practices, being blown about with the wind of prevailing party, and the
humour of the times? Who seems active in the cause of religion, when
religion is the fashion of the age; but he grows ashamed of every part
of godliness, when the times turn upon him! His religion dies, when
piety is discouraged in the world, and a saint becomes a name of
reproach! To-day for the God of Israel, and to-morrow among the
worshippers of Baal! Now a zealot for pure doctrine and worship, anon so
lukewarm and indifferent about every thing of religion, as though it had
no place near his heart! Multiplying duties of godliness one week, and
grossly negligent of all duty the next! To-day preaching and practising
the rules of christianity, and to-morrow talking and living like a man
of heathenism? True and constant to nothing, but to his own fickle
temper and inconstancy!
Is it not a glorious character when we can say of a good man, that “all
that have known him give him a good word; that those who have lived many
years with him, and seen him in his unguarded hours, and in the undress
of life, pronounce him the same man as he appears in the public world.”
They who have known him longest, admire him most and love him best, and
they bear a noble testimony to his virtues, and his graces. His graces
and his virtues advance with his years, they imitate the morning sun,
which keeps the same steady pace through the heavens, but rises hourly,
and shines with a brighter lustre, and with warmer beams. “The path of
the just, like the morning light, shines more and more unto the perfect
day;” Prov. iv. 18.
But what a wretched satire it is upon any man to say, “If you see him
for an hour his talents will surprize and please you, but if you have a
year’s acquaintance with him, his evil qualities are so many and so
hateful, that all his charms vanish, and he sinks and loses all your
esteem?” So a torch blazes high when it is first kindled, but the flame
grows lower as it burns, till it expire in stench and smoke. Where such
a censure is just, or such a simile well applied, the man is far from
that fair character of truth and constancy which the gospel recommends.
2. A true christian is the same in all conditions of life. Let the
favours or the frowns of men attend him, or the awful providence of God
make a surprizing change in his affairs, still he ceases not to look and
live, to speak and act like a christian. Is it not a very honourable
account that you have heard sometimes given of a person in the height of
prosperity, and in the depth of afflictive circumstances, that he is
still the same man? That he maintains his probity and his integrity, and
every virtue, in the midst of all the revolutions of providence! Serene
and chearful, calm, peaceful and heavenly, holy and humble amidst them
all! St. Paul was eminent for this grace. “I know,” saith he, “how to be
abased and how to abound, to be full and to be hungry: I have learned to
be content in whatsoever state I am,” and to appear a christian under
every change of circumstances; Philip. iv. 11, 12.
The man of truth and constancy, when he is exalted and walks upon the
mountains of prosperity and honour, is not vain and haughty in his
treatment of inferiors, nor does he look askew upon his former friends,
nor cast his eye down with contempt on his meaner brethren. When his
mountain shakes and falls, he descends calmly into the valley; but he is
not of a mean, abject and desponding spirit: Ever mindful of his high
birth as a christian, and of his heavenly home, he bears up with a
sacred constancy of soul, with a generous contempt of this world, and
all the vanishing honours and the uncertain possessions of it. His
behaviour is ever true to his holy profession, and to his sublimest
hope. Is not this a character which each of us wish our own? Is it not
worthy of our aim and ambition, our daily pursuit and labour to obtain?
There are some christians that know not how to bear the smiles of
providence: and some who are as much untaught to bear the frown of it:
For their piety is ever changing, as their circumstances are.
The first sort are they who are never very serious and devout but when
they lie under the chastisements of God: They seem humble, penitent, and
pious when the rod of heaven is upon them, but when that is once
removed, they forget their sorrows and their seriousness together. Such
were the rebellious and inconstant Jews of old, when the Lord slew them,
they sought him early, and enquired after God; but they took every new
occasion to murmur and rebel again: There was no truth in their
religion; “their heart was not right with God,” nor “were they stedfast
in his covenant;” Ps. lxxviii. 34. “In trouble they visited thee, O
Lord, and poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them; but
their goodness was like a morning cloud, and as the early dew, it
vanished away;” Is. xxvi. 16. Hos. vi. 4.
There is another sort of men who behave well enough in matters of virtue
and religion when they are in peaceful and easy circumstances; but if
once they are smitten in their flesh, in their good name or their
estate, or have any of the comforts of life imbittered to them, they
grow peevish and passionate, and nothing can please them; they vent
their impatience on their friends, and throw their vexation of spirit
all around them, as though they resolved to imitate that brutal
character which the prophet mentions, _like a wild bull in a net_,
struggling, and raving, and _full of fury_ under _the rebuke of the
Lord_; Is. li. 20. Surely both these qualities are very contrary to that
serene and uniform practice of true godliness that becomes a saint.
3. In all places, as well as in all times and circumstances, the true
christian appears the same, and is just to his own profession.
Wheresoever he dwells, or sojourns, where he spends an hour or a year,
he is constant to himself, and consistent with himself still. He ever
maintains the same pious designs, and adorns and glorifies the doctrine
of the gospel in all things. When at home and when abroad, he is the
same person. When at church paying his honours and devotions to heaven;
when in his own family among his children and servants, or when in his
shop and in the affairs of life; when in the street or on the exchange
conversing with the world, friends and strangers, known and unknown;
when in his closet and secret chamber, still he is the same good man:
still acting consistent with himself and his profession, still pursuing
a regular steady course of piety, and his dying pillow confirms the
sincerity and practice of his life. Religion is ever uppermost in his
heart, and all his affairs and businesses in the world, are managed with
regard to his last great end. Thus though his engagements and actions of
life be very various daily, according to the various calls of duty; yet
his design is ever the same, and the rule that governs all his practices
is the word of God, the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
How far from the glory of this character were the false-hearted sons of
Israel in Jeremiah’s time! They were guilty of stealing and murdering in
the streets, or by-ways, or private-houses, _yet they came and stood
before the Lord in the house which was called by his name_; Jer. vii. 3,
4, &c. There were also in our Saviour’s days men of the same deceitful
spirit, whom he frequently and sharply reproved under the odious name of
hypocrites, who made long prayers in the temple, and in the corners of
the streets; but devoured widows’ houses, and neglected judgment, mercy
and faith; who made clean the outside of their cup, but filled it with
all extortion, luxury, and excess. You read their infamous manners at
large in the vi. and xxiii. chapters of Matthew.
They had no more truth in them than whited sepulchres or flowery graves,
fair indeed and beautiful on the outside covering, but all within is
death, and horror, and rottenness. O, how inconsistent were the two
pieces of this character one with another! How far from that truth and
uprightness, that sincerity and constancy, that the gospel requires, and
so much approves of? What a most sharp and shameful reproach is it, and
yet a righteous one too, that is thrown on some persons? They are saints
at church, and devils at home!
It is pity we must borrow a word from hell to describe any sort of men
that dwell on earth: I would not willingly apply it to any particular
person living: But in describing a general character of this kind, we
can hardly paint it in colours frightful enough. In public they are all
meekness and innocence, all demure, and abstemious, and heavenly, and
they _transform themselves_, as their father does, _into angels of
light_; 2 Cor. xi. 14. but follow them to their houses, and you see a
surprizing change: There luxury and riot, there fury and passion reign
in every room, their dwelling is without God, without prayer, without
piety or peace, and has more of hell than of heaven in it. _O my soul,
come not into their secret_, to their family, _my honour, be not thou
united!_ for truth and goodness are far from them.
4. The true christian is the same in all companies: And though he does
not think himself obliged to cast his pearls before swine, to give that
which is holy to dogs, or to impose a discourse of religion upon those
that hate it; yet he never forgets his religion in the worst of company,
nor does he throw off the christian in the midst of heathens. The
general course of his life shines in the beauty of holiness, and
glorifies his God in an impious world. And there are seasons too, when
he sees it necessary to rebuke public iniquity, and bear a testimony
against a vicious age: _He has never any fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness_, but _rather he reproves them_; Eph. v. 11. Yet
sometimes his prudence directs his christianity to lie concealed, but he
never dares do any thing that contradicts it. It is like a garment that
he ever wears about him, though he does not always wear it uppermost: He
keeps it ever as his guard, though he does not always expose his glory.
What a scandal is it to any person who professes the name of Christ,
that he can sometimes lay aside all his christianity, and bury it in an
hour of riot! That he can drink till midnight when he gets among
drunkards, and take his cup as merrily and as often as they! That he can
relish a lewd or profane jest, and make one too, when he sits in the
company of lewd or profane jesters! That he can lisp out an oath, and
stammer at a curse, or perhaps he can swear roundly when he is in the
midst of swearing wretches! And yet he can pray and talk devoutly when
he falls into religious company, and pretend to tremble at the
profaneness of the age. What shameful hypocrisy and falsehood is this!
There are some persons who have appeared in the country to be professors
of religion, and perhaps may have obtained a name of piety; but when
they come up to the city among loose libertines, where their vices are
better hid, they give themselves up to loose practices, and indulge a
licentious month or two. They are pious amongst their acquaintance, and
profane amongst strangers. They have not impudence enough to be constant
in vice, nor have they grace enough to be true to virtue.
There are some that speak fair to the face of their neighbour, and
spread their compliments abroad before him; but behind his back, in
other company, they are as liberal of their reproaches, and can hardly
endure a good thing to be said of him. Their behaviour has brought an
infamous word into the English tongue; for they are justly called
backbiters.
There are some children that pay the utmost deference to their parents
in appearance and shew, and will not dare anything vicious while they
are under their eye; but when they are mingled with their vain young
acquaintance, they run into many extravagances, and give a loose to the
wild appetites of the flesh. But these are not the children of truth.
There are some servants who make their zeal and diligence appear while
their master’s eye is upon them; but they are mere eye-servants and
false creatures, for when they are out of his sight, they can waste his
substance among merry companions, and perhaps purloin and pilfer to
gratify their own covetousness, or luxury: or at best they make no
conscience of acting for their master’s interest, when he is absent.
Thus different company hath a different influence on the thoughts, the
words, and the works of men: And some persons will run into every vice
and folly, rather than to oppose their company; they had rather sin
against God, and be false to their profession, than venture to be, what
they call, rude and uncivil to company. So tender are they of giving
offence to men, and so careless of offending the great and dreadful God!
There are some of all ranks and orders, of all sexes and ages of
mankind, that seem to be sober, but have nothing of this divine virtue
of truth or constancy in them. They would neither swear, nor drink, nor
game, nor speak a lewd or impious word, when they are in a sober family:
But when at any time they happen to come into houses without godliness,
they can follow the course of the family in all manner of iniquities,
and grow false to all their former appearances of goodness.
I might multiply instances of this kind, to shew what falsehoods and sly
deceits are practised amongst men who call themselves christians, and
how inconsistent many of their actions are with their own professions
and pretences: But this part of my discourse hath already exceeded its
just bounds. Yet I think I ought not to leave it till I have answered
one objection.
Objection. It may be said here, does not St. Paul, one of the truest
christians and the best of men, tell us, that when he was among the
Jews, he became as a Jew, and appeared like one that was under the law:
But when he was among the Gentiles, who were without law, he appeared
like a Gentile too, for he was not willing to offend the one or the
other; according to his own advice, _Give none offence neither to the
Jews, neither to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God_; 1 Cor. ix. 20.
and chap. x. 32. To this I answer,
The blessed apostle, when he had none but Jews about him, practised so
much of the Jewish law as was consistent with christianity: When he had
none but Gentiles with him, he declared his freedom and release from the
bonds of the Jewish law, and neglected the Jewish ceremonies, for some
parts of the Jewish law were now lawful for a season, though they were
so far abolished that they were not necessary for a christian. And the
apostle managed this affair with holy prudence, and with a religious
design to ingratiate himself and his ministry, as much as possible both
with the Jews and Gentiles for the salvation of both of them: For you
find this was his great end, _I am made all things to all men, that I
might by all means save some_; and _this I do for the gospel’s sake_;
ver. 22, 23.
Yet you may observe, that though he appeared free from the Jewish law
when he was among the Gentiles, yet he did not carry it like a lawless
man, but confined all his practice within the bounds of his duty to God
and his Saviour, _being not without law to God, but under the law to
Christ_; ver. 21. So that neither one sort of company nor the other
tempted him to neglect any duty, or to indulge any sin.
You may observe also upon another occasion, where Jews and Gentiles were
both present, when he thought a conformity to any of the Jewish customs
might give greater offence to the Gentile christians, and be likely to
do more hurt than good, he withstood Peter to the face, for his sinful
compliance with the uncharitable Jews: He reproved him for dissembling,
and chid him because he _walked not uprightly, according to the truth of
the gospel_, and would not _give place to him by subjection; no, not for
an hour_; Gal. ii. 5, 11, 14, &c.
There are some seasons therefore when we may indulge an innocent
compliance with our company in things lawful, in order to do credit to
the gospel Of Christ, and make our profession appear lovely and
honourable in the eyes of all: But there are other seasons when
circumstances are so placed, that we may not indulge the same
compliances, lest our liberty be construed to an evil purpose, and we
bring more scandal than honour to our profession by it.
I grant there are some difficulties attending particular cases in the
christian life, and it is hard to know sometimes how far we may go. It
is no easy matter to tread in the apostle’s steps, to become all things
to all men, and yet be true to Christ. In the general, let this be our
great rule, to act always with honest zeal for the glory of God, and see
that we please him in the first place; and then as _far as possible to
please all men, not seeking our own profit, but the profit of many, that
they may be saved_; 1 Cor. x. 31, 32, 33. And if while we endeavour to
be true to God, we should happen to be less complaisant to men, we shall
certainly find favour at the throne of God, and then we ought not to be
over-solicitous whether men be pleased, or no.
Thus I have finished the first general head, which was to shew the
extent and latitude of this virtue, or what is included in the nature of
this truth, which the apostle recommends to christians. It contains in
it veracity or sincerity, faithfulness and constancy: And a lovely
character it is indeed, when it shines in its full glory.
But it is time now to enquire, which of us can say, “This character
belongs to me? Am I this true, this sincere, this faithful, this
constant christian? Am I always careful that my words are conformable to
my heart, and express the honest sense of my soul; Do I speak nothing
but what I believe to be true, and set a continual guard upon the door
of my lips, lest they utter deceit and falsehood? Do I neither flatter
my neighbour, nor spread a false report of him? Am I watchful to make no
promises, but what I mean sincerely to fulfil? And am I as careful to
perform my vows and all my engagements? Am I sincere in the profession
of godliness, and constant in my practice of it at all times and
circumstances, in all places and companies whatsoever?”
Let us ask our hearts again, “While we have heard this discourse, how
many of us have sat here judging our neighbours, and not ourselves: Have
we been distributing abroad the shameful characters of insincerity,
falsehood, unfaithfulness, and inconstancy, among our acquaintance? Or
have we applied the words as a test to our own souls, as a trial of our
christianity? Have we taken a secret and malicious pleasure in fixing
these scandals upon others? Or have we begged of God to fix the
conviction upon ourselves if we are guilty? And which of us can stand up
and say in the face of heaven, We are innocent, entirely innocent of all
these charges?” O may the blessed Spirit, the Convincer and the
Sanctifier, shew each of us our own concern in this sermon, awaken each
of us to a sense of our own iniquities, and by his almighty grace work
in us repentance, and restore us to truth and holiness!
SERMON XXI.
_Christian Morality_, _viz._ _Truth, Sincerity, &c._
PHILIP. iv. 8.—Whatsoever things are true,—think on these things.
Truth is a name of wide extent. It includes in it the blessings of the
head and the heart. Happy the man whose head is furnished with a large
knowledge of divine and human truth, and so far delivered from mistakes
and errors, as to lay a foundation for wisdom and holiness! But all the
furniture of the head is not sufficient to make us truly wise and holy,
without the honesty and integrity of the heart. Truth demands a room and
place there also: And this is the truth which my text recommends.
The first thing I proposed, was to shew the latitude and extent of this
duty—and I have described it as consisting in these three things; 1.
Veracity, which is, when our words are conformable to the sentiments of
our mind. 2. Faithfulness, when our actions agree with our words. 3.
Constancy, and that is when our practices are consistent with our pious
principles, and the whole course of our life is of a piece, governed by
the same rules and dictates of morality and religion. Where these are
wanting, that person is false, faithless, fickle, and inconstant, and
acts neither agreeable to his nature as a man, nor to his character as a
christian.
The second thing I designed to shew, was that the light of nature
dictates and requires the practice of this virtue: And it will appear,
if we consider our relation either to God or man.
I. If we consider our natural relation to God, both as our Creator or
Father, and as our Lord or Governor.
Consider him as our Father, the Author of our being. Truth and
faithfulness are the attributes of his nature, and the necessary
characters of his conduct toward his creatures; and many of the heathens
could tell us, that a likeness to God the Father of our spirits, in such
moral perfections of his nature, is the duty and glory of mankind. We
are his offspring, saith Aratus, a heathen poet; Acts xvii. 28. and
children should be like their divine Parent.
The light of nature tells us, that he is not only our Creator, and our
Father in this sense, but he is our Lord and Governor also. And he has
knowledge, and he has power to answer and fulfil this high character and
station. The great God who looks into our hearts, who sees our souls
through and through, he knows what our inward sentiments are while the
falsehood is on our lips; he remembers what our engagements and
contracts are while we renounce and break them; he hates deceit, lying,
and falsehood; and all the civilized nations have ever supposed that he
will avenge it with peculiar judgments.
It is upon this supposition of an all-knowing and avenging power, that
oaths are administered in all countries which are reformed from utter
barbarity. An oath is appointed to be the confirmation of truth in what
we say or do. Therein God himself, with all his knowledge, his power and
his terrors, is called upon to bear witness to what we speak, and to be
an avenger of perjury and falsehood. Surely we might venture to say,
that a day will come when the great and holy God will shew himself
terrible to liars and deceivers, if we had nothing but the light of
nature to tell us so.
II. If we consider our relation to mankind, truth will appear to be a
necessary duty. Man is a sociable creature, he is made to love society;
but no society can be maintained without truth: All falsehood therefore
is inconsistent with the social nature of mankind, and consequently it
becomes contrary to the law and light of nature. Without truth we should
all become deceivers to one another, every man a liar to his neighbour.
No contracts would be of any force; no commerce could be maintained;
none of us would he able to trust another, nor could we live safe by
those that dwell nearest to us.
He that indulges himself in lying, takes away his own credit, and gives
sufficient occasion for his neighbour not to believe him, even when he
happens to speak the truth; for a man that will lie and deceive
sometimes, how can we tell that he is not dealing deceitfully with us,
even when he professes to be most faithful and true? And children should
take notice of this, that if once they indulge the sin of lying, there
is nobody will ever believe what they say.
A liar is such an abandoned character amongst mankind, that though there
are too many who deserve the name, yet every one is ashamed of it. It is
esteemed a reproach of so heinous and hateful a nature for a man to be
called a liar, that sometimes the life and the blood of the slanderer
has paid for it. The very nature of man resents it highly, for it
implies in it, that a man guilty of this vice deserves to be cut off
from all society with mankind, and to be thrust out of cities and
families like a beast of the earth.
The same thing may be said of an unfaithful man, a man who makes
promises, contracts, and agreements, and takes no care to perform them.
All commerce and traffic is confounded, and the laws of it dissolved, by
a person of this shameful conduct. He that loses his credit and honour
by this sort of falsehood, cuts himself off from many of the blessings
of civil society, and stands as it were excommunicated from the
friendship, the company, and commerce of his neighbours among whom he
dwells. His character becomes hateful among men, and his name is a word
of scandal and infamy. But where a man is true to his word, and punctual
in all his correspondencies, how fair is his reputation! How honourable
is his name! And he stands entitled to all the blessings of the society
where he resides.