صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

amine his life by these doctrines, as by the commandments. For these doctrines are as plain marks of our condition, as the commandments are plain marks of our duty.

For if salvation be given to those only who strive for it, then it is as reasonable for me to consider, whether my course of life be a course of striving to obtain it, as to consider whether I be keeping any of the commandments. W

If my religion be only a formal compliance with those modes of worship, that are in fashion, where I live; if it cost me no pains nor trouble; if it lay me under no rules and restraints; if I have no careful thoughts and sober reflections about it; is it not great weakness to think that I am striving to enter in at the strait gate?'

If I am seeking every thing that can delight my senses, and regale my appetites, spending my time and fortune in pleasures, in diversions, and worldly enjoyments, a stranger to watchings, fastings, prayers, and mortification, how can it be said, that I am working out my salvation with fear and trembling?"

The sum of this matter is this... From the aforementioned, and many other passages of scripture, it seems plain, that our salvation de

1

pends upon the sincerity and perfection of our endeavours to obtain it.

Weak and imperfect men shall, notwithstanding their frailties and defects, be received, as having pleased God, if they have done their utmost to please him.

The rewards of charity, piety, and humility will be given to those, whose lives have been a careful labour to exercise these virtues in as high a degree as they could.

We cannot offer to God the service of angels; we cannot obey him, as man in a state of perfection could; but fallen men can do their best, and this is the perfection, that is required of us; it is only the perfection of our best endeavours, a careful labour to be as perfect as

we can.

But if we stop short of this, for ought we know, we stop short of the mercy of God, and leave ourselves nothing to plead from the terms of the gospel, For God has there made no promises of mercy to the slothful and negligent. His mercy is offered only to our frail, and imperfect, but best endeavours, to practise all manner of righteousness.

As the law to angels is angelical righteousness; as the law to perfect beings is strict per

No. 5.

C

fection; ; so the law to our imperfect natures is the best obedience, that our frail nature is able to perform. aids fag og ei ordi hoobal

The measure of our love to God seems, in justice, to be the measure of our love of every virtue. We are to love and practise it' with all our hearts, with all our soul, with all our mind, and with all our strength.

When we cease to live with this regard to virtue, we live below our Wour nature, and, instead of being able to plead our infirmities, we stand chargeable with negligence.

tromgbujte zub och n tot is for this reason, that we are exhorted to It work out our salvation with fear and trembling; because, unless our heart and passions are eagerly bent upon the work of our salvation; unless holy fears animate our endeavours, and keep our consciences strict and tender about every part of our duty, constantly examining how we live, and how fit we are to die, we shall, in all probability, fall into a y fall into a state of negligence, and sit down in such a course of life, as will never carry us to the rewards of heaven. vbeoria bed

can

He, who considers that a just God make such allowances only, as are su as are suitable to

that works

all to be

his justice 1010150 915ks are a genusxamin

ed by fire, will find, that fear

and trembling are

proper ten

tempers for those, that are drawing near so great a trial wo tedt posibe to tend of Indeed there is no probability, that any one should do all the duty, that is expected from him, or make that

100 progress in piety, which the holiness and justice of God requires of him, but he, that is constantly afraid of falling short of it. Now this is not intended to possess people's minds with a scrupulous anxiety, and discontent in the service of God; but to fill t

་་་,་

with a just fear of living in sloth and idleness, and in the neglect of such virtues, as they will want at the day of judgment.

[ocr errors]

It is to excite them to an earnest examination of their lives, to such zeal, and care, and concern after christian perfection, as they use in any matter, that has gained their heart and affections. It is only desiring them to be so apprehensive of their state, so humble in the opinion of themselves, so earnest after higher degrees of piety, and so fearful of falling short of happiness, as the great apostle St. Paul was, when he thus wrote to the Philippians; Not as though I had already attained, either were already per fect; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things, which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things, which are before; I press to

1

[ocr errors]

ward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” ́ ́ ̈ And then he adds. Well 2000 of els guidon syed cot ar j 'Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, be thus minded.'

foliouisbro) DID E TILS 97 (SƆ

[ocr errors]

But now, if the apostle thought it necessary bus curse of for those, who were in this state of perfection, to be thus minded; that is, thus labouring, pressing, and aspiring after some degree of ho liness, at which they had not then arrived surely it is much more necessary for us, to be thus minded; that is, thus earnest and striving after such degrees of a holy and divine life, as we have not yet attained. qu, modta

d1.16

The best way for any one to know, how much he ought to aspire after holiness, is to consider, not how much will make his present life easy, but to ask himself, how much, he thinks, will make him easy at the hour of death.

Now any man, that dares be so serious, as to put this question to himself, will be forced to answer, that, at death, every one will wish, that He had been as perfect, as human nature can be.

Is not this therefore sufficient to put us not only upon wishing, but labouring after all that perfection, which we shall then lament the want of? Is it not excessive folly, to be content with such a course of piety, as, we already know, can

« السابقةمتابعة »