this sacred fortitude? The former discourse has taught thee the
necessity of it, and the various occasions for the exercise of it in the
course of the christian life. In this latter sermon thou hast heard the
motives that should awaken all thy powers to obtain and practise it, and
thou hast been informed what are some of the most sovereign remedies
against thy foolish and sinful fears. Methinks I feel the want of this
holy hardiness of soul, to walk through the midst of temptations
unmoved, unterrified, and undefiled. My virtue and my religion have too
often suffered by the prevailing power of a slavish fear: my conscience
has lost its innocence and peace by too many sinful compliances. What
shall I do to harden my spirit all over, that temptation and slavish
fear may not find a place to enter.
For this end I review the glorious motives set before me. For this end I
look to the noble army of martyrs, to the blessed society of the
apostles, to the cloud of witnesses which have trod the same path before
me, who have borne an undaunted testimony to the same religion which I
profess. I would chide and shame myself out of my sinful cowardice,
while I behold their illustrious examples of zeal. But above all I fix
my eye upon Jesus, the divine author of this religion, _the Author and
Finisher of my faith_; Heb. xii. 2. I would learn of the _Captain of my
salvation, who was made perfect through sufferings_; Heb. ii. 10. I
would learn of my divine Teacher, to endure hardships like a good
soldier of Christ, while I fight under his banner, against those very
enemies that he hath subdued.
Consider, my soul, what thou art: What is thy character and profession:
If thou art a christian indeed, thou hast taken up arms against sin and
Satan, and a world that is in rebellion against God: And shall the frown
of a man make thee drop thy weapons, and discourage thee from the
glorious service? Thou hast many rich encouragements to expect divine
assistance: Many joyful assurances of victory are given to them that
endure in the day of conflict, and a glorious crown stands ready for
those that overcome. O may the crown of glory sparkle in my eye, and
grow brighter and larger by a nearer view, and a perpetual contemplation
of it! Make me forgetful of ease and health, O my God, and of all my
mortal interests, while I press forward with sacred courage to lay hold
on this crown! Blessed Saviour, make me triumph over every difficulty,
till death the last of all my enemies, be subdued, and I have obtained
the glorious prize.
I would shake myself out of my fears, and awaken my zeal by such motives
as these. And O that I could treasure up in my memory the various
remedies of which I have heard this day, to heal this infirmity of my
nature, and to overcome these foolish and sinful terrors of spirit! I
will review my faith, and the grounds of my hope, that I may know that I
am a christian indeed, that I am one of the sheep of Christ, and under
his divine care; and I would watch against every temptation, lest I
contract a new guilt and defilement, and thereby darken my evidence and
awaken my fears. I would survey with pleasure the gracious words of
promise, which are scattered up and down in the book of God. O may the
blessed Spirit print many of them on my heart, that they may be always
present with me, and that I may find them within my reach, and ready at
hand as a special cordial in every fainting hour! I would run to them as
my sure refuge in every season of danger and conflict, and be animated
to confront a sinful world.
Give, me, O my God, give me the spirit of prayer, and let me keep ever
near to the throne of grace, that my soul may not come thither as a
stranger, but that in every surprize I may address thee as a God near at
hand, and that in the name of my great High-priest, Jesus the Son of
God, I may find grace ready to help me in the time of need.
Wean me, O Lord, from all the delights and hopes of flesh and sense?
Mortify me to all the humours and joys of a perishing life, and a vain
world. Arm my soul all over with a religious hardiness, that I may
venture into the field of battle, and may scarce feel the wounds which I
receive, in thy cause. Give me the happy skill of diverting my fears,
when I cannot at once subdue them, and lead me into proper employments
of my heart and hand for this purpose.
I would live as under the eye of God. I would take notice of his hand in
all the affairs of life, and all the dangers that attend me. I would
learn of Moses to endure the fight of afflictions, as seeing him who is
invisible. Let me hear thy voice, O Jesus, my Saviour, let me hear thy
voice walking upon the waters; when I am tossed about upon the waves of
distress and difficulty, speak to my soul, and say, It is I, be not
afraid.
Surely I have had some experience of the Divine Presence with me in the
midst of dangers: God has sometimes disappointed all my fears, and
interposed his shield of power and love for my defence: Why should not I
trust a faithful God, and that infinite goodness which I have already
tasted of? I charge my conscience with the authority of thy word. O
Lord, when thou forbiddest all my sinful fears, I would renounce them
too, I would struggle to break these painful fetters, and fight against
this inward slavery of the soul, these domestic tyrants. O that the
spirit of power were always with me, to dispel the spirit of bondage.
I would be bravely prepared for the worst of sufferings, to which my
circumstances in this life may expose me. I would be ready to meet
contempt and scandal, poverty, sickness, and death itself. Jesus can
support me in the heaviest distresses, though all the sorrows I fear
should come upon me. He can bear me on the wings of faith and hope, high
above all the turmoils and disquietudes of life: He can carry me through
the shadow of the dark valley, and scatter all the terrors of it. Give
me, O Lord, these wings of faith and hope, and bear me upon them through
all the remains of my short journey in the wilderness: Make me active
and zealous in thy cause while I live, and convey me safely above the
reach of fear, through the valley of death, to the inheritance prepared
for me in the land of light. Then my fears shall cease for ever, for
enemies and dangers are not known in that land. There all our conflicts
shall be changed into everlasting triumphs, while songs of honour and
salvation ascend in a full choir to the grace that has made us
overcomers. _Amen._
HYMN FOR SERMON XXXII.
_Holy Fortitude, or Remedies against Fear._
When tumults of unruly fear
Rise in my heart, and riot there,
What shall I do to calm my breast,
And get the vexing foe supprest?
What power can these wild thoughts control,
This ruffling tempest of the soul?
Where shall I fly in this distress,
But to the throne of glorious grace?
My faith would seize some promise, Lord;
There’s power and safety in thy word:
Not all that earth or hell can say,
Shall tempt or drive my soul away.
I call the days of old to mind,
When I have found my God was kind;
My heavenly Friend is still the same;
Salvation to his holy name.
Great God, preserve my conscience clean;
Wash me from guilt, forgive my sin;
Thy love shall guard me from surprize,
Though threat’ning dangers round me rise.
When fear like a wild ocean raves,
Let Jesus walk upon the waves,
And say, “’tis I;” that heavenly voice
Shall sink the storm, and raise my joys.
Footnote 32:
A little book published lately by Mr. Samuel Clark, of St. Alban’s, is
of excellent use for this purpose. The title of it is “A Collection of
the Promises of Scripture under their proper heads.” 1720.
Footnote 33:
That is an excellent treatise which Mr. Flavel has published against
sinful fear, especially in times of public danger and persecution: And
his little book of keeping the heart, has some valuable chapters in
it, containing rich preservatives against this weakness of the mind.
SERMON XXXIII.
_The Universal Rule of Equity._
MAT. vii. 12.—All things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto
you, do ye even so unto them; for this is the law and the prophets.
When our blessed Lord took upon him the public office of a prophet or
teacher amongst men, he found it was not only necessary to instruct them
in the sacred mysteries of religion, and inform them of their duty to
God his Father, and to himself; but he employed much of his ministry
also, to teach them the practice of social virtue, and how they should
behave toward their fellow-creatures. In the heathen world the rules of
morality were lost in a great measure, as well as the rules of piety and
worship; and the Jews, the peculiar people of God, had grossly corrupted
both the one and the other. As our Saviour refined the practice of
religion towards God, and raised it by his gospel, to a high and
heavenly degree, beyond what mortals had known before, so he explained
and established the rules of moral virtue, in a more glorious and
convincing manner than the world had been acquainted with.
Read his life, and observe how often he takes occasion in the several
seasons of his preaching, to give particular directions for our conduct
toward our neighbours. But after all, he knew that the nature of man was
corrupt, his passions strong, his memory frail, and that he would be
ready to neglect, or forget his various sacred precepts, when there was
most need to practise them; and therefore he thought it proper to give
one short and comprehensive rule of equity to regulate all our conduct,
that should be written as it were in our very souls: And this is
contained in the words of my text, _whatsoever ye would that men should
do unto you, do ye even so unto them; for this is the law and the
prophets_.
To dilate a little upon this subject, and refresh a living sense of it
upon your memories and your consciences, I shall follow this method, and
enquire,
I. What is the true meaning of this divine rule.—II. What is the special
argument that our Lord uses in order to enforce it. III. Wherein the
particular excellencies of it appear.—IV. I shall conclude with some
reflections on this subject.
_First_, What is the true meaning of this rule?
In order to understand this rule aright, we must consider what it does
not require, as well as what it does: For on the one side, some selfish
necessitous and unreasonable persons may expect more from us than this
rule obliges us to perform: And on the other side, a timorous and weak
conscience may perhaps be led into a mistake, and think itself bound by
this rule to perform some instances of kindness to others, which are
utterly unreasonable and unrequired, and which might be injurious on
other accounts to ourselves, or to our families, or to the rest of
mankind.
We must remember then, that this rule does not mean to oblige us to give
all that to another, or do all that for another, which we could possibly
desire or wish to be bestowed upon us, or done for us; but whatsoever we
could reasonably desire, and justly expect another should do to us, that
we ought to do to him when he is in the like circumstances. All that in
our calm and sedate thoughts we judge fit and proper another should do
for us, that we should practise and do for him. Such requests as we
could make to others, and could justify them to ourselves in our own
consciences, according to the principles of humanity, the rules of civil
society, and the rights of mankind, such we ought not to deny to others
when they stand in need. Not all that a fond self-love would prompt us
to ask, but all that our conscience tells us we might with reason
expect.
I shall mention an instance or two, which will more fully explain what I
mean.
A criminal under righteous condemnation for murder or robbery, may think
thus with himself, _Surely I would pardon the judge or the prince, if he
were in my circumstances, therefore he ought to pardon me_; Or the judge
himself might think, _I should be glad to be pardoned or not condemned
if I were in the case of this criminal, therefore I will not condemn
him_. This sort of thoughts arising from unreasonable and unjust
principles, either of a sinful self-love, or indulgence to iniquity, are
not to be the measure of our actions nor expectations; these are not
just and reasonable desires, nor can our own conscience in our sedate
and calm enquiries judge so concerning them.
Again, if we were poor and starving, it may be we would be glad if our
rich neighbour would settle upon us a competent estate sufficient to
maintain us for the term of our lives; but this we cannot reasonably
expect, or reasonably desire and demand; therefore we are not bound, be
our circumstances never so large, to settle such a competency upon our
poor neighbours, be their circumstances never so mean. We cannot
rationally expect these things should be done unto us, we cannot
equitably desire them of another, therefore we are not bound to do thus
to another.
But if we are placed as criminals at the bar of judgment, we may
reasonably expect that all the favourable circumstances which attend our
accusation, should be well weighed, and all the kind allowances made,
which the nature of the charge or crime will admit; for our consciences
would think it reasonable to allow so much to any criminal, if we
ourselves were placed in the chair of magistracy. Or if we, through the
frowns of providence, are poor and starving, we may reasonably expect
our rich neighbour should bestow upon us a little of his bread, a little
of his clothing, to supply our extreme necessities now and then; and
thus much our neighbour may expect from us, when he is fallen into decay
by the providence of God, while our circumstances are large, and we are
well furnished for such bounty.
Thus you see the true intent and meaning of this universal law of
equity, _viz._ That we practise toward our neighbour in such a manner as
our own hearts and consciences would think it reasonable he should
practise towards us in the like case.
The _Second_ enquiry was this. What special argument doth our Lord use
to enforce the observance of this sacred precept?
When our Saviour had laid down this general rule, he adds, “This is the
law and the prophets;” that is, this is the summary of all the rules of
duty, which are written in the law of Moses, concerning our carriage to
our neighbour, and of all the laws which are explained by the succeeding
prophets, and sacred writers under the Old Testament. They are all
comprehended in this short line; _Do to others, as you would have others
do to you_. It is very nearly the same thing, in other words with the
law of Moses, _Love thy neighbour as thyself_; Lev. xix. 18. but it is
much plainer and more intelligible: And indeed this rule of Moses is to
be understood and interpreted, and applied in practice according to this
plainer rule of Christ, thus, “Let thy love to thy neighbour be as great
as thou canst reasonably expect or desire thy neighbour’s love should be
to thyself.”
When our blessed Lord gives an abridgment or abstract of the ten
commandments, he doth it in these words; Mat. xxii. 37, 38, 39. _Love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul, that is, love God above
all things: this is the first and great commandment._ _And the second is
like unto it; love thy neighbour as thyself_; that is, consider him as a
piece of human nature, as a second self, and imitate thy love to thyself
in thy conduct toward him: Or, according to my text, it may be explained
thus; enquire of thy own heart how thou wouldst have him love thee, and
let this be the rule and measure of thy love to him. All our duties to
God or man, all the commands of the first and the second table, all the
dictates of the law and prophets depend on these two commandments.
Then we answer the design of the law, then we obey the prophets, then we
fulfil the commands of Moses, and of Christ, when we give to God our
supreme love, and when we put ourselves in the room of our neighbour,
and then carry it toward him, according to the love we expect he should
bear us. This is _loving our neighbours as ourselves_, and this _love is
the fulfilling of the law_; Rom. xiii. 10. When our Saviour delivers the
words of my text, it is as if he had said to us, “If ye would practise
all the duties that you owe to your fellow-creatures, and fulfil all the
laws of the second table, in the most compendious and perfect manner,
remember and practise this one general direction, deal with the rest of
mankind as your conscience judges they should deal with you.” But this
leads me to the:
_Third_ enquiry, _viz._ wherein do the peculiar excellencies of this
rule appear:
This golden rule hath many excellent properties belonging to it. I shall
mention a few on purpose to impress it on your consciences with more
conviction, pleasure and power.
I. It is a rule that is easy to be understood, and as easy to be applied
by the meanest and weakest understanding. It is so plain, that what is
said by Isaiah concerning all the precepts of the gospel, is more
eminently true of this; _it is a highway of holiness, and the wayfaring
man, though a fool, shall not err therein_; Is. xxxv. 8. The laws of man
are often expressed in such obscure language and terms of art, that they
puzzle us to find out the meaning of them: And the nice distinctions and
subtle reasonings of men, oftentimes add to their darkness, and raise
new disputes: But this is a law that every man understands; nor is it
easy to be clouded by the comments and glosses of crafty men, if we are
but sincerely resolved to judge and practise according to it. By the
means of this rule, they who never studied the civil law, nor took pains
in enquiring the moral dictates of the light of nature; they who never
examined the statutes of a nation, nor the rules of natural justice, are
all furnished with a law or rule of equity in their own minds, by which
to manage their whole practice, with regard to their neighbours. Those
who are not capable of long trains of reasoning, or of applying several
general rules to all their particular cases: yet are able to look into
their own hearts, and to ask this easy question, “Would I myself be
content to have others deal thus with me? Why thou should I deal thus
with another?”
II. It is a very short rule, and easy to be remembered: The weakest
memory can retain it; and the meanest of mankind may carry this about
with them, and have it ready upon all occasions. It is of admirable use,
to solve a thousand cases of conscience that may arise on the sudden,
and may perplex our minds with difficulty. “It lies ready,” says a
considerable author, “for present use upon all exigencies and occasions.
We can scarce be so far surprized by an immediate necessity of acting as
not to have time for a short recourse to this rule, or room for a sudden
glance, as it were, upon it in our minds, where it rests and sparkles
always like the urim and thummim on the breast of Aaron.”
If we have no written cases of conscience, no books at hand to direct
our practice, if we have no faithful minister near us, no wise and pious
friend to consult on a sudden occasion, this one rule, written in the
heart, may serve instead of all other helps. This blessed precept
strikes a sudden and sacred light into the mind, where the case may seem
intricate: It shines upon our way, and makes our path plain, where an
honest and scrupulous conscience might be just before bewildered in the
dark, and not know how to act. “Practise that, O man! toward thy
neighbour, which thou art convinced thy neighbour should practise toward
thee.”
III. This excellent precept of Christ, carries greater evidence to the
conscience, and a stronger degree of conviction in it, than any other
rule of moral virtue. As I said before, that a little reason will serve
to apply it, so I say now, there is not much need of reasoning to find
it out; for we fetch the proof of it from within ourselves, even from
our own inward sensation and feeling. If we would know what is just and
equitable to do to our neighbour, we need but ask our own inward sense,
and our conscience together, what we would think equitable and just to
receive from him? Thus there is but one and the same measure of justice,
by which we must mete it out to ourselves and others; and that measure
lies within us, even in the heart. We are very sensible of benefits and
injuries that we ourselves receive, and this very sense of injuries and
benefits, is, as it were, transcribed into our conscience, from the
tenderest part of our own souls, and becomes there a rule of equity, how
we should treat our neighbours.
It is a most righteous precept of the ancient Jewish law, and of
universal obligation; Deut. xxv. 13, 14, 15. _Thou shalt not have in thy
bag, or in thine house, divers weights, and divers measures; a great and
a small: That is, one wherewith to buy, and another wherewith to sell;
but thou shalt have a perfect and just weight; a perfect and just
measure shalt thou have._ This precept as soon as it is mentioned,
strikes the conscience with conviction of the justice of it: And what is
said here of traffic and dealing, holds as truly of the general commerce
between man and man, in all the ordinary and extraordinary affairs of
life: That mutual exchange of good offices, whereby society is upheld,
must be regulated in the same manner, and by the same rule; and the
immediate conviction of the equity of it, doth as strongly strike the
conscience. “There must be a perfect weight, and a just measure,” saith
the author before-cited, “by which all men are mutually obliged to
regulate their conduct, in acting and suffering, in commanding and
obeying, in giving and receiving: and this can be no other than the
equal and righteous rule of the text; the doing in all cases and to all
persons, even as we would be done unto. There is no one so absurd and
unreasonable, as not to see, and acknowledge the absolute equity of this
command in the theory, however he may swerve and decline from it in his
practice.” For, it is founded not only in the reason of things, and in
the common share, and equal interest that we all have in human nature;
but it is also written in the most sensible and the tenderest part of
our constitution; and from thence it is derived to the mind and
judgment, as a law of behaviour towards our fellow-creatures.
IV. Hence it comes to pass, that it is a precept particularly fitted for
practice, because it includes in it a powerful motive to stir us up to
do what he enjoins. This character of it, I borrow from the same author,
who talks thus upon it: “Other moral maxims propose naked truths to the
understanding, which operate often but faintly and slowly on the will
and passions, the two active principles of the mind of man: But it is
the peculiar character of this rule, that it addresseth itself equally
to all these powers, even to the passions, and the will, as well as the
understanding. It not only directs, but influences; it imparts both
light and heat; and at the same time that it informs us clearly what we
are to do, excites us also in the most tender moving manner, to the
performance of it; for in truth, its seat is not more in the brain, than
in the heart of man: It appeals to our very senses themselves, and
exerts its secret force in so prevailing a way, that it is even felt as
well as understood by us.”
“There is nothing that we know, that gives a man so true and lively a
sense of the sufferings of others, or restrains him so powerfully from
doing unrighteous and oppressive things, as his having smarted formerly
himself under the experience of them. Now the supposing another man’s
ill usage to be our own; is the giving ourselves a present sense, as it
were, and a kind of feigned experience of it; which doth, for the time
serve all the purposes of a true one.”
V. It is such a rule, as if well applied, will almost always secure our
neighbour from injury, and secure us from guilt, if we should chance to
hurt him. God will not impute guilt to us, if we should happen to
mistake in a point of doubtful enquiry, and to hurt our neighbour by a
conscientious obedience to this rule.