Page images
PDF
EPUB

that is fowhich furpaffes the meafure of our real Worth) unqualifies us for the performance of many Duties; and that both in Relation to God, our Neighbour, and our felves.

First, in Relation to God.

26. As Folly leads to Atheism, fo does an over-weaning Opinion of our own Wifdom, or any other Excellency, to Profaneness. For as the Fool hath faid in his Heart, there is no God, fo it is faid in another place, That the ungodly is fo Proud that he careth not for him, Pfal. 10. 4. Pride then is altogether inconfiftent with that Subjection, Honour and Veneration which we owe to God. For how can he submit his Paffions to the Authority of the Divine Will, who has made a Law of his own? And as it indifpofes us for all active, fo likewife for all passive Obedience; for how can he fuffer that with Patience, which he thinks he does not deserve in Juftice? Or how can he fubmit with Refignation to the feeming unevennefs of Providential Difpenfations, the equality of which because he cannot difcern, he muft in honour to his own Understanding deny? And upon the fame ground, it unqualifies us for Faith in many of the Divine Revelati, ons. For how can he Captivate his Understanding to Myfteries, who thinks it a difhonour to own any, and is refolv'd to Believe no farther than he can Comprehend?

27. Laftly, It unqualifies us for Gratitude towards God; and confequently, puts a Bar to all thofe good. Actions which we would otherwife perform upon that Principle. And by this it becomes a Multiplied, a Legion Evil. For how can he acknowledge an Obligation paffed upon him by God's Favours, who calls them not by that Name, but efteems them as Rewards and Payments, and inverting the Proteftation of the good Patriarch Gen. 22. 16. thinks himself worthy of the greatest of his.

Mercies.

28. Then Secondly, In relation to our Neighbour, it unqualifies us for Obedience to Civil Government. For how can he fubmit to the Wifdom of his Superiours,

R 4

and

and pay an implicite Deference to the Occult Reafons of State, who thinks himself Wifer than a whole Senate, and difputes even the ways of Providence? Pride was ever obferved to be the Mother of Faction and Rebellion; and accordingly, St. Jude makes it part of the Charatter of the Proud Gnoftics, To defpife Dominions, and Speak evil of Dignities.

29. Again, It unqualifies us for thofe Acts of Juftice which confift in due obfervation of our Neighbours Merits, and a deference of external Refpects proportionable to that obfervation. For how can he be at leifure to take notice of anothers Worth, who is fo wholly taken up in the Contemplation of his own? Let the Reputation of his best Friends (if it be poffible for a Proud Man to have any) be in never fo great danger, he like Archimedes, is fo overbufie in admiring the Creatures of his own Brain, thofe Draughts and Ideas which he has form'd of himself there, that he regards not the Ruin that is about him. Or if he does he is fo far. from appearing in their defence (as in Juftice he ought) that he rather rejoyces at their Spots as Acceffions to his own Brightness.

30. Again, It unqualifies us for the Offices of Humaity, and Civil Behaviour, and all kinds of Homilitical Virtue For how can he treat thofe with any tolerable Civility, whom he looks down upon as a whole Species below him?

31. Lastly, It unqualifies us for Gratitude toward our Benefactors. For how can he think himself obliged by Man, who counts God his Debtor.

32. Then Thirdly, In relation to our Selves, here is this grand ill Confequence of an immoderate Self-esteem, that it unqualifies us not only for higher Attainments, but even for the very endeavours of Improvements, and fo cuts fhort, and bedwarfs all our Excellencies. 'Tis the Obfervation of Cicero, That many would have arrived at Wisdom, if they had not thought themselves already arrived thither. "The Opinion of the Proud Man

has

has fo far got the start of the real Worth, that the later will never overtake the former.

33. And as the immoderate Efteem of our Selves, unqualifies us for the performance of many Duties, fo does it alfo, in the fecond place, Betray us into many Sins.

34. First, Into all thofe Sins which are contrary to the forementioned Virtues refpectively. And befides them, into many more; fuch as are Prefumption and Security, Vexation and Difcontent, Contempt of others (tho' at the fame time it exposes us to theirs) Anger and Contention, Malice and Revenge. For the Proud Man is not content to be his own private Admirer, but quarrels with all others that are not of his Perfwafion; and with the Tyrant of Babylon, kindles a Fire for thofe who will not fall down and Worship the Image which he has fet up.

35. Neither does the Leprofie ftop here. But as it betrays us into many Sins, fo in the Third and laft place (which is the most difmal Confequence of all) it fruftrates all Methods of Reformation. God's Judgments will but exafperate and inrage him, because he thinks he does not deserve them; and his Mercies will not indear him, because he thinks he does. Advice he thinks, he does not need,and Reproof he cannot bear. Befides, he thinks fo well of himself already, that he wonders what you mean by advising him to become better; and therefore as he does not endeavour after any of thofe Excellencies which he thinks he has, fo neither can he dream of mending thofe Faults which he thinks he is not guilty of: Thus is the Man Seal'd up to Iniquity, and deeply lodg'd in the strong holds of Sin,where nothing that has a Salutary Influence can come nigh him. And in this he resembles the firft Prefidents of his Folly, who from Angels transform'd themselves into Devils, and fell beyond the poffibilities of Recovery.

36. These are fome of the Fruits of this Root of Bitterness; and tho' more might be named, yet thefe I think fufficient to juftifie this Admonition of the Apofile to every Man, not to think of himself more highly than be ought to think; but to think foberly, according as

God

God has dealt to every Man the Measure of Faith. Let us then all Endeavour to conform our Opinions concerning our felves to this Standard. Let us not ftretch our felves beyond our natural dimenffions, but learn to entertain modell and fober thoughts of our own Excellencies and Endowments, and mortifie our understandings as well as our fenfitive affections. And thus fhall we compleat our Lent Exercife, by joyning the mortification of the Spirit to that of the Fleih, without which the greatest Aufterities wherewith we can afflict the later, will not be fuch a Faft as God has chofen. For what will it avail to macerate the Body, while the principal Part, the Soul remains unmortified? The Humility of Mofes muft confpire with his Forty Days Fafting, to qualifie a Man for Divine Intercourfes, to make him the joy of Angels, the Friend of God. Thus then let us accomplish the Refinings of our Souls, and fill up the Measure of our mortifications. To which end, let us add this one further Confideration to what has been already faid, That Humility, in the Judgment even of the High and Lofty One that inhabits Eternity, is a Virtue of fuch great Excellency, and fingular Advantage to the Happiness of Mankind, that our Bleffed Saviour came down from Heaven to teach it; that his whole Life was one continued Exercife of it, and that he has dignified it with the First Place among his Beatitudes. Let us then, as many as profefs the Religion of the Humble and Crucify'd JESUS, make it our frict Care, that we neglect not this his great Commandment, nor omit to Copy out this Principal Line, this main Stroke of the Pattern he has fet us. Efpecially let us of this Place, who are fet among the greater Lights of the Firmament, and whofe Profeffion and Bufinels is to Contemplate Truth, and to think of Things as God made them in Number, Weight and Measure, labour in the first place to take juft and true Measures of our Selves, that our Knowledge puff us not up, nor our Height

become our Ruin.

Con

Confiderations upon the Nature of Sin Accommodated to the Ends both of Speculation and Practice.

SECT. I.

Of the divifion of Sin into Material and Formal; and of the reality and neceffity of that Diftinction.

T

1. O make this our Difcourfe about Sin, more clear and distinct, before we enter upon its Nature, 'twill be requifite to premife fomething concerning the double Acceptation of the word. For nothing can be defined, before it be diftinguifhed.

2. I obferve therefore, That Sin may be confidered either abstractedly, for the bare Act of Obliquity; or concretely, with fuch a special Dependence of it upon the Will, as renders the Agent guilty or obnoxious to Punishment. I fay, with fuch a Special Dependence of it upon the Will; for not every dependence of an Action upon the Will, is fufficient to make it imputable, as fhall be fhewn hereafter. The former of thefe, by thofe that diftinguifh more nicely, is called tranfgreffio voluntatis ; the later, tranfgreffio voluntaria; or according to the more ordinary diftinction, the former is the material; the later, the formal Part of Sin.

3. This diftinction is both real and necessary. 1st. It is real: And that because the things diftinguifh'd are plainly distinct. The Act of Sin is one thing, and that special Dependence of it upon the Will, that renders him that commits it accountable for it, is another thing, As may appear, ift, From the different Notions and Conceptions that we have of thefe things, whenever we con

« PreviousContinue »