Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

SERM. that we now labour under; and that it is but a very CLXVI. little while that we fhall be troubled with these frail,

and mortal, and vile bodies, which fhall fhortly be laid in the duft, and when they are raised again, fhall become spiritual, incorruptible, and glorious.

And if our bodies fhall undergo fo happy a change, what happiness may we imagine fhall then be conferred upon our fouls, that fo much better and nobler part of ourselves! as the apostle reasons in another cafe, "Doth GOD take care of oxen ?" Hath he this confideration of our bodies, which are but the brutish part of the man? What regard will he then have to his own image, that spark of divinity which is for ever to refide in these bodies? If upon the account of our fouls, and for their fakes, our bodies fhall become incorruptible, fpiritual, and glorious; then certainly our fouls fhall be endued with far more excellent and divine qualities: if our bodies fhall in fome degree partake of the perfection of our fouls in their spiritual and immortal nature; to what a pitch of perfection fhall our fouls be raised and advanced! even to an equality with angels, and to fome kind of participation of the divine nature and perfection, so far as a creature is capable of them.

II. The comparison which is here in the text, and which I have largely explained, between the manifest inconveniencies of a finful and vicious courfe, and the manifold advantages of an holy and virtuous life, is a plain direction to us which of these two to chufe. So that I may make the fame appeal that Mofes does, after that he had at large declared the bleffings promised to the obedience of GoD's laws, and the curfe denounced against the violation and tranfgreffion of them, Deut. xxx. 19. "I call hea"ven and earth to record against you this day, that "I have

3

"I have fet before you life and death, bleffing and "curfing; therefore chufe life," that you may be happy in life and death, and after death to all eternity. I know every one is ready to chufe happiness, and to fay with Balaam, "Let me die the death of "the righteous, and let my latter end be like his :" but if we do in good earnest defire the end, we must take the way that leads to it; we muft" become "the fervants of GOD, and have our fruit unto holinefs," if ever we expect, that the end fhall be everlasting life."

[ocr errors]

SERMON

CLXVII.

The nature and neceffity of holy refolution.

JOB xxxiv. 31, 32.

Surely it is meet to be faid unto GOD, I have born
chaftifement, I will not offend any more: That which
I fee not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity,
I will do no more.

TH

HESE words are the words of Elihu, one SERM. of Job's friends, and the only one who is CLXVII. not reproved for his difcourfe with Job, and who The fifth was probably the author of this antient and moft fermon on eloquent history of the fufferings and patience of this text. Job, and of the end which the LORD made with

him; and they contain in them a description of the temper and behaviour of a true penitent.

"Surely

[blocks in formation]

SERM.

First, An humble acknowledgment and confeffiop

CLXVII. of our fins to GOD; "Surely it is meet to be faid "unto Gon, I have born chastisement."

Secondly, A firm purpose and refolution of amendment and forfaking of fin for the future," I will "not offend any more; if I have done iniquity, I "will do no more.

First, An humble acknowledgment and confeffion of our fins to GOD; "Surely it is meet to be faid "unto GOD, I have born chaftisement," that is, have finned and been justly punished for it, and am now convinced of the evil of fin, and refolved to leave it; "I have born chastisement, I will offend no << more.'

Of this first part of repenta pentance, viz. an humble confeffion of our fins to GoD, with great fhame and forrow for them, and a thorough conviction of the evil and danger of a finful courfe, I have already treated at large. In thefe repentance muft begin, but it must not end in them: for à penitent confeffion of our fins to GOD, and a conviction of the evil of them, fignifies nothing, unless it brings us to a refolution of amendment, that is, of leaving our fins, and betaking ourselves to a better course. And this I intend, by GoD's affiftance, to fpeak to now, as being the

Second part of a truè repentance here defcribed in the text, viz. A firm purpofe and refolution of amendment and forfaking of fin for the future; and to exprefs it the more ftrongly and emphatically, and to fhew the firmnefs of the refolution, it is repeated again, "I will not offend any more ;" and then in the next verse, "I have done iniquity, I will "do no more." And this is fo neceffary a part of repentance, that herein the very offence and formal

Aature

nature of repentance does confift, viz. in the firm and SERM. fincere purpose and refolution of a better course.

In the handling of this argument, I fhall do these fix things.

I. I fhall fhew what refolution is in general.

II. What is the special object of this kind of refolution.

III. What is implied in a fincere refolution of leaving our fins and returning to GOD.

IV. I fhall fhew that in this refolution of amendment, the very effence and formal nature of repentance does confift.

[ocr errors]

V. I fhall offer fome confiderations to convince men both of the neceflity and fitnefs of this refolution, and of keeping ftedfaftly to it. Surely it is meet to be faid unto God, I will not offend any "more."

VI. I fhall add fome brief directions concerning the managing and maintaining of this holy and neceffary refolution.

I. What refolution in general is. It is a fix'd determination of the will about any thing, either to do it, or not to do it, as upon due deliberation we have judged and concluded it to be neceffary or convenient to be done, or not to be done by us: and this fuppofeth three things.

1. Refolution fuppofeth a precedent deliberation of the mind about the thing to be refolved up. For no prudent man does determine or refolve upon any thing, till he have confidered the thing, and weighed it well with himself, and have fully debated the neceffity and expedience of it; what advantage he shall have by the doing of it, and what danger and inconvenience will certainly or very probably redound to him by the neglect and omiffion of it. For peVOL. IX. remptorily

N

. CLXVII.

SERM. remptorily to determine and refolve upon any thing, CLXVII. before a man have done this, is not properly refolution, but precipitancy and rashness.

2. Refolution supposeth fome judgment pass'd upon the thing, after a man hath thus deliberated about it; that he is fatisfied in his mind one way or other concerning it, that his understanding is convinced either that it is neceffary and convenient for him to do it, or that it is not; and this is fometimes called refolution, but is not that refolution which immediately determines a man to action. This judgment of the neceffity and fitnefs of the thing is not the refolution of the will, but of the understanding; for it does not fignify that a man hath fully determined to do the thing, but that he hath determined with himfelf that it is reasonable to be done, and that he is no longer in doubt and fufpence whether it be best for him to do it or not, but is in his mind refolved and fatisfied one way or other. And thefe are two very different things; to be refolved in one's judgment, that is, to be convinced that a thing is fit and neceffary to be done, and to be refolved to fet upon the doing of it; for many men are thus convinced of the fitness and neceffity of the thing, who yet have not the heart, cannot bring themselves to a firm and fixed refolution to set upon the doing of it. So that an act of the judgment, muft go before the refolution of the will: for as he is rafh that refolves to do a thing before he hath deliberated about it; fo he is blind and wilful that refolves to do a thing before his judgment be fatisfied, whether it be beft for him to do it or not.

3. If the matter be of confiderable moment and confequence, refolution fuppofeth fome motion of the affections, which is a kind of biafs upon the

« AnteriorContinuar »