SERMON.

ROM. xiv. 7, 8.

For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.

AS the very dear and reverend man, whose premature and unexpected death, we, amongst thousands, this day lament, expressed his desire, that, upon this mournful event, a Sermon should be preached from these words, he plainly intimated his expectation, that the audience should be entertained, not with an ornamented funeral Oration, but with such an instructive discourse as the text itself naturally suggests. The subject being his own choice, I cannot doubt but this friendly audience will the more closely and seriously attend, as conceiving him, though dead, yet speaking, to them the solemn truths it contains. For having · been admitted into the full knowledge of his religious principles, I may presume on speaking many of the sentiments he intended from this text, though not in his more sublime and oratorical

manner.

When I reflect on the truly christian, generous, yet strict catholicism that distinguishes this whole chapter, and how deeply it was imprinted on Mr. Davies' own spirit, and influenced the course of his life, I am ready to conclude, that perhaps no text could be more aptly chosen, on the occasion. It expresses the very temper that should be predominant in all, and which actually is so in every pious breast.

That we may apprehend the scope and genuine sense of the words, it is necessary to observe, that warm debates at that time arose between the Jewish and Gentile converts, about the differ ence of meats and days, established by the Mosaic law; and so sharp was the contention, that they were mutually disposed to exclude each other from christian communion. The Gentile, being under no bias from the powerful prejudices of education and custom, was sooner and easier convinced of his freedom from that yoke of bondage, and despised the Jew as weak to admiration, and scrupulous to a fault.

The Jew, on the other hand, persuaded that these ancient divine institutions were still obligatory, censured and condemned the Gentile as inconscientious, and profanely regardless of God's lawful authority.

The Apostle, in order to quell the growing strife, maturely determines that, though the Gentile held the right side of the question, yet both parties were wrong as to their temper of mind, and the manner in which they managed the controversy; and that they laid an undue stress on the matters of difference, and carried their censures higher than the merits of the cause would at all justify. He therefore recommends moderation to both, and sets before them sufficient reasons why they should judge of each other more charitably, since they agreed in all those principal points that would justly denominate them "the servants of the LORD." For if they would reckon it a bold intrusion to call before their tribunal, condemn, and punish another man's servant, over whom they had no legal authority; how much more arrogant and presumptuous must it be so to treat a servant of the LORD? ver 4.

Again, let them be so candid as to persuade themselves, that, unless the contrary be evident, they who differ from them, mistaken or not, are influenced by a conscientious regard to the divine glory, ver. 6. This admitted, their personal censures will necessarily be milder, even though their judgment of the points in debate continue unaltered; and this must be admitted, if they can charitably judge, that their respective opponents are real christians for in all such the governing principle is, "not to live to themselves, but to the Lord. For none of us liveth to

himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; or whether we die, we die unto the Lord : whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's." Now, if no pious person lives merely to please himself, we ought not to judge that his aversion from, or attachment to, certain meats and days, arises only from a selfish humour: but, on the contrary, since his whole life is governed by an honest regard to the will of God, it is altogether credible that, in his different conduct respecting meats and days, he acts from the same principle; for whatever is true of the general, is also true of all the particulars contained under it. Suppose a man to be a real christian, you then suppose him to be of an upright heart, of a tender conscience, and one who dares not to neglect, nor live in contradiction to known duty. He makes it his main business to please God, and shall we be implacably disgusted because he does not rather endeavour to please us? God forbid.

Thus, while our text affords a convincing argument for moderation in judging of other christians, who differ from us in circumstantials, it teaches us what should be the principle and end of our life, and that both negatively and positively. We may not live nor die to ourselves, but to the Lord.

I. "We may not live to ourselves."

This proposition supposes, what is a demonstrable truth, that we are not the absolute proprietors, and therefore have not the rightful disposal of our lives. For since we could exert no kind of efficiency in bringing ourselves from nothing into existence,

of

we could not possibly design ourselves for any end or purpose our own. Hence, it is evident, that, whose property soever we are, we belong not to ourselves; consequently, it is the highest indecency to behave as though we were accountable to none other. As rationally may we claim self-existence and independence. It will, therefore, be an eternal solecism in action to aim chiefly at our own glory, seek only our own things, or pursue most eagerly our own pleasures. Right reason itself peremptorily denies that the dictates of our own minds are our supreme rule of conduct, or that our own will is our law; much less may we subject ourselves to the government of blind passions, or indulge to irregular appetites.

We are not at liberty, nor have we any authority to employ either the members of our bodies, or powers of our souls, at pleasure, as if we had originally designed their use. Hence it will appear criminal, on the one hand, to waste our time, or expend our strength in useless exercises; and, on the other, to allow an idle negligence of necessary business. Our tongues themselves, those unruly members, must be patient of restraint, for it is the language only of haughty rebels to say, "Our lips are our own, who is Lord over us?"* Our very thoughts are to be confined within prescribed limits, and all our rational powers statedly exercised, not in merely curious and amusing researches, but in matters the most useful and important.

It also follows, that the product of our activity, whatever is acquired by the exertion of these powers, ought not to terminate in ourselves. Are we in pursuit of learning, that ornament of human minds, it should not be with a view only to shine more conspicuous, but that we may serve our generation to better advantage. Has God blessed "the hand of the diligent" with abundant riches? We are not to consider them as the means of gratifying vanity, or " fulfilling the desires of the flesh, and of the mind;" for we must "honour the Lord with our substance."+ Has God clothed any of us with power? This is not a discharge from his service, nor a freedom from subjection to his laws, but a stronger obligation to duty, as it gives us an opportunity of more extensive usefulness.

Finally, since we were not the authors of our lives, we can have no right to take them away. We have no power to determine, either the time or kind of death, any more than we can ward off, or suspend its blow, when commissioned to destroy. Therefore, amidst all the miseries that can make life an insupportable burden, and all the glorious prospects that can make us impatiently pant for dissolution, it must be our determinate purpose, that "all the days of our appointed time, we will wait till our change come."

As these particulars, examined by the strictest reason, will all appear to be immediate consequences from self-evident princi

* Psalm xii. 4.

Prov. iii. 9.

# Job xiv. 14.

ples, and must all be confessed by him, who acknowledges that "he is not his own lord and master;" it will follow as an evident truth, that the evangelical duty of self-denial is founded on the everlasting reason of things.

Reflecting farther on the preceding observations, they force upon us the disagreeable conviction, that our whole race has revolted from the race of God, and risen up in rebellion against him. "The world evidently lies in wickedness;" for the allowed practice of men supposes principles, which they themselves being judges, must confess to be palpably false and absurd. They act as if they believe they were made for themselves, and had no other business in life but the gratification of their respective humours. One exerts all his powers, and spends all his time in nothing else but endeavouring to amass heaps of worldly treasure: another, by riotous living, disperses what had been collected with anxious care and assiduous labour. Some live in malice and envy, whose favourite employ is calumny and wrathful contentions, as if they had been created for no other end but to be the pests of society: others blaspheme the name of God, despise his authority, mock at religion, and ridicule serious persons and things. One has no other purpose in life but sport and merriment: another eats to gluttony, and drinks to besottedness. Yet all these, and nameless ranks of other daring offenders, would be ashamed in a christian country to profess it as their serious belief, that they were made by a most wise, holy, and righteous God, preserved, blessed, and loaded with benefits every day, on purpose that they "might work all these abominations," or, in order to live just as they do.

If, then, it is confessedly impious and unreasonable to live to ourselves, it necessarily follows that we are the property of another, for it will ever be "lawful for one to do what he will with his own." And whose can we be but his who gave us existence? Or, if ties of gratitude can more powerfully influence ingenuous minds than even those of nature, who can so justly claim us as He, "who, as we hope, loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood "* This leads me to observe,

II. That we should "live and die to the Lord." This can admit of no debate; for if our Maker and Redeemer be our rightful owner, then whatever we are, or have, or can do, must be for him. Being his servants, we must "shew all good fidelity" in his business. The talents with which he has intrusted us, more or fewer, or of whatever kind, may not be returned without improvement; for, as is fit and proper, he "requires his own with usury." He is our King, whose prerogative it is to direct our course of action, and propose the end at which we are to aim; to "mete out the bounds of our habitation," and carve our portion; and it becomes us to give the most ready and cheerful obedience to his commands, and submit to all his disposals.

* Rev. i. 6.

+ Matt. xxv. 27.