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We

ways profeffed our belief in religion. "have occafionally been prefent at its ordi"nances. We have been indulgent hufbands,

careful parents, kind neighbours, ufeful mem"bers of fociety. And we are univerfally regarded as having regulated our conduct by "the niceft principle of honour."

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Vain and empty fophiftry,to disguise the unsubdued enmity of the carnalmind against God(a)!

III. Farther: with refpect to the excuses defcribed in the parable, there are two remarks, which I would recommed to your ferious confideration. Firft: all the employments and engagements, which the perfons who were invited pleaded in apology for their absence, were in themselves perfectly lawful. To purchase a piece of ground and to go to inspect it was a circumstance in its own nature untinctured with guilt. The cultivation of the earth, and industry in our proper callings, are duties which we are repeatedly commanded to practife. Neither is there any thing naturally blameable in purchasing five yoke of oxen and going to prove them. Then with respect to marriage; we know that it is the appointment of God, and is declared in the Scriptures to be honourable for all. Yet ob

(aj Rom. viii. 7.

serve, fécondly, that the perfons who made these excuses were every one of them condemned. I fay unto you that none of those men which were bidden fhall taste of my fupper. If these men were thus condemned; how much more dreadful would have been their punishment, if they had excused themselves for the purpose of profecuting fome finful enterprize: if inftead of lawful industry they had meditated fome difhoneft undertaking; if, inftead of honourable marriage, fome plan of criminal indulgence had been in view! But, though their purfuits were all lawful; every one of the perfons was condemned. Why was it thus? Becaufe every one of the perfons was worldly-minded. His heart was not fixed upon promoting the glory of God, and proving by faith and holy obedience his love and gratitude to hia Maker and Redeemer. His firft object was not to be religious; but to be wealthy, or to profecute his own pleasure. The man that purchased the land, and the other that bought the oxen, were immerfed in folicitude concerning their property and poffeffions. The cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choked the word; and it became unfruitful (b). Land and oxen, and the profit which land and oxen (b) Matt. xiii. 22.

were

were to produce, were their idols.

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God

and his laws, Chrift and the wonderful mercies which had been offered at his hand, had little if any fhare of their thoughts. The man who had married a wife, had contracted an irreligious marriage, or was enfnared by the confequences of his marriage into impiety. He had fhewn, we may conclude, in that tranfaction the unconcern respecting religion which pervadedhis character. He had felected his confort merely for her perfonal appearance; or because she had an ample fortune; or because her relations were able to push him into lucrative business; or for fome other worldly reafon. He had not made it his first and great ftudy to learn before-hand whether she was a truly pious woman, a faithful fervant of the Almighty; whether she would be a partner likely to help him forward in way of falvation, and by inftruction and example to train up a family in holiness. Or fubfequently to his marriage he had permitted attention to his wife to fuperfede that which was due to his God. Each therefore of the perfons invited, having preferred things temporal to things eternal, was juftly condemned. They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flefb: but they that are after the Spirit, VOL. I.

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the things of the Spirit. To be fpiritually minded is life and peace: to be carnally-minded is death (c).

My brethren! the parable which has been explained, while it affords an exact picture of the present state of multitudes who profess themselves to be Chriftians, holds forth a folemn warning to all perfons, who are at this day endeavouring to make excufes for denying to religion the empire of their hearts. If in tempers or in conduct you are an open tranfgreffor of the gospel; as furely as the word of God is true, you are in a state of damnation. The gulf of deftruction ftares you in the face; and, unless you repent and become a new man, will close upon you for ever. But this parable, in conformity to many other paffages in the New Teftament, teaches you the no lefs aweful leffon; that you will be condemned at the day of judgement, if you fuffer any one of the lawful occupations or lawful pleafures of this life to be the principal object of your pursuit. Yet how frequently do we fee people. refigning themselves to fuch idols; and find every argument ineffectual to convince them that they are in the direct road to eternal ruin. With

(c) Rom. viii. 6, 7.

fome,

fome, wealth is the idol. They rise up early, and go late to reft, and eat the bread of carefulnefs, day after day, and year after year. Their minds are filled with plans for the improvement of their ground, and the advantageous difpofal of its produce; or with fchemes to draw cuftomers to their compting-house or their shop, and to lay in their commodities at the cheapest rate; or to place out their money on the best fecurity, and at the highest interest. At the end of every year they are become richer: but they are not become more inclined to religion. They have increased in poffeffions : but they have not grown in grace. They have accumulated fubftance on earth: but have not laid up treasure in the fight of God. During all this time they imagine that they are religious and are even ready to profess a conviction that this scraping laborious life is one proof of religion. How hardening is the deceitfulness of fin (d)! How darkening the influence of a worldly fpirit! What specious evidence have they to produce of their religion? Let their cause be exhibited in the most favourable light. They have not been spendthrifts. They have observed common honesty in their dealings. They have feldom omitted their forms of devotion at the returns of night (d) Heb. iii. 13.

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