Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

deceive others without being preceived." Consider what Christ says to the church at Laodicea; Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked. Rev. iii. 17. desire to know how it is that men deceive themselves, as to their own state?

Do

you

1. They call things by false names, and dress them in false colours.

Sin, though in itself black as hell, is whitened over with fine words and fair pleas. The most extravagant and mischievous outrages are softly termed the frolics of youth. Vain conversation, bubbling into frothy levity, or breaking out into filthy lewdness, is called harmless mirth. A compliance with idle fashions and dangerous amusements, is called seeing and knowing the world. Drinking, gaming, swearing, and sabbath-breaking, are a gay life. On the other hand, pious men are named our bigots, or sly hypocrites. Religion is termed a melancholy thing; and a strict regard to it, madness. Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isa. v. 20. Beware you do not fall under this woe. Let every disguise be torn way. Be willing to know

standing, and see what errors, prejudices, and delusions are there. Look into the conscience, and see what records of long forgotten sins, which must soon be read against you, are preserved there. Look into the affections, and see what storms of anger, fumes of pride, and flames of lust rise there. A little time spent in close selfexamination may do you more good than reading a thousand books. Sometimes an instance, or a fact drawn from life, may not only bring with it great evidence, but also fix the attention and fasten on the memory. "A few years ago, two pious weavers were conversing together, and complaining of the trouble which they found from vain and evil thoughts, in the solemn duties of religion. Another person of the same business overheard them, and rushing forth said, I always thought you two vile hypocrites, but now I know it from your own confession. For my part, I never had any such vain and wicked thoughts in my life. One of the men took a piece of money out of his pocket, and put it into his hand, adding, this shall be yours, if after you come from church the next time, you can say you had not one vain thought there. In a few days he came, saying, here, take back your money, for I had not been five minutes in the church, before I began to think how many looms could be set up

in it." It is for want of watching over the heart with godly jealousy, that so many are insensible of their sins. We see myriads of motes in a room when the sun shines, not one of which was beheld before.

2. If such as hath now been described, is our condition, what cause have we for deep humiliation.

Thus saith the Lord, I planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed; how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? Jer. ii. 21.

season ?

Lord, what is man! where shall we find the fruits of righteousness in their Where now are holy love, cheerful resignation, and perfect obedience? Ah! it is mercy that has spared, year after year, the cumberer of the ground, for justice might have cut it down, and cast it into the fire.

God made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions. Where is the image of God, which consisted in knowledge and true holiness? Where is the glory which adorned the soul as it came out of the hands of its Maker? Lord, what is man! How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! in place of the divine image, are seen the black marks of iniquity.

Could you enter a temple in ruins, without

melancholy thoughts? Would you not say, how are beauty and grandeur turned into desolation? The lamps are extinguished; the altar is overturned; the glory is departed! And was not man made to be a temple for God? At first, the light of truth shone in his understanding, the language of praise flowed from his lips. Lord, what is man! How is this temple become a den of thieves! Where now is Paradise, with its blooming beauties, and sacred sweets? Speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee a lesson of humility. Where canst thou turn thine eye, or set thy foot, without finding proofs of thy depravity? Cursed is the ground for thy sake! thorns and thistles shall it bring forth unto thee. Gen. iii. 18. What are the pains which pierce the body, but the poisoned darts of sin? What are all the terrors of death, but the fruits of sin? Sin opened the sluices of divine wrath, and led into the world those floods of misery, which have spread their bitter waters over every land!. Well, then, may we humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, and cry, Lord, what is man, that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

CHAP. II.

On the Nature of Repentance.

In the last chapter, I proved that all are by nature, in a state of spiritual darkness and distance from God, defiled with sin and exposed to future punishment. It is no easy matter to believe a doctrine, so grating to all the feelings which self-love fondly cherishes. Yet this is necessary, as a first step in religion; and without it, we stumble at the threshold. Having opened the way, I shall now proceed to shew the nature of repentance. It is of the highest importance that we should have right sentiments on this subject. There are few persons but sometimes hear or speak of repentance. The vilest reprobates will in their more sober moments own the need of repentance. While men are in the very act of sinning against God, the mind is now and then struck with a thought of repentance. But we have reason to fear, there are not many who have just ideas of what the scriptures mean by this term. Some take the name for the thing,

« ElőzőTovább »