it what it will, every thing is a trifle, compared to a right state of mind and right conduct of life. The reputation of making these things our study is what we should aim at: and as, in virtue, the chief point is, to do nothing ill; so, in character, it is to have nothing ill said of us. After that, it cannot but be desirable to have good said; and, in the main, to know it. But a general and a slight knowledge is quite sufficient. We may have full as much pleasure from that, as will be of any use to us. And listening after particulars, and wanting to hear a great deal of ourselves, both is wrong and leads wrong. They, whose praise is worth having, we may be sure, will never give us a large quantity of it before our faces, And therefore such as do, either are bad or weak persons themselves, or think us so. At least they take the ready way to make us so. For there is not upon earth a more ensnaring temptation, than that of too fond a self-complacency. Correcting our many and great faults is our proper employment: delighting in our own praises and imagined excellencies, a very unsafe and pernicious one. Let it be our care then to mind our work by an humble and patient continuance in well-doing: and as to our reward, the less eager we are for it in this world, the more abundantly we shall receive, in the next, glory, and honour, and immortality*. Rom.ii. 7. SERMON XVI. GAL. VI. 15. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature. THESE words relate to that first dispute amongst Christians, whether the law of Moses was still to be observed: which, though it hath long been out of question, and now perhaps the difficulty seems to be only, how the observation of such a law could ever be required at all, was yet a very natural subject of controversy, and plainly a very important one, when our religion began to spread in the world: and there is such perpetual reference to it in St. Paul's epistles, that they have been greatly misunderstood for want of carrying it in mind. And therefore, I shall, in two discourses on these words, I. Vindicate the justice and goodness of God, in distinguishing the Jews by a peculiar covenant: II. Give an account of the expiration of that covenant, and its ceasing to oblige or avail any part of mankind : III. Shew, what alone can avail men; and explain the phrase of a new creature, by which the Apostle here expresses it. I. I shall vindicate the justice and goodness of Providence, in distinguishing the Jews, from the rest of the world, by a peculiar covenant. God is no respecter of persons: but in every age and nation, they who feared him and worked righteous ness, have always been accepted with him*. The rewards of innocence, had man continued innocent, would have extended to the whole human race: as did the sad consequences of our first parents' fall. From these God equally relieved all their descendants: and received them into a second covenant of grace and forgiveness, on the equitable terms of a sincere though imperfect obedience, having for its principle, the belief more or less explicit, in proportion as revelation was, that he is, and is a rewarder of them that seek him. This faith saved Noah, the preacher and practiser of Righteousness, with his family, when all flesh besides, having corrupted their way §, were destroyed by the deluge: that, after so exemplary a punishment of sin, the world might begin anew from that good man, with better hopes of their observing for the future the laws of the Almighty. Again, to all the descendants of Noah, without exception, God equally delivered his precepts and his promises: nor made any distinction amongst them, till they had made one amongst themselves, by revolting in great numbers from true religion to idolatry and wickedness. And then, as he had enabled them to see originally, from the things that were made, his eternal power and Godhead; as he had formed them to be a law to themselves ¶, by the authority of natural conscience within them; as he had superadded such strong manifestations of his acceptance of piety and virtue, and his abhorrence of sin: what ground could there have been for complaint, if he had left them to observe, or neglect at their peril, the notices already given them; without interposing any farther to direct them in this world; only reserving for the next + Heb. xi. 6. * Acts x. 34, 35. Rom. i. 20. + 2 Pet. ii. 5. such rewards or punishments, as were suitable to their behaviour? And yet there is reason to think, from occasional intimations in Scripture, that warnings and instructions from Heaven were still frequently vouchsafed to mankind. But one man in particular, Abraham, and his descendants, God was pleased to bless, beyond others, with communications of his will: and admit into a covenant of peculiar favour: which to many hath appeared a preference very partial, and unkind to the rest of the world. But would it have been kinder to bestow this favour on none, than on some? The rest of the world were not in a worse condition than before, though the Jews were in a better. God did not abandon the general care of mankind, when he took that people into his more especial protection. The other nations of the earth had still a right to all the old promises of mercy, though the Jews had new ones given them. Accordingly we find, after the call of Abraham, Melchizedeck, a Gentile, not only an acceptable worshipper himself, but a priest to others of the most high God*: and such a one, whose priesthood more fully resembled our blessed Lord's, than that of Aaron did. Again we find that holy man Job, though a Gentile, also, fully equal in God's esteem to any of those, who were distinguished for his chosen people, by the marks of his covenant. Still, if, upon this, we are asked the question, which the Apostle supposes to be put, What advantage then hath the Jew? We answer with him: Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of Godt. From the very time of Abraham's call, he and his posterity had fuller notifications of God's will, and stronger instances of * Gen. xiv. 18. + Rom. iii. 1, 2. his providential care, than other men. But from the time, when Moses appeared amongst them, they had unheard-of demonstrations of divine power, exerting itself for their deliverance and protection; and a visible appearance of the divine glory, leading them from the land of bondage to that of promise. They had a law delivered to them, with inexpressible solemnity, by the mouth of God himself: and though it may seem hard to account for some part of it, especially to the unlearned, at the present distance of above three thousand years; yet, so far as we have the means of judging, it even now shews itself, on the whole, admirably fitted, in their circumstances, to preserve them from the idolatry and immoralities of their neighbours, and establish amongst them the belief and practice of true religion: to convince them of their inability of fulfilling a perfect obedience, and therefore their need of God's mercy; to prefigure, by the appointment of a ceremonial service, a spiritual one to come; and by the institution of typical sacrifices to be offered daily, the true and efficacious sacrifice and priesthood of that person, through whom pardon and grace were derived to mankind. Then, besides the establishment of such a law amongst them, God was perpetually exciting them to good, and deterring them from evil; by the interposition of an extraordinary providence, to reward their obedience, or punish their disobedience; and by the warnings and exhortations of prophets, raised up successively, who also both explained and improved the instructions, which Moses had given them. These were doubtless great advantages: but that other nations had not the same, is no more an objection against the divine justice and goodness, than that all nations or all men at present have not in all re |