masters or mistresses, their servants? If they do this, and think they do God service therein, they must not cast the first stone at the Roman Catholics. 15. When things of an indifferent nature are represented as necessary to salvation, it is a folly of the same kind, though not of the same magnitude. Indeed it is not a little sin, to represent trifles as necessary to salvation; such as going of pilgrimages, or any thing that is not expressly enjoined in the holy Scripture. Among these we may undoubtedly rank orthodoxy, or right opinions. We know indeed that wrong opinions in religion naturally lead to wrong tempers, or wrong practices; and that, consequently, it is our bounden duty to pray, that we may have a right judgment in all things. But still a man may judge as accurately as the devil, and yet be as wicked as he. 16. Something more excusable are they who imagine holiness to consist in things that are only a part of it: (that is, when they are con nected with the rest; otherwise they are no part of it at all :) suppose in doing no harm. And how exceeding common is this? How many take holiness and harmlessness to mean one and the same thing? Whereas were a man as harmless as a post, he might be as far from holiness as heaven from earth. Suppose a man, therefore, to be exactly honest, to pay every one his own, to cheat no man, to wrong no man, to hurt no man, to be just in all his dealings; suppose a woman to be uniformly modest and virtuous in all her words and actions; suppose the one and the other to be steady practisers of morality, that is, of justice, mercy, and truth;-yet all this, though it is good, as far as it goes, is but a part of Christian holiness. Yea, suppose a person of this amiable character to do much good, wherever he is, to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, relieve the stranger, the sick, the prisoner; yea, and to save many souls from death, it is possible he may still fall far short of that holiness, without which he cannot see the Lord. 17. What then is that holiness, which is the true wedding garment, the only qualification for glory? "In Christ Jesus" (that is, according to the Christian institution, whatever be the case of the heathen world;) "neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but a new creation:" the renewal of the soul" in the image of God wherein it was created." In "Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love." It first, through the energy of God, worketh love to God and all mankind; and by this love, every holy and heavenly temper. In particular, lowliness, meekness, gentleness, temperance, and long suffering. "It is neither circumcision," the attending on all the Christian ordinances, "nor uncircumcision," the fulfilling of all heathen morality,-but "the keeping the commandments of God;" particularly those,-"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbour as thyself." In a word, holiness is, the having "the mind that was in Christ," and the " walking as Christ walked." 18. Such has been my judgment for these three score years, without any material alteration. Only about fifty years ago I had a clearer view, than before, of justification by faith; and in this, from that very hour I never varied, no not a hair's breadth. Nevertheless, an ingenious man has publicly accused me of a thousand variations. I pray God not to lay this to his charge! I am now on the borders of the grave? but, by the grace of God, I still witness the same confession. Indeed some have supposed, that when I began to declare, "By grace ye are saved, through faith," I retracted what I had before maintained: "Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." But it is an entire mistake these scriptures, well consist with each other: the meaning of the former being plainly this: By faith we are saved from sin, and made holy. The imagination that faith supersedes holiness, is the marrow of Antinomianism. 19. The sum of all is this: The God of love is willing to save all the souls that he has made. This he has proclaimed to them in his word, together with the terms of salvation, revealed by the Son of his love, who gave his own life, that they that believe in him might have everlasting life. And for these he has prepared a kingdom, from the foundation of the world. But he will not force them to accept of it: he leaves them in the hands of their own counse!: he saith," Behold, I set before you life and death; blessing and cursing; choose life that ye may live." Choose holiness, by my grace; which is the way, the only way to everlasting life. He cries aloud, be holy, and be happy; happy in this world, and happy in the world to come. "Holiness becometh his house for ever!" this is the wedding garment of all that are called to "the marriage of the Lamb." Clothed in this they will not be found naked: "They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." But as to all those who appear in the last day without the wedding garment, the Judge will say, "Cast them into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Madeley, March 26, 1790. SERMON CXXV.-Human Life a Dream. "Even like as a dream when one awaketh; so shalt thou make their image to vanish out of the city," Psa. lxxiii, 20. 1. ANY one that considers the foregoing verses, will easily observe, that the psalmist is speaking directly of the wicked that prosper in their wickedness. It is very common for these, utterly to forget that they are creatures of a day: to live as if they were never to die; as it their present state was to endure for ever; or, at least, as if they were indisputably sure, that they "had much goods laid up for many years:" so that they might safely say, "soul, take thine ease; eat, drink, and be merry.' But how miserable a mistake is this! How often does God say to such a one, "Thou fooi! this night shall thy soul be required of thee!" Well then may it be said of them, "Oh, how suddenly do they consume," perish, and come to a fearful end! Yea, "even like as a dream when one awaketh; so shalt thou make their image to vanish out of the city." 2. But I would at present carry this thought farther: I would consider it in a general sense, and show how near a resemblance there is between human life and a dream. An ancient poet carries the comparison farther still, when he styles life, "the dream of a shadow." And so does Cowley, when he cries out, "Oh life, thou nothing's younger brother; So like, that we mistake the one for th' other." But setting these and all other flights of poetry aside, I would seriously inquire, wherein this resemblance lies; wherein the analogy between the one and the other does properly consist? 3. In order to this, I would inquire, first, What is a dream? You will say, "Who does not know this?" Might you not rather say, who does know? Is there any thing more mysterious in nature? Who is there that has not experienced it; that has not dreamed a thousand times? Yet he is no more able to explain the nature of it, than he is to grasp the skies. Who can give any clear, satisfactory account of the parent of dreams, sleep? It is true, many physicians have attempted this; but they have attempted it in vain. They have talked learnedly about it; but have left the matter at last just as dark as it was before. They tell us of some of its properties and effects: but none can tell what is the essence of it. 4. However, we know the origin of dreams, and that with some degree of certainty. There can be no doubt, but some of them arise from the present constitution of the body; while others of then are probably occasioned by the passions of the mind. Again, we are clearly informed in Scripture, that some are caused by the operation of good angels; as others undoubtedly are owing to the power and malice of evil angels. (If we may dare to suppose that there are any such now, or, at least, that they have any thing to do in the world!) From the same divine treasury of knowledge we learn, that on some extraordinary occasions, the Great Father of spirits has manifested himself to human spirits, "in dreams and visions of the night." But which of all these arise from natural, which from supernatural, influence, we are many times not able to determine. 5. And how can we certainly distinguish between our dreams and our waking thoughts? What criterion is there by which we may surely know whether we are awake or asleep? It is true, as soon as we awake out of sleep, we know we have been in a dream, and are now awake. But how shall we know that a dream is such, while we continue therein? What is a dream? To give a gross and superficial, not a philosophical account of it: It is a series of persons and things presented to our mind in sleep, which have no being but in our own imagination. A dream, therefore, is a kind of digression from our real life. It seems to be an echo, of what was said or done when we were awake. Or, may we say, a dream is a fragment of life, broken off at both ends; not connected, either with the part that goes before, or with that which follows after? And is there any better way of distinguishing our dreams from our waking thoughts, than by this very circumstance? It is a kind of parenthesis, inserted in life, as that is in a discourse which goes on equally well either with it, or without it. By this then we may infallibly know a dream, by its being broken off at both ends; by its having no proper connection with the real things which either precede or follow it. 6. It is not needful to prove that there is a near resemblance between these transient dreams, and the dream of life. It may be of more use to illustrate this important truth; to place it in as striking a light as possible. Let us then seriously consider, in a few obvious particulars, the case of one that is just awaking out of life, and opening his eyes in eternity. 7. Let us then propose the case. Let us suppose we had now before us, one that was just passed into the world of spirits. Might not you address such a new born soul in some such manner as this? You have been an inhabitant of earth, forty, perhaps fifty or sixty years. But now God has uttered his voice, "Awake, thou that sleepest!" You awake; you arise; you have no more to do with these poor transient shadows. Arise, and shake thyself from the dust! See, all is real here' All is permanent; all eternal! Far more stable than the foundations of the earth; yea, than the pillars of that lower heaven. Now that your eyes are open, see how inexpressibly different are all the things that are now round about you! What a difference do you perceive in yourself? Where is your body? your house of clay? Where are your imbs? your hands, your feet, your head? There they lie, cold, insensible! "No anger, hereafter, or shame Shall redden the innocent clay; And passion is vanished away!" What a change is in the immortal spirit! You see every thing around you: but how? Not with eyes of flesh and blood. You hear: but not by a stream of undulating air, striking on an extended membrane. You feel but in how wonderful a manner! You have no nerves to convey the etherial fire to the common sensory: rather are you not now all eye, all ear, all feeling, all perception? How different, now you are thoroughly awake, are all the objects round about you? Where are the houses, and gardens, and fields, and cities, which you lately saw? Where are the rivers and seas, and everlasting hills? Was it then only in a dream that our poet discovered, "Earth hath this variety from heaven, Of pleasure situate in hill and dale?" Nay, I doubt all these vanished away like smoke, the moment you awoke out of the body. 8. How strange must not only the manner of existence appear, and the place wherein you are, if it may be called place; though who can define or describe the place of spirits, but the inhabitants of that unknown region? Whether they are of the number of those unhappy spirits that kept not their first estate, or of those holy ones that still "minister to the heirs of salvation?" How strange are the employments of those spirits, with which you are now surrounded! How bitter are they to the taste of those that are still dreaming upon earth! "I have no relish," said one of these, (a much applauded wit, who has lately left the body,)" for sitting upon a cloud all day long, and singing praise to God." We may easily believe him; and there is no danger of his being put to that trouble. Nevertheless, this is no trouble to them who cease not day and night, but continually sing, 'Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth!" 66 9. Suppose this to be the case with any of you, that are now present before God. It may be so to morrow: perhaps to night; perhaps this night your "soul may be required of you;" the dream of life may end, and you may wake into broad eternity! See, there lies the poor inanimate carcass, shortly to be sown in corruption and dishonour. But, where is the immortal, incorruptible spirit? There it stands, naked before the eyes of God! Meantime, what has become of all the affairs which you have been eagerly engaged in, under the sun? What profit have you reaped of all your labour, and care? Does your money follow you? No; you have left it behind you: the same thing to you as if it had vanished into air. Does your gay or rich apparel follow you? Your body is clothed with dust and rottenness. Your soul indeed is clothed with immortality. But, oh! What immortality? Is it an immortality of happiness and glory? or of shame and everlasting contempt ? Where is the honour, the pomp of the rich and the great? The applause that surrounded you? All are gone; all are vanished away, "like as a shadow that departeth." "The play is over," said Monsieur Moultray, when he saw the ball pierce the temples of his dying master.* what cared the courtier for this? No more than if it had been the conclusion of a farce or dance. But while the buffoon slept on and took his rest, it was not so with the monarch. Though he was not terrified with any thing on earth; he would be at the very gates of hell. Vain valour! In the very article of death, he grasped the hilt of his sword! But where was he the next moment, when the sword dropped out of his hand, and, the soul out of his body? Then ended the splendid dream of royalty; of destroying cities, and of conquering kingdoms ! And 10. "How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!" What are the weapons that are so terrible among us, to the inhabitants of eternity? How are the wise, the learned, the poet, the critic fallen, and their glory vanished away! How is the beauty fallen, the late idol of a gazing crowd! In how complete a sense are "the daughters of music brought low;" and all the instruments thereof forgotten! Are you not now convinced, that (according to the Hebrew proverb) "a living dog is better than a dead lion ?" For, the living know, yea, must know, unless they obstinately refuse, "that they shall die; but the dead know not any thing," that will avail for the ease of their pain, or to lessen their misery. Also " their hope and fear, and their desire," all are perished; all of them are fled: they have not any portion in the things that are done under the sun!" 11. Where indeed is the hope of those who were lately laying deep schemes, and saying, "To day, or to morrow we will go to such a city, and continue there a year, and traffic, and get gain?" How totally had they forgotten that wise admonition, "Ye know not what shall be on the morrow! For, what is your life? It is a vapour that appeareth awhile, and then vanisheth away!" Where is all your business? Where your worldly cares? Your troubles or engagements? All these things are fled away like smoke; and only your soul is left. And how is it qualified for the enjoyment of this new world? Has it a relish for the objects and enjoyments of the invisible world? Are your affections loosened from things below, and fixed on things above? Fixed on that place, where Jesus sitteth at the right hand of God? Then happy are ye and when he whom ye love shall appear, "ye shall also appear with him in glory." 12. But how do you relish the company that surrounds you? Your old companions are gone: a great part of them probably separated from you never to return. Are your present companions angels of light? Ministering spirits, that but now whisper, "Sister spirit, come away We are sent to conduct thee over that gulf into Abraham's bosom.' * Charles XII, king of Sweden, at the siege of Frederickshall |