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these things consists our fitness for a better. This then is the real temper of Christianity. And if we have either never felt it, or perceive ourselves declining and deviating from it; our hearts growing fond of worldly objects, and sinking down into that supine disregard to God and our duty, and a judgment to come, which is undeniably the prevailing, and likely to be the fatal, distemper of the present age: our case and our remedy are plainly laid down in that awful exhortation to the church of Sardis: I know thy works: that thou hast a name, that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die.Remember, how thou hast received and heard; and hold fast, and repent. If thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief; and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee*. But then to do this effectually, we must obey the whole injunction of the text and not only hold fast that which is evidently good, but,

For

6. and lastly, abstain from all appearance of evil. It might be translated, from every kind of evil. But even then, the sense would be much the same. though doing what we know to be wrong is a grosser kind of wickedness: yet doing what appears to us wrong, though we are not sure of it, is a real kind : and even were we absolutely doubtful, still, if taking one course may be acting amiss, and taking the contrary cannot; the general rule certainly is, to lean always towards the securer side: for why should we run into danger needlessly? And yet what numbers of miserable creatures are there, whom the observance of this one direction would have made happy : who saw the safe path, but would prefer the pleasing *Rev. iii. 1, 2, 3.

one; exulted in it for a while, then were ensnared of a sudden, and lost perhaps for ever! Nor is it pleasure only, but interest, power, vanity, resentment, every thing within us and around us, in its turn, that may endanger our innocence, by tempting us to venture upon what we hope, but are not satisfied, is lawful. Go not therefore in a way, wherein thou mayest fall: be not confident in a plain way*. Even such actions, as appear to us very allowable, yet, if they appear evil to others, it is, ordinarily speaking, both our prudence and our duty to abstain from, as much as, with tolerable convenience, we can. Whatever indeed, on mature consideration, we are fully persuaded we ought to do, that we must do, let the world think as it will. But where we apprehend a thing to be only permitted: if the wise will disapprove it, or the injudicious misinterpret it; if the good will be afflicted, or the bad rejoice at it; if rigid and warm tempers will be guilty of censuring us for it rashly; or easy and complying ones follow us in it, against their judgments; if our taking harmless liberties will encourage others to take sinful ones: in short, if any how, by doing what otherwise we might, we shall induce any one else to do what he ought not the great law of Christian charity requires, that no man put a stumbling-block, or occasion to fall, in his brother's way; or do any thing, whereby he is grieved, or offended, or made weak†. Shewing this tender care neither to intice nor provoke a single person, if it can be avoided, into sin, of whatever sort, but to please our neighbour for his good, to edification, is a precept, I believe, peculiar to the Gospel or at least hath so peculiar a stress laid on

Ecclus. xxxii. 20, 21.

Rom. xv. 2.

+ Rom. xiv. 13. 15. 21.

it there, as to distinguish our religion, greatly to its honour, from every other institution of life, that the world hath known.

After such an addition to all the rest, there cannot be a completer provision imagined, by rules of behaviour, for the virtue, the peace, the eternal felicity of mankind. And therefore nothing remains, but what must depend on ourselves; that, having the best and fullest directions, the noblest promises, the most gracious helps, we think seriously, while it is time, what use we ought to make, and what we do make, of these advantages. The word of God will shew us the first: our own consciences, if honestly consulted, will tell us the latter. Happy are they in the highest degree, who can stand the comparison of the two and happy they, in the next place, whom a deep sense, that at present they cannot, excites effectually to earnest supplications, and faithful endeavours, that they soon may. I conclude therefore with the words following my text. The very God of Peace sanctify you wholly and I pray God your whole spirit, and soul and body, be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ *.

* 1 Thess. v. 23.

SERMON IV.

LUKE XII. 57.

Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

THE duties, which God hath enjoined us, though reasonable and beneficial in the highest degree, are yet, through the depravity of human nature, and the prevalence of bad customs, become so unacceptable, that they are practised, as we must be sensible, but imperfectly by the best, and very little by the largest part of the world. Yet avowedly to neglect doing what they ought, is too shocking a behaviour to sit easy upon the minds of men. Some plea therefore they must find out, either to justify, or at least to excuse, their manner of life. And various are, and ever have been, the excuses, invented by the irreligious and immoral, not only to maintain some character amongst others, but chiefly to quiet themselves.

Now of all these, one of the best, if it were a true one, would be that of ignorance: not knowing that such and such things are incumbent on us. This appears to be a case, to which not only compassion must have regard, but which even justice itself must acquit of guilt. And therefore it is no wonder, if many shelter themselves under so favourable a pretence.

The lower part of mankind, in general, on almost every occasion, allege, that they have not the advantages of education and instruction which others have: that they are not able, perhaps even to read that holy

book, in which their duty is set forth: and if they be, yet the same quickness to understand it, or leisure to study it, cannot be looked for from them, as if their minds had been improved by rules of reasoning and judging, and their time at their own disposal. A great deal they think may be required, with the utmost reason, from those of higher rank: but from such as they are, little or nothing.

But, besides this vulgar sort, there is also a learned kind of ignorance, pleaded by some, whose freedom of inquiry and superior sagacity hath given them cause, they apprehend, to be very diffident of many points, that others are firmly persuaded of. And therefore they argue, that, though it may be the duty of common people, who, for want of the means of knowledge or of abilities to use them, must believe what they are taught; though it may be right and necessary for them, in consequence of their belief, to practise virtue and piety very conscientiously; yet it must not be expected, that those of greater genius, who are more enlightened, and perceive many doubts in these matters, should put themselves under disagreeable restraints, merely on account of uncertain speculations; and conform their lives to the rigid precepts of Christianity, when they are really not well satisfied of the authority of it; nor, it may be, even of natural religion.

Thus, you see, the lowest incapacity and the highest self-opinion can urge in effect the same argument, to evade what men have no mind to. And I shall now shew, that in both it is inconclusive; and fully confuted by our Saviour's home question, Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?

These words appear, by the parallel places in the other Evangelists, to have been originally designed

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