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SERM. measure, uncapable of doing any thing wor IV. thy of itself, or in prosecution of its true intereft, and it hath very little enjoyment. The Pfalmift expreffeth himself very feelingly on this fubject, Pfal. xiii. 2. How long Shall I take counfel in my foul, having forrow in my heart daily? When forrow or fear is in the heart, the foul is then taking counsel in itself, but to little purpose, and with very little fatisfaction. If it be poffible to find relief against the disadvantages and discomfort of fuch a ftate, to which we are all fubject in fome degree, one would think we fhould be difpofed readily to embrace it; which leadeth me to confider, in the

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Second Place, Wherein the strength of the wife man lieth, and how wisdom, or religious virtue, is fitted to administer a cure of our weakness and its fymptoms; which I shall illustrate according to the method already laid down, that is, by fhewing it is a proper antidote against the evils I have mentioned. And, firft, it is a defence against fear; fo Solomon teacheth us, chap. iii. 23. having exhorted to keep found wisdom and difcretion, he addeth, Then shalt thou walk in thy way Jafely, and thy foot fhall not ftum

ble;

IV.

ble; when thou lieft down, thou shalt not be SERM. afraid; yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy fleep fhall be fweet. And the following words, in the 25th verfe, may be underftood as a continuation of the promise, Be not afraid of fudden fear, neither of the defolation of the wicked when it cometh. But, to explain this more particularly, let us obferve, that religious wifdom fupporteth the mind against the fear of uncomfortable events in life, because, it reprefenteth them as too inconfiderable to affect our main interefts. That which naturally maketh us folicitous about any future event is, the opinion we' have of its importance to us; if we apprehend it to be of small moment, the foundation of fear is taken away. This is the reafon why men of weak and corrupt minds are thrown into fuch confufion when any danger threateneth their worldly concerns, because they regard them as their All, and cannot relieve themselves by looking up to a fuperior intereft, which is fafe, and out of the reach of danger. But the good man is fatisfied from himself, his integrity is his chief treasure; and while that remaineth untouched, he is fecure against every thing in this world which can befal him, and VOL. III. H meeteth

SERM. meeteth danger with intrepidity, because it IV. can only deprive him of things which are not the highest in his efteem, nay, are confidered only as minute circumftances in comparison, far from his principal and most fubftantial felicity. That virtue is a greater good than riches, worldly honours, and carnal pleasures, hath been profeffed as a principle by many heathens; and every one who nameth the name of Christ, and is his difciple, must be fuppofed to avow it; or, in words agreeable to the ftile of the gofpel, that the new creature, the image of God repaired in us, the fpiritual life effected in the foul by the grace of Christ, and the operation of the Holy Spirit, is more excellent than any enjoyment in this life, and the immediate and most neceffary preparation for the greatest happiness in the next. the wife man is thoroughly poffeffed with thefe fentiments, and according to them formeth the difpofitions of his fpirit, and according to them are governed all his affections and paffions, his defire and averfion, his joy and grief, his hope and fear.

But

2dly, The teftimony of our confcience concerning our fincerity, which is the peculiar enjoyment of the man whom Solomon calleth wife, is an effectual preservative

against

against immoderate dejecting fears, as it SER M. giveth us confidence towards God, and af- IV. furance of his favour. Men cannot help, even those who are the moft averfe to them, having apprehenfions of a Supreme Being, the wife and just governor of the world, who is pleased with the righteous, and angry with the wicked every day, and his vengeance ready to break upon their heads in terrible judgments; and, therefore, when danger threateneth them, the terror of it is increased by this jealousy, that it is fraught with the displeasure of the incenfed deity, which ftriketh the foul with dread, far beyond what could be raised by the event in itself confidered. A guilty accufing confcience is haunted continually with the frightful images and grievous remembrance of its own crimes, which pierce it through with anxiety, and make it imagine every thing it meeteth, to be a meffenger of wrath. But the good man is free from fuch distracting furmises and confounding fears. This is the reafon of what Solomon obferveth, and which is confirmed by experience, Prov. xxviii. 1. The wicked flee when no man purfueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion. Not but that wicked men are often fearless of danger, H 2

and

SERM. and meet it with the greatest figns of refoIV. lution; yet it is certain, the farther men depart from virtue and integrity, their courage must be the more unfteady, and the appearance of it, which is founded in pasfion, is no other than brutal rage, like the fierceness of a lion, or the mettle of an horfe that rusheth into the battle; but paffion is not able to bear up the mind in a series of dangers; for the clamour of confcience will return and ftrike the ftouteft heart with terror and amazement. A fedate and conftant fortitude, especially in adverfity of a long continuance, can only be the effect of an immoveable uprightness, and flow from the inward peaceful reflections of an approving mind.

3dly, The wife man is strong against fear, because his confidence is in the divine allfufficiency, love, and faithfulness. This is the reafon our author giveth, chap. iii. 26. For the Lord fhall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. No wonder they are at a lofs in hazardous conjunctures, who know of no fuperior power to interpose in their behalf, to avert evil, or over-rule it to a good iffue. Chance and neceffity, as the cause of events, are the refuge of ignorant minds, wilfully fhut and hardened against

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