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LUKE.

CHAP. VI.

39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? and shall they not both fall into the ditch?

40 The difciple is not above his master : but every one that is perfect shall be as his mafter.

41 And why beholdeft thou the mote that is in thy brothers eye, but perceiveft not the beam that is * in thine own eye?

42 Either how canft thou fay to thy brother, Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, when thou thy felf beholdeft not the beam that is in thine own eye?

JOHN.

Take heed you do not obey the Doctrines of Men who are fo liable to Error, preferably to the Commands of the Prophets, and the Precepts I now deliver to you for if you give your felves up to the direction of Men, who are fo eafily miftaken, or unacquainted with the Laws of God, you will act as prudently as one blind man, who fhould chufe another to be his Guide, the effect of which would be, that both would ftumble together into the next Ditch. For neither cans the Scholar excel his Mafter in that particular which is wholly owing to his Inftructions, and is fuppos'd at beft to equal him when he has attain'd to the utmost perfection in it.

Before you undertake to cenfure the Actions of other men, defcend into your felves, and, examine ftrictly whether you are not defil'd with the like or greater > Vices than you are ready to upbraid others with: for it would be abfurd to animadvert feverely on the flightest Fault of your Neighbour, if at the fame time you take no notice of your own much greater Crimes. And with what face can one man exhort another to Repentance, chargeable it may be but with fome fmall fault, who at the fame time fcarce ever troubles himself about a much greater Vice he himself is infected with, and never thinks of a Reformation? Ŏ you Counter

feiters.

MATTHEW.

CHAP. VII.

5 Thou hypocrite, firft caft out the beam out of thine own eye; and then fhalt thou fee clearly to caft out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither caft ye your pearls before fwine, left they trample them under their feet, and turn again, and rent you.

7 Ask, and it fhall be given you

seek,

and ye fhall find : knock, and it fhall be opened unto you.

8 For every one that asketh, receiveth : and he that feeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh it fhall be opened.

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feiters of Virtue, firft parge your felves from your own, moft vitious Defilements, before you pretend to correct the Failings of other men.

As we do not throw Jewels to a Herd of Swine, nor offer confecrated Bread to Dogs, who perhaps would afterwards affuage their thirft with the Blood of their Benefactors; fo neither ought you to display the Conftitution and Laws of the Kingdom of Heaven before men refolv'd to reject and scoff at whatever you fhall tell them, without paffing the leaft examination.

Whatever you find you ftand in need of in your religious Course of Life, ask of God, and it fhall be granted to you. Make a diligent fearch after Knowledg and implore the divine Altiftance that your fearch be not in vain. Knock (as Í may fo fay) against the Door that conceals from you the Knowledg of what it concerns you to be acquainted with, and it shall be open'd, and fecret things fhall be revealed unto you. They fhall find what formerly they pursued in vain, who make a diligent Enquiry after it with a truly religious Zeal for Truth; and the molt abftrufe things thall be made manifeft to thofe who ferioufly endeavour to remove all Obftacles out of their way to Knowledg.

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MATTHEW.

CHA P. VII.

9 Or what man is there you, whom if his fon ask bread, will he give him a stone?

10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a ferpent?

II If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more fhall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?

12 Therefore all things whatfoever ye would that men fhould do to you,do ye even fo to them:

for this is the law and the prophets.

13 Enter ye in at the ftrait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to deftruction, and many there be which go in thereat.

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No man is fo wretched, as inftead of fomething neceffary defir'd by his Son, to give him fome other thing destructive to him; as fuppofe instead of a Loaf or Fish, å Stone or a Serpent. If you then who are defil'd with fo many Vices are wont to bestow things profitable upon your Children, how much rather will God, whofe Bounty is infinite, and who is the common Father of Men, grant them their Requefts, when they are expedient for them?

If you judg others are obliged to you, by the common Ties of Humanity confider you are under an equal Obligation to them. So behave your felves therefore towards others, as you would expect they should behave themselves towards you, were you to change places with them. In this Precept is contain'd the fum of what you meet with in the Law and the Prophets concerning the mutual Offices of men one among another.

The Door of Life is ftrait, and the Path that leads to it narrow and unfrequented, while the Gates of Deftruction ftand wide open, and the high Road to it is always crouded: If then you purfue your Happiness in good earneft, you must do: it in the narrow and lefs frequented way. Pleafure, 'tis true, tho fo nearly allied.

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to Deftruction, hath many Votaries, whilft an auftere and felf-denying Courfe of Life, tho the fafeft, invites but few: but in your choice of the way to Bliss you are to confider, not with how much Pleasure it is attended, but how certainly it will bring you to your defir'd end; nor are you to look after the number, but the Morals of thofe you would accompany.

Take great care you be not impos'd upon by fallacious Prophets and Teachers, who in their outward appearance are Sheep, that is, feem to have the inoffenfivenefs and harmlefnefs of that Creature, but inwardly are as rapacious as Wolves. Tho at first they diffemble with you, and deliver nothing difagreable to the Divine Laws, yet the Mask will drop off in a fhort time,and you may plainly perceive the repugnancy of their Manners to their Doctrine, by which they hope to acquire the Reputation of virtuous Perfons: For as Trees are diftinguifh'd by their feveral Fruits rather than by their outward Form, and we do not look for Fruit from fuch as are naturally barren, nor good Fruit from wild and uncultivated Plants; fo neither can a wicked man go on fteddily in a Courfe of Virtue, nor can he whofe Practices are vitious with any propriety of Speech be termed a good Man: and like as a Tree that

brings

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brings forth bad Fruit is cut down for Fewel, as the beft ufe it can be applied to; fo fhall those whofe Morals are depraved, be cut off by God, and punish'd according to their Demerits, how plaufible foever their Difcourfes may have feem'd to Men. Moreover, if you make a diligent Obfervation, and bring their Doctrine to the Teft of divine Revelation, you will be eafily able to diftinguish between those that are fincerely good, and fuch as only counterfeit Religion: for they who have their Minds throughly imbued with Virtue, and fill'd with generous Principles, will out of this Treasure bring forth nothing but what will be praife-worthy, and conformable to this excellent Difpofition; whereas on the contrary they whofe Minds are deprav'd,tho cunning enough for the moft part to difguife their Wickedness, yet ever now and then let fomething drop from them plainly difcovering what fort of Principles they are ftock'd with: For it is almoft impoffible but that those things with which the Mind is fill'd, fhould fome time or other break out, and give us an opportunity of paffing Judgment concerning the Fountain from which they flow. Thus men are diftinguishable both by their Words and Actions, as we come to know the different fpecies of Trees by the feveral Fruits they bear.

'Tis not an outward Profeffion of being my Difciple, or the bare calling of me Lord and Mafter, that fhall intitle any to the Rewards of the Kingdom of Heaven, which belong to thofe only who fhall lead Lives conformable to the Laws of my heavenly Father. Many will fay unto me in that day, wherein I shall diftribute

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