Religion the Highest Wisdom, and Sin 2
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III. It is the greatest folly for men to pretend to love God, when their temper and conduct are inconsistent with it, and plainly evidential of the contrary!
If you go around the world with the question, "Do you love God? do you love him above all?" you will hardly meet with anyone but what will answer, "Yes, to be sure; I have loved him all my life." Well—but where are the evidences and effects of this love?
If you pretend friendship to men, they expect the expressions of it from you on every occasion; otherwise they will see through the pretence and pronounce it flattery. They expect you should often think of them with tender affection, perform them all the good offices in your power, study to please them, be tender of their characters, solicitous about their interest, and delight in their society. These are the inseparable effects of love. And certainly, if you sincerely love God, your love will have such effects; especially since, if you love him at all with sincerity, you love him above all other people and things.
But men will insist upon it that they love him above all—and yet very seldom or never think of him with tender affection! They profess that they love him above all—and yet indulge themselves in sin, that abominable thing, which he hates! They profess that they love him above all—and yet have little solicitude about pleasing him, and doing his will! They profess that they love him above all, and yet are unconcerned about the interests of religion in the world, which are his interests, and careless about his honour and glory! They profess that they love him above all—and yet have no pleasure in conversing with him in prayer, and the other ordinances of his grace, where he holds spiritual interviews with his people. They love him above all—and yet love and delight in a thousand other things more than him!
They would highly resent it—if one should begin to question the sincerity of their love; and they hope God will accept of it, and reward it. But can men in their senses think that this will pass for true and supreme love—with him who knows all things? They cannot expect that their fellow-creatures should thus be imposed upon; and is it not the greatest madness to imagine they can thus impose upon Omniscience! Indeed it may astonish any man that knows what love is, to find that the most of men pretendthey love God, even while they are giving the most glaring evidences of disaffection to him; and after all, it is almost impossible to convince them that they do not thoroughly love him. What madness has seized the world, that they will not receive conviction in such a plain case! What base thoughts must they have of God, when they think to put him off with such an empty compliment, and hypocritical profession!
IV. It is the greatest folly for men to hope for heaven, when they have no evidences at all of their title to it, or fitness for it!
Is it not the dictate of common sense, that no man can be happy in anything but what he has a relish for, and delights in? Can an illiterate rustic find pleasure in learned scientific theories? Can a man of pleasure and business find pleasure in the ascetic, mortified life of a hermit? Can a man, whose taste is vitiated by sickness, enjoy happiness in the entertainments of a feast? No, nothing can make a man happy—but what is suited to his relish and disposition. And yet there are thousands who have no relish for the enjoyment of God, no pleasure in thinking of him, or conversing with him, no delight in his service and acts of devotion—who yet hope to be forever completely happy in these exercises in heaven.
The happiness of heaven, as I have often told you, consists in such things as these, and how can you hope to be happy there—while you have no pleasure in them? There are thousands who have no delight in anything holy or pious—but only in the gratification of their senses and the enjoyment of earthly things—who yet hope to be happy in heaven, in the lack of all sensual and earthly enjoyments. There are thousands who now ridicule the society of the pious as intolerably precise—who yet flatter themselves they shall be perfectly happy in the company of saints and angels, where the lowest is incomparably more holy than the most sanctified creature upon earth.
And have they a sound understanding, who can entertain such absurd hopes? Does not common sense tell us, that God, who does everything wisely, will bring none to heaven but those whom he has made fit for it beforehand? And that as none shall be sent to hell—but those that were previously wicked; so none shall be admitted into the world of glory—but those who are previously made holy? None first begin to be holy in heaven—or wicked in hell: both parties bring with them those dispositions which are fit for their respective places and employments. How absurd is it, therefore, to hope for heaven—while you have no heavenly dispositions! You may as well hope to see the sun without eyes.
Further, God has assured you in his Word, and you profess to believe him, that without regeneration, faith, repentance, and interest in Christ, and universal holiness—you cannot enter into his kingdom; and yet, are there not some of you who are foolish enough to hope for it, though destitute of all these? Has he not told you that drunkards, swearers, immoral, malicious, contentious people, liars, and the like, shall not inherit the kingdom of heaven? And yet, though you know these are your characters, and the world knows it too—you will hope for admission to it, in defiance of God's most express repeated declarations! What madness is this! The debauchee will not expect happiness in mortification and devotion, nor the prodigal in hoarding up useless wealth; and yet thus absurdly will they act in their expectations of heaven!
V. It is the greatest madness to be more concerned about the affairs of time—than those of eternity!
It is plain to any man in his senses, that the happiness and misery which are extreme, and which shall endure forever—are of infinitely greater importance than all the enjoyments and all the sufferings of this transitory state. And you will hardly meet with any man but will own this to be his belief. But alas! into what consternation may it strike us, when we survey the conduct of the generality of people! Are they as much concerned about the eternal world to which they are hastening—as the trifling concerns of time? Are they as laborious and zealous to obtain everlasting happiness—as to gain the riches of this world, or to gratify their sensual appetites? Are they as solicitous to avoid everlasting misery—as to shun sickness, poverty, or any temporal calamity? Are they as cautious of sinning, which ruins their souls forever—as of drinking poison, which may endanger their health or temporal life?
How is it with you? Are not the concerns of this life—the principal objects of your thoughts, your cares, and labours? And what can be a more consummate folly? You practically prefer a trifle of an hour—to a substantial good of endless duration! You are careless about everlasting torment—and yet cautiously shun the light sufferings of a few moments! It matters not what you think or say in this matter; it is your practice that determines the affair; and does not that show that fleeting time outweighs a vast eternitywith you? And what can be more absurd! If you should throw away an estate—to gain a penny; if you should run upon a drawn sword—to escape a prickle; if you should prefer pebbles—to crowns and kingdoms, darkness to light, or one luxurious meal to the support of your whole life—it would not be so shocking a piece of madness!
I might give you many more instances of the madness of those who do not begin this wisdom with the fear of the Lord—but thePRACTICAL INFERENCES from the subject are so numerous and important, that I must reserve the rest of the time for them.
1. Since there is so much folly in the world in matters of religion, how astonishing it is, that it is not universally despised and ridiculed, or pitied and lamented! If men act a foolish part in other things, they soon furnish matter of laughter and contempt to the mirthful and witty part of mankind; and the thoughtful and benevolent view them with compassion. But let them act ever so foolishly in the concerns of eternity, there is hardly any notice taken of it; the absurdity is no way shocking; nay, the generality commend their conduct by imitating it themselves! And if any are so wise as to find fault with this madness, they are termed foolsthemselves, and the general laugh is turned against them!
How unaccountable is this, that men who act prudently in other things, and are easily shocked with a mad and foolish behaviour, can view the folly of mankind in this respect without horror, or perhaps with approbation! The only reason for it is, that the generality are madmen in this respect, and the folly is approved because it is common! To be singularly wise—is to be foolish, in the opinion of the world; and to be fools with the multitude—is the readiest way to get the reputation of wisdom! They prove religion to be folly, by a consensus of opinion; and as many who are fools in this affair—are wise in other respects, their judgement is implicitly submitted to. But please, sirs, use your own reason, and judge impartially for yourselves, and I am sure you must see the wild absurdity of their conduct! Be nobly singular in beginning wisdom with the fear of the Lord; and whatever others think of you now—God, angels, and godly men will applaud your wisdom; and even those who now ridicule it, will approve of it at last.
2. How do the ungodly despise and demean those who make true religion their great concern—as weak, silly creatures! Sinners, let your own reason determine, can there be anything more foolish than your own behaviour? And does it befit you to brand others with the odium of folly? Alas! you have reason to turn your contempt upon yourselves, and to be struck with horror at your own wilful stupidity! Do you set yourselves up as the standards of wisdom, who lack sense to keep out of everlasting ruin! Are you wise men—who throw away your eternal happiness for the trifles of time! No! they alone are wise—who are wise for eternity!
You may excel them in a thousand things; nature may have favoured you with a better genius; you may have had a more liberal education; you may be better acquainted with men and books; you may manage your secular affairs with more discretion; in such things you may be wiser than many of them. But they are wise for eternity! They have sense to escape everlasting burnings! They have wisdom to obtain eternal happiness! And this is a more important piece of wisdom—than all your acquisitions. The wisdom of Solomon, of Socrates, or Plato, is the wildest madness, without this. How absurd is it therefore for you, without this, to arrogate the character of men of wisdom, or even of common sense!
3. How absurd is it for men to pretend they will not turn their thoughts to religion, lest it should make them melancholy or distracted! Alas, sinners! you cannot be more so than you are already; and you will never come to yourselves until, with the prodigal, you determine to return to your father's house. And will you continue fools—through the fear of becoming such? I can assure you, I would rather be the wildest frantic in Bedlam, than be that wretch who ruins his soul for fear of running mad by thinking of it!
4. If the fear of the Lord and true religion, is the perfection of wisdom, how unreasonably does the world charge it with making people mad? There are multitudes that lose their senses by excessive sorrows and anxieties about some temporal affair; many more than by religion; and yet they never fall out with the world on this account. But when any one, who seemed thoughtful about religion, loses his senses, then religion, be sure, must bear all the blame; and the ungodly are glad to catch at such a handle to expose it!
Melancholy people are accustomed to derive terrors from everything in their reach; and, among other things, will pour upon all those doctrines of religion that can affright them. But this melancholy, as such, is a bodily disorder, and therefore has no more religion in it than a fever or a consumption. It is indeed very possible that too intense application of the mind to divine things, with a deep concern about our everlasting state—may be the occasion of melancholy: but there is nothing peculiar in this; let the mind be excessively attentive to anything—it will have the same effect.
How many disorders do men contract by their eager pursuit of the world! and yet the world is their favourite still. But if one here and there suffers by occasion of religion, oh! they pour contempt on it, and think it is a terrible gloomy thing. Those who are pious, let me tell you, are many of them much superior to the wisest of us in all accomplishments; and they are generally as far from madness as their neighbours. Therefore drop this senseless slander, and be yourselves holy—if you would be truly wise.
5. Since men are such fools in matters of religion, since they censure it with so much severity and contempt, how astonishing is it that God should send down that divine, heaven-born thing—true religion, into our world, where it is so much neglected and abused! Where the celestial guest meets with but few hearts that will entertain it; where its professors neglect it, contradict it, and by their practice call it madness; and where even its friends and subjects frequently treat it very unkindly! What astonishing condescension and grace is it, that God has not left our mad world to themselves, since they are so averse to be reclaimed! But lo! he has sent his Son, he has instituted the gospel, and a thousand means of grace, to bring them to themselves!
6. And lastly, Hence we may infer, that human nature is exceedingly depraved and disordered. I think this is as plain as any disorder incident to the body. Men are universally indisposed as to religion; and on this account our world is, as a great genius calls it, "the Bedlam of the universe." The same natural faculties, the same understanding, will, and affections, which render us able to act with prudence in the affairs of this life—are also sufficient for the affairs of religion. But, alas! with regard to this—they are disordered, though they exercise themselves aright about other things.
They can acquire the knowledge of languages and sciences; but, alas! they have no disposition to know God, and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent. They understand how to trade, and carry on schemes for this world; but they will not act wisely for eternity. They have sense enough not to run into the fire, or to drink poison; but they will run on in the ways of sin to everlasting misery. They will ask the way when they have lost themselves; but how hard is it to bring them to inquire, What shall I do to be saved?They will ask help for their bodies from their fellow-creatures—but how hard is it to bring them in the posture of earnest petitioners to ask immortal blessings for their souls from God! In short, they can contrive with prudence, and act with vigour, courage, and perseverance, in the affairs of time; but in the concerns of true religion and eternity—they are ignorant, stupid, languid, and careless! And how can we account for this—but by supposing that they are degenerate creatures, and that their nature has suffered a dreadful shock by the first fall, which has deprived them of their senses? Alas! this is a truth too evident to be denied!
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