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SERM. any other grounds, fuch as religious pro-
XIV. feffion, obfervance of pofitive institutions,

faith, or whatever elfe is, or may be sepa-
rated from fincere obedience and true re-
pentance, all fuch hope is deceitful: That
men are liable to mistakes in this important
affair, they fometimes fpeak peace to them-
felves, or their hearts do not condemn them,
when yet God doth not speak peace to
them; but
but yet
fuch mistakes may be avoided,
and we are not under a fatal neceffity of be-
ing deceived, if, as the prophet speaketh, we
will fhew ourselves men, or act a part be-
coming rational creatures; that therefore the
judgment of the heart concerning itself, up-
on which stress may be laid, must not be
rafh and indeliberate, but the refult of a
diligent examination; and, farther, the mind
must be divested of strong misleading pre-
judices and prepoffeffions, efpecially a vehe-
ment love of fin, producing an infenfibility
of the excellence and the motives of virtue';
which is fo far from being inevitable, that
no man can arrive to it till after a long con-
tinued courfe of obftinate wickednefs, and
violently refifting the remonftrances of his
confcience. In fine, what the true decifion
of this important point turneth upon, is fin-
cerity, which being the whole of true reli

gion, is imperfect in this life, but that which SERM. XIV. God will accept, being the habitual prevalence of good difpofitions against the contrary; and in the deliberate purposes of the heart cleaving to that which is good, and chufing to do what we know or believe to be right, even in oppofition to paffions, felfish inclinations, and wordly interest: Of this every man who is truly difpofed may be able to judge concerning himfelf, with fufficient certainty; however, the furest way to make the teftimony of approving confcience fo clear, that it may be safely relied on and leave no room to doubt, is, to endeavour to grow always in fincerity, that is, in all goodness, and in the love and practice of every virtue. I proceed now,

Secondly, To illuftrate and confirm the truth of the doctrine thus explained, namely, that the judgment of the heart concerning itself, either acquitting or condemning it of infincerity, is the only juft ground upon which we can expect the divine approbation or difapprobation. The authority of the apostle is fufficient to determine the point to christians, and, I think, his meaning is fo plain that there can be no hesitation concerning it. We may obferve, however, that what St. John here

3

teacheth

SERM. teacheth us is fupported by the concurring XIV. testimony of other facred writers. The

apoftle Paul faith, Gal. vi. 4. Let every man prove his own work (examine his own actions, tracing them to their secret springs, that he may be approved to his confcience) and then he fhall have rejoicing in himfelf, which no christian can or ought to have without hope of the divine approbation. It was upon the fame foundation St. Paul built his own inward fatisfaction and peace, implying a perfuafion that God accepted him, 2 Cor. i, 12. Our rejoicing is this, the teftimony of our confciences, that in fimplicity and godly fincerity, not in fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our converfation in the world. In like manner Hezekiah, when put to the feverest trial, having an immediate warning of death, comforted himself and had confidence towards God, upon which he offered up his acceptable prayers, appealing to God himself, Remember, Lord, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, 2 Kings xx. 3.

But I may appeal to the experience of every man who will carefully look into his own heart, whether, upon an accurate felfinspection, there doth not arife, not only an inward ferenity and pleafure

from a con

sciousness

sciousness of integrity or uniformly good SERM, affections, and a regular virtuous course of XIV. action, but also confidence towards God; indeed, towards all moral agents, fo far as our integrity and our works are known to them; efpecially towards him who is thoroughly acquainted with all our ways and thoughts, and whom we acknowledge to be the pureft and moft perfect of all beings? And whether, on the other hand, the selfreproaches of the heart for vicious inclinations and wicked actions be not accompanied with a fecret confufion, arifing from the confideration of an awful prefence, to which moral turpitude is difagreeable; and, if fenfible of its own ill defervings, it hath not a fecret dread of suitable returns, especially from the righteous judge of the world? The minds which are afraid of looking into themselves, which is the cafe of many, seem to give a tacit confent to this, there being no imaginable reason why they should decline fuch an inquiry, which they cannot but be fenfible is fo becoming them, and which to an honeft heart yields fo great fatisfaction; no reafon, I fay, but a fecret mifgiving fear of the confequences, and that they fee where it must end, either in abandoning their vices, which they are obstinately

SERM. nately refolved not to part with, or the con XIV. founding apprehenfions of the divine dif

pleasure, which they cannot bear; and therefore betake themselves to the poor unmanly refuge of an affected and refolved ig norance: Yet even in that they are not fafe; for a multitude of occafions there are, not to be avoided, which lay them open to them felves, and, in fpite of all their ftudied amusements to turn away their attention, give them a frightful view of their own de formed tempers and actions, filling them with terror. He, faith our Saviour, John iii. 20. that doth evil, habitually and incorrigibly, bateth the light, neither cometh to the light, left his deeds fhould be reproved; fo ftrong is the impreffion naturally upon the minds of men, that wilful wickedness and depraved affecti ons render them obnoxious to fuperior intelligent natures, above all, to the Supreme.

What can be the reafon of this, which we find fo univerfal among mankind? The good and the bad are agreed in a perfuafion that purity of heart and life is pleafing to the Deity, and that corrupt difpofitions and immoral actions are difpleafing to him; therefore the self-approving mind hath confidence towards him, and the reproaches of the heart, for its difhonefty and unreformed

beloved

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