II. fimplicity of truth, and a juft fenfe of SERM. moral obligation; these things come within his office, and when this is done, áll is done, which can be expected from a teacher of morality. He doth not come to give original powers or principles, new fimple original ideas of fenfations; but to vindicate nature from the oppreffion of it by vicious affections, and habits, and unjuft combination's of ideas; to restore confcience to its dominion, and establish the determinations of it by divine authority. In a word, fuch a teacher muft proceed upon the foundations, which the Author of Nature hath laid; and that with fuch plainnefs, that his inftructions may be adapted to all, and may recommend themselves to the heart and con fcience of every man. Áll men are not capable of comprehending philofophical accounts of the frame of nature, the fyftem of its powers, and of moral obligation; nor are capable of purfuing truth through long deductions of confequences from first principles: that is, all men are not fitted to be philofophers: But all men know a right and a wrong; all men have, in fome measure, moral fenfations and difcernment; H 3 SERM. difcernment ; and are capable of underII. ftanding the inftructions, by which their duty is clearly pointed out to them. And when these inftructions are given as laws from God, with the fanction of his authority, and received and fubmitted to as fuch, the defign of inftruction is happily anfwered. Now to apply this to our bleffed Saviour's inftructions in morality; no one, who peruseth with attention what he himself hath taught, as his difciples recorded it, and what they have taught as they receiv ed it from him, but muft fee, that this divine teacher had himself a thorough knowledge of human nature, and of morality. It may be truly faid, that no man ever taught like him; and had he intended, in a philofophical manner, to have treated those things, which are the subjects of his laws, how eafy had it been? But then, how far from being the properest method, as hath been already observed? Of all things, in a teacher of morality, whofe dictates all are to understand and obey, fimplicity and plain address to the heart and confcience are moft neceffary. And when men are clearly instructed, in what what God and nature require of them, SERM. this is enough. But fuch are the inftruc- II. tions of our Saviour; becoming one, who knew what was in man; and how to apply himself to those principles and springs of action, which, when properly touched, every man muft feel, and be fenfible of their power. And no perfon, who is fo happy as to put his inftructions in practice, but what must be raised to an intire character, fo far as is confiftent with the imperfection of our prefent ftate; or, in the fcriptural language, ftand perfect and complete in all the will of God. To illuftrate this, it would be the most natural method to go through all the branches of morality, as they are taught in the New Testament. But this is a defign too large for me at present to pursue: I shall only make fome general obfervations, which concern the whole of our duty, as our Saviour and his apoftles have set it before us; and then confider fome of the principal things, and which are most efsential to a good and happy life. We may observe, in the first place, what stress is laid upon fimplicity and fincerity of spirit in doing the will of God, according H 4 SERM. according to the best judgment we can II. form, and to the dictates of our confciences; upon our acting, in reality, from thofe principles and affections, from which we pretend to act. Our Saviour hath inculcated this upon his difciples, and in the ftrongest terms; fhewing them, that acts of devotion and charity, without an upright intention of ferving the true ends of them, and a fuitable affection, are all loft labour, and cannot be acceptable to him, who knoweth the heart, and feeth in fecret; and very fitly compareth hypocrites (who put on the plaufible appearances of righteoufnefs, that thereby they may conceal naughty hearts) to whited fepulchres, which are rich and beautiful in external decoration, but within are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness ; affuring us, moreover, that our acceptance with his Heavenly Father dependeth intirely upon our doing our duty from the heart. And the Apostle Paul obferveth, that it was his rejoicing, that in fimpli city, and fincerity of heart, not in flefaly wifdom, but by the grace of God, bis converfation had been in the world. And the 2 Cor. i. 12. Apostle Apostle John teacheth, that if our hearts SERM, condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, II. and knoweth all things; but if our hearts condemn us not, then bave we confidence towards God. But every one, who hath attentively perufed it, knoweth, that this runs through all the writings of the holy fcripture; and that our hopes of the favour of God are fufpended upon that fincerity, which is effential to a right ftate of the mind. If the eye be fingle, the whole body shall be full of light; but if the eye be evil, the whole body fhall be full of darkness. The difciples of Chrift have no hopes given them, by him, but what must be founded on fairness and honesty of heart, in learning and doing the will of God. Not the external act only, but principally the affection of the foul is required, as that, in which the very effence of obedience confifteth; so that, if a man would give all bis goods to feed the poor, and his body to be burned, without charity, it would profit him nothing. And we fee the fum of the law of God, as taught by our Saviour, is, that we should love the Lord our God, * John iii. 20. + Matt, vi. 22. II Cor. xiii. 3. Matt. xxii. 37 |
