others;" and then adds, "Let this mind and from the glory of his power. be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." These few quotations, which must be familiar to all who are acquainted with the New Testament writings, may suffice to give you some view of the extent of sobriety, as including every thing that belongs to the right government and discipline both of the outward and inward man. to us. You say, you wrong no man by keeping your own. I answer, You wrong the King of kings, if you suffer a subject of his to perish, when it is in the power of your hand to prevent it: and though the laws of men permit you to give or to withhold, according to your pleasure, whatsoever you possess independent of others; Secondly, With respect to righteous- yet if you consult the lively oracles of God, ness, we are plainly taught, that it not on- you shall there find, that you are as much ly restrains from the outward acts of bound to do good to your neighbors, as injustice, oppression, and cruelty, but that not to injure them; to supply their wants, we are thereby obliged to render unto all as not to rob them; to stretch forth your their dues, and to do unto others, as with hand to help them, as not to smite them good reason we would expect or desire that with the fist of wickedness. "To him they, in like circumstances, should do un- that knoweth to do good, and doth it not, It belongs to righteousness, "to to him it is sin." "If thou forbear to delicomfort the feeble-minded, and to support ver them that are drawn unto death, and the weak," as being members one of ano- those that are ready to be slain; if thou ther; for thus it is written, (Gal. vi. 2.) sayest, Behold we knew it not :-doth not "Bear ye one another's burdens, and so he that pondereth the heart consider it? fulfil the law of Christ." We are com- and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he manded to "be of the same mind one to know it? and shall not he render to every wards another: " "to rejoice with them man according to his works?" Prov. xxxiv. that rejoice, and to weep with those that 11, 12. How awful are these words of weep; "to do good to all as we have the apostle John: "Whoso hath this opportunity, especially them who are of the world's good, and seeth his brother have household of faith." "As every man need, and shutteth up his bowels of comhath received the gift," saith the apostle passion from him, how dwelleth the love Peter, "even even so minister the same one to of God in him?" To which he subjoins another, as good stewards of the manifold the following exhortation, whereunto we grace of God." Nay, the apostle John do well that we take heed: " My little carries the matter still higher, and speaks children, let us not love in word, neither of it as a debt, an act of justice, in certain in tongue, but in deed and in truth; and cases, to lay down our lives for the breth-hereby we know that we are of the truth, ren: (1 John iii. 16.) "Hereby perceive and shall assure our hearts before him." we the love of God, because he laid down Thus far is the law of righteousness exhis life for us; and we ought to lay down tended by the gospel of Christ. our lives for the brethren." It is an error to imagine, that God bestows on us the good things of this life, merely for our personal accommodation and use; or that he opens his hand, and fills our basket, that the blessings of his Providence may there stagnate and putrify. We are not proprie tors, but stewards, as I just now observed, وز Thirdly. With regard to godliness, none who are acquainted with the New Testament writings can be at a loss to discover, either wherein it consists, or how it ought to be expressed. Love to God in the renewed soul, springing from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, is the root, or vital principle, of godliness: not a common subdued love, but a fervent, supreme, and I the injured; for relieving the poor, or symruling love, that exalts God to the throne pathizing with the afflicted: love would in the heart, and desireth nothing so much have had no other employment but comas that he should keep it in full and ever-placency and delight in seeing each one lasting possession. As creatures, we are blessed to the full extent of his capacity: bound to love the Lord our God with all and therefore it can never be supposed, our heart, and soul, and strength; And that the practice of those duties, which the we are further obliged, as guilty creatures, bitter consequences of our guilt alone have humbly to acknowledge the forfeiture we rendered necessary, should be the whole, have incurred, to justify the law by which or even the most essential part, of that we are condemned, thankfully to accept obedience which is pleasing to God. the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Mediator between God and Man, and carefully to observe and improve all those ordinances which God hath appointed, as the methods of testifying our subjection and gratitude, or as means of receiving the communications of his grace, for healing our diseased natures, and rendering us meet for the enjoyment of himself in heaven. These are essential parts of the religion of a sinner; and must therefore be considered as the genuine and necessary expressions of godliness, or of a right temper of heart towards the Father of our spirits, the God in whom we live, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, were we to look upon the present state of the world as the original constitution, we might be apt to conclude, that our chief business upon earth consisted in the exercise of those social virtues which knit men together, and enable them to provide most effectually for their common defence against those numberless evils to which they are continually exposed. But if we view the present state as the ruins of one far more perfect and excellent, which we forfeited by our unprovoked and criminal revolt from the great Author of our existence, we must be sensible, that the bare performance of those social duties we owe to one another, can be of little account in the sight of God, so long as we persist in our rebellion against himself, and neglect those higher duties which arise from our first and most lasting relation. Godliness, my brethren, is the one thing needful: did that prevail in its power, sobriety and righteousness would follow of course, and maintain their ground against every assault, having so firm and permanent a basis to lean upon: but till godliness be laid as a foundation, any attempt to introduce or establish either of the other two must be vain and fruitless. All the duties we owe to our fellowcreatures lean upon this as their proper foundation; and are so dependent upon it, that neither our righteousness, nor beneficence, can avail us any thing, unless they flow from a living principle of devotion in the heart. They may profit others, and render ourselves amiable in the eyes of men; but if they be not animated with love to God, and accompanied with suitable expressions of regard to him, it is impossible they can meet with the divine acceptance. For let it be observed, that the practice of these duties became neces- Loud and general hath been the cry for sary only through man's apostasy. Had some time past, after public spirit, disinwe kept our first estate, there would have| terested patriotism, and integrity, which been no room for the exercise of either can neither be bribed nor overawed, among justice or mercy in any of those instances which our present distempered condition requires. Men would have lived together as one great family without strife or emulation, each rejoicing in the happiness of his brother. There would have been no temptation to fraud or injustice; every inhabitant of the earth possessing all that his heart could wish. There would have been no occasion for redressing wrongs; for punishing the injurious, or protecting those who move in the upper ranks of life. These qualities, it must be confessed, accompanied with a large proportion of wisdom, are truly desirable, and might be eminently useful; and when it shall please God to bestow them, they will no doubt ap. pear very beautiful in their season; but if all who join in the cry, would endeavor in the first place, to get their own hearts possessed with real godliness, and then pray for the same blessing to others, with as much fervency as they utter their com- | know how difficult it is to get access to plaints, I can assure them they would be taking by far the nearest road to success. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom," and love carries it to perfection; but when these find no place in the hearts of men, what can be looked for in such a world as ours, but the rankest growth of folly and wickedness, both in public and private life? FROM this general review of the LAWS of Christ, you must be sensible, that the same temper and conduct which we for merly supposed to result from a cordial belief of the DOCTRINES of the gospel, now appear to be expressly enjoined by plain and positive statutes: so that, upon the whole, we are furnished with a decisive test of genuine Christianity, and may clearly see, by the light of God's word, what the conversation is that becometh the gospel of Christ. those who are proudly seated in the scorn- Do you really think it possible that any man can love God too well, or serve him with too much zeal and diligence? Do you think, that there is a saint in heaven who repents of his zeal and diligence while on earth? or a sinner in hell, that justifies his scoffing at serious religion? or do you suppose, that you yourselves shall approve of such conduct when you come to die, and boldly defend it at the tribunal of Christ? What can be more unfair, than to scoff at men, for being, in truth It gives me pain to repeat the observa- the very thing that you pretend to be? tion I have more than once hinted at, You call yourselves Christians, and at the (and yet the evidence of its truth is too same time deride those who are Christians glaring to be concealed) namely, that indeed: It is your professed belief, that among the multitudes who bear the title Christ shall judge the world; and when of Christians, the conversation of by much others are giving all diligence that they the greater part is so far from expressing may be found of him in peace, they are the true spirit and genius of our holy re-mocked and reviled, and hated by you upligion, with regard either to the doctrines on that account; nay, which is still more it reveals, or the duties it requires, that injurious, they are branded with the odious the character of the Cretians may too just-name of hypocrites, by those very persons ly be applied to many of them, (Tit. i. 16.) who themselves are the most impudent "They profess that they know God; but hypocrites upon earth. For tell me, thou in works they deny him, being abominable, who retainest the name of Christian, what and disobedient, and unto every good grosser hypocrisy can be imagined, than work reprobate." To such inconsistent to hate the serious practice of thy own usurpers of the Christian name, the obvious profession, and to reproach others for livremarks with which I introduced my first ing by the influence of those very princidiscourse upon this subject administer a ples which thine own false tongue professsevere, but just reproof: and therefore I eth to believe? might here dismiss them without further These are all the questions I shall put admonition, were it not that numbers are to you at present; and the main thing into be found in that unhappy class of men, tended by them, is to give you such a who, not contented with publishing their view of the folly and inconsistency of your own shame, by counteracting the principles character, that if modesty be not altoof that religion they profess, are bold gether banished, I may at least bring you enough to scoff at true godliness in others, the length of being ashamed of your conand do every thing in their power to en- duct. But though modesty should be feeble the hands of real Christians, while gone, yet as fear and self-love are still they are humbly endeavoring, by the left behind, I shall endeavor, in a few grace of God, to have their conversation words, to give you a just representation as it becometh the gospel of Christ. Iof the peculiar malignity of such a course, There and of the fatal consequences with which | tnrn from your evil way, ere long "he an obstinate continuance in it must neces- will speak to you in wrath, and vex you sarily be attended. in his sore displeasure: " for "behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him." is an alarming passage, (Psal. vii. 11, 12, 13.) which I would recommend to your serious perusal : "God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. If he turn not, he will whet his sword: he hath bent his bow, and made it ready. He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death; he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors." God himself hath undertaken the defence of the just: Christ will finally be glorified in his saints, when all their enemies shall be cast out of sight, overwhelmed with shame, and doomed to everlasting contempt and misery. Know, then, that to scoff at the sanctifying work of the Spirit of God, is a sin of so deep a tincture, that it approacheth near to the confines of "the great transgression." This much I may with confidence affirm, that so long as you persist in it, there is no room for any rational hope that you shall be saved. With God indeed all things are possible; he is able of such stones to raise up children unto Abraham; and therefore some hope is left that you may be converted; but that you should be saved in your present course, is just as impossible as it is for God to lie, as impossible as for the devils to be saved. It is an astonishing proof of the power and cunning of the grand deceiver, that he should be able to hide this alarming truth from your own eyes. The scorner bears upon his forehead one of the most distinguishing marks of a son of perdition. Of such transgressors it may be said with an awful emphasis, "their spot is not the spot of children." Other sinners may find some cloak to throw over their guilt; the recorded failings of some eminent saints may be so far perverted as to cherish the presumption and soothe the consciences of various kinds of sinners; but where do we read of any among the saints who scoffed at holiness, or spake reproachfully of the ways of God? Surely no man of common understanding Let me then call upon you to lay your can suppose, that a scorner of a holy life account with opposition in your way heais himself possessed of that holiness which venward. Marvel not, my brethren, if he derides. I would not for a world, said the world hate you; but rather rejoice, one, be in the case of that wretch who in as much as ye are partakers of the suf speaketh well of holiness in others, while ferings of your Lord,. that when his he himself lives in sensuality and wicked- glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad ness; but I would much less, for a thou- also with exceeding joy. You have good sand worlds, be in the case of him that is company, you have powerful assistance, neither godly, nor can speak well of god- and glorious hopes: If ye be reproachliness; who is not only void of the image ed for the name of Christ, happy are ye; of God, but hates, and reviles, and perse- for the Spirit of God and of glory cutes it in others. Consider, O sinners! resteth upon you." "Stand fast," therewhile yet there is hope, how terrible your fore, as the apostle exhorts you in eternal state must be, if death overtake the words following my text, "in one you in this malignant course. The Lord spirit, with one mind, striving together Jesus is now calling upon you in mercy, for the faith of the gospel, and in nothing and saying unto you, as once he said to terrified by your adversaries; which is Saul, "Why persecutest thou me?" But to them an evident token of perdition, if you do not hearken to his voice, and but to you of salvation, and that of God. THUS far have I spoken for the conviction and reproof of those who have the boldness to scoff at vital religion and practical godliness; and shall now conclude the subject with a few words of advice and encouragement to the true servants of Christ, who feel the influences of his gospel, and are determined, through grace, to live unto Him who died for them. |