Gambar halaman
PDF
ePub

brute animal which encounters death in defence of its young. The quality of a deed is ftamped by the motive. On every occafion examine not only what you do, but why you do it. Nothing is service to God, but that which is done from love to God. Does either reafon or the Gospel authorise you to expect that God fhould reward a deed which is not intended as fervice to Him? Let me leave before you this practical truth; and may divine grace impress it upon your bofoms: that nothing is Goodnefs, which does not proceed from love to God; and that no one is a good man, unless the love of God be habitually the ruling principle of his life.

SERMON VIL

On Pride.

PROV. xvi. 5.

Every one that is proud in Heart is an Abomination to the Lord.

IN

N the maladies which affault the human body, a marked diftinction prevails as to the relative extenfiveness of their influence. Of some the force is nearly exhausted upon the organ or the limb on which they faften. Others, deeply rooted in the constitution, pervade the general fyftem: and in every different ftate of the frame, and in every different mode of life, advance their machinations, and prepare their final triumph. Fulnefs of blood ftimulates the internal foe: debility meets it with languid refiftance: exertion accelerates its progrefs fedentary habits facilitate its inroads. A

kindred

kindred analogy difcriminates the dif tempers of the mind. Some, as hatred and terror, firmly fixing upon particular objects, are little excited on ordinary occafions. Others, afpiring to general fway, find, under all circumftances and at every period, opportunities of gratification. Of paffions of this character the most eminent is Pride. Juftly does it claim the denomination of an univerfal paffion. Age or fex or fituation exempts not from its control. Body and mind, virtues and vices, it preffes into its fervice. The heart may ficken, the understanding may recoil, at the profpect. But on every fide the fcene is the fame. We behold men proud in health, proud in the chamber of difeafe; proud in public, proud in retirement; proud of their frugality, proud of their profufion; proud of their fobriety, proud of their intemperance; proud of their pride; proud of their humility.

Listen to the character ascribed by different families to each other. How general is that of pride! To fome households. covetoufnefs is attributed as an hereditary failing; to fome, irafcibility; to fome, fufpicion. How much larger is the number to which pride is imputed! How few are

even the individuals among your acquaintance whom, fooner or later, you have not known to be delineated as proud! How frequently has the charge, whether true or falfe, whether urged against families or individuals, been brought forward through the impulfe of pride in' the person who advances it! Of the bickerings, the jealoufies, the offences, the diflikes, which feparate neighbours from each other, how large a proportion originates in Pride, manifefted by one party or by both!

In the day ye eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, said the author of evil to our firft parents, then your eyes fhall be opened; and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Pride was the pasfion to which he addreffed himfelf. Who art thou among the defcendants of the original tranfgreffors, who accurately fcrutinisest thy bosom, and detectest not pride at the bottom of thy heart? Who art thou that, after impartial and comprehenfive fcrutiny, difcerneft not pride to be more powerful in thy bofom than almost any other, if not than every other, rebellious propenfity?

In order that we may the more diftinctly contemplate pride as to its nature and its confequences; let us, in the first place, conVOL. II. K

fider

fider fome of its modes of operation: fecondly, its contrariety to religious principle and to the example of our Lord: and, thirdly, the judgements which by the appointment of God have been annexed to it. We fhall then be prepared to apply fome concluding reflections to ourselves.

I. Let us begin with the confideration of national pride.. Trace in geographical order the feveral kingdoms and states by which we are furrounded. Inquire the character of each from attentive obfervers, to whom by long familiarity it has been. developed. You will perceive different regions refpectively feparated and defined by appropriate marks of moral difcrimination and you will perceive one mark extended to all. This people will be defcribed as courageous; that, as interested that, as fickle; that, as circumfpect. But, before the defcription. be completed, you will hear each characterized as proud. Liften to the voice of nations converfing with each other in the public language of manifeftoes and memorials. How often is pride the mafter-note by which the whole ftrain and cadence is governed! Liften to. their most retired intercourfe imparted by the records of fecret negotiation. The

7

[ocr errors]

mafter

« SebelumnyaLanjutkan »