صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

172

MIXTURE OF GOOD AND BAD MEN,

JUNE 13.

Let both grow together until the harvest.

THERE is a difference between one who is a vicious christian, and one who is no christian. The vicious christian is worse than the vicious pagan. In the world and in the church, there are those who live consistently with their light, and those who live at variance with it. Let both grow together until the harvest.-Grievous inconveniences would follow the rooting up of the tares. Christ has not empowered his servants to destroy all who teach false doctrines or lead inconsistent lives, because the most virtuous would often be the greatest sufferers. Christians being divided into many sects, and warm men of every persuasion thinking themselves the only orthodox believers, and sometimes the only good men, if they should all imagine they had a call and commission to harrass and cut off the bad, destruction and persecution would never cease, and the best persons would fall a sacrifice to ignorant and exterminating zeal. It has been a favourite doctrine with various enthusiasts, that the saints ought to inherit not only heaven, but the earth also; that the true Israelites have a right to plunder the wicked Egyptians; that the ungodly have no property here below, no true title to their goods, and that dominion is founded in grace.-Certain people would put this system in operation, did not the civil magistrate tie up their hands.-No man is qualified to distinguish the sincere from the hypocrite. If he was, taking sudden vengeance of bad men would alter our state of trial, substituting compulsion for freedom. Motives to obedience are now better adapted to our nature. A great and distant reward is set before us; great, to excite our desires; distant and unseen, to exercise our faith. A punishment is threatened, sufficient to alarm our fears; but it is not immediately inflicted, and therefore it does not force, it only persuades. Moreover, good and bad men, are so united by worldly dependencies, that they cannot be safely separated. Men who are not sincere and devout christians, may have abilities, industry, learning, knowledge and experience, skill in arts and sciences, in commerce, war and politics, making them useful to society. God permits such to be mingled with the holy and pious; and will at death deal with them according to their improvement of all their talents.

Burning infidels and heretics in order to make agreeing christians-a custom supported by a false Moses and a false Aaron, that is, by the prince and the inquisition-has filled the world with hypocrites and unbelievers.

From the mixture of good and bad men, several advantages arise to both.--The ill usage and oppressions which the righteous receive from the wicked, are the trials which make virtue appear in its strength and splendour. Examples of heroic fortitude and christian forbearance are thus furnished, which continue through successive generations. If it is trial which purifies, the_christian would be both almost and altogether such an one as Paul was, not excepting his bonds.--Again-The good may, by coming in con- · tact with the vicious, reclaim them. Goodness is contagious as well as sin. A religious man has a dignity, serenity and power which is attractive; and the abandoned may sometimes wish themselves like him; and these desires may be the beginning of wisdom, and the forerunners of amendment.

INDUSTRY IN OUR WORLDLY PURSUITS..

JUNE 14.

173

Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings.

If we hope to acquire what is necessary for our subsistence, to preserve it when acquired, to provide for those who depend on us, and to avoid gross and scandalous ignorance, labour of the body and mind must be undergone.-We read in ancient history of a sect of christians, who from these words, "Labour not for the meat that` perisheth," concluded they ought to do no work to get their bread. We may suppose this sect were soon starved out of the world, or that cold and hunger sharpened their understandings and made them better interpreters of scripture.-Our bodies were given to increase in strength, as our minds were to increase in knowledge. They are committed to each others care, and the welfare of both must be regarded. Adam was placed in the garden to cultivate and embellish it; and the toil imposed on him when driven from it, has proved a blessing rather than a curse. Labour, if it was brought into the world by transgression, is one of the best preservatives against it: if it was the child of sin, it is the parent of virtue.-Our social nature calls for industry. We must return the offices of care and support, which we early received, on others who come after us, We must do good-assist, instruct, and relieve others. Indolence has no inclination to these.

Idleness is the parent of vice. He who cheerfully and zealously pursues his honest calling, has no leisure for listening to temptation. The mind cannot cease from thought and action, and therefore when not busy in virtue, will grow wicked for the want of employment. A vacant mind is a proper habitation for a devil: it is the house which he cometh and findeth empty; then goeth he and taketh with him, seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there.-The idle person loathes his own company, for which he is not much to be blamed. This drives him to contract unprofitable friendships or rather acquaintances, for there is seldom friendship where there is no virtue. The idler generally falls into want and thence into wickedness. He says to himself; What shall I do? I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. Hence follow falsehood, knavery and theft. Thus the indolent man is a nuisance in society, salt that has lost its savour, fit only to be cast out and trodden under foot.-The desire of the sluggard kills him. The wretchedness of indolence shews partly the value of industry. Industry has a tendency to preserve health of body and serenity of mind; it repays us with something grateful and advantageous. In all prudent labour of the hands or head some acquisition is made -we maintain ourselves-are not burdensome to others-we get skill, dexterity and experience-learn to do our own work with less. toil and trouble-improve our understandings, and find out truths which doubly reward our pains of search. By diligence, promptitude and fidelity we obtain reputation; every one being willing to employ the assiduous man; for whatever his condition, he must be respectable. By industry we shut out many implacable enemies to our repose, many clamorous desires, sorrowful reflections, threatening fears and violent temptations. By industry we become beneficial to others, able to assist our friends, to relieve the poor, to instruct the ignorant and to provide for our families. In short, we obey God, and answer the purposes of existence.

174

INDUSTRY IN OUR RELIGIOUS DUTIES.

JUNE 15.

Always abounding in the work of the Lord.

To industry in working out our salvation, we have the most pressing motives. The shortness and uncertainty of life warns us not to neglect it; for since upon our present behaviour depends our future state; since the days of man are few, few according to the course of nature, and often made fewer by a thousand unforeseen accidents, it behoves us to lose no time, but to set about our duty instantly, today whilst it is called today.

The reward set before us excites us to it. We think it reasonable to labour for conveniences which are temporal, that is, uncertain and transitory; and this industry is commendable. Much more should we exert our utmost care and diligence in securing to ourselves riches unchangeable and eternal.

Gratitude moves us to it ; to serve him with all our power who has done so much for us, with whose benefits we are enclosed and by whose admonitions we are addressed.

The punishment allotted to the idle and wicked servant calls us to it, to think no labour too great by which we may avoid the miseries of spiritual poverty.

Our present interest invites us to it, to be most industrious in pursuing the welfare of our soul, which will procure us peace of mind, and the blessing of God even upon our worldly undertakings; whilst a neglect of our duty to him will be attended with fear and remorse, and give us an uneasiness which outward circumstances, however flourishing, will not be able to compose.

Let us then consider what kind of expressions the sacred writers use, when they speak of this christian duty. They exhort us to be rich and fruitful in every good work, to be ready to every good work, to be zealous of good works, to abound always in the work of the Lord, to pursue and work good towards all men, to exercise ourselves in godliness, and in the labour of charity, to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, to give diligence to make our calling and election sure, to continue patiently in well doing, to run that we may obtain a prize, and to press towards the mark, to watch continually and to be upon our guard, to give all diligence to add one virtue to another, to walk circumspectly, to watch incessantly, to pray often, to gird up the loins of our mind, to strive that we may enter in at the strait gate, to wrestle against principalities and powers, to fight that we may receive a crown, and to war a good warfare, and to endure hardship as faithful soldiers of Jesus Christ.

Thus the scriptures tell us plainly, that without some labour we cannot be good. The duty of a christian is a laborious thing, especially to those who have bad dispositions to conquer, or particular difficulties to encounter; but when we do any thing good with labour, the labour passes away, and the good remains: when we do any evil with pleasure, the pleasure passes away, and the evil remains; and then custom making our obedience habitual, an even temper, peace of mind, and many other present advantages springing from it, the hope not only of escaping future evil, but of obtaining everlasting life, and the divine assistance vouchsafed to us as far as it is needful, will by degrees make our inclinations join with our reason, and our duty become our delight.

CAUSES OF PARTIALITY IN MEN.

JUNE 16.

With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

175

To be impartial in our judgments and conduct, we must divest ourselves of those qualities and inclinations which lead to unfairness; and these are generally our passions, which, when irregular and excessive, are turned into vices.

Thus; Pride and insolence always produce partiality. The love of power teaches us to oppress others purely to show our power, to favour those who submit to us in all things, and to be unkind and cruel to those who refuse to be our slaves.

Pride is usually accompanied with the love of praise, and then he who flatters most will be best rewarded, and he who cannot submit to such mean arts will be slighted and rejected; and so every favour will be disposed of to those who least deserve it, and the children's bread given to the dogs.

Covetousness and self interest are unavoidably accompanied with partiality. Such persons usually sell their favours to the best bidder, without any regard to any other qualification, and have no consideration for those who can make no other return than thanks and

gratitude. Persons of this temper lie under strong temptations to violate the rules of honesty and equity, when it may be done with impunity, and with present profit.

Party zeal, either civil or religious, when indiscreet and intemperate, has the same bad influence in biassing the judgment; and the foulest things are then said and done without remorse, to serve what is imagined to be a good cause.

Anger and envy also, when indulged, always lead men to carry their spleen and resentment beyond all reason and decency, to overlook the good qualities, to aggravate the defects, to misrepresent the innocent actions of those at whom they are offended, to listen to any calumnies raised against them, and to refuse them the offices even of justice and common humanity.

Credulity, and indolence of temper, are also parents of partiality. Persons of this turn of mind are led by others; they will say and behave as they are directed; and thus it is often seen that even a good natured person will do an ill natured action. Again, there is in some a capricious temper, by which they adopt unaccountable likings and dislikings, are kind to one and cold to another, for no reason besides humour and prejudice. The evil effect of this folly is often found in families, where one child and one dependant will be indulged and humoured, and another slighted and kept at a distance, for no imaginable cause.

Lastly, Love and friendship are too often accompanied with partiality. Pity it is that these fair parents should produce so foul an offspring. But whenever our affection for any person is excessive, and not founded upon reason, it induces us to serve the idolized object at the expence of our duty to God, to mankind, and to ourselves. From these disorderly passions we must endeavour to divest ourselves, and set our affections upon truth, justice, integrity, and equity, and remember our Saviour's rule as the best direction, to do to others as we would that they should do to us. A rule very comfortable, or very formidable, as our behaviour shall make it turn either to our future advantage or detriment.

[blocks in formation]

There is no respect of persons with God.

WHEN We examine the passages of scripture where God's impartiality is declared, we find this perfection ascribed to him, not directly as Creator, but rather as Ruler and Judge, the dispenser of rewards and punishments.-Partiality arises from vice, weakness or ignorance; consequently it can find no access to an all perfect Being. God can have no motive to be partial.

The present diversity of condition among men is so uncertain, and of so brief a space, that it becomes far more inconsiderable than is usually imagined. While we gaze on earthly greatness it vanistes; and while we are complaining, our pain departs. Begin and measure futurity with the line of man's short life-how does it make our few easy or difficult days here dwindle to a point! Various conditions illustrate each other; and shew the whole plan to be wise, just and benignant.

The evils of which men complain, are often evils of their own procuring. Virtue has a natural tendency to make men happy, and a natural connection with happiness. Vice has the same connection with misery, or rather is more intimately united with it it hurts the body, the fortunes, the temper, the understanding and the reputation. If the evils to which men are obnoxious were duly examined, and traced up to their causes, we should find that the greater part of them are the consequences either of thoughtless folly or indiscretion, or of deliberate wickedness. Therefore these sufferings are not to be charged to the divine administration, but entirely to those who bring them upon themselves.-The impartialities of Providence, whatsoever difficulties may attend it in the present state, will be fully cleared up in the next. Diversity of condition gives opportunity for the full developement of human nature. This is seen in whole communities, rather than in individuals. The world in which man is best placed, is the world in which he is placed.

Does the moral difference in men's condition most embarrass the question of God's impartiality?-To this I reply-God will judge the world in righteousness, dealing with every one according to the improvement of his talents.-All men have it in their power to do all that God requires at their hands. All who act worthy of their abilities and opportunities, will have God's aid and approbation.

All who have thus governed themselves, shall enjoy the beneficial effects of it hereafter, and be removed to a better condition than this, in which they shall be happy in various degrees, but yet according to the extent of their desires and capacities, and shall have the means and opportunities of making a greater progress and improvement in piety and happiness.

Unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required; and unto whomsoever little is given, of him little shall be required. This is the voice of reason, this is the express declaration of our Saviour. This removes much of the disparity of conditions, and makes it an ambiguous point which of these stations is the more eligible, a point which lies beyond all human skill to decide. But thus much we know, that every one ought to be contented with that state in which his wise and good Creator hath placed him, and to conclude that it will be the best for him, if he makes the best use of it. Upon these views the divine impartiality stands fully justified.

« السابقةمتابعة »