XLVII. Christ; him at present poor, and naked of all secular SERM. honour, power, wealth, and delight; in hope only to receive from him divine benefits, and future preferments in his kingdom: of Mary, who neglecting Luke x. 39. present affairs, and seating herself at Jesus's feet, attending to his discipline, is commended for her wisdom, in minding the only necessary thing; in choosing the better part, which could never be taken from her of St. Paul, who accounted all his gains Phil. iii. 7, (all his worldly interests and privileges) to be damage, to be dung in respect to Christ, and the excellent knowledge of him, with the benefits thence accruing 8. 16. to him. On the contrary there we have Esau con- Heb. xii. demned and stigmatized for a profane and a vain person, who (avti μãs Bpwσews) for one little eatingbout, one mess of pottage, (for a little present satisfaction of sense, or for the sustenance of this frail life,) did withgo his birthright, that emblem of spiritual blessings and privileges. We have again re- Mark x. 17. presented to us that unhappy young gentleman; who, though he had good qualities, rendering him amiable even to our Saviour, and had been trained up in the observance of God's commandments, yet not being content to part with his large possessions, in lieu of the treasure by Christ offered in heaven, was reputed deficient; could find no acceptance with God, nor admission into his kingdom; for a petty temporal commodity forfeiting an infinite eternal advantage. For, saith our Saviour, He that loveth Matt. x. 37. father or mother above me; he that doth not hate 26. father and mother, wife and children, brothers and Mark x. 29. sisters, yea his own life, for me and the Gospel, is not worthy of me, nor can be my disciple. He that in his esteem or affection doth prefer any temporal Luke xiv. XLVII. SERM. advantages before the benefits tendered by our Saviour, (yea doth not in comparison despise, renounce, and reject his dearest contents of life, and the very capacity of enjoying them, his life itself,) doth not deserve to be reckoned among the disciples of Christ; to be so much as a pretender to eternal joy, or a candidate of immortality. Our Saviour rejects all such unwise and perverse traders, who will not exchange brittle glass for solid gold; counterfeit glistering stones for genuine most precious jewels; a garland of fading flowers for an incorruptible crown of glory; a small temporary pension for a vastly rich 1 Pet. i. 4. freehold; an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in the heavens. Thus doth the holy scripture teach us to compare these sorts of good things; And secondly, so also doth it to compare the evils of both states; for that seeing, as the soon ceasing of temporal mischiefs should (in reasonable proceeding) diminish the fear of them, and mitigate the grief for them; so the incessant continuance of spiritual evils doth, according to just estimation, render them hugely grievous and formidable; it is plain, that we should much more dislike, abominate, and shun spiritual evils, than temporal; that we should make no question rather to endure these paroxysms of momentary pain, than incur those chronical, and indeed incurable, maladies; that we should run willingly into these shallow plashes of present inconvenience, rather than plunge ourselves into those unfathomable depths of eternal misery. There is, I suppose, no man, who would not account it a very great calamity (such as hardly greater could befall Matt. v. 29. him here) to have his right eye plucked out, and his xviii. 8. right hand cut off, and his foot taken from him; to SERM. be deformed and maimed, so that he can do nothing, XLVII. or stir any whither: yet our Lord represents these to us as inconsiderable evils, yea as things very eligible and advantageous in comparison of those mischiefs, which the voluntary not embracing them, in case we cannot otherwise than by so doing avoid sin, will bring on us: ovμpépes σo, it is, saith he, profitable for thee that one of thy members be lost, rather than that thy whole body be cast into hell: kaλóv To éσTì, it is good, it is excellent for thee to enter into life lame and maimed, and one-eyed, rather than having two hands, and two feet, and two eyes, (in all integrity and beauty of this temporal, or corporal state,) to be cast into eternal fire. To be banished from one's native soil, secluded from all comforts of friendly acquaintance, divested irrecoverably of great estate and dignity; becoming a vagrant and a servant in vile employment, in a strange country, every man would be apt to deem a wretched condition: yet Moses, we see, freely chose it, rather than by Heb. xi. 25. enjoying unlawful pleasures at home, in Pharaoh's court, to incur God's displeasure and vengeance : συγκακουχεῖσθαι μᾶλλον ἑλόμενος, choosing rather to undergo evil together with God's people, than to have πρόσκαιρον ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν, a temporary fruition of sinful delight, dangerous to the welfare of his soul. Death is commonly esteemed the most extreme and terrible of evils incident to man; yet our Saviour bids us not to regard or fear it, in comparison of that deadly ruin, which we adventure on by offending God: I say unto you, my friends, saith he, (he in- Luke xii. 4. tended it for the most friendly advice,) be not afraid TonTiva of them that kill the body, and after that have no-práfaidov. Matt. x. 28. δύνανται, XLVII. SERM thing further to do: but I will shew you whom ye shall fear; Fear him, who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell, to cast both body and soul into hell, and destroy them therein; yea, I say unto you, (so he inculcates and impresses it upon them,) Fear him. But thirdly, considering the good things of this life together with the evils of that which is to come; since enjoying these goods in comparison with enduring those evils, is but rejoicing for a moment in respect of mourning to eternity; if upon the seeming sweetness of these enjoyments to our carnal appetite be consequent a remediless distempering of our soul; so that what tastes like honey proves gall in the digestion, gripes our bowels, gnaws our heart, and stings our conscience for ever; if present mirth and jollity have a tendency to that dreadful weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth threatened in the gospel; if, for the praise and favour of a few giddy men here, we venture eternal shame and confusion before God and angels and all good men hereafter; if, for attaining or preserving a small stock of uncertain riches in this world, we shall reduce ourselves into a state of most uncomfortable nakedness and penury in the other; it is clear as the sun that we are downright fools and madmen, if we do not upon these accounts rather willingly reject all these good things, than hazard incurring any of those evils; for, Mark viii. saith truth itself, What will it profit a man, if he Luke ix.25.gain the whole world (kai Syμiwoỹ thu duxùv) and be endamaged as to his soul, or lose his soul as a mulct? It is a very disadvantageous bargain, for all the conveniences this world can afford to be deprived of the comforts of our immortal state. But, 36. Lastly, comparing the evils of this life with the be- SERM. nefits of the future; since the worst tempests of this XLVII. life will be soon blown over, the bitterest crosses must expire (if not before, however) with our breath; but the good things of the future state are immutable and perpetual; it is in evident consequence most reasonable, that we freely, if need be, undertake, and patiently endure these for the sake of those, that in hope of that incorruptible inheritance, laid up 1 Pet. i. 4. for us in heaven, we not only support and comfort ourselves, but even rejoice and exult in all the afflictions by God's wise and just dispensation imposed on ̓Αγαλλιάσθε Jam. i. 2. us here; as they in St. Peter, wherein, saith he, ye Pet. i. 6. greatly rejoice, (or exult,) being for a little while ixiy as in heaviness through manifold afflictions or trials. Accounting it all joy, saith St. James, when пugs. ye fall into divers temptations, (that is, afflictions or trials,) knowing that the trial of your faith perfecteth patience; that is, seeing the sufferance of these present evils conduceth to the furtherance of your spiritual and eternal welfare. And, We glory Rom. v. 8. in tribulation, saith St. Paul, rendering the same account, because it tended to their soul's advantage. St. Paul, than whom no man perhaps ever more deeply tasted of the cup of affliction, and that tempered with all the most bitter ingredients which this world can produce; whose life was spent in continual agitation and unsettledness, in all hardships of travel and labour and care, in extreme sufferance 'E, ¿xaraof all pains both of body and mind; in all imaginable dangers and difficulties and distresses, that nature exposes man unto, or human malice can bring upon him; in all wants of natural comfort, (food, sleep, shelter, liberty, health;) in all kinds of dis στασίαις. |