It has been said, and as I believe, truly, that there is no virtuous quality belonging to the human character, of which there is not some distinct and eminent example to be found in the Bible; no relation, in which we can be placed, no duty which we have to discharge, but that we may observe a pattern for it in the sacred history. Of the duty of children to parents, of a son to his father, maintained under great singu-. larities and variations of fortune, undiminished, nay, rather increased by absence, by distance, by unexampled success, by remote and foreign connections, you have seen, in this most interesting and conspicuous of all histories, as amiable an instance, as can be met with in the records of the world, in the purest, best ages of its existence.

SERMON X.

(PART I.)

TO THINK LESS OF OUR VIRTUES, AND MORE

OF OUR SINS.

PSALM LI. 3.

"My sin is ever before me."

THERE is a propensity in the human mind,

very general and very natural, yet, at the same time, unfavourable in a high degree to the christian character; which is, that, when we look back upon our lives, our recollection dwells too much upon our virtues; our sins are not, as they ought to be, before us; we think too much of our good qualities, or good actions, too little of our crimes, our corruptions, our fallings off and declension from God's laws, our defects and weaknesses. These

we

we sink and overlook, in meditating upon our good properties. This, I allow, is natural; because, undoubtedly, it is more agreeable to have our minds occupied with the cheering retrospect of virtuous deeds, than with the bitter, humiliating remembrance of sins and follies. But, because it is natural, it does not follow, that it is good. It may be the bias and inclination of our minds; and yet neither right, nor safe. When I say that it is wrong, I mean, that it is not the true christian disposition; and when I say that it is dangerous, I have a view to its effects upon our salvation.

I say, that it is not the true christian disposition; for, first, how does it accord with what we read in the christian scriptures, whether we consider the precepts, which are found there applicable to the subject, or the conduct and example of christian characters.

Now, one precept, and that of Christ himself, you find to be this: "Ye, when ye shall have done all those things, which are com

manded

manded you, say, we are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do." Luke xvii. 10. It is evident, that this strong admonition was intended, by our Saviour, to check in his disciples an over-weaning opinion of their own merit. It is a very remarkable passage. I think none throughout

the New Testament more so. And the intention, with which the words were spoken, was evidently to check and repel that opinion of merit, which is sure to arise from the habit of fixing our contemplation so much upon our good qualities, and so little upon our bad ones. Yet this habit is natural, and was never prohibited by any teacher, except by our Saviour. With him it was a great fault, by reason of its inconsistency with the favourite principle of his religion, humility. I call humility not only a duty, but a principle. Humble-mindedness is a christian principle, if there be one; above all, humble-mindedness towards God. The servants, to whom our Lord's expression refers, were to be humble-minded, we may presume, towards one another; but towards

their Lord, the only answer, the only thought, the only sentiment was to be, we are

to

unprofitable servants." And who were they, that were instructed by our Lord, to bear constantly this reflection about with them? Were they sinners, distinctively so called? were they grievous, or notorious sinners? nay, the very contrary; they were persons, "who had done all those things, that were commanded them !" This is precisely the description which our Lord gives of the persons, whom his lesson was directed. Therefore, you see, that an opinion of merit is discouraged, even in those, who had the best pretensions to entertain it; if any pretensions were good. But an opinion of merit, an over-weaning opinion of merit, is sure to grow up in the heart, whenever we accustom ourselves to think much of our virtues and little of our vices. It is generated, fostered, and cherished by this train of meditation we have been describing. It cannot be otherwise. And if we would repress it; if we would correct ourselves in this respect;