_righteousness_, which is the gift and work of God, the image of God
renewed in your souls: _And all these things shall_ be added unto you:
all things needful for the body; such a measure of all, as God sees
most for the advancement of his kingdom. These _shall be added_, they
shall be thrown in, over and above. In seeking the peace and love
of God, you shall not only find what you more immediately seek even
the kingdom that cannot be moved; but also what you seek not, not at
all for its own sake, but only in reference to the other. You shall
find in your way to the kingdom all outward things, so far as they are
expedient for you: this care God hath taken upon himself: cast you all
your care upon him. He knoweth your wants; and whatsoever is lacking,
he will not fail to supply.
24. _Therefore take no thought for the morrow._ Not only, take ye no
thought, how to lay up treasures on earth, how to increase in worldly
substance; take no thought how to procure more food than you can eat,
or more raiment than you can put on; or more money than is required
from day to day, for the plain, reasonable purposes of life: but take
no _uneasy_ thought even concerning those things which are absolutely
needful for the body. Do not trouble yourself now, with thinking what
you shall do, at a season which is yet afar off. Perhaps that season
will never come: or it will be no concern of yours: before then you
will have passed through all the waves, and be landed in eternity.
All those distant views do not belong to _you_, who are but a creature
of a day. Nay, what have you to do with _the morrow_, more strictly
speaking? Why should you perplex yourself without need? God provides
for you to-day what is needful to sustain the life which he hath given
you. It is enough: give yourself up into his hands: if you live another
day, he will provide for that also.
25. Above all, do not make the care of future things, a pretence for
neglecting present duty. This is the most fatal way of _taking thought
for the morrow_. And how common is it among men? Many, if we exhort
them to keep a conscience void of offence, to abstain from what they
are convinced is evil, do not scruple to reply, “How then must we live?
Must we not take care of ourselves and of our families?” And this they
imagine to be a sufficient reason, for continuing in known, wilful sin.
They say, and perhaps think, they would serve God now, were it not that
they should by and by lose their bread. They would prepare for eternity;
but they are afraid of wanting the necessaries of life. So they serve
the devil for a morsel of bread: they rush into hell, for fear of want;
they throw away their poor souls, lest they should some time or other
fall short, of what is needful for their bodies.
It is not strange that they who thus take the matter out of God’s
hand, should be so often disappointed of the very things they seek;
that while they throw away heaven, to secure the things of earth, they
lose the one, but do not gain the other. The jealous God, in the wise
course of his providence, frequently suffers this. So that they who
will not cast their care on God, who taking thought for temporal things,
have little concern for things eternal, lose the very portion which
they have chosen. There is a visible blast on all their undertakings:
whatsoever they do, it doth not prosper. Insomuch, that after they
have forsaken God for the world, they lose what they sought, as well
as what they sought not. They fall short of the kingdom of God and his
righteousness; nor yet are other things added unto them.
26. There is another way of _taking thought for the morrow_, which is
equally forbidden in these words. It is possible to _take thought_ in
a wrong manner, even with regard to spiritual things; to be so careful
about what may be by and by, as to neglect what is now required at our
hands. How insensibly do we slide into this, if we are not continually
watching unto prayer? How easily are we carried away, in a kind of
waking dream, projecting distant schemes, and drawing fine scenes in
our own imagination! We think, what good we will do, when we are in
such a place, or when such a time is come! How useful we will be, how
plenteous in good works, when we are easier in our circumstances! How
earnestly we will serve God, when once such an hindrance is out of the
way.
Or, perhaps, you are now in heaviness of soul: God, as it were, hides
his face from you. You see little of the light of his countenance;
you cannot taste his redeeming love. In such a temper of mind, how
natural is it to say, “O how I will praise God, when the light of his
countenance shall again be lifted up upon my soul! How will I exhort
others to praise him, when his love is again shed abroad in my heart?
Then I will do thus and thus: I will speak for God in all places: I
will not be ashamed of the gospel of _Christ_. Then I will redeem the
time. I will use to the uttermost every talent I have received.” Do
not believe thyself. Thou wilt not do it then, unless thou dost it now.
_He that is faithful in that which is little_, of whatsoever kind it
be, whether it be worldly substance, or the fear or love of God, _will
be faithful in that which is much_. But if thou now hidest one talent
in the earth, thou wilt then hide five: that is, if ever they are
given; but there is small reason to expect they ever will. Indeed _unto
him that hath_, that is, uses what he hath, _shall be given, and he
shall have more abundantly. But from him that hath not_, that is, uses
not the grace which he hath already received, whether in a larger or
smaller degree, _shall be taken away even that which he hath_.
27. *And _take no thought_ for the temptations of to-morrow. This also
is a dangerous snare. Think not, “When such a temptation comes, what
shall I do, how shall I stand? I feel, I have not power to resist:
I am not able to conquer that enemy.” Most true: you have not _now_
the power which you do not _now_ stand in need of. You are not able
at _this time_ to conquer that enemy; and at _this time_ he does not
assault you. With the grace you have now, you could not withstand the
temptations which you have not. But when the temptation comes, the
grace will come. In greater trials you will have greater strength. When
sufferings abound, the consolations of God will in the same proportion
abound also. So that in every situation, the grace of God will be
sufficient for you. He doth not suffer you _to be tempted_ to-day,
_above that ye are able to bear_. And _in every temptation he will make
a way to escape. As thy day, so thy strength shall be._
28. *_Let the morrow_ therefore _take thought for the things of itself_;
that is, when the morrow comes, then think of it. Live thou to-day. Be
it thy earnest care to improve the present hour. This is your own; and
it is your all. The past is as nothing, as though it had never been.
The future is nothing to you: it is not yours: perhaps it never will be.
There is no depending on what is yet to come; for you _know not what a
day may bring forth_. Therefore live to-day: lose not an hour: use this
moment; for it is your portion. _Who knoweth the things which have been
before him, or which shall be after him under the sun?_ The generations
that were from the beginning of the world, where are they now? Fled
away: forgotten. They _were_; they lived their day; they were shook
off the earth, as leaves off of their trees. They mouldered away into
common dust. Another and another race succeeded; then they _followed
the generation of their fathers, and shall never more see the light_.
Now is thy turn upon the earth. _Rejoice, O young man, in the days of
thy youth._ Enjoy the very, very now; by enjoying him, _whose years
fail not_. Now let thine eye be singly fixed on him, _in whom is no
variableness, neither shadow of turning_. Now give him thy heart: now
stay thyself on him: now be thou holy as he is holy. Now lay hold of
the blessed opportunity of doing his acceptable and perfect will. Now
_rejoice to suffer the loss of all things, so thou mayst win_ Christ.
29. *Gladly suffer to-day, for his name’s sake, whatsoever he
permits this day to come upon thee. But look not at the sufferings of
to-morrow. _Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof._ Evil it is,
speaking after the manner of men: whether it be reproach or want, pain
or sickness. But in the language of God, all is blessing: _it is a
precious balm_, prepared by the wisdom of God, and variously dispensed
among his children, according to the various sicknesses of their souls.
And he gives in one day, sufficient for that day; proportioned to the
want and strength of the patient. If therefore thou snatchest to-day
what belongs to the morrow, if thou addest this to what is given thee
already, it will be more than thou canst bear: this is the way not
to heal, but to destroy thy own soul. Take therefore just as much as
he gives thee to-day: to-day do and suffer his will. To-day give up
thyself, thy body, soul and spirit, to God, through _Christ Jesus_:
desiring nothing, but that God may be glorified in all thou art, all
thou dost, all thou sufferest: seeking nothing, but to know God, and
his Son _Jesus Christ_, through the eternal spirit: pursuing nothing,
but to love him, to serve him, and to enjoy him at this hour, and to
all eternity!
Now unto God the Father, who hath made me and all the world; unto God
the Son, who hath redeemed me and all mankind; unto God the Holy Ghost,
who sanctifieth me and all the elect people of God: be honour, and
praise, majesty and dominion, for ever and ever! _Amen._
SERMON XXX.
UPON OUR LORD’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT.
DISCOURSE X.
MATT. vii. 1‒12.
_Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with
what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but
considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out
of thine eye; and behold a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye;
and then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy
brother’s eye.
Give not that which is holy unto dogs, neither cast your pearls
before swine; lest they trample them under their feet, and turn
again and rent you.
Ask and it shall be given you: seek and ye shall find: knock and
it shall be opened unto you.
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth;
and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened.
Or what man is there of you, who, if his son ask bread, will give
him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will give him a serpent?
If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven,
give good things to them that ask him?
Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do
to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the
prophets._
1. OUR blessed Lord, having now finished his main design, having first
delivered the sum of true religion, carefully guarded against those
glosses of men, whereby they would make the word of God of none effect:
and having, next, laid down rules touching that right intention, which
we are to preserve in all our outward actions: now proceeds to point
out the main hindrances of this religion, and concludes all with a
suitable application.
2. In the fifth chapter our great Teacher has fully described inward
religion in its various branches. He has there laid before us those
dispositions of soul, which constitute real Christianity; the tempers
contained in that holiness, _without which no man shall see the
Lord_; the affections, which when flowing from their proper fountain,
from a living faith in God thro’ Christ Jesus, are intrinsically and
essentially good, and acceptable to God. In the sixth he has shewn,
how all our actions likewise, even those that are indifferent in their
own nature, may be made holy and good, and acceptable to God, by a pure
and holy intention. Whatever is done without this, he declares is of no
value with God: whereas whatever outward works are thus consecrated to
God, are in his sight of great price.
3. In the former part of this chapter he points out the most common and
most fatal hindrances of this holiness. In the latter, he exhorts us by
various motives, to break thro’ all, and secure that prize of our high
calling.
4. The first hindrance he cautions us against is judging. _Judge not,
that ye be not judged._ Judge not others, that ye be not judged of the
Lord, that ye bring not vengeance on your own heads. _For with what
judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye mete,
it shall be measured to you again_: a plain and equitable rule, whereby
God permits you to determine for yourselves, in what manner he shall
deal with you in the judgment of the great day.
5. There is no station of life, nor any period of time, from the hour
of our first repenting and believing the gospel, till we are made
perfect in love, wherein this caution is not needful for every child of
God. For occasions of judging can never be wanting. And the temptations
to it are innumerable: many whereof are so artfully disguised, that we
fall into the sin, before we suspect any danger. And unspeakable are
the mischiefs produced hereby: always to him that judges another: thus
wounding his own soul, and exposing himself to the righteous judgment
of God: and frequently to those who are judged, whose hands hang down,
who are weakened and hindered in their course, if not wholly turned out
of the way, and caused to draw back even to perdition. Yea, how often,
when this _root of bitterness springs up_, are _many defiled thereby_:
by reason whereof the way of truth itself is evil spoken of, and that
worthy name blasphemed whereby we are called.
6. Yet it does not appear, that our Lord designed this caution, only
or chiefly for the children of God: but rather for the children of the
world, for the men who know not God. These cannot but hear of those,
who are not of the world, who follow after the religion above described:
who endeavour to be humble, serious, gentle, merciful and pure in heart;
who earnestly desire such measures of these holy tempers, as they have
not yet attained: and wait for them in doing all good to all men, and
patiently suffering evil. Whoever go but thus far, cannot be hid, no
more than _a city set upon a hill_. And why do not those, who _see_
their _good works, glorify their Father which is in heaven_? What
excuse have they, for not treading in their steps? For not imitating
their example, and being followers of them, as they are also of Christ?
Why, in order to provide an excuse for themselves, they condemn those
whom they ought to imitate. They spend their time in finding out their
neighbour’s faults, instead of amending their own. They are so busied
about others going out of the way, that themselves never come into it
at all: at least, never get forward, never go beyond a poor dead form
of godliness without the power.
7. It is to these more especially that our Lord says, _Why beholdest
thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye_, the infirmities, the
mistakes, the imprudence, the weakness of the children of God; _but
considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye_? Thou considerest
not the damnable impenitence, the satanic pride, the accursed self-will,
the idolatrous love of the world, which are in thyself, and which make
thy whole life an abomination to the Lord. Above all, with what supine
carelessness and indifference art thou dancing over the mouth of hell?
And _how then_, with what grace, with what decency or modesty, _wilt
thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye_,
the excess of zeal for God, the extreme self-denial, the too great
disengagement from worldly cares and employments, the desire to be day
and night in prayer, or hearing the words of eternal life? _And behold
a beam is in thine own eye!_ not a mote, like one of these. _Thou
hypocrite!_ Who pretendest to care for others and hast no care for thy
own soul! Who makest a show of zeal for the cause of God, when in truth
thou neither lovest nor fearest him! _First cast out the beam out of
thine own eye._ Cast out the beam of impenitence. Know thyself. See and
feel thyself a sinner. Feel, that thy inward parts are very wickedness,
that thou art altogether corrupt and abominable, and that the wrath of
God abideth on thee. Cast out the beam of pride. Abhor thyself. Sink
down as in dust and ashes. Be more and more little and mean, and base
and vile in thine own eyes. Cast out the beam of self-will. Learn what
that meaneth, _If any man will come after me, let him renounce himself_.
Deny thyself and take up thy cross daily. Let thy whole soul cry out,
_I came down from heaven_ (for so thou didst, thou never-dying spirit,
whether thou knowest it or no) _not to do my own will, but the will
of him that sent me_. Cast out the beam of love of the world. Love not
the world, neither the things of the world. Be thou crucified unto the
world, and the world crucified unto thee. Only _use_ the world, but
_enjoy_ God. Seek all thy happiness in him. Above all, cast out the
grand beam, that supine carelessness and indifference. Deeply consider,
that _one thing is needful_, the one thing which thou hast scarce
ever thought of. Know and feel, that thou art a poor, vile, guilty
worm, quivering over the great gulph! What art thou? A sinner born
to die: a leaf driven before the wind: a vapour ready to vanish away:
just appearing, and then scattered into air, to be no more seen! See
this, _And then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy
brother’s eye_. Then, if thou hast leisure from the concerns of thy own
soul, thou shalt know how to correct thy brother also.
8. But what is properly the meaning of this word, _Judge not_? What
is the _judging_ which is here forbidden? It is not the same as
evil-speaking, altho’ it is frequently joined therewith. Evil-speaking,
is the relating any thing that is evil, concerning an absent person:
whereas _judging_ may indifferently refer, either to the absent or
the present. Neither does it necessarily imply the speaking at all,
but only the _thinking evil_ of another. Not that all kind of thinking
evil of others, is that _judging_ which our Lord condemns. If I see
one commit robbery or murder, or hear him blaspheme the name of God,
I cannot refrain from thinking ill of the robber or murderer. Yet this
is not evil _judging_: there is no sin in this, nor any thing contrary
to tender affection.
9. The thinking of another, in a manner that is contrary to love, is
that _judging_ which is here condemned. And this may be of various
kinds. For, first, we may think another to blame when he is not. We may
lay to his charge (at least in our own mind) the things of which he is
not guilty: the words which he has never spoke, or the actions which
he has never done. Or we may think his _manner_ of acting was wrong,
altho’ in reality it was not. And even where nothing can justly be
blamed, either in the thing itself, or in the manner of doing it, we
may suppose, his _intention_ was not good, and so condemn him on that
ground; at the same time that he who searches the heart, sees his
simplicity and godly sincerity.
10. But we may not only fall into the sin of _judging_, by condemning
the innocent, but also, secondly, by condemning the guilty, in a higher
degree than he deserves. This species of judging is likewise an offence
against justice as well as mercy: and yet such an offence as nothing
can secure us from, but the strongest and tenderest affection. Without
this, we readily suppose one who is acknowledged to be in fault, to be
more in fault than he really is. We undervalue whatever good is found
in him. Nay, we are not easily induced to believe, that any thing good
can remain in him, in whom we have found any thing that is evil.
11. All this shews a manifest want of that love, which οὑ λογίζεται
κακόν· _thinketh no evil_: which never draws an unjust or unkind
conclusion, from any premisses whatsoever. Love will not infer, from
a person’s falling once into an act of open sin, that he is accustomed
so to do, that he is habitually guilty of it. And if he was habitually
guilty once, love does not conclude, he is so still: much less, that
if he is now guilty of this, therefore he is guilty of other sins also.
These evil reasonings all pertain to that sinful _judging_, which our
Lord here guards us against: and which we are in the highest degree
concerned to avoid, if we love either God or our own souls.
12. But supposing we do not condemn the innocent, neither the guilty
any farther than they deserve: still we may not be altogether clear of
the snare. For there is a third sort of sinful _judging_, which is the
condemning any person at all where there is not a sufficient evidence.
And be the facts we suppose ever so true, yet that does not acquit us.
For they ought not to have been supposed but proved, and till they were,
we ought to have formed no judgment. I say, till they were: for neither
are we excused, altho’ the facts admit of ever so strong proof, unless
that proof be produced before we pass sentence, and compared with the
evidence on the other side. Nor can we be excused, if ever we pass
a full sentence, before the accused has spoken for himself. Even a
Jew might teach us this, as a mere lesson of justice abstracted from
mercy and brotherly love. _Doth our law_, says _Nicodemus, judge any
man before it hear him and know what he doth? John_ xvii. 51. Yea, a
Heathen could reply, when the chief of the Jewish nation desired to
have judgment against his prisoner, _It is not the manner of the Romans
to_ judge _any man, before he that is accused have the accusers face to
face, and have licence to answer for himself, concerning the crime laid
against him_.
13. Indeed we could not easily fall into sinful _judging_, were we
only to observe that rule, which [116]another of those Heathen _Romans_
affirms to have been the measure of his own practice. “I am so far,
says he, from lightly believing every man’s, or any man’s evidence
against another, that I do not easily or immediately believe a man’s
evidence against himself. I always allow him second thoughts, and many
times council too.” Go thou who art called a Christian, and do likewise,
lest the Heathen rise and condemn thee in that day.
14. But how rarely should we condemn or judge one another, at least,
how soon would that evil be remedied, were we to walk by that clear
and express rule, which our Lord himself has taught us? _If thy brother
shall trespass against thee_, (or if thou hear, or believe that he hath)
_go and tell him of his fault, between him and thee alone_. This is the
first step thou art to take. _But if he will not hear, take with thee
one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every
word may be established._ This is the second step. _If he neglect to
hear them, tell it unto the church_; either to the overseers thereof,
or to the whole congregation. Thou hast then done thy part. Then think
of it no more, but commend the whole to God.
15. But supposing thou hast, by the grace of God, _cast the beam out of
thine own eye_, and dost now _clearly see the mote or the beam which is
in thy brother’s eye_, yet beware thou dost not receive hurt thyself,
by endeavouring to help him. Still _give not that which is holy unto
dogs_. Do not lightly account any to be of this number. But if it
evidently appear, that they deserve the title, then cast ye not _your
pearls before swine_. Beware of that zeal which is not according to
knowledge. For this is another great hindrance in their way, who would
be _perfect as_ their _heavenly Father is perfect_. They who desire
this, cannot but desire that all mankind should partake of the common
blessing. And when we ourselves first partake of the heavenly gift,
the divine _evidence of things not seen_, we wonder, that all mankind
do not see, the things which we see so plainly, and make no doubt at
all but we shall open the eyes of all we have any intercourse with.
Hence we are for attacking all we meet without delay, and constraining
them to see, whether they will or no. And by the ill success of this
intemperate zeal, we often suffer in our own souls: to prevent this
spending our strength in vain, our Lord adds this needful caution
(needful to all, but more especially to those who are now warm in their
first love:) _Give not that which is holy unto dogs, neither cast ye
your pearls before swine: lest they trample them under foot, and turn
again and rent you._