IV. SER M. pearance, it is far from being fo in reality. We look to the outside of things. We are dazzled with that tinfel glare which profperity fometimes throws around the worthlefs and the wicked. But what is that to true happiness and felf enjoyment? often, how little connected with it? Could you look into the hearts of men, another scene would open. You would fee many a heart wounded and bleeding in fecret, from a guilty confcience and remembered crimes, while gay looks were affectedly put on before the world. Comparing this galled and distressed state of mind, with the free and easy, the light and difencumbered spirit of a worthy and virtuous man, even under the preffures of life, you would forbear to charge Providence, and would readily acknowledge, that though the external distribution of the world's goods be promifcuous, the internal allotment of happiness is measured by the real characters of men.On the whole, let us hold faft by this great truth, and by it govern our lives, that every man's real happiness or misery is made, by IV. by the appointment of the Creator, to SE RM. depend more on himself, and on the proper government of his mind and heart, than upon any external thing, or than upon all external things put together; that for those who serve God, and study to keep their confcience clear from guilt, God hath provided peace and comfort on earth, as well as rewards hereafter; but, faith my God, there is no peace to the wicked. [94] SERMON V. On all Things working together for V. ROMANS, viii. 38. We know that all Things work together for Good to them that love God, to them who are the Called according to bis purpose. SERM. AMONG many antient philofophers it was a favourite tenet, that all feeming diforders in the world are rendered fubfervient to the order and perfection of the univerfe; or, that all things work together for the good of the whole : But to this good of the whole, they conceived the interest of individuals to be oft-times obliged to yield. pro V. yield. The revelation of the Gofspel S ER M. has opened to us a higher and more comfortable profpect. For it affures us not only of the direct tendency of all things to general order, but to the confummate happiness of every indi vidual who loves and ferves God.· While the Deity is ever carrying on the general fyftem of things to its per perfection, the intereft of no one good man is facrificed in any point to promote this end; but his life is, at the fame time, a fyftem complete within itself, where all things are made to confpire for bringing about his felicity. We know, fays the Apostle, in my text, that is, we are affured, not by doubtful reasonings with regard to which the wifeft might be perplexed, but by a divine promife on which the fimple can firmly rely, that all things work together for good of them that love God, to them who are the Called aecording to his purpose.This is that capital encouragement of religion, which virtually contains in itfelf all the other promifes made in Scripture to the righteous, and, like a full and exuberant exuberant fountain, divides itself into a thousand streams to refresh the life of man with confolation and joy. It will therefore deferve our very full and particular confideration, both as to the extent of encouragement given, and the evidence on which our affurance of it refts. THE first thing which fhould here draw our attention is, the character of those to whom the encouragement. of the text is appropriated. For it is evidently not given indifcriminately to all, but limited to fuch as love God, and are the called according to his purpofe; that is, chofen by him to eternal life. But left the latter part of this defcription fhould appear too fecret and myfterious to afford the encouragement intended, it is cleared up by the first and explanatory character, them that love God. Here is fomething plain and fatisfactory on which we can reft. We need not say, Who fhall ascend into heaven in order to bring us down from thence any information, whether our names be written in the book of life? |