SERMON LXXX.

ON WISDOM IN RELIGIOUS CONDUCT.

I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way.-PSALM, ci. 2.

WISDOM, says Solomon, excelleth folly, as far as light excelleth darkness.* In our present state, there is no situation in which we can, consistently with safety to ourselves, act thoughtlessly and at random. In whatever enterprise we engage, consideration and prudent thought are requisite to bring it to a good issue. On every occasion, there is a right and a wrong in conduct: there is one line of action which is likely to terminate according as we wish; and another, which, for certain, will land us in disappointment. If, in the ordinary transactions of life, we cannot prosper without a due exercise of wisdom and prudence, a higher degree of it is certainly necessary in those momentous parts of conduct which regard our everlasting welfare.

It is indeed confessed that in religious conduct, the fundamental and most important article is sincerity of heart, and goodness of intention. At the same time, let the intentions be ever so pure and sincere, they will be in hazard of falling into some wrong direction, unless they be properly guided by wisdom. Too many instances have appeared, of persons who, setting out in life with fair and virtuous purposes, have been so far bewildered by mistaken forms of goodness, as to be betrayed, first into errors, and then into vices and crimes. In order to act our parts with propriety and steadiness, there must be a due proportion of light in the understanding, as well as of warmth and goodness in the heart. The Psalmist was sensible of this when he declares in the text, his resolution, of not only walking in a werfect, or upright, way, but of behaving himself wisely in

that perfect way. Of the wisdom or prudence which is necessary to guide and support virtue, I propose to treat in this Discourse. I shall adventure with great plainness and simplicity of language, to propose some practical rules and directions for that purpose; which may be of service to persons, who with good dispositions and intentions, are beginning the career of life: and which may, perhaps, deserve attention from persons in every period of age.-I begin by observing,

I. THAT it is most necessary to lay down principles on which we are to form our general conduct. If we set out without principles of any kind, there can be no regular plan of life, nor any firmness in conduct. No person can know where they are to find us; nor on what behaviour of ours they are to depend. If the principles which we pitch upon for determining our course be of a variable nature; such, for instance, as popular opinion, reputation, or worldly interest; as these are often shifting and changing, they can impart no steadiness or consistency to conduct. Other principles there are, which some affect to adopt, founded on a sense of honour, on the beauty and excellency of virtue, and the dignity of human nature. But however fair these

may be in appearance, they will be found ineffectual in many trying situations; unable to repress the violence of contending passions, or to support the heart under many discouragements and sorrows.

The only sure principles we can lay down for regulating our conduct, must be founded on the Christian religion, taken in its whole compass; not confined to the exercises of devotion, nor to the mere morality of social behaviour; but extending to the whole direction of our conduct towards God and towards man. The foundation is to be laid in faith in Christ as the Saviour of the world, through whose merits only we can look for final acceptance with God. We must evince the sincerity of our faith by good works; that is, by a faithful discharge of all the duties incumbent upon us in our several stations of life, continually looking up to Divine grace for assistance in the part assigned us to act; and trusting to that recompense of our present labours, which is promised to the virtuous in a future and better world. -Supposing, that having laid the foundation in such principles, we set forth to act a worthy and virtuous part; resolved that whatever may befal us, till we die we will not remove our integrity from us; that our hearts shall not reproach us so long as live.

I proceed to advise,

II. THAT we begin with reforming whatever has been wrong in our former behaviour. This counsel is the more important, because too many, in their endeavours towards reformation, be

* Job, xxvii. 5, 6.

if

gin with attempting some of the highest virtues, or aspiring to the most sublime performances of devotion, while they suffer their former accustomed evil habits to remain just as they were. This, I apprehend, is beginning at the wrong end. We must first, as the Prophet has exhorted put away the evil of our doings from before God's eyes; we must cease to do evil, before we learn to do well.* All attempts at reformation of manners are vain, where this is not studied. Let us remember, that as long as the weeds and tares are allowed to remain in the ground, the soil is vitiated by their roots spreading deep and wide; and no good grain will have room to spring up. Every man who inspects his own character, may learn that there are certain failings, to which, from constitution, circumstances, or long habit, he is prone; termed in Scripture the sins that most easily beset us. To discover these, must be his first care; and his first purpose, he in truth wishes to become a good man, must be gradually to check, and finally to extirpate them, of whatever nature they are: whether, perhaps, habits of intemperance, unlawful indulgences of pleasure, indirect methods of acquiring gain, or propensions to malice, resentment, or envy. To overcome those evils when they have become inveterate, to pluck up those thorns by the roots, is perhaps the most difficult part of reformation, and therefore what we are generally the most backward to undertake. At the same time it is certain, that as long as, by this tender indulgence to favourite vices, men remain in a divided state between good resolutions and evil habits, they are so far from behaving wisely in a perfect way, that they can scarcely be accounted to have entered on that perfect way; irresolution will be spread over their conduct, and incoherence will mark their character. In order to facilitate so necessary a step in the progress towards virtue, let me advise you,

III. To shut up, as much as possible, the avenues which lead to the return of former evil habits. Here is required that exercise of vigilance, self-distrust, and self-denial, which is so often recommended to us in Scripture. There is always some one side on which each of us is more vulnerable than on another. There are places, there are times, there are circumstances, which every man who knows any thing of himself at all, must know will prove the occasions of calling forth his latent frailties, and bringing him into some fatal snare. Then ought that caution of the Apostle to sound in his ears; Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. Let him not only walk circumspectly, but rather altogether fly the dangerous ground: aware of the viper which lurks under the grass, ready to sting. But presumption to flatter ourselves, and to think that we are able † 1 Corinth. x. 12.

* Isaiah, i. 16.

to withstand every danger, is a weakness inherent in man. It is on a moderate and humble estimation of our abilities that wisdom directs us to form our conduct. As in civil and political life, he who believes himself equal to every task, and on all occasions comes forward with rash audacity, is likely to meet with many a humiliation and repulse; so, in moral behaviour, he who, trusting to the strength of his virtuous resolutions, exposes himself inconsiderately to every occasion of temptation, is sure of being often betrayed into evil.

All the various and dangerous avenues to vice, with which in great cities especially, modern life abounds, it cannot be expected that I am here to point out. Wealth, luxury, and idleness, are the great nourishers of everv frailty; the great fomenters of every bad inclination and passion. To the children of Idleness, the haunts of Dissipation open many a wide and inviting gate by night and by day. When within those gates they carelessly enter, surrounded with loose companions, how often does it happen, that from the halls of pleasure and houses of gaming, they come forth, as from caverns of destruction, overwhelmed with losses and misery, and pining with bitter remorse?—Much does it concern every one who seeks to walk wisely in a perfect way, to be particularly guarded in the choice of his associates and companions. How often among the gay and the giddy will he meet with those who smile and betray! He only who walketh with wise men, shall be wise; while the companions of fools shall be destroyed.* Observe the attention which, in the verses immediately following the text, King David declares himself to have given to this rule of conduct; I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes; I will not know a wicked person. Mine eyes shall be on the faithful of the land. He that worketh deceit, shall not dwell within my house. He that telleth lies shall not tarry in my presence. Such was the wisdom that assisted him to continue in a perfect way. This wisdom requires farther,

IV. THAT consistency and uniformity be preserved in character; that not by pieces and corners only we study goodness, but that we carry one line of regular virtue through our whole conduct. Without this extensive regulation of behaviour, we can never hold on successfully in a perfect way. Almost all men, even the loose and profligate, lay claim to some one virtue or other, and value themselves on some good moral disposition, which they boast of possessing. It is in vain, therefore, that we rest our character on one or a few estimable qualities, which we imagine ourselves to possess in a high degree, while in other points of virtue we are relaxed and deficient. True virtue must form one complete and entire system. All its parts are connec

• Prov. xiii. 20,

ted; piety with morality, charity with justice, benevolence with temperance and fortitude. If any of these parts be wanting, the fabric becomes disjointed; the adverse parts of character correspond not to each other, nor form into one whole. It is only when we have respect unto all God's commandments, as the Psalmist speaks, that we have reason not to be ashamed.

The apology for many of those breaches of consistency is always at hand, that the transgression is small, and can easily be repaired on a future occasion; and small sins, we imagine, may be compensated by great and distinguished virtues. But no seduction is more dangerous, than this distinction which men are so ready to make between great and small sins. Nothing is more difficult, than to draw the line of this distinction with any warrantable precision. Wherever inclination gives a strong bias to any indulgence, we may be assured that we shall be always misled in measuring the quantity of guilt. No sin is to be accounted small, by which the dictate of conscience is counteracted, and its authority is weakened and impaired. It may soon draw consequences after it, which will affect our whole conduct. Supposing the matter of these transgressions to be ever so small in its own nature, yet the moral characters of men become stained and bloated by their frequent accumulations; just as many small ulcers, when allowed to form and spread, will grow by degrees into a great disease.At the same time, when I thus advise you to study entire and consistent virtue, and to guard strictly against small transgressions, let me warn you,

V. AGAINST unnecessary austerity, as forming any part of religious wisdom. This is the meaning of the precept of Solomon, Be not righteous overmuch: neither make thyself over-wise; why shouldst thou destroy thyself?* Too strict and scrupulous indeed, we cannot be in our adherence to what is matter of clear duty. Every dictate of conscience is to be held sacred, and to be obeyed without reserve. But wisdom requires that we study to have conscience properly enlightened with respect to what really belongs to duty, or infers sin. We must distinguish with care the everlasting commandments of God, from the superstitious fancies and dictates of men. We must never overload conscience with what is frivolous and unnecessary, nor exhaust on trifles, that zeal which ought to be reserved for the weightier matters of the law. In all ages it has been the great characteristic of false pretenders to piety and religion, to arrogate to themselves uncommon sanctity, by affected strictness and severity of manners; paying tithes, like the Pharisees of old, of mint, anise and cummin, while they overlook righteousness, judgment, and mercy. That religion which is connected with true wisdom, leads

Eccles. vii. 16.