Oldalképek
PDF
ePub

and applied, we may be able to judge of the truth of this maxim, but not otherwife.

Every thing that can be called a motive, is addreffed either to the animal or to the rational part of our nature. Motives of the former kind are common to us with the brutes; thofe of the latter are peculiar to rational beings. We fhall beg leave, for diftinction's fake, to call the former, animal motives, and the latter, rational.

Hunger is a motive in a dog to eat; fo is it in a man. According to the ftrength of the appetite, it gives a ftronger or a weaker impulfe to eat. And the fame thing may be faid of every other appetite and paffion. Such animal motives give an impulfe to the agent, to which he yields with eafe; and, if the impulfe be strong, it cannot be refifted without an effort which requires a greater or lefs degree of felf-command. Such motives are not addressed to the rational powers. Their influence is immediately upon the will. We feel their influence, and judge of their frength, by the confcious effort which is neceflary to refift them.

When a man is acted upon by contrary motives of this kind, he finds it eafy to yield to the ftrongeft. They are like two forces pushing him in contrary directions. To yield to the frongeft, he needs only to be paffive. By exerting his own force, he may refift; but this requires an effort of which he is confcious. The ftrength of motives of this kind is perceived, not by our judgment, but by our feeling; and that is the frongest of contrary motives, to which he can yield with ease, or which it requires an effort of felf-command to refift; and this we may call the animal tefl of the firength of motives.

If it be asked, whether, in motives of this kind, the fstrongest always prevails? I would anfwer, That in brute-animals I believe it does. They do not appear to have any felf-command; an appetite or paffion in them is overcome only by a fronger contrary one. On this account, they are not accountable for their actions, nor can they be the fubjects of law.

But

But in men who are able to exercise their rational powers, and have any degree of self-command, the strongest animal motive does not always prevail. The flesh does not always prevail against the spirit, though too often it does. And if men were neceffarily determined by the ftrongeft animal motive, they could no more be accountable, or capable of being governed by law, than brutes are.

[To be continued.]

II. 1.

SERMON

THE

On LUKE xii. 20.

[Concluded from page 12.]

LXI.

HE fecond thing which I propofed was, to apply these confiderations, which it is certain, are fome of the most important, that can enter into the heart of man. In one fenfe, indeed, they have been applied already, for what has been faid, has been all application. But I with every one who reads or hears these words, directly to apply them to his own foul.

2. Does it not concern every one that hears, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully, to enquire, Was this ever the cafe with me? Have I now, or have I ever heretofore, had more worldly goods given than I wanted? And what were my thoughts upon the occafion? Did I fay in my heart, What shall I do? Was I diftreft by my abundance? Did I think, "I have much goods laid up for many years?" Many years! Alas! What is thy life, if protracted to its utmoft fpan? Is it not a vapour, that juft appeareth, and vanifheth away! Say not then, I will pull down my barns; but fay to God in the fecret of thy heart, “Lord, fave or I perish, See, my riches increafe: let me not fet my heart upon them.

Thou

Thou feeft I ftand upon flippery ground, do thou undertake

for me

"Uphold me, Saviour, or I fall!

O reach me forth thy gracious hand;
Only for help on thee I call!

Only by faith in thee I ftand!"

See, Lord, how greatly my fubftance increafes! Nothing less than thy almighty power can prevent my fetting my heart upon it, and of being crushed lower than the grave!

3. I afk thee, O Lord, "What fhall I do?" First of all, endeavour to be deeply fenfible of thy danger, and make it matter of earnest and conftant prayer, that thou mayest never lose that sense of it. Pray that thou mayeft always feel thyself ftanding on the brink of a precipice. Meantime let the language of thy heart be, "Having more means, I will do more good, by the grace of God than ever I did before. All the additional goods, which it hath pleafed God to put into my hands, I am refolved to lay out with all diligence, in additional works of mercy. And hereby I shall lay up for myself a fure foundation, that I may attain eternal life."

4.

Thou no longer talkeft of thy goods or thy fruits, knowing they are not thine, but God's. The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: he is the proprietor of heaven and earth. He cannot diveft himself of his glory: he must be the Lord, the poffeffor of all that is. Only he hath left a portion of his goods in thy hands, for fuch uses as he has fpecified. How long he will be pleafed to lodge them with thee thou dost not yet know: perhaps only till to-morrow, or to night. Therefore talk not, think not of many years. Knoweft thou not, that thou art a creature of a day, that art crushed before the moth? That the breath which is in thy noftrils may be taken away at a moment's warning? That it may be refumed by him that gave it, at a time thou thinkeft not of it? How knoweft thou, but VOL. XIV. I the

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

the next time thou lieft down on thy bed thou mayest hear, This night fhall thy foul be required of thee.

5. Is not thy life as unstable as a cloud? Fluctuating as a bubble on the water? It fleeth as it were a (hadow, and never con、 tinueth in one stay. Many years! Who is fure of one day? And is it not an inftance both of the wifdom and goodness of God, that he holds thy breath in his own hand, and deals it out from moment to moment, that thou mayest always remember, to "Live each day, as if it were the laft." And after the few days thou shalt have spent under the fun, how foon will it be faid,

"A heap of duft is all remains of thee,

'Tis all thou art, and all the proud fhall be."

6. Confider again the exquifite folly of that faying, Soul, Thou haft much goods. Are then the products of the earth, food for an heaven-born fpirit? Is there any compofition of earth and water, yea, though air and fire be added thereto, which can feed thofe beings of a higher order? What fimilitude is there between those ethereal spirits, and these base-born clods of earth? Examine the reft of this wife foliloquy, and fee how it will apply to yourself. Soul, take thy eafe! O vain hope! Can ease to a fpirit fpring out of the ground? Suppose the foil were ever fo improved, can it yield fuch a harvest? Eat, drink, and be merry! What! can thy foul eat and drink? Yea,

Manna fuch as angels eat,
Pure delights for spirits fit."

But thefe do not grow on earthly ground: they are only found in the paradife of God.

7. But, fuppofe the voice which commands life and death, pronounce, This night thy foul fhall be required of thee; then

whofe

whofe are all those things thou haft provided? Alas! They are not thine? Thou haft no longer any part or lot in any of the things that are under the fun. Thou haft then no more share in any of these things of earth, than if the earth and the works of it were burnt up. Naked thou cameft out of thy mother's womb, and naked fhalt thou return. Thou haft heaped up many things; but for what end? To leave them all behind thee! Poor shade! Thou art now ftript of all! Not even hope is left.

8. Obferve the remark, which our Lord has left us upon the whole occurrence. So is every one who layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God? Such a fool, fuch an egregious madman, is beyond the power of language to exprefs! However wife he may be in his own eyes, and perhaps in those of his neighbour, he is in reality the greatest fool under heaven, which heapeth up things, from which he must foon be separated for ever: and whoever is feeking happiness in the things that perish, is laying up treasure for himself. This is abfolutely inconfiftent with being rich (or rather, growing toward God,) with obeying that scriptural command, “My son, give me thy heart." He, who is a child of God, can truly say,

"All my riches are above!

All my treasure is thy love."

He can teftify, All my defire is unto thee, and to the remembrance of thy name.

9. Let every one who readeth these words, narrowly fearch his own heart. Where haft thou laid up thy treasure hitherto ? Where art thou laying it up now? Art thou labouring to be rich toward God? Or to lay up earthly goods? Which takes up the greater part of thy thoughts? Thou that art careful for outward things, diligent in doing good, and exact in outward duties, beware of covetousness, of decent honourable love of money, and of a defire to lay up treasures on earth. Lay up treafure in heaven! A few days hence, thou wilt ftep into a land of darkness,

1 2

« ElőzőTovább »