SERMON VII. ROMANS XIV. 7. For none of us liveth to himself. HERE is not a sentence in TH fcripture, which strikes a narrow foul with greater astonishment;-and one might as easily engage to clear up the darkest problem in geometry to an ignorant mind, as make a fordid one comprehend the truth and reasonableness. of this plain propofition-No man liveth to himself! Why?-Does any man live to any thing else?-In the whole compass of human life can a prudent man' fteer to a safer point?-Not live to himfelf! To whom then?-Can any interefts 9 terests or concerns which are foreign to a man's felf have fuch a claim over him that he must serve under them,-fufpend his own pursuits,-step out of his right course, till others have paffed by him, and attained the feveral ends and purposes of living before him? If, with a selfish heart, fuch an enquirer fhould happen to have a fpeculating head too, he will proceed, and ask you whether this fame principle which the apostle here throws out of the life of man, is not in fact the grand bias of his nature?— That however we may flatter ourselves with fine-fpun notions of difinterestednefs and heroifm in what we do; that were the most popular of our actions ftripped naked, and the true motives and intentions of them fearched to the bottom; we we should find little reafon for triumph upon that score.- In a word, he will fay, that a man is altogether a bubble to himself in this matter, and that after all that can be faid in his behalf, the trueft definition that can be given of him is this, that he is a selfish animal; and that all his actions have so strong a tincture of that character, as to fhew (to whomever else he was intended to live) that in fact he lives only to himself. Before I reply directly to this accufation, I cannot help obferving by the way, that there is scarce any thing which has done more differvice to focial virtue, than the frequent representations of human nature, under this hideous picture of deformity, which by leaving out all that is |