SERMON IX. GENESIS, xlv. 24. SEE THAT YE FALL NOT OUT BY THE WAY. IN my last discourse I explained to you the very beautiful scripture-comparison of a journey, and shewed you, in how many instances, it bore a resemblance to our passage through life. I shall now shew you, how we ought to behave to each other on this journey. See that ye fall not out by the way. These words were spoken by Joseph to his brethren, after he had made himself known to them in Egypt. He had loaded them with kindness; had made each of them a present; and had sent them away to their father. At the same time, considering the bad disposition of mankind mankind in general; and the bad disposition, which he knew by experience had formerly appeared in some of them, he gave them a charge not to fall out by the way-but to travel peaceably like brethren; and make their journey as comfortable to each other, as they could. I intend, in the following discourse, to give the good patriarch's caution a more extensive sense; and to advise you to travel peaceably together through life; as he advised his brethren to travel peaceably together into Canaan.I shall shew you, first, what are the principal causes of our falling out by the way; and, secondly, the reasons that should prevent it. ONE of the principal causes of our falling out by the way, is the little pains we take in governing our passions and tempers.As it hath pleased God to make the same difference in the dispositions of men, as in their persons, we must expect in our journey through life, to meet with as many that differ from us in our humours, as in our faces. All this we should consider as matter of course. We should be prepared for it; and to make our journey easy, we should be forbearing. To think we can pass quietly through life without this condescending temper, would H 3 would be as absurd, as to suppose people could travel easily through a frequented road, without mutually giving way. How troublesome would it be to travel in such a road, if we were continually jostling, and elbowing every one who travelled in a contrary direction? And yet how seldom are we disposed, in our passage through life, to give way to others? We should often consider (what few of us do consider) that we have wrongnesses in our own dispositions; and that if we are displeased with an opposition to our humours, we ought to shew a condescension to the humours of others. The rich should particularly consider these things, whose ill dispositions and petted tempers, are generally full fed with flattery and vanity. Among themselves indeed we commonly find a certain civility of manners, which is something like condescension, and in the common occurrences of their journey through life, keeps all tolerably quiet. But though they may travel decently with their equals, they often treat their inferiors with great contempt. On the other hand, those in low stations dare not shew their ill-humour to those above them; but often shew it with violence enough among each other; in their families at home especially. Follow them there, and you will often see those, who have just before been cringing to their superiors, tyrannizing in their own houses with all the pride, and insolence, and ill-temper, which the mind of man can work up. Ill-usage perhaps is added to ill-humour; and the cottage, instead of being that peaceful habitation, in which poverty is changed into happiness, becomes the horrid dwelling of uproar, confusion, misery, and distress. Whereas, if the rich would behave to the poor with at least that decency of manners, with which they behave among themselves-and if the poor would behave to each other, with that inclination to oblige, which they shew to the rich-all would be well. Now this condescension to each other's humours would not only make travelling the road of life pleasant, but religious. With great wisdom therefore the gospel enjoins forbearance to each other, which not only produces good neighbourhood; but has certainly a tendency to improve our hearts. He who never checks his ill-humours; but lets them take their free course, can have no idea of religious tranquillity. Religious sentiments can never dwell in the mind of a man, who bursts into passion on H 4 every every slight contradiction-on any little family accident-or public measure, which opposes his own opinion, however ill-informed.- Whereas on the other hand, he who accustoms himself continually to check his ill-humours, gets the management of his temper into his own hand; and preserves his mind in that sweet tranquillity, which in itself approaches nearly to virtue; and is at least the mansion, where humility-charity, and all other christian virtues dwell. OUR ill-humours however are not the only cause of our falling out by the way: another great cause, is loading ourselves, on our journey, so much with the things of this world.-I mean loading our hearts with them-thinking the things of this world, things of the first importance. If you begin to think your worldly goods of more value than your religion, you will begin to take many ways of procuring them, which religion forbids. You will begin to envy those who have more of them than you have.-You will begin to desire what other people possess and if your hearts be still more wicked, you will begin to contrive how to get possession of them. -Thus, |