_Fifthly,_ another proof and part of the EXCELLENCE of the Christian
Religion is, that it builds itself upon no _selfish foundation._ So
far is it from giving countenance to the selfish affections of the
human heart--or promising rewards for any thing done from a supreme
regard to self, that it first of all bids us to deny self--to take up
our Cross--and to follow divine Lord and Master at all events,
_whithersoever he goeth_--through good report, or evil report, in
days of gladness, or of loss and distress. And the disciple of Christ
sometimes sustains more injury, or spiritual disadvantage from the
flatteries, than from the frowns of the world; and experiences that
the _friendship of the world is enmity against God._ The smiles of
prosperity, though so highly esteemed, are often more prejudicial to
our spiritual interest, than the cold blasts of adversity. But the
follower of the slain Lamb of God is to hold on in his benevolent
course, both in the prosperous and adverse day; neither turning aside
to the right hand or left. And so entirely must the selfish
affections be conquered, that even life itself dear as it may be,
must be given up for the Gospel's sake at the call of God. _For
whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: but whosoever shall lose
his life for my sake and the Gospel's the same shall save it._ The
benevolence of the Gospel is such, that every duty done from selfish
ends is accounted of no avail. However far we may go, in external
compliances, still if we be unwilling to forsake all for Christ and
his religion, for God and his glory, we are none of Christ's. _And
when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and
kneeled to him, and asked him, good Master, what shall I do that I
may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, why callest thou
me good? there is none good but one that is God. Thou knowest the
commandments, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do
not bear false witness, defraud not, honour thy Father and Mother.
And he answered, and said unto him, Master all these have I observed
from my youth up. Then Jesus beholding him, loved him, and said unto
him, one thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast,
and give to the poor: and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and
come take up thy Cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying,
and went away grieved: for he had great possessions._ In our
affections we are to forsake all for Christ and his Gospel. No self
interest is to be preferred to his cause or kingdom. The divine glory
and the cause of the Gospel are to be supreme with us, higher than
any temporal emolument. We must say, as David did, _If I forget thee,
O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not
remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth: if I
prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy._ The interest of Christ's
kingdom and the honour of God are to be preferred above our _chief
joy._ Our own pride, our own feelings, our own ease, honour, and
wealth are never to be consulted at the expense of truth and duty, or
the honour of Religion. The essence of true Virtue lies in holy
benevolent affection--or in a principle of love to God, as the sum of
being, and to all created intelligencies, according to their rank in
the scale of existence, or capacity for happiness. No system or
Theory of Virtue or moral sentiments can be just, or genuine where
the public good, the glory of God, as the sum and foundation of all
being, and the good of all created rational beings, according to
their capacity for happiness, is not the ultimate object. It is most
consonant to reason that private interest and private good are to
give way or to be sacrificed to the public, a less to a greater good.
To make our own private interest or happiness the supreme object, of
all our actions, regards and attention, is to counteract the great
laws of the Universe, and to put a very small interest, in the place
of one infinitely grand and important. Self, the Idol of man, as he
is by nature, must be thrown down; and homage must not be paid to it.
Says the Apostle, _Look not every man on his own things, but every
man also on the things of others._ According to the Gospel,
therefore, all the unsocial and selfish affections are to be
mortified. We are to prefer the honour and glory of God to all things
else, to the whole Universe. _Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or
WHATSOEVER YE DO, do all to the glory of God._ As of him, and through
him, so to him are all things, to whom should be glory forever. For
his pleasure all things are, and were made. All things were made to
promote his glory. All things are preserved for,--and will,
eventually, issue in the same end. And it is infinitely fit and
proper that they should all subserve the purposes of his glory. For
he is infinitely worthy to be exalted to the throne of the Universe
in the views and affections of his rational Creatures. He indeed is
the alone proper object of the highest esteem, and most ardent love
of all his rational creatures for what he is in himself, independent
of any interest they may have, or hope to have in his favour. And all
his laws are infinitely worthy to be eternally, and unchangeably
obeyed.--
Again, further, according to the benevolent scheme of Religion in the
Gospel, so far are all our selfish feelings and passions to be
subdued, that even our enemies--our personal and prejudiced
enemies--such as hate us without any reason at all--such as are
inveterate in their hatred are to be embraced in the arms of
benevolent compassion--the love of pity not of complacence.--This
however doth not imply that we have any complacential affection
towards them, or that we willingly put ourselves in their power, or
give them the means and opportunity of injuring us. On the other hand
we may and ought to be displeased with their evil ways, their
causeless hatred of us, and to be cautiously upon our guard against
the efforts of their malice. Malice is always active. An enemy to you
is commonly restless and uneasy, unless, by revenge, he is gratifying
his ill-nature. It is always unwise to put ourselves into the power
of any who are malicious and inimical to us. Religion doth not
require us to consider enemies as friends, or to treat them in the
same manner. This would be both absurd and unsafe. But we are to
extend to them our benevolence, or love of compassion. _But I say
unto you love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to
them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and
persecute you, that you may be the Children of your Father who is in
heaven; for he madeth his sun to rise on the evil, and on the good,
and sendeth rain on the just and unjust._ Here is our duty to enemies
of all kinds. No system of morals or philosophy ever taught man this
great and difficult duty in its _true_ nature and _proper_ extent,
but the Gospel. The love of enemies in its just nature is an article
no where found in nature's Creed. We have no hints scarcely about it
among the sages of pagan antiquity. The divine philosophy of Jesus
alone teaches it, in its _true_ sense.--A regard therefore to the
good of others and even of those who hate us, must govern us, or we
are not the real disciples of him, who laid down his life for us. He
laid down his life for his enemies, those who hated him without a
cause. _God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us._ Here is an example for us. We are to do
good to others, even while our enemies. In all our words and actions
a higher aim than self must bear sway. _For if ye love them that love
you what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if
ye salute your brethren only? What do ye more than others? Do not
even the publicans so?_ There is no moral excellence or virtue in our
friendships and complaisant treatment of others, if we go no higher
than self: or if our own ease, good, honour, or advantage be our
ultimate end or ruling motive. The sum of Christian duty is contained
in the moral law; and the sum of the moral law is contained in these
two Commandments, _the love of God, and the love of man._ There is
therefore nothing of a selfish nature; mean, or base belonging to
christianity. It will not even suffer us to retaliate, or to revenge
an injury for the sake of punishing; or to delight in the pains and
sufferings of others; or to take any measures to hurt them, that are
contrary to what is right and fit, or to reason. It expels, in fine,
every false Virtue, enjoins only every real virtue, though exploded
by the world:--it pays no attention to the usages, opinions, and laws
of the world any further, than they are the eternal laws of reason
and rectitude. It will not allow its followers to think an _evil_
thought--or speak an _evil_ word or to do an _evil_ action to man.
But it commands us to forgive injuries on the penalty of exclusion
from the forgiving pity of our heavenly Father. Philosophy has often
recommended the contempt, but rarely the forgiveness of injuries. It
is a doctrine not indeed above the reach of reason, but reason is too
weak to establish it as a general principle of action.--Our Lord
presses it upon man, in the most solemn manner, as he would hope or
expect pardon from God. _For if ye forgive man their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not man
their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses._
Christianity is then a religion of benevolence, forbearance,
forgiveness of injuries, and meekness and condescension, which can be
said in truth of no religion that was ever among any of the heathen
nations, antient or modern--in earlier or later times. It is
therefore as different from, and as much above, in its principles, in
its doctrines, in its hopes, and in its aim, all the schemes of
religion, which have been broached by cunning and artful impostors,
as the one true God, is different from and above all Idols; _or
holiness above sin,_ or light preferable to darkness.
It teaches us the infinite benevolence of the Deity. That he is good,
and does good--is slow to anger--long-suffering--and that his tender
mercies are over all his works. There is none good but one that is
God. He is one boundless ocean of benevolence. There is nothing in
him, or done by him which is contrary to, or irreconcilable with,
infinite, universal, and impartial benevolence. It declares to us
that its great FOUNDER is the image of his Father who is in
heaven--full of grace and truth--all benevolence indeed and
condescension. It requires of all the Children of men the same mind
that was in Christ, perfect benevolence. And when completed in glory,
all its friends will form one kingdom of peace--one society of pure
and perfect benevolence: where no competitors struggle; no factions
contend; no rivals supplant each other. "The voice of discord never
rises, the whisper of suspicion never circulates, among those
innocent and benevolent spirits. Each, happy in himself, participates
in the happiness of all the rest; and by reciprocal communications of
love and friendship, at once receives from, and adds to, the sum of
general felicity."
While in this world of sorrow and tears, the Gospel most strictly
requires of all, that we should cultivate and practise universal
benevolence, and in all our respective places be careful to do unto
others, as we would that they should do unto us in similar
circumstances--which is the most excellent compend of moral
duty.--The Christian Religion therefore must appear to all candid
minds, to be a system of benevolence and good will. And on this
account it is a system of religion deserving of our admiration, and
love.--Inattentive to its very genius are those, and strange as it
may seem, there have been some such among its enemies, who accuse it
as defective in kindness and beneficence, and call it a mercenary and
selfish system.
It encourages us along in duty, we grant, from the hope of reward,
and dissuades us from sin, by fear of misery. And hence some infidel
writers whose attacks against it, have been read, with great avidity,
have taken occasion to say that it is a mercenary, and selfish
religion; and therefore, unworthy of God to institute or man to
receive. Nothing can betray their partiality more, or exhibit in a
more conspicuous light their unfairness, and their ignorance of the
nature of this system or religion than to bestow upon it, the
epithets of _mercenary_ and _selfish._ They tell us that the
excellence and glory of Virtue should be the only motive to persuade
us to embrace it in our hearts, and to pursue it in our lives: that
INTERESTED motives, or motives drawn from the rewards of virtue, or
ill-effects of vice, are unworthy of God to use with us; and only
build up a SELFISH system.----Why _interested_ motives are made use
of by the Supreme Being to persuade us to accept of the offers of the
Gospel is a question of some importance, and seems incumbent on me
here to discuss. And that the hearer may gain satisfaction he is
requested to attend to the following remarks.
1stly. The supreme inherent excellence of Virtue, or moral goodness
would perhaps be the best and most suitable motive to be used with
angels, or beings who had never apostatised from God. Because they
could perceive all its richness and worthiness. As it is the most
noble, so with them it might be the most influential. They, it will
be granted, have a clear and direct view of the nature and of the
charms of holiness. It shines before them, in all its native
splendor, and is possessed and exercised by them, without any mixture
of evil. They see all the loveliness of Virtue, and actually
experience a fulness of joy from it. And of course it will have all
its due weight with them. But man is plunged in sin and guilt.--And
is guilty because sinful. These, _sin_ and _guilt,_ intercept, as an
intervening cloud, his vision of the glory and excellence of Virtue.
He cannot therefore be so _entirely_ influenced by them. For what is
not fully perceived cannot operate as a motive in all its weight and
importance. Besides, this is a state of probation and trial; and man,
accordingly, is treated in the Gospel as in such a state. And if he
were not treated as in such a state, he would not be treated either
justly or truly, either according to the nature, or the fitness of
things.
2dly. _Further,_ human nature, in a religion which is from God or
which would do any good, must be taken as it is, and treated
agreeably to truth and fact. Did Christianity consider and treat
_man_ as an _angel,_ we certainly should be furnished with an
unanswerable argument against it, and ought not to receive it; or if
we should receive it, it could do us no essential good, because not
adapted either to our nature or necessities--to our circumstances as
degenerate and fallen Creatures.----Therefore
3dly. While in the body, motives drawn from the prospect of a
recompence beyond the grave, to excite our hopes, and from the
threatenings of endless misery, as the native result of our
ill-conduct to awaken our fears must be altogether proper and
reasonable. As long as hope and fear are the two great springs of
human action, so long will both reason and philosophy, as well as
propriety, require that they should be alternately addressed, and be
made to assist the cause of Virtue. When, therefore, the Christian
Religion employs _interested_ motives to work upon the human mind, it
carries a clear mark of its reasonableness, and adaptedness to the
circumstances, in which we are placed in this world, and is no proof,
consequently, of its being defective in benevolence, or a mercenary
and selfish religion.----Again,
4thly. If Virtue or holiness shall be rewarded forever, and Vice or
wickedness shall be punished forever: or if the effects of the one
shall be the most happy, and of the other the most unhappy. Ought not
this to be known? Is it not fit and proper that the _exact_ truth, in
things of such infinite moment, should be revealed? Must _the truth_
be secreted lest it should have weight to induce us to act agreeably
to it. If God have annexed, in his Providence, or in the nature of
things a reward to piety, and evil to impiety, where can be the harm
for us to be plainly informed of it, that we may practise the one,
and shun the other?