Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people; and for the cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth Be careful for nothing: but in every thing by prayer and suppli- cation, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understand- SERMON I. HAGGAI i. 5. Now therefore thus saith the Lord of Hosts, consider your ways. THE faculty of reviewing our past lives and the present state of our hearts, in order to approve what is right, or condemn what is wrong in either, carries with it an evident obligation upon all men, to exercise it constantly and uprightly. It is a principle, that implies in its very nature an authority over the whole of our conduct: and we every one feel ourselves most intimately bound to obey its dictates. Even when we doubt in particular how we are to act, we must know in general, that we are to act as truth and conscience direct. And not to examine, what they direct, or whether we are following it, is transgressing the first fundamental law of moral agents. So that indeed God our Maker saith to each of us continually, by the inward voice of our own breasts, Consider your ways. A precept universally acknowledged, and highly honoured even by heathens: but peculiarly enforced on Christians, as it is not only often and solemnly enjoined in Scripture, but, to seeure all possible regard to it, self-examination is incorporated into the most sacred rite of our holy religion (participation of the blessed sacrament), as its vast importance well deserved. For in the midst of so many passions and appetites, as compose our frame; so many disorders in it, as we are born with; so many more, as we have superadded; such powerful temptations, as surround us on every side; we cannot hope, that the carefullest attention to ourselves will keep us entirely free from faults but without such care, we shall fall into many more and worse; we shall go much greater lengths in them; we shall continue the wrong conduct we have once begun, blind to its guilt and peril, or only quit one error to adopt another; till we fix ourselves down in a confirmed state of sin and misery. By a little neglect of culture, a soil, so fruitful of ill weeds, will soon be covered with them: besides, that the best inclinations of the best minds, if left to themselves, will run wild and degenerate. And proportionably as persons are more exempted from the free admonition of others, the more certainly and dangerously they must err, unless preserved by a most vigorous use of their own self-reflections. A duty, thus plain and thus necessary, God will doubtless expect us to perform very faithfully. And what the Almighty commands, we shall always find it our interest to do, never to omit. When we have acted amiss indeed, we must feel pain in thinking of it. But it is pain in order to a cure, which health and ease will follow: whereas the cowardice of not searching our wounds will inevitably make them fatal. In some of the most trifling affairs of life, we should think it strangely absurd not to observe, what we were doing. But how vastly more is it so, in the management of the whole of life; on which our happiness or misery depends, in time and to eternity! We cannot bear perhaps to be so serious. But if we refuse it, sooner or later we shall assuredly be 1 |