hood. All liars fhall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the fecond death (o). Are we without cause suspected of iniquity? Let us cheerfully fubmit to the fufpicion, rather than adopt for the purpose of removing it measures in any degree repugnant to the spirit of the Gospel. It is not uncommon for men, partly on account of the irkiomenefs of being wrongfully suspected, partly through a reasonable regard to the importance of character, to take refuge in unfcriptural methods of preventing or of checking. evil furmifings refpecting themselves. Are they deemed, are they apprehenfive left they should be deemed, parfimonious? They will do fomething extravagant. Are they afraid left they should be termed fcrupulous and auftere? They will flide into conformity to the world, Are they fearful left they should be confidered as too complying? They become proud and obftinate. Let us beware left, as the ferpent beguiled Eve through his fubtlety, fo our minds should be corrupted from the fimplicity which is in Chrift (p); from fimplicity of dependence on him, from fimplicity of chriftian obedience, Let us fet the Lord always before us; and we shall not (0) Rev. xxi. 8, (p) 2 Cor. xi. 3. bc be moved from his paths. Let us com mit our fouls in well-doing unto Him, who having Himself fuffered, being tempted, is able to fuccour them that are tempted: and has promised that, whatever temptation may come upon us, it fhall not in any cafe be irresistible; but that grace, if we pray for it from the heart, fhall ever be fupplied in a measure adequate to enable us to fuftain the trial. Finally what if prejudice had fo firmly fastened itself upon the minds of the Grecians, that the Apoftles had not found it practical to clear themselves from fufpicion? They would have committed themselves in well-doing unto the Lord. Has a cafe arisen in which you, though suspected without cause, are unable to remove the imputation? Feel not the trial too acutely, Confider whether by fome other proceeding you may not have partly exposed yourself to the prefent charge. Confider whether you have not been allowed to escape fufpicion, when you have actually deferved it. Confider that, when we accurately know our own intentions, we yet are not always attentive to minute circumstances in our proceedings; and that it is on minute circumstances that fufpicions frequently are grounded. At any rate, The time of rate, learn patience. Let patience work experience, and experience hope. clearing fhall affuredly come. Caft thy bur then upon the Lord, and He fhall fuftain thee. He shall never fuffer the righteous to be moved. He fhall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgement as the noonday. Reft in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him (q). How eafily can His providence, working by means apparently the most incidental, bring forward and establish your vindication, beyond your expectations, beyond your hope, in oppofition to every appearance of probability! If in his wisdom He shall leave you without an earthly vindication, He will clear you at the appointed time before affembled men and angels. Look forward to the blaze of joy which will break in upon you, when the cloud fhall at once be diffipated, diffipated for ever; and be cheered under your prefent darkness. The fruits which are now advancing to maturity under the shade shall glow throughout eternity in the Paradife of God. (9) Pfalm xxxvii. 6. Iv. 22. SER. SERMON XIX. On DOING EVIL to PRODUCE Goon. ROM. iii. 8. Some affirm that we say, "Let us do Evil that Good may come :" whofe Damnation is just. PERHAPS there is scarcely any precept of Scripture which has to encounter more of fecret oppofition, than the prohibition to do evil that good may come. The oppofi tion to it is not always fecret. To the system of general expediency, a system of which the most prominent and the most alluring charactereftics are the permiffion of the breach of every moral rule in cases of fufficient magnitude, and the authority vested in every man to judge of the fufficiency for himself; this prohibition stands in direct hoftility. From that system therefore it cannot look for obedience or for acquiefcence. The force force of the prohibition must be explained away; or the system must fall to the ground. We are accordingly informed, on behalf of that system, that "the maxim which is in every man's mouth, not to do evil that good may come," is "in moft men's without meaning :" that its import is, "1.t us not "violate a general rule for the fake of any particular good confequence we may ex pect." The prohibition, thus modified, (for in found reasoning it equally extends to fuppofed general confequences,) is stated to be" for the most part a falutary caution, the advantage seldom compenfating for the vio"lation of the rule (a)." This is the scanty deference experienced by a scriptural precept; a precept of such importance, that the apostle pronounces the imputation of teaching a contrary doctrine to be a flander against the ministers of the gofpel, and the authors of the calumny to be obnoxious to just and aweful condemnation! This is the love of God, not that we fufpend or abrogate, but that we heep His commandments (b). This is our wisdom, not to speculate whether it might not be in certain cafes advantageous to fet afide His plain injunc (a) Paley's Moral Philosophy, 4to. 1785. p. 71. |