Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[ocr errors]

the fame fidelity I have ferved the world; were I as obedient to thy commands, as I have been to those of the flesh; and as ready to follow thy holy inspirations, as the temptations of the devil how happy fhould I be, notwithstanding my past irregularities! From this inftant, I deteft my past behaviour, and refolve to amend it. Thofe members, that have ferved to fin, by mortification and penance, fhall be confecrated to my fanctification, and every action fhall be directed to God's honour and my falvation.

To perfwade the Romans more effectually to the obfervance of Chrift's law, and to a total change of manners, St. Paul asks them what fruit they bad in those things, whereof they are now ashamed? Oh! did chriftians propofe to themselves daily this queftion: What fruit bad you in those things, whereof you are now ashamed? I have spent all my thoughts and time upon things, that either flattered my vanity, or my fenfuality. Intereft carried me beyond the bounds of justice; and pleasure beyond thofe of decency, and even nature. My actions have been as lawless as my defires; and these have coveted all, my imagination has reprefented, either pleafing to fenfe, or agreeable to nature. fruit had I then in those things? Difappointment in my enterprizes, chagrin in my misfortunes, and fhame in my enjoyments; and at present, diseases in my body, remorfe in my foul. This is the only fruit I have reaped of my former life; and without repentance, hell in the future: For the end of those things is death. Temporal death puts an end to finful enjoyments; and an eternal death begins their punishment.

What

Nor is this question profitable only to thofe, who have abfolutely tranfgrefs'd the effential points of their duty; but even to those, who have rather idled, than finned away their time, in childish

amufe

amusements: What fruit therefore had you in those things? I pleas'd my fancy; enjoy'd my eafe; and liv'd without conftraint in indolence and unconcern. Whilft I might have heap'd up treasures for the next life, I have fauntered away this. For tho I have been always bufy, I have really done nothing; because it is nothing in the fight of God, that tends not to his glory and my falvation.

Oh! how foolish are we with all our reason! how indiscreet, with all our wifdom! what avails it, to reason well, unless we live well? To take just measures in the management of our temporal concerns, if we overlook thofe that are eternal ? All worldly wisdom in the fight of God and his angels is downright folly; it is vain, empty, and infignificant.

What then will become of me, O God, who have not only neglected to lay in provifions of good works for heaven, but have heap'd up a number of bad works, for fewel to burn my crimes in hell? If I abide by thy justice, I am loft: my hope relies only on thy mercy: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all: I will, from my past miscarriages, be more cautious for the future: I will correct my lukewarmnefs by a new fervour, and cancel my fins by a fincere repentance.

But if the only fruit of fin be fhame and remorfe; that of virtue is content here, and glory hereafter: But now being made free from fin, and become fervants of God, ye have your fruit unto holinefs, and the end everlasting life: For the wages of fin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life. Piety has this advantage; that, even in this world, it is honourable and glorious. The worst of men esteem it, tho' they will not take the pains to purchase it: It is waited on by joy, by a calmnefs and quiet of confcience, and is followed by life everlafting. Oh how different are the fruits of virtue

from

from thofe of vice! That brings forth confidence; This fhame. That joy; This repentance. That repofe of confcience; This remorfe. That, in fine, ends in glory; This in torments: For the wages of fin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life.

What man in his wits will prefer fin, with all its prefent charms, together with a reverfion of eternal mifery, before virtue (tho' the practice be hard) with eternal happiness. O! could we but dive into this eternity, and furvey the joys and punishments of the next life! what a change of manners fhould we fee in this? To fuffer eternally, for a pleasure as vain, as fhort; for a pleasure, that began one moment, and ended the next; (The wages of fin is death ;) what madnefs! to undergo a fmall reftraint, a fhort mortification of fenfe, for a life as happy, as it is everlasting! (The gift of God is eternal life ;) what wifdom! Both thefe lie before thee. Thou may'ft chufe either. Practise virtue, and thou wilt live eternally; but if thou falleft into fin, without repentance, thou dieft eternally: For the wages of fin is death.

GOSPEL of St. Matthew, Chap. vii. Verse

15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

16. Ye shall know them by their fruits: Da men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17. Even fo every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit: neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

19. Every

19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is bewen down and caft into the fire.

20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

21. Not every one that faith unto me, Lord, Lord, fhall enter into the kingdom of heaven : but he that doth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

The MORAL REFLECTION.

TH

HIS paffage begins with a caution against falfe preachers: Beware of false prophets, but especially of those, who come in fheeps cloathing, who veil their malice under an affected modefty, and cover their vices with an exterior mortification. This air of piety is fufpicious: 'tis common to feducers, and orthodox preachers; to thofe, who devour the flock, and those that feed it.

But our Saviour not only commands us to take heed of them; but also tells us by what marks we may diftinguish them: By their fruits ye shall know them. They quote fcripture eternally, and make it speak their fenfe by mifinterpretations. They praife the fevere difcipline of the ancient church, and run down the practice and indulgence of the prefent. They characterise Chrift's chafte fpoufe for a prostitute, and lay at her door all the debaucheries of her rebellious children. They require a blind obedience of their inferiors to their doctrine, yet refufe fubmiffion to their fuperiors. Their zeal is factious, their charity bitter, and their humility proud and, in a word, they are sheep without, wolves within: But inwardly they are ravening wolves. A true paftor has also distinguishing marks, as well as the wolf: a charity without

intereft;

intereft; a zeal without bitterness; a true piety without hypocrify to inferiors he is fweet fubmiffive to fuperiors: By their fruits ye fall know them. Of that men fhould take fo much pains to damn themselves, and to plunge their brethren into the fame misfortune! But to head a party is a bewitching temptation, and experience proves, that few overcome it.

As our Saviour has given us a distinctive fign between falfe and true prophets; fo, in the following verfe, he leaves us a mark, by which we may know, whether our virtues are real, or counterfeit: Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit. What is this tree, but our heart? And what is this fruit but virtue? Our heart is right in the fight of God, if it produces charity, humility, fubmiffion to his providence, and all other virtues he either commands or counfels : Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit. It is fruit God requires, not bloffoms: i. e. feeble and weak purposes of an entire converfion; which go no farther, but end where they began, and vanish in a moment: difficulties nip them in the bud, and floth hinders them from growing to maturity. Is not this my cafe? I form fometimes good defires. I frame in the air projects of reformation; but alas! I ftop here: and fo bring forth my bloffoms, but no fruit. I promife much, but do nothing,

But alas! good purposes, unless executed, will not fave me: Every tree, that bringeth not forth good fruit, fhall be cut down, and caft into the fire. O how fevere is this fentence! and yet I do not tremble. How infupportable the torment it condemns me to! yet I am infenfible. To be condemned to fire, who can endure it? But to ́eternal fire, who can comprehend it? Yet this is the doom of thofe, who yield not good fruit:

they

« AnteriorContinuar »