SERMON LXXI. THE PRESENT DISADVANTAGES, SHAMEFULNESS, AND ROM. vi. 21. What fruit bad ye then in those things, whereof ye are now afbamed? For the end of thofe things is death. THE HE firft refolution, which every one fhould take in the conduct of life, is to deliberate feriously, as foon as he becomes capable of it, by what rule his future behaviour shall be formed. And one principal caufe of the follies, which men commit, and the miferies into which they fall, is their ftrange neglect of this obvious duty: a duty impoffible to be controverted; for it is only inquiring what will be most for our interest. And yet a very great part of mankind never once think of any certain rule at all for their conduct; but go on at random, indulging the present inclination, which way foever it leads, and how often foever it may vary: and thus fill up a life of thoughtless inconfiftency, aiming at no one end beyond pleafing themfelves any how for the time, let what will follow. But furely a very little reflection might fhew, that what pleases us how, may ruin us ere long, perhaps very foon that different courfes of life have very different confequences, highly deferving our attention: and in particular, that thofe of a virtuous and a vicious life differ fo extremely, that we ought not to continue an hour undetermined, longer than we muft, which we fhall pursue. What the prophet Elijah faid to the Ifraelites belongs equally to all of this unfettled character: How long balt je between two opinions? If X X 2 the the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow bim*. Why this perpetual wavering and fluctuation, about the first thing, that you ought to fix ; the one point, on which all depends! If a profane and immoral conduct will produce and secure happiness to you, follow profanenefs and immorality, yield your members as inftruments of unrighteousness unto fin†. But if religion and virtue be the means of true and lasting self-enjoyment, let religion and virtue be your care, and yield yourfelves fervants of righteousness unto God‡. Chufe ye therefore this day, whom ye will ferve§. And there are indeed multitudes, that would give fufficient proofs of having made a choice, and a very ill one, if running headlong into wickedness merited the name of chufing it. But rational choice prefuppofes due confideration: whereas these poor wretches have suffered themselves to be led on blindfold, by example and cuftom, unexamined appearances and ungoverned inclinations, with no more notion of inquiring, whether they are in the right road, than if there were no other at all. Or if ever they have deliberated, they have done it unfairly or fuperficially; or upon fome one point of their behaviour, not the whole; and perhaps, only which of two interfering defires, both of them wrong, they fhould gratify. But furely the firft divifion of human conduct is into religious and irreligious. Which of these two we ought to prefer, is the question that we are to begin with: and it will be time enough to confider, in what way we shall be bad, after we have examined, whether it is not our wildom to be good. In this most important inquiry an imperfect view of things may easily deceive us, and doth in fact deceive the generality of mankind. We must therefore be very careful to lay before ourfelves the whole of what is to be expected, hoped or feared. But indeed both our own paffions and appetites, and the opinions and practices of the world, will be fure to remind us 2bundantly of what makes in favour of prohibited indulgences. And confequently in order to keep our judgement upright, we must be diligent in reprefenting to ourfelves what makes a gainst them. And we cannot poibly do it in a better method, than that of the apoftie, addreffing himfelf to the Roman con 1 Kings xviii. 21. † Rom. vi. 13. verts: verts: What fruit had ye then in thofe things, whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. In these words is proposed to our ferious thoughts, II. The fhamefulnefs of it. III. The punishment, which awaits it. well knowing I fhall be able in this difcourfe to confider only the first point, the unprofitableness of fin, even at prefent. And for this he appeals to the hearts and confciences of thofe, with whom he argues : : what fruit had ye then in those things they must own, that upon trial they had found none: a confeffion, which very few have ever failed to make, when after a life, spent in wickednefs, they came to reflect coolly, what real advantage they had gained by it on the upshot. The language of thofe, who will be prevailed on to balance the great account, is almoft univerfally the fame, which Elibu in Job afcribes to the penitent, I have finned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not*. Some may imagine this to arife from a difpófition, which we have, to be discontented; and to think, after a while, any other way better, than that which we have chofen. But how comes it to pass then, that no pious and virtuous man was ever known, calmly and deliberately, to make the fame declaration concerning his manner of life? Nothing hath been more common in all ages, than for the wicked to acknowledge their miftakes and their mifery, and exhort others to take warning by them. But the good, as foon as ever they had time to become habitually fuch, have always pronounced themselves easy and happy; and thought it the greatest kindness, that they could do to thofe, whom they loved the most tenderly, to beg they would tread in their steps. Now, in other cafes, we look on the agreeing teftimony of thofe who have experienced what they affirm, as being decifive. Why then fhould we diftruft them in this alone; and obftinately infist upon trying what they forewarn us aloud will be fatal? Indeed have not fome of us tried much too far already? And for God's fake, let us afk ourselves, what fruit we have had from it, and what we are likely to have, in cafe we proceed further. But Job xxxiii. 27. But if we will reckon the experience of others incompetent, and our own imperfect, let us confider the natural tendency of fin. Should we be unable to difcover from thence, why it fhould do us harm, we may doubt whether it doth the harm, that we are told, or will go on to do the harm, that we have hitherto felt from it: but if we fee, that in its nature it must be unprofitable and hurtful, as well as learn from the experience of others and our own that it is so, then surely nothing will be wanting to convince us. Now we all know, however apt we are to forget it, that reason is the principal part of our frame thence therefore, if we are made with any wildom, we muft expect the principal part of our happiness and yet every fort of wickedness is abfolutely contradi&tory to reason. Undutifulness to an almighty fuperior, and ingratitude to a gracious benefactor, such as God is; unkindness to our relations and friends, hard-heartedness to perfons in diftrefs, injuftice or implacability to any one, or ufeleffness to thofe, who are useful to us: degrading ourfelves below the rank of our nature, and living only or chiefly to brutal appetites, though we are men; or to trifling pleasures, though we have capacities for much worthier employments: all these things are evidently unreasonable and unfit, as any thing can be. And what advantage or what quiet can we hope in disobeying that principle, which was plainly defigned to rule us? Befides, our affections were doubtlefs originally intended to accord with reason: and, though much difordered by the fall of our first parents, yet in a confiderable measure they do fo ftill. Now can we queftion, but that diforder is the caufe of mifery to us here? And if fo, the greater we make it by acts of fin, the greater our mifery will be; and the more we rectify it by acts of piety and virtue, the nearer we fhall return to our natural state, in which alone every thing flourishes and doth well. Right reafon and right affection were the primitive rules, that God gave man to live by: and how can we fancy that we fhall ever find our account in putting a force upon them, and wrefting ourselves from under their government! But a farther and very material confideration is, that all kinds of wickednefs manifeftly tend to destroy the good order, profperity and peace, of kingdoms, of communities, of families; and : and that indeed the injuries which men do to one another by tranfgreffing the laws of God make up the heaviest and bitterest part of the fufferings of life. Now what is contrary to the interest of all in general, must be in fome degree prejudicial to that of every one in particular: and each person who is guilty of it, teaches others an evil leffon against himself*. The vici ous, even those who value themselves the most on their good nature, are one way or another, perhaps many ways, perpetually doing mifchief. They are indeed enemies, as far as their influence reaches, to the whole fociety of mankind. It is the general intereft of the world to oppofe and difcourage them. It is the particular bufinefs of government to restrain and punish them. All that fuffer confiderably by them, will be sure to abominate them and most others will fcorn and despise them. Now it is a dreadful evil to lose a pleffing so justly dear to men, as that of a good name and reputation. To be abhorred, or even fufpected and diftrufted, by thofe amongst whom we live, is hardly fupportable: to be merely disliked and difapproved, is very mortifying. Yet one or other of these they must expect not only from the religious and worthy, whose esteem ought to be and ever will be chiefly defired, but also from their fellow-finners; who conftantly condemn the fins, which they do not practife, and often those which they do. Sometimes indeed fome of them may join in applauding their common follies: but that makes them never the lefs follies. Sometimes, for private ends, perfons may flatter for a while fuch as they inwardly hold in derifion of deteftation. But this kind of court never doth good to those who receive it: nor is it able to hinder but that on the whole mischievous vices will produce hatred, and imprudent ones contempt. And what fruit can men reap from fuch things? But hitherto you have heard proofs only of the common ill effects of all fins: let us now confider the feveral forts, and the fruits of each of them, feparately. Some of our bad inclinations are neceffarily, in the very feeling of them, uneafy and painful: as envy, hatred and anger. Others are fo at least in their immediate confequences: difquieting our minds with wearifome and endless pursuits, of What we shall either not obtain, or not keep, or be little or Ecclus ix. r. nothing . |