Sixteen Sermons, Sermon 11
A SERMON ON PSAL. CXIX. 96.
I have ſeen an end of all Perfection; but thy Commandment is exceeding broad.
THis Pſalm ſeems to have a great deal more of Poetical Number and Skill in it, than at this diſtance from the Time and Age in which it was written, we can eaſily underſtand. The main Scope and Deſign of i… is very plain and obvious; namely, to Magni…ie the Law of God, and the obſervation of its Precepts, as that wherein true Religion doth mainly conſiſt. And indeed if we attentively read and conſider it, every part of this Pſalm does with great variety of expreſſion, and yet very little difference of the ſenſe, deſcant upon the ſame ground, viz. The Excellency and Perfection of the Law of God. A…d t… wor… of t… Te…t ſeem to be as full and comprehenſive of the ſenſe and deſign of the whole Pſalm, as any one Sentence in it; I have ſeen an end of all Perfection, but thy Commandm…nt is exceeding broad.
Theſe words are variouſly rendred, and underſtood by Interpreters, who yet in this variety do very much conſpire and agree in the ſame ſenſ… The Chaldee Paraphraſe renders the words thus, I have ſeen an end of all things, about which I have employ'd my Care; but thy Commandment is very large. The Syriac verſion thus, I have ſeen an end of all Regions, and Countries (that is, I have found the compaſs of this habitable World to be …ini…e, and limited) but thy Commandment is of a vaſt extent. Others explain it thus, I have ſeen an end of all Perfection; that is, of all the things of this World, which Men value and eſteem at ſo high a rate… of all Worldly Wiſdom and Knowledge, of Wealth, and Honour, and Greatneſs, which do all periſh and paſs away; but thy Law is Eternal, and ſtill abideth the ſame; or, as the Scripture elſewhere expreſſeth it, the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
Thy Law; that is, the Rule of our Duty Natural and Revealed; or, in a word, Religion, which conſiſts in the Knowledge and Practice of the Laws of God… is of greater perfection than all other things which are ſo highly valued in this World: for the perfection of it is Infinite, and of a vaſt influence and extent; it reacheth to the whole Man, to the Happineſs of Body and Soul; to our whole duration both in this World, and the next, of this Life, and of that which is to come. And this will clearly appear, if we conſider the Reaſonableneſs and the Wiſdom of Religion, which conſiſts in the knowledge of God, and the keeping of his Laws.
Firſt, The Reaſonableneſs of Religion; which is able to give a very good account of it ſelf, becauſe it ſettles the Mind of Man upon a firm Baſis, and keeps it from rolling in perpetual uncertainty; whereas Atheiſm and Infidelity wants a ſtable Foundation, …t centers no where but in the denial of God and Religion, and yet ſubſtitutes no Principle, no tenable and conſtituent Scheme of things in the place of them; its whole buſineſs is to unravel all things, to unſettle the Mind of Man, and to ſhake all the common Notions and received Principles of Mankind; it bends its whole force to pull down and to deſtroy, but lays no Foundation to build any thing upon, in the ſtead of that which it pulls down.
It runs upon that great abſurdity which Ariſtotle (who was always thought a great Maſter of Reaſon) does every where decry, as a Principle unworthy of a Philoſopher, namely, a progreſs of Cauſes in In…initum, and without End; that this was the Cauſe of that, and a third thing of that, and ſo on without end, which amounts to juſt nothing; and finally reſolves an infinite number of effects into no firſt Cauſe; than which nothing can be more unskilful and bungling, and leſs worthy of a Philoſopher. But this I do not intend at preſent to inſiſt upon, having treated largely on the ſame ſubject upon another *Vide Serm. 1ſt, of the firſt Vol. Publiſh'd by the Author.Occaſion. I ſhall therefore proceed in the
Second place, to conſider the Wiſdom of Religion. The fear of the Lord is Wiſdom, ſo ſaith the Pſalmi…t; it is true Wiſdom indeed, it is the beginning of Wiſdom, Caput Sapientiae, the top and perfection of all Wiſdom. Here true Wiſdom begins, and upon this Foundation it is raiſed and carried on to Perfection; and I ſhall in my following Diſcourſe endeavour to make out theſe two things.
1. That true Wiſdom begins and is founded in Religion, in the fear of God, and in the keeping of his Commandments.
2. That this is the Perfection of Wiſdom, there is no Wiſdom without this, nor beyond it.
Firſt, True Wiſdom begins and is founded in Religion, and the Fear of God, and Regard to his Laws. This is the firſt Principle of Wiſdom, and the Foundation upon which the whole Deſign of our Happineſs is to be built. This is in the firſt place to be ſuppoſed, and to be taken into Conſideration in all the Deſigns and Actions of Men: This is to govern our whole Life, and to have a main influence upon all the Affairs and Concernments of it. As the firſt Principle of Humane Society, and that which is to run through the whole frame of it, is the Publick good; this was always to be taken into Conſideration, and to give Law to all Laws and Conſtitutions about it: So Religion is the firſt Principle of Humane Wiſdom, by which all our Actions are to be conducted and govern'd; and all Wiſdom which does not begin here, and lay Religion for its Foundation, is prepoſterous, and begins at the wrong end; and is juſt as if in the forming of Humane Society, every one in the ſettlement of the Conſtitution, and the framing of Laws, ſhould have an eye to his own private and particular advantage, without regard to the Publick Good, which is the great End of Society, and the Rule and Meaſure of Government and Laws, and in the laſt iſſue and reſult of things, the only way to procure the ſetled welfare, and to ſecure the laſting Intereſts of particular Perſons, ſo far as that is conſiſtent with the Publick Good. And it would be a very prepoſterous Policy to go about to found Humane Society upon any other terms, and would certainly end in Miſchief and Confuſion.
And ſuch is all the Wiſdom of Men, in relation to their true Happineſs, which does not b…gin with Religion, and lay its foundation there; which does not take into Conſideration God, and his Providence, and a Future State of Rewards and Puniſhments after this Life. All Wiſdom which does not not proceed upon a ſuppoſition of the truth and reality of theſe Principles, will certainly end in ſhame and diſappointment, in miſery and ruine; becauſe it builds a Houſe upon the Sand, which when it comes to be try'd by ſtreſs of weather, and aſſaulted by violent ſtorms, will undoubtedly fall, and the fall of it will be great.
And this Error every Man commits, who purſues Happineſs by following his own Inclination, and gratifying his Irregular Deſires, without any Conſideration of God, and of the reſtraint which his Laws have laid upon us, not for his own Pleaſure, but for our good. For when all things are duly Conſidered, and all Accounts caſt up, it will appear upon a juſt Calculation of things, that all the reſtraints which the Laws of God lay upon Men, are highly reaſonable, and greatly for their benefit and advantage, and do not abridge us of any true Pleaſure or Happineſs; but are Wiſe and Merciful Proviſions of Heaven, to prevent our harm and miſchief; ſo that we are not Wiſe, if we act without regard to God, and his Laws, and are not willing to be govern'd by him, who loves us better than we do our ſelves, and truly deſigns our Happineſs, and Commands us nothing but what directly tends to it. For the Laws of God are not Arbitrary Conſtitutions, and meer inſtances of Soveraign Will and Power; but Wiſe Rules and Means to procure and advance our Happineſs.
And in like manner, all that Wiſdom which Men uſe to compaſs their Worldly Deſigns, of Riches, and Greatneſs, without Conſideration of the Providence of God, and Dependance upon it for the Succeſs of our Affairs, is all perfect Folly and Miſtake. For tho' the Deſign be never ſo well laid, and vigorouſly proſecuted, and no Means which Humane Wiſdom can deviſe for the attaining of our End have been omitted by us; yet if we leave God out of the Account, we forget that which is Principal, and ſignifies more to the Succeſs of any Deſign, than all other things put together. For if God favours our Deſigns, the moſt improbable ſhall take effect; and if he blow upon them, the moſt likely ſhall miſca…ry. Whenever he pleaſeth to inter…o…e, to croſs the Counſels and Deſig… of M…n, the Race is not to the ſwift, nor the Battel to the ſtrong; neither yet bread …o the wiſe, nor riches to men of underſtanding, nor favour to men of skill; but time and chance happens to all.
So that it is great folly not to Conſider the Providence of God in all our Deſigns and Undertakings, not to implore his Favour and Bleſſing, without which nothing that we take in hand can proſper. That which is Principal to any Purpoſe, ought to be conſidered in the firſt place, nothing being to be attempted either without or againſt it. And ſuch is the Providence of God in all Humane Affairs; it is more conſiderable to the promoting or hindering of any Event, than all things in the World beſides; and therefore all Policy, which ſets aſide God and his Providence, is vain; becauſe there is no wiſdom, nor underſtanding, nor counſel againſt the Lord.
So likewiſe all that Wiſdom which only conſiders and regards this ſhort Life, and the narrow Concernments of it, and makes proviſion only for our welfare in this World; and therefore can only be tempted with the hopes of Temporal Advantages, and terrified only with the danger of Temporal Evils and Sufferings; but hath no ſenſe of an Immortal Spirit within us, no proſpect of a Life after Death, no Conſideration of a Happy or Miſerable Eternity, of Rewards and Puniſhments, infinitely greater than all the Temptations and Terrors of Time and Senſe; I ſay all this is a prepoſterous and pernicious Wiſdom, and proceeds upon a falſe Suppoſition, and a quite contrary Scheme of Things to what really is; and conſequently our whole Life, and all the Deſigns and Actions of it do run upon a perpetual miſtake, and a falſe Stating of our own Caſe; and whatever we do purſuant to this Miſtake is fooliſh and hurtful, and ſo far from conducing to our true intereſt, that it is all either beſides it, or contrary to it; becauſe we act upon a Suppoſal only of this Life, and a Being only in this World, and that there is nothing either to be feared or hoped for beyond it; and being thus groſly miſtaken, we ſet our hearts only upon Temporal Things, and ſtudy our preſent ſecurity and ſatisfaction, and in all our Counſels and Actions are ſwayed only by the Conſideration of Temporal Good and Evil, of the preſent Eaſe and Pleaſure, the Diſturbance and Pain of our Fleſhly and Senſual Parts; without any ſenſe of our own Immortality, and of that Everlaſting State which remains for us in another World.
But there is (my Brethren) moſt certainly there is another Life after this; we are not Beaſts, if we do not make our ſelves ſo; and if we die, we ſhall not die like them, neither ſhall our laſt End be like theirs? For whatever we may think or wiſh, it will not be in our power to extinguiſh our own Beings when we have a mind to be rid of them, and to chuſe whether or no we ſhall live for ever.
And if this be a falſe Scheme of things which we have framed to our ſelves, and proceeded upon (as undoubtedly it is) then our whole Life is one great Error, and a perpetual Miſtake, and we are quite wrong in all …hat we deſign to do. Our Wiſdom ha… begun at the wrong end, and we have made a falſe Calculation and Account of things, and have put our Caſe otherwiſe than it is; and the farther we proceed ugon this Miſtake, our Miſcarriage will be ſo much the more fatal in the iſſue. But if our Wiſdom begin at the right end, and our Caſe be truly ſtated, that God hath put into theſe frail and mortal Bodies of ours, Immortal Spirits that ſhall live for ever; and hath ſent u… into this World to ſo…ourn here for a little while, and to be diſciplin'd and train'd up for Eternity; and that after a ſhort proof and trial of our Obedience, we ſhall be tranſlated into an Everlaſting State of unſpeakable Happineſs or Miſery, according as we have demeaned our ſelves in this World; if we believe this to b… truly our Caſe, our Intereſt is then plainly before us, and we ſee where our Happineſs lies, and what remains for us to do, in order to the obtaining of it, and what we are to expect to ſuffer, if we do it not.
Now this Foundation being laid, it is evident, that the beſt thing we can do for our ſelves, is to provide for our Future State, and to ſecure the Everlaſting Happineſs of another Life. And the beſt way to do that, is to live in obedience to thoſe Laws which our Maker, and our Soveraign, hath preſcribed to us; and according to which he will one day Sentence us to Eternal Rewards or Puniſhments.
It is evident likewiſe, that all our ſenſual Appetites and Deſires are to be bounded by the Rules of Reaſon and Virtue, which are the Laws of God; and that no preſent Eaſe and Pleaſure, Trouble and Suffering, are to be conſidered and regarded by us, in competition with the things which are Eternal; and that Sin is of all other the greateſt Evil, and moſt miſchievous to our main Intereſt, and therefore with all poſſible Care to be avoided; and that the favour of God is to be ſought, and the Salvation of our Souls to be provided for at any pains and expence whatſoever, and even with the hazard and loſs of our deareſt Intereſts in this World, yea and of Life it ſelf.
And now if this Matter hath been rightly ſtated, then Religion, and the Fear of God, is the firſt Principle and Foundation of true Wiſdom, and that which we are to conſider, and take along with us in all the Deſigns and Actions of our Lives; and all Wiſdom which does not begin here, is prepoſterous, and will prove folly in the iſſue.
Secondly, As Religion is the beginning of Wiſdom, ſo it is the perfection of it, it is the higheſt point of Wiſdom in which we can be Inſtructed. The fear of the Lord (ſays Solomon, Prov. 15. 33.) is the inſtruction of Wiſdom. A good Underſtanding (ſays David, Pſal. 111. 10.) have all they that do his Commandments. The Practice of Religion is the perfection of Wiſdom; and he underſtands himſelf beſt, who lives moſt according to the Laws of God. And this I might ſhew, by inſtancing in particular Virtues, the practice whereof is much Wiſer, and every way more for our Intereſt, than the contrary Vices; but this is too large an Argument to engage in, and therefore I ſhall content my ſelf at preſent, briefly to ſhew, that the chief Characters and Properties of Wiſdom do all meet in Religion, and agree to it.
The Firſt Point of Wiſdom is to underſtand our true Intereſt, and to be right in our main End; and in this, Religion will beſt inſtruct and direct us. And if we be right in our main End, and true to the intereſt of it, we cannot miſcarry: but if a Man miſtake in this, he errs fatally, and his whole Life is Vanity and Folly.
Another property of Wiſdom is to be ſteady and vigorous in the Proſecution of our main End. To oblige us hereto, Religion gives us the moſt powerful Arguments, the glorious Happineſs, and the diſmal Miſery of another World.
The next Point of Wiſdom is, to make all things ſtoop and become ſubſervient to our main End. And whereever Religion bears ſway, it will make all other things ſubordinate to the Salvation of our Souls, and the Intereſt of our Everlaſting Happineſs; as the Men of this World make every thing to ſubmit and give way to their Covetous, and Ambitious, and Senſual Deſigns.
Another part of Wiſdom is, to Conſider the Future, and to look to the laſt End and Iſſue of things. It is a common folly among Men, to be ſo intent upon the preſent, as to have little or no regard to the future, to what will be hereafter. Men Deſign and Labour for this preſent Life, and their ſhort continuance here in this World, without taking into ſerious Conſideration their main Duration, and their Eternal Abode in another World. But Religion gives us a clear Proſpect of a Life after Death, and overlooks Time, and makes Eternity always preſent to us, and minds us of making timely proviſion and preparation for it. It takes into Conſideration our whole Duration, and inſpires us with Wiſdom, to look to the End of things, and to what will be hereafter, as well as to what is preſent.
It is likewiſe a great Property of Wiſdom, to ſecure the main Chance, and to run no hazard in that. And this Religion directs us to take care of, becauſe the neglect of it will prove fatal.
Another Mark of Wiſdom is, to lay hold of Opportunities, thoſe eſpecially, which, when they are once paſt, will never return again. There are ſome Seaſons wherein great things may be done, which if they be let ſlip, are never to be retrieved. A Wiſe Man will lay hold of theſe, and improve them; and Religion inculcates this Principle of Wiſdom upon us, that this Life is the opportunity of doing great things for our ſelves, and of making our ſelves for ever; this very day and hour may, for ought we know, be the laſt and only Opportunity of Repentance, and making our Peace with God? Therefore to day, whilſt it is called to day, let us ſet about this neceſſary work, leſt any of us be hardned through the deceitfulneſs of Sin; to morrow it may be too late to begin it, and the Juſtice of God may cut us off whilſt we are wilfully delaying it; and the Opportunities of Saving our Immortal Souls may vaniſh, and be for ever hid from our eyes.
The next Property of Wiſdom is, to foreſee Dangers, and to take timely care to prevent them. The Prudent Man (ſaith Solomon) foreſeeth the Evil, and hideth himſelf; that is, ſhelters and ſecures himſelf againſt it; but the ſimple paſs on, and are puniſhed; that is, the Evil overtakes them, and their Folly is puniſh'd in their fatal Ruine. Now the greateſt Danger is from the greateſt Power; even from him who is able to ſave, and to deſtroy; I will tell you (ſays the Wiſdom of God) whom ye ſhall fear; fear him, who after he hath killed, can deſtroy both Body and Soul in Hell.
Again, another main Point of Wiſdom is, to do as little as we can to be repented of, truſting rather to the Wiſdom of Prevention, than to that of Remedy. Religion firſt teacheth Men Innocency, and not to offend; but in caſe we do, (as in many things we offend all) it then directs us to Repentance, as the only Remedy. But this certainly is folly, to Sin in hopes of Repentance, that is, firſt to make work for Repentance, and then run the hazard of it; for we may certainly Sin, but it is not certain that we ſhall Repent. And if it were, yet it is great folly to lay in before hand, and to make work for trouble; Ne tu ſtultus homuncio es, qui malis veniam precari, quam non peccare, was a Wiſe Saying of old Cato; Thou are (ſays he) a ſilly Man indeed, who chuſeſt rather to ask Forgiveneſs, than not to Offend. If a Man had the beſt Remedy in the World, he would not make himſelf ſick to try the Virtue of it; and it is a known Compariſon, and a very fit one, that Repentance is Tabula poſt Na…fragium, a Plank after Shipwreck. But I am greatly afraid that thouſands of Souls, who have truſted to it, have periſhed before they could get to Land, with this Plank in their arms.
The laſt Character of Wiſdom I ſhall mention is, In all things to conſult the Peace and Satisfaction of our own Minds, without which nothing elſe can make us Happy; and this, Obedience to the Laws of God doth naturally procure. Great Peace have they (ſays David) that love thy Law, and nothing ſhall offend them. The work of Righteouſneſs, ſays the Prophet, ſhall be Peace, and the effect of Righteouſneſs, quietneſs, and aſſurance for ever. The fear of God, and the keeping of his Commandments, is the beſt Preſervative againſt the troubles of a guilty Conſcience, and the terrifying apprehenſions of a Future Judgment. And this is the great Wiſdom of Religion, that whoſoever liveth according to the Rules and Precepts of it, prevents the chief Cauſes of diſcontent, and lays the ſureſt Foundation of a perpetual ſatisfaction of Mind, a Jewel of ineſtimable price, which none knows but he that has it; and he that hath it, knows the value of it too well to part with it for the pleaſures of Sin, which are but for a ſeaſon, and which always prove bitt…rneſs in the end, and for the little ſweetneſs which they yielded, leave a terrible ſting behind them.
Thus have I briefly repreſented the Reaſonableneſs and Wiſdom of Religion. It is of Infinite perfection, and of a vaſt influence and extent, it reacheth to the whole Man, the Happineſs of Soul and Body; and to our whole duration, the Happineſs of this World and the next; for Godlineſs (that is true Religion and Piety) hath the Promiſe of this Life, and of that which is to come.
But now where are the Effects of true Religion, in the full compaſs and extent of it, to be found? Such real Effects as do in any meaſure bear a proportion to the power and perfection of their Cauſe. For nothing certainly is more Excellent and Amiable in its definition than true Religion is; but, alas! how imperfect is it in the Subject, I mean in us, who ought to ſhew forth the power and perfection of it, in the Practice and Actions of our Lives, the beſt demonſtration of the excellent frame and temper of our Minds.
What a conflict and ſtrugling do the beſt Men find between their Inclination and their Duty? How hard to reconcile our Practice and our Knowledge, and to make our Lives to agree with the Reaſon of our Minds, and the clear Conviction of our Conſciences? How difficult for a Man, in this dangerous and imperfect ſtate, to be in any meaſure either ſo wiſe or ſo good as he ought? How rare is it for a Man to be good natur'd, gentle, and eaſie to be intreated, without being often betray'd into ſome weakneſs and ſinful compliances, eſpecially in the bad Company of our Betters? How next to impoſſible is it to be ſtrict and ſevere in our Lives, without being ſower? to govern our Lives with that perpetual Caution, and to maintain that evenneſs of temper, as not to be ſometimes peeviſh, and paſſionate? and when we are ſo, not to be apt to ſay with Jonah, we do well to be angry?
There are two Precepts in the New Teſtament, that ſeem to me to be the niceſt of all other, and hardeſt to be put in practice. One is that of our Bleſſed Saviour, Be wiſe as Serpents, and innocent as Doves. How hard is it to hit upon the juſt temper of Wiſdom and Innocency; to be Wiſe, and hurt no body; to be Innocent, without being Silly? The other is, that of the Apoſtle, be angry, and ſin not. How difficult is this, never to be angry but upon juſt Cauſe; and when the Cauſe of our anger is juſt, not to be tranſported beyond due bounds, either as to the degree of our anger, or as to the duration and continuance of it? This is ſo very nice a Matter, that one would be almoſt tempted to think that this were in effect a prohibition of anger in any Caſe; be ye angry, and ſin not; be ye ſo, if ye can, without Sin. I believe whoſoever obſerves it, will find that it is as eaſie to ſuppreſs this Paſſion at any time, as to give way to it, without offending in one kind, or other. But to proceed,
How hard a Matter is it, To be much in Company, and free in Converſation, and not to be infected by it? To live in the midſt of a wicked World, and yet to keep our ſelves free from the Vices of it? To be temperate in the uſe of things pleaſing, ſo as neither to injure our Health, nor to loſe the uſe of our Reaſon, nor to offend againſt Conſcience? To Faſt often, without being conceited of it, and bargaining as it were with God for ſome greater Liberties in another kind; and without cenſuring thoſe who do not tie up themſelves to our ſtrict Rules either of Piety or Abſtinence? when perhaps they have neither the ſame Opportunities of doing it, nor the ſame Reaſon to do it that we have; nay perhaps have a much better Reaſon for not doing juſt as we do: For no Man is to preſcribe to others his own private Method, either of Faſting, or of Devotion, as if he were the Rule, and his Example a kind of Proclamation, enjoyning all his Neighbours the ſame days of Faſting and Prayer which he himſelf, for Reaſons beſt known to himſelf, thinks fit to obſerve.
And then how hard is it to be chearful, without being vain? and grave and ſerious, without being moroſe? to be uſeful and inſtructive to others, in our Converſation and Diſcourſe, without aſſuming too much Authority to our ſelves? which is not the beſt and moſt effectual way of doing good to others; there being ſomething in the Nature of Man, which had rather take a hint and intimation from another, to adviſe himſelf, and would rather chuſe to imitate the ſilent good Example which they ſee in another, than to have either his Advice or his Example impoſed upon them.
How difficult is it to have a Mind equal to every Condition, and to be content with mean and moderate things? to be Patient in Adverſity, and Humble in Proſperity, and Meek upon ſudden and violent Provocations? to keep our Paſſions free from getting head of our Reaſon, and our Zeal from out-running our Knowledge? to have a Will perfectly ſubmitted and reſigned to the Will of God, even when it lies croſs and thwart to ours, ſo that whatever pleaſeth God, ſhould pleaſe us? to be Reſolute, when our Duty happens to be difficult and dangerous; or even to believe that to be our Duty (tho' it certainly be ſo) which is very inconvenient for us to do? to hold out and be unwearied in well-doing? to be careful to preſerve our Lives, and yet upon a great Occaſion, and whenever God calls for them, to be content to lay them down?
To be Wiſe and Innocent; Men in Underſta…ding, and yet in Malice Children? to have many great Virtues, and not to want that which gives the great luſtre to them all, I mean real and unaffected Modeſty, and Humility? In ſhort,
How difficult is it, to have regard to …ll God's Commandments, and to hate every evil and falſe way? To have our Duty continually in our eye, and ready to be put in practice upon every proper Occaſion? To have God, and the Conſideration of another World, always before us, preſent to our Minds, and operative upon our Practice? To live as thoſe that know they muſt die, and to have our thoughts perpetually awake, and intent upon the great and Everlaſting Concernments of our Immortal Souls?
Theſe are great things indeed, eaſie to be talkt of, but hard to be done; nay not to be done at all, without frequent and fervent Prayer to God, and the continual aids and ſupplies of his Grace; not without an earneſt endeavour on our parts, a vigorous reſiſtance of Temptations, and many a ſore conflict with our own perverſe Wills and ſenſual Inclinations; not without a perpe…al guard and watchfulneſs over our Lives, and our unruly Appetites and Paſſions.
Little do unexperienced Men, and thoſe who have taken no great pains with themſelves, imagine what Thought and Conſideration, what Care and Attention, what Reſolution and Firmneſs of Mind, what Diligence and patient continuance in well-doing, are requiſite to make a truly good Man; ſuch a one as St. Paul deſcribes, that is perfect and entire, and wanting nothing; that follows God fully, and fulfils every part of his Duty, having a Conſcience void of offence towards God, and towards Man. Who is there among us, that is either wiſe enough for his own direction, or good enough for the peace and ſatisfaction of his own Mind; that is ſo happy as to know his Duty, and to do it; as to have both the Underſtanding and the Will to do in all things as he ought?
After our beſt Care, and all our Pains and Endeavours, the moſt of us will ſtill find a great many defects in our Lives, and cannot but diſcern great and manifold imperfections in our very beſt Duties and Services; inſomuch that we ſhall be forced to make the ſame acknowledgment concerning them, which Solomon does concerning the imperfection of all things under the Sun; that which is crooked cannot be made ſtreight, and that which is wanting cannot be numbred. And when all is done, we have all of us reaſon to ſay, not only that we are unprofitable ſervants, having done nothing but what was our duty to do; but have cauſe likewiſe, with great ſhame and confuſion of face, to acknowledge that we have been in many reſpects Wicked and Slothful Servants, and ſo very far from having done what was our duty to do, that the greateſt part of the good which the moſt of us have done, is the leaſt part of the good which we might and ought to have done.
The Practice of Religion, in all the Parts and Inſtances of our Duty, is work more than enough for the beſt and greateſt Mind, for the longeſt and beſt order'd Life. The Commandment of God is exceeding broad; and an Obedience in any good meaſure equal to the extent of it, extreamly difficult. And after all, as the Man in the Goſpel ſaid with tears to our Saviour, concerning the weakneſs of his own Faith, Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief, Mar. 9. 24. So the beſt of Men may ſay, and ſay it with tears too, concerning every Grace and Virtue wherein they excel moſt, Lord, I aſpire, I endeavour after it, be thou pleaſed to aſſiſt my weakneſs, and to help me by thy grace continually to do better.
The Summ of all is this, If we be careful to do our beſt, and make it the conſtant and ſincere endeavour of our Lives to pleaſe God, and to keep his Commandments, we ſhall be accepted of him: For God values this more than whole Burnt-Offerings and Sacrifices, more than thouſands of Rams, and ten thouſands of Rivers of O…l; becauſe this is an eſſential part of Religion, To love God with all our hearts, and minds, and ſtrength, and to love our Neighbours as our ſelves. The Duties comprehended in theſe two great Commandments, ſincerely practiſed by us (though with a great deal of imperfection) will certainly be acceptable in the ſight of God, in and through the Merits and Mediation of Jeſus Chriſt the Righteous. Bleſſed are they (ſaith St. John very plainly, in the concluſion of that obſcure Book of his Revelation) Bleſſed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, Rev. 22. 14.
I ſpeak now to a great many who are at the upper end of the World, and command all the Pleaſures and Enjoyments of it; but the time is coming, and (whether we think of it or not) is very near at hand, when we ſhall ſee an end of all perfection, and of all that is deſirable upon Earth, and upon which Men are apt to value themſelves ſo much in this World; and then nothing but Religion, and the Conſcience of having done our Duty to God and Man, will ſtand us in ſtead, and yield true Comfort to us. When we are going to leave the World, how ſhall we then wiſh that we had made Religion the great buſineſs of our Lives; and in the Day of God's Grace and Mercy, had exerciſed Repentance, and made our Peace with God, and prepared our ſelves for another World; that after our departure hence, we might be admitted into the preſence of God, where is fulneſs of Joy, and at whoſe right hand are pleaſures for evermore?
Let no Man therefore, of what Rank or Condition ſoever he be in this World, think himſelf too great to be good, and too Wiſe to be Religious, and to take care of his Immortal Soul, and his Everlaſting Happineſs in another World; ſince nothing but this will approve it ſelf it to be true Wiſdom at the laſt. All other things will have an end with this Life; but Religion and the Fear of God is of a vaſt extent, and hath an influence upon our whole duration, and, after the courſe of this Life is ended, will put us into the ſecure Poſſeſſion of a Happineſs which ſhall never have an end.
I will Conclude this whole Diſcourſe with thoſe words of our Bleſſed Saviour, If ye know theſe things, happy are …e if ye do them. Which thou, who art the Eternal Spring of Truth and Goodneſs, grant that we may all know and do in this our day, for thy Mercies ſake in Jefus Chriſt; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghoſt, be all Honour and Glory, Dominion and Power, now and for ever.
Amen.