it? Nay, but are they rich this way, in works of usefulness and charity? What matters it they be otherwise rich if they be not rich in good works? Not being so they have only heaped treasure together for the last days.'* Have they been willing to communicate, ready to distribute, and so have they been storing up for the time to come? This is the rich man in God's account; not simply he that has riches, but he that uses his riches in good works; who for Christ's sake is continually making draughts on his purse, and transferring his substance into the funds of grace and glory. That soul is in the very way to perish through want, who is rich in purse, yet poor in good works; who trusts in his riches, and boasts in his riches. Alas! such an one sets his eyes on that which is not; his riches certainly make themselves wings, and flee away.'+ Thirdly.-Age makes a difference between men, and demands reverence and honour. 'Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.' Younger persons must behave with reverence towards those who are in years, and not carry themselves towards them as if they were their equals. 'Honour the face of the old man: I am the Lord.' I command and require thee to do so; I will not have old age despised, but honoured; and if thou do it not, though hoary heads cannot punish thee, yet I assuredly can and will. To reverence old age is not only a piece of good manners, but a point of duty and therefore it is said of Elihu, that he waited till Job had spoken, because they were elder than he; I am young, and ye are very old, wherefore I was afraid, I durst not show you mine opinion.'§ You see the practice of Elihu carries in it a reproof of the common pertness and forwardness of youth, who, conceited in their own sufficiency, will be opening themselves in every matter, and deciding that of which they who are three times their age modestly doubt. It is noted in Isaiah, as a curse that goes along with the subversion of a state, That the children shall behave themselves proudly against the ancients.'|| And if so, we have no cause to boast, I suppose, that our young people are men and women now some years sooner than they were wont to be formerly; 6 ⚫ James v. 3. Levit. xix. 32. Isaiah iii. 5. that they affect with an unripe haste to be their own masters, make little account of the aged, and want to thrust out of the world those of years and experience.—And if such respect and reverence be due to old people, they ought by a heavenly, grave, cheerful, and condescending conduct, to put a crown of glory upon their own hoary heads. For the hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness." But, if not, how signal a disgrace! how base and despicable a thing is that person who has outlived everything but his vices! If there be nothing of grace upon his lips, who is just stepping into the grave, but his talk is vain, light, foolish, insignificant, lewd, or profane, what a snare is such an one to the young! how doth he tempt them to despise and cast off all reverence toward him! Is such a grey head a glory? What, when it affects the vanities of youth, when it mixes in the pleasures of boys and girls, when it casts off all reverence to itself, and seems industriously seeking to render itself ridiculous? Is this what age owes to God, and to the growing generation? No; but, as our bodies decay, so our souls should increase in gravity and soberness, in faith and love, and heavenly-mindedness and meekness. How dead should old age be to the world it is just leaving! O how detestable is covetousness and greediness, when the body is even dropping into the earth and then how patient also, sweet, affable, and gentle, should they be ! Thus they shall adorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and command the respect of others. But when they are seen more griping, distrustful, and worldly, with their years; when they are impatient, fretful, peevish, and froward; when their will may not be crossed a hair's breadth, and they have learnt nothing of meekness and forbearance, but are obstinate, continually angry, and displeased with all about them; then where is the honour of the hoary head, or how can they complain if they are treated without respect and reverence ?—And thus much of outward distinctions, and the duties arising from them. : Secondly.-Besides these, there are natural gifts and acquisitions such as great parts, knowledge, learning, wisdom, and other gifts of the mind. Now as these, whatever they be, and in whatever measure ministered, are God's distributions, they *Prov. xvi. 31. must be used to his glory. You think you have more sense, more knowledge, more learning, discretion, and prudence, than another. Suppose you have; from whom did you receive these distinguishing gifts? If from God, for what end? What, that like Ahithophel, a great politician,* you might only serve your own purposes by them; or, like Tertullus, pervert right? Did God give you them only to make you admired and esteemed, that you might make a figure in life, that people of a lower class in such gifts might truckle and bow before you, that you might disdain their slowness and ridicule their ignorance, boasting yourself on your own superiority? All this is abuse of such gifts, and yet very common is such abuse. It is no easy matter to be possessed of such gifts as make us differ, and yet to be humble in the use of them as if there were no difference. Did you never find your heart rising up with pride and conceit, when you saw your preference to others in knowledge; when they have run upon some misadventure which they would have escaped had they followed your advice; when they have sought to you for direction and counsel, and the thing has prospered? Have you never boastingly set yourself off, and contrived to let people see how expert, ready, sensible, and knowing you were? nor triumphed in your heart at least, if not in terms, and sneered on the evidence of their insufficiency in comparison of you ? Were you never impatient of others' opinions, and eager to establish your own, as if you expected to be treated as an oracle? The most run great lengths this way, spoiling all by their selfseeking, and prostituting to the ends of their own praise the eminent gifts God has bestowed upon them. What an instance of the contrary was St. Paul! In him you see great parts, and the most excellent gifts, put to a right use; not to adorn the man, but to adorn the Gospel of Christ. So Moses had done before him; eminent as he was in all the knowledge of the Egyptians, and accomplished with the greatest natural and divine gifts, all was humbly devoted to the honour of God and the interests of his people. These are patterns set out for others of eminence this way to walk after. But do they tread in their steps, devoting their abilities to the service of the Church of Christ, yea, or even employing them in the civil interests of the community? Are they not rather used to selfish ends, to purchase reputation, interest, and honour? And is not this too much the case in every profession? Even in the lowest ranks of men, what boasting, vaunting, and despising of others, doth not a little eminence in their way produce ?-But, however this be, these things are the gifts of God, and therefore reverence is due to those on whom he has bestowed them. Such are considerable men, God has made them so, and consequently marked them out for respect. Indeed, let them behave as they will, the world could not well do without them, and therefore they are a blessing from God. Indeed, while they abuse their talents, they turn their gifts to be a curse unto themselves; and when God pleases they may be a sore judgment upon others: yet on the whole God overrules, and makes them, act as they will, subservient to his ends in the government of the world. They must be honoured therefore, and it is a foul and base sin to be envious of them, to go about to lessen their endowments, to be continually at our buts and exceptions against them, and to be trying all the means in our power to bring them down to our standard. This is a mischievous sin, derogates from God's gifts, and hurts their usefulness. How much doth it do so if these endowments be guided and directed by a sanctified heart, and the man of parts, learning, wisdom, and prudence, be laying himself out in the cause of religion, and the present and future welfare of men! Yet this is the way of a wicked world. Even all the gifts of Jesus could not screen him from the imputation of having a devil, and being mad. * First, the man has the character of being mad, and then they run him down. This was always the way of the world. But this leads us to the remaining head, which I shall speak to in the afternoon. From what you have heard this morning you may learn two things: First. The adorable wisdom of God in the government of the world, which, by distributing the whole of mankind into various ranks, stations, and seasons of life, as also by distinguishing some above others by gifts and endowments of the mind, has laid the plainest foundation for carrying on his government, forwarding the happiness of his creatures, and uniting us together in love. We may see clearly that none of these excellent ends *John x. 20. could have been answered had there been an equality in all these things between all men. And therefore, Secondly. We may learn the very destructive nature of pride, which strikes at the root of God's design in all these wise distributions. Pride, by making superiors conceited and puffed up on their distinctions, causes that they seek themselves, and not the glory of God, nor the happiness of others, in the use of them; and on the other side suggesting impatient, undutiful, and stubborn thoughts into the hearts of inferiors, will not allow that their superiors shall be of any service. While God says to the great, the wealthy, the aged and the wise, Seek my glory, seek the good of all men in these eminences I have bestowed upon thee; Pride cries with a louder cry, Thou art something, seek thyself. While God is commanding inferiors, Honour, reverence, and submit to all those whom I have set over you; stubborn inbred Pride is claiming in them the right of independency and casting off all restraints. So dreadful a thing is pride! so blessed might we be, if we were but humble! and therefore let us pray God to humble us in the sight of our sins, and especially of those we have been guilty of against this commandment, that, while we cry for his mercy with broken hearts, we may grow disposed meekly to use his gifts one towards another, and cheerfully to submit to those he has set above us in his fear for Jesus Christ's sake.-I am now, Thirdly. To speak of the honour to be paid to spiritual attainments. Grace is God's best gift in this world; so, wherever it is given in a saving degree, it must be possessed with much humility and devotedness to God's glory; as also on the other part it must be esteemed and imitated. The Scripture-history records a variety of persons in the Church, from the first age of the world, who were shining lights unto it, lived by faith, walked with God, and served him faithfully. And so it will be in all ages of the Church, God will not leave himself without witness, but will raise up a people to his name. Doubtless, however we live in these last and worst times, there is no inconsiderable number of such all over Christendom, men and women, who have obeyed the divine invitation, laid hold on the offered mercy, and come out from the ways and practices of a wicked world. Now hereupon arises a double inquiry. |