The absence of this meekness produces a false estimation of life, and gives birth to many follies, and some vices; a proud man is, in his own eyes, the best, and greatest work of God; the most trivial circumstances which relates to himself, is of more importance than the happiness, or misery of a province; as often as he condescends to' mention them, he exacts the most lively, and watchful sympathy to the minutest of his pleasures, and his pains: as he is every thing to himself, he expects he should be every thing to you; he not only confines his thoughts to this world, but to that particular atom of it which he is; whether this atom be hot, or cold, or moist, or dry, or joyful, or sad; these are the principles which, in his estimation, should diffuse joy, or sadness over the creation, and regulate the sum of things. Placability is a common attribute of the character described in my text: whoever thinks humbly of himself, will not be prone to conceive the injuries he experiences, as too atrocious for pardon, too enormous to be washed away with tears, or atoned for this ornament of a meek, and a quiet spirit, and the expedients which suggest themselves for the subjugation of those passions which are unfriendly to its attainment; for it is ever our duty to promote the fruit of the spirit, which are joy, and peace, and rest; it has pleased God to try us here, with divers diseases, and sundry kinds of death; these we cannot strive with, and when God calls them away, we must part with children, and we must often bear miserable wants, and sorrows; but these are enough; let us not pour fresh bitterness into the bitter cup of life:-A little while and we shall be gone hence, and be no more seen; till then, peace, forgiveness of injuries, and tenderness to the infirmities of man. We may thus catch a few moments from the inclemency of fate, and open in our hearts those springs of love, and mercy, which will flow on, till they are swallowed up by the grave. SERMON XXI. MARK II. VERSES XXIII. XXIV. XXVII, And it came to pass that he went through the corn fields on the Sabbath day, and his disciples began to pluck the ears of corn. And the Pharisees said unto him, behold, why do they, on the Sabbath day, that which is not lawful; and he said unto them, the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. As the Sabbath day is of divine institution, we are bound to keep it holy; and we should have been equally bound to have done so, if we were unable to discover the reasons for which its sanctification was ordained; but |
