2 Tim. ii. 19. Nevertheless, the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are AN AFFECTIONATE ADMONITION TO SEAMΕΝ. Acts xxvii. 20. And when neither sun nor stars in many PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS, Luke xvi. 22, 23. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bo- The rich man also died, and was buried: and in p. 259 SERMON ΧΧΙΙ. THE TEMPORAL ADVANTAGES OF GODLINESS. 1 Tim. iv. 8. Godliness is profitable unto all things, THE USE AND ABUSE OF HEARING SERMONS. 1 Cor. iii. 5, 6, 7. Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then, neither is he that PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN, WHOSE GROUND BROUGHT FORTH PLENTIFULLY, CONSIDERED. Luke xii. 16-21. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to be- stow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will Luke xviii. 1. And he spake a parable unto them to this CHRISTIANS IN DANGER OF LOSING THOSE THINGS WHICH THEY HAVE WROUGHT, AND NOT RECEIVING 2 John 8. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things SERMON I. THE GAIN OF THE WHOLE WORLD, NO COMPENSATION FOR THE LOSS OF THE SOUL. Mark viii. 36, 37. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? IF any consideration can overcome that profane and careless indifference, with which many are now accustomed to hear shall I say or to seem to hear the great doctrines of the Scriptures; it is that view of their infinite importance, which the sentence of the text exhibits. We are alive after trifles "light as air," which however important they may now seem to us, will presently leave us naked and destitute, and in a few years, at most, will be of no use or consequence to us; and oh! how do we slight the consideration of eternity, though all our bliss depends upon it! This proneness to slight eternity, this excessive attachment to the things of time, is a certain proof, that man is in a fallen state by nature. In arithmetic we know, full well, the difference between seventy and millions, and though no man has an adequate idea of eternity, yet the negative idea itself, that it never, never shall have an end-this of itself causes us clearly to understand, that there is no sort of comparison to be made between the largest number, that ever was actually reckoned, and eternity: imagination is lost in conceiving of its extent; and all time, and all the events of time, appear as nothing in comparison. How is it, then, that men can spend weeks, and months, and years, with the main stream of their thoughts running after this world, and hardly allow themselves in any serious thought after the eternal state! In worldly things, we think it wise to spend time beforehand, in preparing for any new scenes we may have to enter on. A seven years apprenticeship is not thought too long to prepare a youth for a trade, which he may never live to enter on, and in which, perhaps, he may never have any profit or success. Oh! surely, all is wrong with us by nature; the most holy of God's people must be sensible of it, if they carefully look into themselves. It is so far from being natural to us to weigh eternity in any practical sense, that it is very difficult to be brought to any deep and serious thought of it at all. Set apart some time for the business-how slowly move our thoughts! how like a fable or a dream appears the revelation of Scripture! Confirmed, though it be, with miracles and prophecies, and every internal mark of truth, yet how little is it believed to be true! How little are we affected with ideas of the fulness of joy and pleasures at God's right hand for evermore! and the lake of hell, that burneth with fire and brimstone for ever- how little does it move us! |