Imatges de pàgina
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VOL. they may be furnished with talk upon fuch and I. fuch fubjects. They are not one ftraw the poorer for this, it cofts them nothing. Their keeping up the external duties of religion, going from time to time to Chriftian affemblies, waiting as much as they can upon the ordinances of GOD; all this may be done, and they be at no expence. There may be little or no cost in all this. But really to exercise love to our brother, will many times prove a coftly thing. A man must deny himself, his own intereft, gain, and advantage very often, that fo he may be just or merciful as the circumstances of the cafe may be.

AND it is plain, the great temptations that men have to incroach upon the rights of other men, and intrench upon the businesses that come within this fummary of love to our neighbour, are principally from felf-love, and felf-intereft. Men would be just if they did not find or imagine, that they should gain by this or that trick, by putting this and that cheat and fraud upon their neighbours with whom they have to do. They would be charitable if it did not coft them much, if they were to expend nothing. And thus to pretend love to GOD is a cheap thing: but to exercife real love to our neighbour according as various occafions may be, to draw forth the principle into act and exercise, may frequently prove very coftly and expenfive.

2. THERE is alfo more of glory in the fhew, and glittering in the appearance of religion (in fome times more than others, and it

may be

in our times as much as any) than there is in the SER M. discharge of the duties of justice and charity to XIII. men. He that acquires to himself the reputation of a godly man, by an ability to difcourfe of godly matters, having gotten a great stock of notional knowledge, gains thereby alfo the reputation of a man of a very refined mind. As the Gnofticks in their age, an age of errors, were men of much pretence; had very high and fublime notions; but as to their morals they were as bad men as ever the world knew, if you will take the teftimony concerning them, not from their profeffed enemies the Christians, who opposed themselves to them, but even from a Heathen who characterizeth them at large. There were not a viler fort of men, as to matters concerning the duties of the fecond table, and what lay between man and man. But they were men of high fpeculative knowledge, had very airy, and fublime notions, wherewith they did feduce and captivate not a few. A great reputation was acquired by them of that kind, when they could recommend themfelves as perfons, who had made it their business to feparate from the reft of the world, to give themselves up to the ftudy of all wisdom as the wife man's expreffion is ".

AND as those men looked big and talked high in those former ages upon this account, I mean the reputation they had acquired for their knowledge and wisdom, which they boasted of; fo many do now, and think to make a glitter in the places

+ Plotinus.

Q4

m Eccles. vII. 25.

I.

VOL. places where they live, as men of high, notional knowledge in matters of religion: but in comparifon of this they think that to do good in the place where a man lives, to be a ufeful member of a civil, or a Chriftian fociety, to obferve the strict rules of justice, charity, and compaffion, are mean things and very low matters, compared with that glorious fhew and glitter, which the appearance of a great measure of notional, fpeculative knowledge cafts upon men in their own eyes, and the eyes of them that are about them. Thus knowledge puffeth up, while true love would edify. But in the mean time that which fo puffeth up makes a better fhew, than that which does fubftantially, and folidly edify the foul.

IT is too apparent a truth, which hath been hinted to you thus far, that there are perfons, who upon fuch accounts as thefe, are cafily induced to pretend to religion, and to make a fhew of love, and devotedness to GOD, who are ftrangers to the effects of love to their brother. But from this fo very apparent truth men are apt to induce as manifest and grofs a falfhood; that is, because there are thofe who pretend love to GoD, that are found manifeftly peccant as to the exercife of that duty which love to man would command, and ought to be the fpring and principle of, that therefore all pretences to ftricter religion than ordinary are hypocritical. No man who makes a more ftrict profeffion than his neighbours, and is more frequently converfant in the exercises of religion than they are, but he must needs be a pharifee

pharifee and a mere pretender, only because fome SER M fuch perfons are too manifeftly capable of being XIII. convicted as fuch. But this is no more reasonable, than because there is fome counterfeit coin in the world, that therefore all is to be rejected as falfe, and not current; or because spectres and ghosts have been seen to walk in human shape, therefore there are no true men; or as if, because fome do hypocritically pretend loyalty and devotedness to the government, while they carry on confpiracies against their Rulers, that therefore there is no way for others to approve themselves blameless, but presently to turn open and contemptuous rebels. This is ftrange kind of logick!

AND in truth, none are honeft men in their account, but fuch as will fwear, and drink, and run into all wickednefs and excefs of riot with them. Of fuch a one they will be ready to fay, "A very honeft Gentleman!" and then all the talk flies against fuch and fuch perfons that addict themselves to a course of religion. And if fome who are the notorious fcandals of it have fhewn themselves to be what they are, then those who make it their bufinefs to keep up a course of strictness in piety and religion, have the common infamous brand of hypocrites put upon them.

Now at this rate we must certainly quite turn the tables. Virtue must be called vice, and vice be called virtue, and the names of things be utterly altered. And we must account, that God's children and the devil's are to change families, fathers, and ftates one with another. For we

fhall

VOL. fhall have none left to be called honeft men, or

I.

the children of GoD, but fuch as are no better than good-fellows; and all ferious fearers and fincere lovers of GoD must be abandoned for none of his, only because fome falfe brethren creep in among them.

AND yet it very greatly concerneth thofe, who are actually and truly of the family and houfhold, or the Church of GoD by faith in Jefus Chrift, though men do never so causlessly and injuriously fcandalize the whole fraternity, upon the delinquencies of fome falfe pretenders, to learn inftruction by it, and to be abundantly more wary in all manner of converfation, upon the account of their calling him Father. All therefore that I fhall by way of ufe leave with you at this time is the admonition of the Apostle, If ye call upon the Father, who without respect of perfons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your fojourning in fear ".

1 Pet. 1. 17.

SERM.

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