Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

riages of this kind is, a reasonable degree of disinterestedness; or, if we can compass it, a truly Christian temper, which will enable us to overcome the world. Too close an attachment to secular and selfish interests, besides that it is enmity with God, and looks ill in itself, will lay us open to temptations, and is likely to betray us into numerous instances of wrong conduct; which, when the principle they proceed from is discovered, will meet with no excuse. Whereas the faults of a worthy mind will generally meet with fair allowances; and a person, who knows the true value of things, and appears in the main to act agreeably thereto, will be regarded and esteemed as an amiable and good character, though not perfect. However, let us not trust too much, and too long, to the good nature of the world. As dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for wisdom and honour. It is our duty, and it will add greatly to our credit, to leave our faults, as far as we can, behind us, and to go on unto perfection; so that as to ourselves, we may stand in less need of that candour which we are willing to exercise towards others. But let us be careful, not merely to change one vice or imperfection for another, and call and think that improvement or reformation. Let us remember the philosopher's advice; "to guard in our youth against "lust, in manhood against faction, and against co"vetousness in old age." The pursuits of this world surely deserve not our whole attention; and though he, that would recommend a total disregard and neglect of them, could hardly expect to be treated

a Eccles. x. I.

[ocr errors]

with real gravity, yet let me be allowed, in conclusion, to remind you, that about how many things soever we may be busied, still there is one thing infinitely most needful, to endeavour to save ourselves and them that hear us.

SERMON XVII.

ROMANS V. 7.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. THAT God should send his Son into the world to die for its offences, would have been an act of great goodness, and an argument of his great love of mankind, though they had been in the best moral condition and circumstances, that, since the fall, their case would admit of. If they had all been sincere penitents, and supplicants at the throne of grace, all seeking after God, and suing for his pardon, ardently desiring, and humbly praying for reconciliation; even in this posture of prayer and penitence, it would have been a wonderful instance of love and condescension in God, to send his dearly beloved Son to suffer death for their redemption, and to be the propitiation for their sins a. But this was in no degree the general state and temper of mankind. They were totally estranged from God, and enemies to him by their wicked works: they were dead in trespasses and sins:—had so entirely revolted from God, and were in effect become such subjects to the Devil, that though he was a liar from the beginning, it is hard to say whether he lied or not,

a 1 John ii. 2.

d

[blocks in formation]

1 John v. 19. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth' in wickedness, or, is subject to the wicked one, mentioned in the verse before.

when, having shewed our Lord the kingdoms of the world, he said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them; for that is delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it. While this therefore was the state and temper of the world, for God to redeem it by Jesus Christ was an act of goodness above all description, and an instance and proof of his love beyond all example. This is the argument which the apostle here means to illustrate. Human love is by no means to be compared to the divine; for scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us,-died for the ungodly.

But from the manner of expression, some divines and preachers have framed a distinction between the characters of a righteous and a good man; and the words have stood in the front of many a fine declamation, utterly wide of the drift and design of the apostle in them. This distinction I shall now examine; and, so far as it is supposed to be founded on scripture, endeavour to refute: not out of a spirit of contradiction, or any love of disputation, but for better reasons, which will appear hereafter. In the first place then, give me leave to exhibit to you the portraiture of a righteous man, as drawn by their own pencil; that no suspicion may arise, that I represent him unfairly. There is indeed no necessity; for, according to their own description, he is a very poor proficient in virtue. He will neither do a good turn, nor overlook an ill one; he neither gives nor forgives. "The righteous man's end is only to do

e Luke iv. 6.

66

66

66

66

66

no hurt. And an eye for an eye, and a tooth

for a tooth with him, is the word; giving mea

His

sure for measure, and weight for weight. "care extends no further than himself, all his con"cern is only and barely to do his duty, so as to keep himself without the lash and censure of the "law; and as for any thing beyond that, it is all supererogation-work, which he perfectly despises. "Therefore he ties up himself to some stiff, formal "rules of life, and will not be beaten out of his com"mon road, by any temptation of doing an unnecessary good, and so makes himself as unprofitable a "friend as he is a servant.-Though we should suppose all mankind to be exactly righteous, we might find some safety, perhaps, but should have "no comfort in the world; we might be secure from "violence, but still we should have no fence against "mischance. No man would throw us into a pit, " and no man would be at the pains to take us out. "For if we resolve to do no more than what the law

66

66

66

66

imposes on us, we cannot expect that any one "should strain a point of courtesy in our behalf, but "if we do fall into the pit, there we may perish in "our righteousness, as Solomon says, or, as my text "well observes, for a righteous man one would scarcely venture to die."

66

These are the lineaments and features of the righteous man, as given us by one eminent hand; and we may finish the picture by the masterly strokes of another.

"The just man then" (who is the same as the righteous man) "punctually answers all the particu"lar demands that can be made upon him, and ren"ders to every man what he can exactly and pre

« AnteriorContinua »