Perfons of bad minds

hearts; and of making an undoubted-free-will offering to God, out of what he hath given us. may indeed take occafion to neglect the poor, from our willingness to relieve them; and thus, by their fault, the burden may fall heavier upon us than it ought. But then God, who hath entrusted us, not only in conjunction with others to do our fhare, but feparately by ourselves to do what we can, is not unrighteous to forget this our labour of love*: but will take abundant care, that whatever we bear cheerfully on his account, far from giving us caufe of complaint, fhall affuredly be matter of great joy to us in the end.

Think then attentively of thefe confiderations. They are not proposed to you, for raifing a fudden warmth of affection, and serving a prefent turn; it is to your coolest reason, that this address is made. Reflect in retirement on what you have heard. Act upon deliberate conviction, act from a fettled principle, in what you do; from that fublime principle, to which St. Peter directs in the next verfe after the text; that God may be glorified in all things, through Jefus Chrift: that you may exprefs to him your fenfe of the duty and gratitude, which you owe him; that you may improve your own hearts, by imitating the goodness, which you honour; that you may convince mankind of the excellency of the Chrif tian doctrine. Confider yourselves, in this view alfo, as the Stewards of God; as intrusted for the service and promotion of his gofpel. For be affured, fuch important and aftonishing truths as that comprehends, and you have lately heard out of it, were not made known to you, with a defign, that you fhould be indifferent about them; but deeply affected by them yourselves, and seriously diligent to engage the attention of others to them. If then you have any zeal for the faith, which you profefs, as heaven knows there never was more need; fhew men, by its effects, what it is; and give demonftration to the world, how far the true charity of a good Christian goes beyond the boafted benevolence of unbelievers, invite men by these means to a better opinion of religion; encourage them by the fame to a fteadier practice of it. Be watchful, and firengthen, by every method you can, the things which

Heb. vi. 10.

which remain, and are neady to die*: but particularly make provision in these excellent ways, which are now proposed to you, for the iuftruction of the ignorant, the conversion of the vicious, the spiritual improvement, as well as temporal relief of the fick; that fo the adminiftration of your charity may not only Supply the want of the faints, but be abundant alfo by many thanksgivings unto God †.

*Rev. iii. 24.

† 2 Cor. ix. 12.

3 M 2

SER

SERMON CXXX.

(Preached before the House of Lords, in the Abbey-Church of Westminster, on Thursday, May 29. 1739.)

ON SPECULATIVE FAITH, AND Ingratitude to GOD IN PRAC

TICE.

PSALM cvi. 12, 13.

Then believed they his words, they fang bis praise they foon forgat his works, they waited not for his counfel.

THE

'HE fame wife and good being, who hath fitted the whole frame of this world to the various wants of his creatures, hath fitted the events of things to our reformation and moral improvement. Were they to be confidered as events only, it would be folly not to learn from them; but as they are leffons intended by heaven for our inftruction, it is impiety alfo. The difpenfations of providence, in which we are least interested, may teach us a great deal by analogy, both concerning the confequences of our behaviour, and the temper of our hearts for we feldom apprehend how fatally we are capable of erring, till we fee how other perfons have acted before us, and what hath followed. But thofe tranfactions of former times, which extend their influence down to us, as they naturally excite a greater attention, fo they generally reward it with more plentiful and more important matter of obfervation; and if we will not be made wife by the expe rience of our predeceffors, the only doubt is, whether poffibly our own may not teach us too late.

The

The two great methods of providential instruction are mercies and punishments. Undoubtedly our Maker would always prefer the first, if it were not that enjoying them for fome time without interruption, tempts us unaccountably to overlook both his goodness, and our own duty arifing from it. Sometimes, indeed, they who forget God in their prosperity, are moved by their afflictions only to murmur against him: but for the most part fufferings have a better effect; recall to our minds both our condition and our conduct. And it might be hoped, that the very deep impreffions which divine judgments make, would naturally be lafting; or however, that when forgiveness had fucceeded chastisement, the united force of terror and gratitude would be perpetual. To recollect our paft deliverances, and dwell upon the thoughts of our prefent happiness, appears too pleafing an employment to grow wearifome. Confidering both as evidences of God's delight to do us good, must surely heighten our relish of them; and preferving in memory our obligation to a proper return, befides its being agreeable to ingenuous minds, one fhould imagine, would be fufficiently recommended to us, by our knowing that the continuance of our bleffings depends on this condition.

But mankind are strangely different in fact from what speculation may represent them. Be the advantages of their condition ever fo great, many will attend only to its inconveniencies; and feem as if they had rather be miferable, than not be ungrateful. Others are too intent on the enjoyment of their felicity, ever to think to whom they owe it; or think too much of the visible means, to remember the invifible author. And unhappily, they who have the livelieft fenfe of the goodness of God, feldom retain it long they fing bis praife, and foon forget bis works. Favours received perfonally by ourselves, wear out of our minds in a very little -time but mercies derived to us from a former age, though continuing to fubfift in full force, though perhaps improved, affect us no other wife than the blefling of constant health doth; which tempts many to be irregular, for one whom it makes thankful. Then, to complete the unhappinefs, fome who preserve the most lafting memory of divine favours, remember them often partially, and to bad purposes; deduce

from them wrong conclufions, and are led by them into unjustifiable behaviour. Though they do not forget his works, they wait not for his counfel, but inconfiderately follow their own imaginations; or if inftruction forces itfelf upon them, they will not abide it * ; nor bear to be restrained, even by the voice of Heaven,

Now, the obvious method of fecuring events of importance, both from oblivion and mifconftruction, is, by appointing sta- . ted and folemn commemorations of them. God himself hath done this, to preferve a juft fenfe of his works of creation and redemption; but the celebration of his providential goodness he hath left, as it was natural, to human care. And serious care ought to be taken; as, on the one hand, that inftitutions of this kind be neither debased to low occafions, nor perverted to ill ufes, fo on the other, that they whom the Lord bath redeemed and delivered from the band of the enemy, may offer unto him the facrifice of thanksgiving, and tell out his works with gladness; exalt him in the congregation of the people, and praife him in the feat of the elders †.

This is the duty which we are now affembled to perform; and the two things requifite to perform it as we ought, are, I. To confider the nature of the bleffing which we comme

morate:

II. The behaviour to which it directs us.

I. In fpeaking of the bleffings on this day restored to us, the preceding evils muft unavoidably be mentioned; and all perfons ought to bear with the mention of what all contributed to and shared in. To whom the chief load of guilt was imputable, the public voice hath most justly declared; but every order of men was blameable, and every order punished. First, a zeal exceffively angry, for it must be acknowledged, was shown in the church, against a very provoking sect of zealots; and illegal powers were exercifed, to a dangerous degree, in the state, when the bounds of legal power were lefs clearly fixed. Then fears and refentments carried good men too far; and gave bad men an opportunity of leading them infenfibly further ftill, by very wicked arts; till they were neither fure of retreating with fafety, nor yet could go forward

So the old Tranflation.

Pf. cvii. 2, 22, 32.