Part 13
2. In regard of the honour thereby to be brought to God in the world; which in itself is most valuable, and therefore is man's chief end; 1 Cor. 10:31, "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do,
do all to the glory of God." Compared with Psalm 50:23, "Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me," He lives to good purpose, that lives to the honour of God; and he that doth not so live, doth at best but trifle away a life, never reaching the main end of it. Nothing should be so dear to us as God's honour; and therefore our all must be laid out on it as he calls for it, Luke 14:26. And it is the mercy of life, that we have access to honour him in the world.
3. In regard of the good to be thereby done to others. The view of this made Paul content to abide out of heaven for some time; as you may see, Philip. 1:23, 24. "I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless, to abide in the flesh, is more needful for you." O what a satisfying thought must it be, to be instrumental towards the saving of a soul from hell, and bringing it to acquaintance with Christ! Nobody knows what a good word, or a good example, at a time may do: and to this the living have access only; but once dead, men can be no more serviceable to the world of mankind: Eccl. 9:10.—"For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest."
4. It is an honour to serve and honour God in the world. This makes a man truly worthy and honourable. The dignity of the master, and the work, reflects an honour on the servant that does it. Therefore says the Psalmist, Psal. 84:10. "A day in thy courts is better than a thousand: I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness." And since no master is so honourable as God is, it must be then a peculiar honour to be serviceable to him, Heb. 11.
5. This is the only true balance of that meanness, misery, and trouble, that attends this life. Considering the spiritual original,
make, and vast capacity of the soul of man; it will appear but a very mean thing to be taken up in eating, drinking, decking; yea, in building, planting, working, &c. on this cursed earth. From the seat of the blessed could we take our prospect, men so employed here would appear but as a company of emmets busy in a hillock. The troubles that attend this life are innumerable; and they fly about us, as the midges do on a hot summer-day. All which viewed by the soul, are apt to make a noble mind sick of this life, in its best appearances; as a bird would be of the cage. The only balance for all this is, that in it there is access to praise God in the world. Hereby the meanest things are ennobled, and the hardest things softened, that God is to be honoured in these.
6. As men have access to praise God in this world, they have access to raise their reward in another world. Men think it a great matter to have access to raise an estate for themselves and theirs: but we have access, by our honouring of God in this world, to raise our reward in the other. For though the Lord doth not give eternal glory for our works, he gives it according to them: 2 Cor. 9:6. "He which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly: and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully." And they that have shined here in usefulness most, will shine there in glory most: Dan. 12:3. "They that be wise, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever." Compared with 1 Cor. 15:41. "There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory."
7. Lastly, The praising of God carries a reward in its bosom, to be enjoyed in time: Psal. 19:11. "In keeping of them, [the judgments of the Lord] there is great reward." It is good, pleasant, and comely, Psal. 147:1. There is a secret satisfaction in one's having done his
duty, endeavouring to live to the honour of God, 2 Cor. 1:12. And particularly it makes a pleasant reflection, when one is come to the end of his course: as in the case of Paul, 2 Tim. 4:7. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." Compared with what our Lord says, John 17:4. "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do." And he that praiseth God to others, is himself partaker of the fruits.
III. The third general head is, to shew, How this access to praise God in the world, is, and will be the peculiar mercy of the living.
1. It is the peculiar mercy of us who are now living on the face of the earth; it is peculiar, I say, to us at this time. They who are yet unborn, can do nothing, since as yet they are not: they who are now dead, though yet they are in being, have no access more to praise God in this world, Psal. 115:17. There have been many generations on earth before us; and millions of men and women are gone by death from hence into another world, who sometimes had their turn of access to this praise: but now, though they are, yet not one of them all has access to join us in praising God.
2. In all time to come, to the end of the world, this privilege will be confined to those who for the time shall be on the stage. There will be generations after us, as there have been before us; and the work will be devolved on the next generation for their time; with whom we, being gone off the stage, will have no more access to join, than those already dead have to join with us. And then they will go, and another rise up in their stead, and get the work put into their hands, none of the former to meddle with it: and so on to the end. The reasons are,
1st, There is no returning to this world when once gone. Death is a flitting for good and all, never to come back, Job 7:9, 10. Job was sensible of this, Chap. 10:21. when he said,—"I go whence I shall not
return, even to the land of darkness, and the shadow of death. We must praise him before we lie down in the grave, or never; for there is no rising out of it to that work, Psal. 88:10. We cannot come back, and God will not bring us back.
2dly, The state and business of the two worlds are, by an unalterable purpose, made quite different. Here men are in a state of trial; there in a settled state for ever, according to their management in the trial. Here is the place of working at the command and for the honour of the master; there is the place of the reward of their works. If the sun should come back over from west to east, and so make night day too, the ordinance of heaven would be quite altered; so nobody expects it. As little is the access of any but the living, to praise God in the world, to be expected or looked for.
3dly, This world is under a peculiar mark of divine indignation, as defiled by sin, Gen. 3:17; and should have been destroyed when it was first defiled, had not the Mediator interposed to keep up the tottering fabric for some time for the elect's sake, Is. 49:8. So men are hastened through it, as through a defiled place, and have an opportunity of praising God by the way. And therefore it cannot be expected, that ever that opportunity shall be repeated.
Lastly, When the dead shall live again, this world shall be destroyed, and be no more. As long as we shall lie in our graves, incapable to praise, this world will last: but when we shall live again at the resurrection, it shall be consumed by the general conflagration, and be no more. So there is no access to praise God in the world, but for those that now live, and those that shall live, to the end: Rev. 20:12. —"The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works." Chap. 21:1. "And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were
passed away: and there was no more sea." In the new heavens and earth, no doubt God will be praised, 2 Pet. 3:13. but he will have no more praises here from the hand of any, when once they are gone off the stage, which will fall down under the last generation to be on it.
USE I. Of Information. Hence learn,
1. That the business of life is to honour God in the world. And if that be so, many have been many years in it, that have never yet fallen to their business, nay nor once seriously laid to heart what their business is. O hear the great Master saying to you, Matth. 20:6. "Why stand ye here all the day idle?" and see how ye will answer that question. Ye are busy doing nothing, worse that nothing: but what have ye done, what are you doing, and what will ye do, for God? Ye are living; but what praise, what honour comes to God by your living? What more honour comes to God by your living, than ye would do him if ye were in the grave? I beseech you consider this, as ye will answer it to God, who hath said, Mal. 1:6. "A son hononreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear?
Object. 1. Some I fear will think, though not say, that they have other business to fill their heads and hands with, how to get a throughbearing in the world for them and theirs. Ans. Ah, is another world not worth your consideration? Or can ye think that ever ye shall enjoy God in that world, who are not careful to honour him here? Consider what the Lord says, 1 Sam. 2:30.—"Them that honour me, I will honour: and they that despise me, shall be lightly esteemed." To spend all the time you live in wrestling with this world for a throughbearing, and after ye are dead to wrestle with the wrath of God for ever, is a sad tryst; better ye had never been born. Be
concerned to honour God while ye live; and God will see to your provision while ye live, and make you happy after.
Object. 2. But I have no access to do any thing for the honour of God, in respect of my circumstances in the world: worldly business is by Providence laid to my hand for the business of my life.
Ans. 1. It is a common mistake in point of practice, that there are any who have no access to honour God in the world. Though some are placed in higher and more extensive spheres of activity for God, yet there is no station so low in the world, but it is a sphere wherein people may honour God, if they have a heart for it. This you may see verified in the parable of the talents, Matth. 25:14, 15. "The kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods: and unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to every man according to his several ability, and straightway took his journey." If one is in life, though never so low, according to the text, he may honour God. If one is a magistrate, or a church-officer, he has access to honour God among those over whom he is set. Though he be neither, if he is a person of weight and consideration in the place where he lives; as far as that weight goes, so far goes the sphere of his activity for God, which he is to fill up by honouring God. If he is a master of a family, there is a sphere of activity for God he is put in. If he is a single member of a family, he has a sphere of activity among other single members of it. To this purpose speaks the Apostle, 1 Cor. 7:24. "Brethren, let every man wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
2. It is the honouring of God in our several stations that is the true honouring of him, 1 Cor. 7:24. just now citied. That we cannot do for the honour of God what does not belong to our station, is so far from
being our sin, that it would be a dishonouring of him to attempt it. The moon is useful to the world, though it shines not by day; the stars too, though they shine not so bright as the moon. The hands are useful to the body, though one does not walk on them; the feet, though one does not see with them, &c. Are you a child of a family? your business of life as such is to be an obedient, dutiful, pliable child: are you a servant? yours is to be a faithful, honest, dutiful servant. Whateverrelation you stand in, ye are to honour God by a conscientious practise of the duties of your relation.
3. Whatever business God has laid to your hand, follow it as duty from God laid upon you; so ye will live to his honour. Hence is that exhortation of the apostle, Col. 3:17. "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the father by him." And ver. 23, "Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord." Set about your business as commanded you of God, acting in it as under the eye of God, and looking to his word as your rule, and to the merit of Christ for God's acceptance of it. Whatever trials and sufferings the Lord lays on you, bear them patiently, because it is his will; and bear them for the sake of Christ that bear greater for us; and look for the acceptance of your bearing them through Christ. So shall the honouring of God be the business of your life whatever your circumstances are, high or low.
2. The business of honouring God in the world, formerly in the hands of the former generation, is now devolved on you. See what ye will do with it. To this purpose prophesies the Psalmist David, Psal. 145:4. "One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts." The former generation of the righteous, by keeping the law contended with the wicked, and maintained the honour of God in the world; they rowed against the stream of an ungodly crew, in the face of persecution, sinning, confining, banishment, violent
death, till they fell by death holding up the standard for the honour of God: and then they gave it to you, saying, "The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day; the father to the children shall make known thy truth." On this I would say,
1st, Ye must answer for the standard now. If it go now while ye live, your life shall go for ever for it, though ye were left alone to hold it up: Psal. 60:1. "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee: that it may be displayed because of the truth." Mark 8. ult. "Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when be cometh in the glory of hit Father, with the holy angels." Take heed then, there is a sacred trust committed into your hands; the generations of martyrs all along have conveyed it to you at the expence of their blood, it having been set up first at the expence of the blood of Christ.
2dly, Ye must either hold it up, or treacherously desert into the enemies camp, formed to dishonour God. Hence says our Lord, Matth. 12:30. "He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad." Many set up for neutralists; they go not into all excess with the openly profane, but they are as far from making it the business of their life to honour God. God will rank such with his enemies: Psal. 125 ult. "As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity."
3dly, The saints of former generations will condemn you, as a spurious brood of treacherous men, that made so little account of what they wared their all on to transmit to you: 1 Cor. 6:2. "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" Ye do by your ungodly lives, dishonouring God, declare them fools: the day will come, that
they will declare you fools, worthy to perish for ever, though ye have come out of their loins: Rev. 19:3. "And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever."
3. The business of honouring God in the world ye are to transmit to the succeeding generation, since it is the living, all along in a succession of generations to the end of the world, that have access to the praising of God. Hence says the Psalmist, Psal. 78:2, 3, 4 "I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: which wo have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come, the praises of the Lord; and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done." As ye have received the standard from the former, ye are to hand it down to the succeeding generation; that when ye are gone, instead of the fathers, there may be the children. See to it then, what ye do, that God may be honoured when ye are in the dust.
1st, It lies on every one of you to do for it something: Rom. 14:7. "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." Love to God and your neighbours binds it on you; and none of you can want occasion for it, while ye live among persons, some of whom may live after you; and have a tongue to speak, and hands to act.
2dly, If ye do it not, the honour of God is far from your heart. They that have nothing of God to communicate to others succeeding them, have nothing of God within themselves. Grace is a fire, and fire will go about to set on fire whatever is next it; so that if it do not burn, it is because it is not combustible. In the creation of plants, every tree was made with its seed in itself: so it is in the new creation of the trees of righteousness, John 4:29.
3dly, If ye do it not, ye lay a stumbling block before the succeeding generation, which they may be ruined by. The generation of Jews in Christ's time rejecting the gospel, as they murdered Christ, they have murdered sixteen or seventeen generations of their offspring since. What will come of the succeeding generation that looks to you, that live not to the honour of God? When God calls for the standard for his honour at their hand, they will say, they never saw it; though that will not excuse them, it will aggravate your condemnation.
4. Know, that ye must honour God in the world now or never: Eccl. 9:10. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest." Now is the accepted time, wherein ye may act for your own salvation; miss this time, and the door will be shut on you never to be opened again, Prov. 1:24, &c. Now is the working time for the honour of God, wherein ye may do something for God; miss it, and the occasion you will never more have. I would ask you,
1st, Does it concern you to honour God? or is it none of your business? If the Father created you, certainly ye are bound to live for his honour, Rom. 11. ult. If the Son redeemed you, there is a double tie on you to live for him who died for you, Philip. 1:21. If the Holy Ghost has sanctified you, he has dedicated, fitted, and disposed you for it.
2dly, When will ye lay out yourself for it then? It is not a work to be done at any time, but confined to one time, the time of life. Hence said our Saviour, John 9:4. "I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work." Now the glass is set up to you: there is much of it run, as ye may see by looking to the lower end, the time ye have lived: the upper end ye cannot see, what time ye have yet to live; how soon it may run out
then, ye know not. But it will never be turned for you. When the last sand runs out, the word is given, The master allows no more time for his work to you, Give account of your stewardship.
5. Lastly, Life is valuable, as giving access to honour God in the world. Hence says Hezekiah in the text and context, Is. 38:18, 19. "The grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day; the father to the children shall make known thy truth." There are many impressions of vanity on life. In itself by sin it is become a puff of wind, that passeth away; a vapour suddenly vanishing: it is like a post for swift passage, a dream for vanity, and a dunghill for vileness. It is the place of rendezvous for innumerable troubles and afflictions; and is a low station for an immortal soul, with much meanness about it. There are only two things which it is valuable for, viz. that there is access in it,
1st, To act for eternal salvation to ourselves, which the dead can no more do: 2 Cor. 6:2, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." And in this respect an hour's life may be worth a thousand worlds, because eternity may depend on it, and heaven be secured.
2dly, To act for the honour of God in the world, John 9:4, forecited, which the dead have no more access to. To a good man an opportunity of doing good is valuable, as to an ill man to do mischief. What folk love, they will value access to serve; so the sinner values access to serve his lusts; and the saint to serve his Lord, and his neighbour. So, on this consideration,
(1.) Life is carefully and honourably to be preserved, as a valuable thing; and not to be thrown away, by neglect of the means of its
preservation, or exposing it wilfully to means of destruction; Exod. 20:13, "Thou shalt not kill."
(2.) The access to honour God in life, is to be laid in balance with the troubles of life, that the former may downweigh the latter, by that overweight that God's honour bears to our case; Phil. 1:20, "According to my earnest expectation, and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death."
(3.) It is nicely to be improven to its proper ends, as a precious nonesuch, passing opportunity; every filing of it is to be gathered up as gold sparkling. Hence Paul exhorts to "redeem the time, because the days are evil," Eph. 5:16.
USE 2. Of Reproof to several sorts of persons.
1. To those who look on the business of praising and honouring God in the world as a burden. In itself it is the mercy of life; but they treat it as the plague of life. They are as Doeg, detained before the Lord; and any holy exercise is a weariness to them; as was the case with Israel; Amos 8:5, "When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat?" The Lord takes notice of this temper of spirit, Mal. 1:13, "Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it, and ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts." O how would ye take with heaven? but be sure that ye will never get there in that case, as not being "made meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light," Col. 1:12. Ye will be eased of that burden, but for a heavier one, Rev. 16 ult.
2. To those who look on it as none of their business, whoever else be concerned in it. They make no profession of living to the honour of
God, and their practice is conform. This speaks you neither to look on God as your Master, nor yet as your Father, Mal. 1:6. And if so, doubtless ye cannot look for his reward; nor for the eternal inheritance of his children; where then will lie the gain of this liberty, which you take to yourselves?
3. To those who spend their life without consideration of the chief business of life. They "spend their years as a tale that is told," Psal. 90:9. O how many are dreaming away a lifetime, out of which they are not like to awake till death awake them! They can consider any thing but their soul's state; but the thought of that they cannot dwell on. They that cannot consider the great business of life, will certainly lose the opportunity of that business, and it will sit to them in the end: Prov. 20:4. "The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing.
4. To those who delay the business of honouring God, till they shall be near death. Many such off-putters are there, who can never find the time to begin their work, though they do not want thoughts of it; as was the case with Felix, Acts 24:25. who said to Paul, "Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee." When they are young, they put off till they be old; then, till they be going to die; when sickness takes them, they put off still in hopes of recovery; when they past hopes, they are not capable for it; and so the soul is lost Meanwhile, all they are concerned for at best, is but their own safety, not God's hononr; and being regardless of this latter, no wonder they fall short of the former.
5. Lastly, To those whose life is a life of dishonouring God, by secret and open wickedness and untenderness. And this seems to be the general case of this generation, by which we appear to be a "generation of God's wrath:" Micah 7:2, 4. "The good man is perished
out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood: they hunt every man his brother with a net. The best of them is as a brier: the most upright is sharper than a thorn-hedge: the day of thy watchmen, and thy visitation cometh; now shall be their perplexity." Corruption of life and manners is become universal, so that people are become shameless in their sin, and proof against conviction from the word, being so hardened under the softening means of grace, that the case is grown hopeless; all which cannot miss soon or late to bring down some rousing stroke, Jer. 6:15. "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them, they shall be cast down, saith the Lord."
USE 3. Of exhortation. Make it the business of your life to live to the honour of God.
Quest. How shall we do that?
Ans. 1. Honour him by faith; Rom. 4:20. "Abraham staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. Faith gives God the honour of all his glorious perfections as manifested in the word; and without faith there is no acceptable honouring of him. Therefore the Christian life is a "life of faith," Gal. 2:20. And honour him,
1st, By believing on his Son for salvation, receiving and resting on him as your Saviour, to save you from sin and wrath: 1 John 3:23. "This is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ." If ye honour not God this way, ye honour him not at all, John 5:23. God has sent his Son in the character of Saviour of the world, 1 John 4:14: put your case in his hand, that ye may be saved from your sin, and sanctified by him, and saved from wrath
through him. If ye live in your sins, and will not be healed; if ye do not believe him able and willing to save you, ye dishonour God egregriously in a most tender point; 1 John 5:10, 11. "He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar, because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life: and this life is in his Son.
2dly, By trusting God in Christ in all times and cases: Isa. 26:4. "Trust ye in the Lord for ever." The established way of communication with heaven, is by trust in God: and faith is productive of hope, which is the anchor of the soul, keeping the soul safe and spiritually at rest, in all storms public or private, Psalm 37:7. Trusting in the creature, is a putting it in God's place; and hence bearing such a weight, it bows under it, and fails. But God is honoured by trusting him.
3dly, By believing his word in all the parts of it. Hence is that exhortation of Jehosaphat's, 2 Chron. 20:20. "Believe in the Lord your God, so shall you be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper." God is to be honoured by faith's acting on every part of the word; on the commands, believing the divine authority, equity, and goodness of them, as a transcript of the divine nature, Psal. 119:128; on the promises, believing the certain accomplishment of them, however unlikely, Rom. 4:20, 21; on the threatenings, believing the justice and truth of them, Is. 39 ult. and 66:2.
2. Hononr him by the practice of holiness: 1 Pet. 2:9. "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar, people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. To lead a holy tender life is the way to honour God, conforming to him, and labouring to be like him in all conversation, 1 Pet. 1:15, 16. If ye be not uniform and
universal in your obedience, that part ye are deficient in, may bring a blot on all the rest; as Judas' covetousness and treachery wiped out all his good deeds. And if ye would live to the honour of God, I would recommend to you particularly,
1st, Diligent and reverent worshipping of God: Matt. 4:10—"Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Psal. 89:7. "God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints: and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him." Worship him in your families, morning and evening; worship him in secret by yourselves; worship him in the public assemblies; set up for his honour in the world; make conscience of joining therein for the honour of God. And be reverent in the frame of your heart, and in your outward gesture, as knowing that he is a great God with whom ye have to do: and there can be no reverence in their hearts, who behave irreverently.
2dly, Be nice and exact in point of justice in your dealings; shaking your hands of all gain of unrighteousness, as in the sight of a holy just God: Isa. 33:15, 16. "He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil, he shall dwell on high," &c. That baseness of spirit, disposing to pick and steal, cheat, and catch any little advantage they can get of their neighbour without being discovered, that one can trust them no farther than they see, is most dishonouring to God, as if either he did not see, or else did approve of their wicked practices, Psal. 50:21, 22.
3dly, Be readily disposed to the dutiess of humanity, doing good to your neighbour, being kind, merciful, and compassionate to them that are in distress and need: Col. 3:12. "Put on therefore, (as the
elect of God, holy and beloved) bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering." This honours God in a very particular manner: Luke 6:35, 36. "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again: and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind to the unthankful, and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." And it has much encouragement by promise: Prov. 3:9, 10. "Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine." Psal. 41:1, 2, 3. "Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive, and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and thou wilt not deliver him into the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness. A selfish, unkind, unsympathizing, narrow spirit, is a great stain on an otherwise fair character.
4thly, Be the same in secret when no eye sees you, that you would be in public. This will much honour God, when the conscience of his eye being on you, is as forcible to restrain you from evil, as the eyes of the world would be; as was the case with Joseph, Gen. 39:9. when he said to his lewd mistress, "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" O what do the practisers of secret mischief think of God! They can do a mischief unseen, and then cover it with a lie. But alas! is there not a God in heaven, that sees himself dishonoured by such practices? See Prov. 26:26. Open shame, or else a secret stroke, will be the consequence, Job 20:26.
5thly, Shew yourselves on God's side, in the midst of the dishonours done to him in the world. For ye must either join issue with the dishonourers of his name, or else testify against them: hence says our
Saviour, Matt. 12:30. "He that is not with me, is against me: and he that gathereth not with me, scattereth abroad." If you have no heart nor brow to appear for God, while ye see him dishonoured, remember what God accounts of that, and how he will treat it: Mark 8 ult. "Whosoever shall be ashamed of me, and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels." Beware of being partakers with other men's sins; but set yourselves to be a check upon sin in others, and witnesses against it, else ye honour not God.
6thly, Commend the way of and religion to others, and encourage good motions where ye can perceive them. Grace is communicative for the honour of God; and every gracious person is disposed to propagate religion. Hence said the Lord of Abraham, Gen. 18:19. "I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, &c. The wearing out of that so much now, from what it was in former years, is one of the black symptoms of the decay of religion at this day.
7thly, Learn to bear troubles in the world with a Christian patience, meekness, resignation, and holy cheerfulness. This doth exceedingly tend to the honour of God; as you see exemplified in the worthies mentioned Heb. 11. There is a despising of the chastening of the Lord, wherein the proud and foolish scorn to be lowered by the rebukes of Providence, wherein the atheism of the heart, and contempt of God appears. There is a fainting under the rebukes of Providence, wherein unbelief appears. Both are dishonourable to God, and to be guarded against, Heb. 12:5. The middle course is to God's honour.
Lastly, Walk with God in a conscientious performance of the duties of your station. Hence is that exhortation of the Apostle's, 1 Cor. 7:24. "Brethren, let every man wherein he is called, therein abide with God." That is the sphere wherein ye are set to honour God: and God is much honoured that way. It is exemplified in the case of the priests, Mal. 2:6. in that of wives, 1 Pet. 3:5. and in that of servants, Tit. 2:10. No man can live to the honour of God, who does not carefully notice, and diligently pursue the duties of his station, to the honour of God.
I shall give you a few motives to live to the honour of God.
Mot. I. God is the author of thy life. The life and being thou hast, thou hast from God: Rom. 11 ult. "For of him, and through him, and to him are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen." Therefore "remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth," Ecel. 12:1. And since he is your first cause, is it not reasonable that be be your chief end? The life which you all had from him, will ye not improve for him?
Mot. 2. God is the preserver of thy life. Hence says David, Psal. 36:6. "O Lord, thou preservest man and beast." For every moment's life thou hast had, thou art his debtor. Thy life is continually in his hand, to prolong it, or take it away, as seems good in his sight. If he should but withdraw his upholding hand, thy life would presently go. Every moment there must be a new outletting of influence from him for preservation of thy life. How unaccountable must it be then not to live to his honour? This was a grievous charge against Belshazzar, Dan. 5:23. "The God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified."
Mot 3. God is the giver of all thou hast whereby thou mayst honour him. Hast thou a tongue whereby thou art capable to speak for God,
and hands to act for him? he gave them to thee. Hast thou any health, strength, wealth, and reputation, whereby thou art in capacity to honour him? all is from him: and shall not his own be used for him? Hence saith David, 1 Chron. 29:14. "All things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee." Is it not sacrilegious to do otherwise?
Mot. 4. God puts opportunities in thine hand for honouring him. As he has given thee means whereby thou mayst honour him, so his providence lays to thy hand opportunities calling thee to use them, Luke 19:13. Every opportunity is a providential call, to lay out what the Lord has put in thy hand for his service. And it will be found dangerous to hide one's talents in the earth, and not lay them out for God.
Mot. 5. There are some who are deprived of those abilities or occasions ye have to honour God. So the whole Pagan world is deprived of gospel-light, which we all have; the sick of those which the healthy have. The not improving of them then will aggravate your condemnation, Matth. 11:21. It is sad to be cumberers of the ground in God's vineyard, taking up room in it uselessly, which others might improve to good advantage.
Mot. 6. Ye have forfeited by sin all your abilities, opportunities, and your very life. God might justly have taken them all from us, and made us as incapable to speak or act for his honour, as we have been unwilling to it. But his patience has suffered us long, and he has done us good though unthankful and evil, if peradventure these might lead us to repentance. Shall not this engage us to live to his honour?
Mot. 7. This was the design of the redemption purchased by Christ, Tit. 2:14. "Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good
works." Man was made at first for the honour of God: sin entering rendered him unfit for that his great work. Therefore Christ died that they might be again brought to live to God's honour, Eph. 5:25, 26, 27. If then ye are not so living, it is an evidence Christ's redemption is not applied to you as yet: and if ye continue so, it will evidence that ye are none of the redeemed ones.
Mot. 8. It is the design of the sanctification of the Spirit. Hence says the Apostle, 1 Pet. 2:9. "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." When God puts his Spirit into a man, it is that he may walk in his way, Ezek. 36:27. So that if ye live not to the honour of God, it is an evidence that ye have not the Spirit, but are dead while ye live.
Mot. 9. Lastly, It is a lost life that is not lived to the honour of God, lost in death, eternal death. Hence says our Lord, Matth. 16:25, 26. "Whosoever will save his life, shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Consider, this life is short, it is soon away; it is uncertain, none knows how soon: but such as it is, eternity depends on it; Eccl. 9:10.—"For there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest." If ye live not to the honour of God here, never expect to live with him hereafter in heaven. Remember the end of the slothful servant, Matth. 25:30. "Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth." For your help to live to the honour of God, take these following directions.
1. Allow yourselves the justice once seriously to consider, now that ye are living, and must die, what will be the best way for you to spend that bit of life. It is pity that people should not propose to themselves a design of living, and consider what is that design of life that will come to the best account at length. Surely if ye do, ye will find no design so reasonable and advantageous as this.
2. Then take him for your God in Christ, that ye may live to his honour; and do not think that it is by your living to his honour, that he must become your God. Faith must go before obedience, if ever the obedience be kindly. Faith first embracing salvation in the free offer of the gospel, natively engages the heart to honour God, as a son doth his father.
3. Labour to keep up the love of God in the heart, by believing his love; and that will be a strong band. Hence says the Apostle, 2 Cor. 5:14, 15. "The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: and that he died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again."
Lastly, Firmly believe that there is a reward of grace for the righteous; and that not a good word or good work, spoke or done for God, shall want a reward. Hence is that exhortation of the Apostle's, 1 Cor. 15 ult. "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
DOCT. II. It is the special business and privilege of life, to propagate religion, God's name and praise; the standing generation to the rising generation, the fathers to the children, all along.
In discoursing this doctrine, I shall shew,
I. What it is to propagate religion, God's name and praise, to the rising generation.
II. Who are the standing and rising generation, the fathers and the children, among whom this propagation of religion is to pass.
III. In what respects it is the special business of life.
IV. In what respect it is the special privilege of life.
V. Lastly, Apply,
I. I shall shew what it is to propagate religion, God's name and praise, to the rising generation. It implies these four things.
1. The having of religion ourselves. None can propagate what they have not. If men have not the knowledge and love of God themselves, how can they praise him to others? Men are sensible, that if they gain not a competent portion of the world to themselves, they can leave none to their children: so if they be idle or wasters, they are unjust to their families, 1 Tim. 5:8. Even so if ye are not religions, ye not only dishonour God, and destroy your own souls, but ye are unjust to the rising generations, and destructive to their souls too.
2. The profession of religion. Hence says the Apostle, Rom. 10:10. "With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Men have may a profession without the practise of religion; but the practise requires the profession of it. And no man will ever propagate religion that is not himself a professor of it And the profession must be such as is not visibly contradicted by the practise: for if example destroy what precept builds up, there is no propagating religion to others by that
means. So a credible profession of religion is a debt owing to the rising generation.
3. A desire to continue and spread religion in the world. Without this none will propagate it; for what men have no desire of the continuance or spreading of, they will be lothe to propagate. And it is the want of concern for the continuance and spreading of religion, that makes men so careless about the propagating thereof. They have no due concern for their own souls; therefore they have none either for God's honour, or the good of those that come after them.
4. Lastly, Contributing our endeavours to bring others, and particularly the rising generation, to the knowledge and practice of religion. Hence, says the Psalmist, Psalm 78:2–4, "I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord; and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done." Man is born like a wild ass's colt, wanting both knowledge and experience. We see such as come into our world, come in naked among us; and we judge ourselves obliged to clothe them, feed them, and teach them how to do for themselves. But withal they have and can do as little for their souls as for their bodies; and shall we leave them destitute in that point? How will we answer that to God? Now, to contribute endeavours to bring them to religion, lies in endeavouring,
1st, To bring them to faith in Jesus Christ, which is the foundation of all religion: Psalm 78:7, "That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God; but keep his commandments." They come into the world lost sons and daughters of Adam, under God's wrath and curse. There is a Saviour provided; but they know it not,
till the standing generation tell them of it. They are averse naturally to come to that Saviour, and are not aware of the danger of slighting him: it is justice and charity then to deal with them, in order to convince and bring them in.
2dly, To bring them to holiness of life; as did Abraham, Gen. 18:19, "I know him, (says the Lord), that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." When they come into our world, they bring a corrupt nature with them, which begins early to sprout. Satan will begin his temptations with them as soon as they are capable, losing no time. The longer sin continues in them uncurbed, the stronger does it grow. It nearly concerns the standing generation then to contribute their endeavours to quench the hellish flame, and to turn the stream and course of their life from sin to holiness. And this,
(1.) By precept and counsel, Gen. 18:19, forecited. Thus we are to praise God to them, by word of mouth. We should shew them what we have to say in God's behalf, commend religion to them, disparage the way of sin and of the world to them; bind duty on their conscience, by shewing them the tie of the word, and oblige them thereto by any authority we have over them.
(2.) By example. Let us write out religion in our own walk before them, that they may be brought to copy after us. Those precepts that are illuminated with example, are most ready to take. Beware of casting an ill example before their eyes; for the corruption of nature lies that way; and he that sins before a child, sins twice; for his sin lies fair to be repeated by the young spectator.
(3.) By dependence on the Lord for a blessing on the means used for their good. Hence says the apostle, 2 Cor. 10:4. "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down
of strong holds." Whoever he be that plants, if God give not the increase there will be none, 1 Cor. 3:6. That is a great truth in all cases, in spiritual as well as worldly things, 1 Sam. 2:9. "By strength shall no man prevail." If a man should use the best arguments, the strongest motives, the most feasible measures, for bringing others into the way of religion; and upon the suitableness of the means promise himself success, he takes the way most likely to render them ineffectual. The word spoken needs to be mixed with faith in the speaker. And he is most likely to succeed that uses the means of God's appointment for doing good, with entire dependence on the Lord for success.
(4.) Lastly, By prayer for them. Thus it is promised concerning Christ, Psal. 72:15. that "prayer shall be made for him continually," viz. that his kingdom may come, by the daily coming in of new subjects to him. Since the success of all that we can do for the good of the rising generation depends on the Lord's blessing, it is necessary that we plead for them at the throne of grace, quickening ourselves thereto, by consideration of the honour of God, and their eternal welfare, that depend on it.
The second general head was to shew, Who are the standing and rising generation, the fathers and the children, among whom this propagation of religiou is to pass. And this must be stated according to the language of the Holy Ghost, and the analogy of other parts of Scripture, if we would rightly see whose is this duty. In general I shall premise,
1. All superiors and inferiors are, in Scripture-style, comprehended under fathers and children. This is plain from the fifth commandment, which, under the name of father and mother, whose
relatives children are, prescribes the mutual duties of superiors and inferiors. Therefore every one is to propagate religion to his inferiors.
2. Forasmuch as there is no perfect and absolute equality among men, but some who are inferior in one respect to others, may be superior to them in another respect; it is the duty of equals and inferiors to propagate religion among themselves, and to their superiors, mutually communicating their light and warmth.
3. Some may belong to the standing generation in one respect, who belong to the rising one in another; as a person who is inferior to some, and superior to others. So they are to have it propagated to them, and they are to propagate it to others again.
4. Lastly, The same command of God that binds the standing generation and fathers to propagate religion, binds the rising generation and children to receive it. God, by binding parents to instruct, binds the children to receive instruction. And they that are the rising generation now will be the standing in a little. But more particularly,
1. Fathers of the state; magistrates, supreme or subordinate, are to propagate religion to their political children, their subjects. They are God's vicegerents on earth, clothed with dominion and authority over others, to be employed for God in whose name they act. Hence is that promise, Is. 49:23. "Kings shall be thy nursing-fathers, and their queens thy nursing-mothers." And it is one of the blackest symptoms of the corruption of the world, that ofttimes they are found set to extirpate religion.
2. Fathers in the church, ministers, and other ruling church-officers, to their ecclesiastical children, the people whom they are set over, 2 Kings. 2:12. It is for this very end they are put in office. Hence, says
the Apostle, Heb. 13:17. "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account: that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." Jesus Christ brought this religion from heaven, employed his apostles to propagate it; to them they succeed in the office of propagating religion; and must see to make it their business, as they will be answerable.
3. Fathers of families to their children. For every family ought to be a church, wherein holy worship, doctrine, discipline, and government ought to be maintained, by the heads thereof. And particularly,
1st, Fathers and mothers to the children procreated of their bodies. This is the chief thing in the text, "The father to the children shall make known thy truth. Compared with Gen. 18:19. "I know him, that he will command his children, and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." It is but an inferior part of your charge to provide meat and clothes for your children, and to put them in a way of living; the chief part is to see to their souls, that they may be recovered out of the lost state they are in by nature. It will be but a sorry kindness, to be concerned for their provision in time, if ye neglect them as to their eternal concerns. It is by them your name is to be propagated, and you are to propagate God's name to them, in point of gratitude to God, justice and natural affection to them.
2dly, They are to do it also to all others in their family, whether they be servants, or whatever they be, if they be members of the family for shorter or longer time. Being in your family, ye are instead of fathers and mothers to them, and owe them that benefit. Hence masters are called fathers, 2 Kings 5:13; and the duty of propagating religion is expressly extended to one's household, Gen. 18:19, forecited. And
whosoever have the chief authority in a family, though they be servants themselves, are the fathers of it in this sense.
4. Fathers in gifts or grace, to those who are children in these respects in comparison of them, 1 John 2:12, 13. So Joseph was a father to Pharaoh, Gen. 45:8. If God has bestowed on you more gifts or grace than on others, mind ye are thereby made fathers to those that are weaker than you, and are obliged to communicate your light to them, 1 Cor. 12:7. So teachers are called fathers, Gen. 4:20; and the Spirit of God the common Father, 1 Sam. 10:12. It will then make a dreadful reckoning, for men to have gifts, and not lay them out for the benefit of others; to use their gifts just for ostentation, and instead of helping, to braugle, and confound, and perplex the weaker with them.
5. Fathers in years, to those who are children in respect of age to them, 1 Tim. 5:1, 2. It is Elihu's observe, Job. 32:7. that "days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom." The more days the more experience, the more access to improve in knowledge; and so to be the more useful to the younger. Mind, then, that your superiority in years constitutes you fathers to those younger than you. Ye will not forget it in point of the regard ye expect from them, and God allows you it, 1 Pet. 5:5; but then ye should make conscience of the duty too, propagating religion to them.
Thus ye see the standing and rising generation. And if these fathers would set themselves to the propagating of religion to their respective children, the work would go on.
III. The third general head was to shew, In what respects it is the special business of life. The business of life appointed by the great Master is manifold; but the sum of it is to honour God, Rom. 11 ult; and the chief branch thereof, the special business of life, is to
propagate religion, the standing to the rising generation. This will appear in the following particulars.
1. It is the business of life, that would have been the business of it though sin had never entered into the world. The business of the lawyer, and physician, and many handicrafts now in the world, owe their original and necessity to sin's entrance. Nay, the very business of our own salvation does so too; for if Adam had stood the time of trial, all his posterity's eternal happiness would have been thereby secured to their hand. But God having settled the manner of the propagation of mankind, as Gen. 1:28. it was an evidence that the succeeding generations were not to be created in their prime as Adam was; but to be born infants, and grow up by degrees, in knowledge of religion and other things, as appears from Luke 2 ult. And this would have afforded this business.
2. It is the business of life, that most singly looks to the honour of God. God is honoured by our working out our own salvation; but then our own advantage bears great stroke in it allowably, as well as his honour; but this is a business carried on not for ourselves, but for God allenarly; and in that respect is the more noble. Hence we find the Apostle willing, for the great end of the propagation of religion, either to live or die, to put off his own eternal happiness for a time, Phil. 1:26, downwards. And he prefers one's edifying the church, to his own comfort, 1 Cor. 14:4, 5. He edifies the church that edifies his house, Neh. 3:28, 30.
3. It is the business of life, that is the end of life and salvation given to the elect, and all their comforts and enjoyments. Hence said our Lord to Peter, Luke 22:32. "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." We get life and salvation by believing in Christ; and are as really possessed
of eternal life that we can never lose, upon our first believing, as the saints in heaven are, though not in that measure, 1 John 5:11, 12. When the Lord had a mind to honour Paul to propagate religion, he reached his own heart first by his grace; and then, having so furnished him, he set him to work. Is not that the special business of life for which God brings people into a state of salvation?
4. It is the business of life that the new creature as natively falls to as the new-born infant falls a-breathing. Hence it is said, Psal. 22:30, 31. "A seed shall serve him, it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this." So the woman of Samaria, John 4:29. "Come, see a man which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?" Paul, as soon he was converted, fell a-propagating the religion that before he persecuted. Grace makes people communicative; and there is never a soul in which the leaven of grace is received, but would, if it could, leaven the whole world with the same.
5. It is the business of life that is most useful to mankind. And we should remember, that both conscience and interest require us to live so as to be useful to our fellow-creatures; Rom. 14:7. "For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself." Some have been great blessings to mankind by their usefulness, in propagating arts and sciences, in relieving the oppressed, and helping the needy; but none so useful as those who have propagated religion among them; as extending not only to their good in this, but the other world, Is. 19:24, 25. And a disposition to be useful to mankind would prompt men to this duty.
6. It is the business of life of the most diffusive usefulness. It brings honour to God, comfort to one's self, and advantage to others; it
brings advantage to their souls, tends to make them holy here, and happy hereafter. It reaches not only to the present generation, but to the generations yet unborn; in so far as, you propagating religion to your children, they will propagate it again to theirs, and theirs to theirs, and so on. It is to be lamented, that some children follow not the steps of their religious parents. But everybody may observe, that there are some families wherein one generation after another appears for God; others, wherein, generation after generation, religion can never get place among them. Trace these back, and ye may come to one that was careful to propagate religion to his children, and his children propagated it again to theirs, and so on; and to another that had no care that way about his children, and his children had as little again about theirs, and so on.
7. Lastly, It is the business of life that is the most valuable, most worthy of the dignity of an immortal soul, and likest the life that Christ led in the world. The business of most men is nothing but laborious trifling; their thoughts, cares, and time, are wholly spent on things pertaining to this life, as if they had souls of no other constitution than their bodies. It is nothing like the life of Christ, who went about doing good, propagating religion: 1 Pet. 2:21. "Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps." Compared with 1 John 2:6. "He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked."
IV. The fourth thing proposed was, to shew In what respect it is the special privilege of life.
1. It is that whereby we may honour God most, and so answer the end of our creation most. In our own embracing religion, we receive the light, in propagating it we diffuse the light received to the greater glory of God: 1 Pet. 2:9. "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." Hence among those who turn from sin unto righteousnes, those who turn most of others to it will have the greatest glory: Dan. 12:3. "They that be wise, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever."
2. It is that whereby we may be most useful in the world to others. No benefit done to our fellow-creatures is comparable to it. We have indeed access to do for their temporal advantage, but this is for their eternal. And when the opportunity of life is over, there is no more doing that way, Luke 16:27, downwards.
USE. I. Of reproof to several sorts of persons. And,
1. To those who make no conscience of propagating religion to their families, among their children and servants. Every man is, by divine appointment, the prophet of his own family to teach them, the priest to worship God with them, and the king to rule them. Each will maintain his own authority to his power; but family worship, with many, is not so closely stuck to, but family teaching least of all, which is yet commanded of God: Deut. 6:6, 7. "These words which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and thou shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up." The want of this makes ministerial teaching in preaching and examination so unsuccessful. How will men answer this neglect of the special business of life?
2. To those who are backward and averse to receive family instruction, or submit to family discipline, checks and reproofs for
their miscarriages. They will get away from family catechising on Sabbath nights, shift family exercise, and cannot endure to be checked for their miscarriages; and therefore they like best to be in those families where least of these is to be found. But if it is the duty of others to propagate religion to you, it is on the peril of your souls ye refuse to receive it. It will aggravate your condemnation, John 3:10.
3. To those who set an ill example before those that are younger than they. Much of the corruption of children, is owing to the ill examples set them by parents, servants, and others whom they are near. This lets them see much ill which they would otherwise be ignorant of; and the bias of their nature lying that way, they are, by that means, carried down the stream. So a woe is is brought on themselves, and them that set them the copy: Matt, 18:7. "Woe unto the world because of offences: for it must needs be that offences come: but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh. Oh that men would consider, that they do in effect teach that which they do or say before the younger sort; for childhood is the imitating age.
4. To those who do not check the outbreaking of corrupt nature in those of the younger sort, especially parents in their children. O the cruelty of some parents, who, by their ceasing to nip sin in the bud in their children, betray them into such habits of sin as afterwards it is too late to correct. They will neglect prayer, profane the Sabbath, swear, lie, and meet with no check; they will steal little things, and the parents will make them welcome. And thus, by their parent's means, some are so accustomed to sin, that, as they grow, it grows, till it brings some to an ill end. Remember the children of Bethel, 2 Kings 2:23, 24.
5. To those who propagate irreligion to the rising generation; who teach a young generation to despise serious godliness, to contemn the ordinances of God, and to lead loose and licentious lives, impatient of restraint. Do they not propagate irreligion who keep up their minced oaths, "haith," "faith," &c. which would die out of our language, were it not that they were propagated from father to son, from the old to the young; who keep up the observation of superstitions times and customs, Yule, Fastens-even, &c. the relics of Popery and Paganism, which might be razed out of memory, were it not that they are carefully propagated from one generation to another?
6. To those that go about to debauch a young generation, by instilling into them loose and licentious principles, which youth is ready to fall in with; by taking a liberty with them in obscene filthy speaking, making youthful lasts the subject of their mirth and sport; leading them in to drunkenness, an inlet to all other vices; tempting them to the commission of the sin of uncleanness with them, which will be bitterness in the end to the seducer and the seduced; encouraging them to acts of dishonesty, cheating and stealing from their parents or masters. These are factors for hell, who do what in them lies to destroy souls Christ died for.