: SERMON XX. THE CHRISTIAN'S BEAUTY EXPLAINED. PSALM XIV. 10, 11. Hearken, O daughter, and confider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house. So shall the king great ly defire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him. WE have, in our former discourse upon this text, endeavored to explain and enforce the first clause in the words, namely, "Hearken, O "daughter, and confider; and incline thine ear." In doing which, we have recommended a ferious and conftant attention to the word of divine truth, the bible; the knowledge of which is of the most essential importance. That the inhabitants of our land think it so, and defire to promote the knowledge thereof, thereof, appears, I trust, in some good measure, from the establishment of funday schools-a most laudable institution this, and I doubt not, will be extensively and lastingly useful to thousands and tens of thousands, of the lower classes among men. It deserves the warmest encouragement-a blessing will rest upon the heads of those who are zealous to promote it-and, I fear, a curse upon those poor parents, who neglect to fend their children to be taught, when they have an opportunity fo to do. A want of education is one principal cause of that immorality and profaneness among the poor, so evident in our day. And whoever neglects the word of God, is unacquainted with divine revelation; let them be of what class in life they may, they can have but little pretenfions to piety or religion-a decent morality is all they can boaft. It is divine revelation alone which can acquaint us with the Most High, which can teach us the knowledge of ourselves, inform us of our duty to God and man, and lead us in the paths of peace and righteousness, to the kingdom of glory and joy. Great, then, is the misfortune of those who cannot read, or hear the word of God! Great is the guilt of those who can read and hear that word, but will not! and alfo of those who read and hear, but will not obey the word! And unspeakably great is the happiness of those who can and do read the word of God, understand it, and truly obey its divine commands! These are the perfons who have attended U : attended to the advice given in our text-and such of you as answer this description, I congratulate as the greatly defired and highly beloved people of the Lord Jesus, your God and Saviour. We will now proceed to open that part of the advice given in our text, which yet remains to be considered; namely" Forget also thine own peo"ple, and thy father's house." I would just remind you here, as I have before done, that the Almighty never requires us to turn our backs of, and forsake our parents, kindred, or families. Such a conduct is contrary to scripture, to reason, and to all good laws, divine, moral, or civil; therefore, the text before us does not mean, that we are to forget our own people literally, or our father's house. I can easily tell you what the words people and father correspond to, and spiritually signify; but not so easily, in one discourse, open the science of correfpondences, by which the word is written. Suffice it to observe, that houses, families, and nations, signify, in the word, the good things of love, and of faith grounded in love; and herein an accurate diftinction is always observed between nations and people. Nations signifying good or evil (according to the fubject) but people signifying what is true or falfe; and this continually, without exception, through the word, as may appear from Ifa. xi. 11, 12-ix. 2, 3-xxiv. 7-xliii. 9. Zeph. ii. 9. Zech. viii. 22, and many other places. Therefore, to forget forget our own people, nothing less is meant, than to give up and totally relinquish whatever is falfe and erroneous in the mind. Whatever is false, stands in direct opposition to divine truth, has a natural tendency to darken the understanding, and lead the mind to what is evil. There are many false principles upon which men act, by which they defeat their own intentions, and become miferable in that very road where they expected happiness. Such principles are the love of felf, of the world, and of evil. Men, who are under the influence of such principles, are directed and led by a falfe judgment, a perverted understanding; and it is no easy matter to perfuade them of their mistakethe evil is deep-rooted, the error has been long contracted, the love of the world and of evil commences very early, it strengthens with our strength, and grows with our growth; it is confirmed by example, and fostered by our passions-reason is not fuffered to exert its power-a perverted love, and false judgment, bind it in chains. And we plainly fee, that the hopes and expectations of thousands are founded on sand, depend upon a bubble in the air, a mere phantom. They are expecting happiness from the gratifications of felflove, the indulgence of the passions, and the pleasures of iniquity; but disappointment will ever attend their steps, and their journey end in defpair. It is from these false principles, these deceitful purfuits, suits, we are called by the voice of mercy, in the words of our text-" Forget thine own people." But, again; there are many false principles of a religious kind, false doctrines and errors, which we are called upon to forget and forsake. For every doctrine and fentiment which has not its foundation in truth, is of a bad tendency; it darkens the understanding, perverts the judgment, and influences the affections and from these we are called by the text. Many of this kind might be named, if we had time; two or three of them we will mention -one is the doctrine of more Gods than one, or of three perfons in the Godhead. This embarrasses the mind, confounds our reason, and prevents conjunction with the true God. This is a doctrine we are at this time peculiarly called to forsake; that "the "King may greatly defire our beauty; that we may own him as our Lord, and worship him "alone." For while we entertain an idea of more Gods, or perfons, than one, our affections cannot be placed upon, and our worship directed to, the Lord Jesus Christ alone. Our affections and worship must be divided; and this is not acceptable to that God who says, "The Lord thy God is one Lord, " and thou shalt love HIM with ALL thy heart." Again, the idea that God is a Being of wrath, vengeance, anger, and the like, we are called upon to forsake and relinquish; for it is a false one, it is one of our own PEOPLE, and not a doctrine of hea ven. |