And, now Sirs, if all this goes 1to make an upright man, what shall I say! where dwell these upright men? how very few is the number of them! The wise man was in the right, Prov. 20 6, 7. Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? It is a general course for most men to blow their own Trumpet, and fetch about most of their stories and discourses to end in themselves, and to set out their own goodness; but a faithful true right man, who can find? The next verse will show him you, The just man walking in his integrity. That's the man in the Bible, if we could match him in the World. I doubt not but there are many such in the World, but verily there are few such in comparison; so resigned to God, resolved for God, such single-hearted, sound-hearted, sincere-hearted, whole-hearted, plain-hearted men; such inward, universal and constant Christians; Persons ⟨p. 76⟩of that Simplicity, Purity, Perfection, and Plainness of Life and Conversation; such enemies to Flattery, Lying, Equivocation, Promise-breaking, Craftiness, Time-serving, Defrauding and Injustice. Good Lord! how rare are these on Earth in this Age. We are fallen into an Age of Atheists, Scorners, Brutes, Hypocrites, and we may sadly say with the Prophet, Mic. 7. 4. The best of them is a briar, the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge. Innocent Religion, and Sober Piety is hooted out of the world; and upright men derided, who if they were throughly known, would rather almost be adored. My Brethren, there are but few folks that bid likely for Heaven, if this be an upright man. The judgment of Charity is one thing, but when Gods judgment of Verity comes, the case will alter. Very, very few will hold weight by this balance, and as I need not, so I know not that I have made more ado than needs, or cut the way to Heaven narrower than it is. It is reported of Pachomius the famous Abbot among the Ancients, that the 1300 Monks he governed, he divided according to the Greek letters into four and twenty classes or ranks, and sorted each ⟨p. 77⟩to that letter that hinted his condition, as under Iota the plain single-hearted person, and under Xi the close intricate person, &c. If we should rank Christians thus, how many would be crowded under the last letter, and how few under the first!
ANd, now Sirs, if all this goes 1to make an upright man, what shall I say! where dwell these upright men? how very few is the number of them! The wise man was in the right, Prov. 20 6, 7. Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find? It is a general course for most men to blow their own Trumpet, and fetch about most of their stories and discourses to end in themselves, and to set out their own goodness; but a faithful true right man, who can find? The next verse will shew him you, The just man walking in his integrity. That's the man in the Bible, if we could match him in the World. I doubt not but there are many such in the World, but verily there are few such in comparison; so resign'd to God, resolved for God, such single-hearted, sound-hearted, sincere-hearted, whole-hearted, plain-hearted men; such inward, universal and constant Christians; Persons ⟨p. 76⟩of that Simplicity, Purity, Perfection, and Plainness of Life and Conversation; such enemies to Flattery, Lying, Equivocation, Promise-breaking, Craftiness, Time-serving, Defrauding and Injustice. Good Lord! how rare are these on Earth in this Age. We are faln into an Age of Atheists, Scorners, Brutes, Hypocrites, and we may sadly say with the Prophet, Mic. 7. 4. The best of them is a bryar, the most upright is sharper than a thorn hedge. Innocent Religion, and Sober Piety is hooted out of the world; and upright men derided, who if they were throughly known, would rather almost be adored. My Brethren, there are but few folks that bid likely for Heaven, if this be an upright man. The judgment of Charity is one thing, but when Gods judgment of Verity comes, the case will alter. Very, very few will hold weight by this ballance, and as I need not, so I know not that I have made more adoe than needs, or cut the way to Heaven narrower than it is. It is reported of Pachomius the famous Abbot among the Ancients, that the 1300 Monks he governed, he divided according to the Greek letters into four and twenty classes or ranks, and sorted each ⟨p. 77⟩to that letter that hinted his condition, as under Iota the plain single-hearted person, and under Xi the close intricate person, &c. If we should rank Christians thus, how many would be crowded under the last letter, and how few under the first!
- 1§. 15. An Interence concerning the paucity of upright men.
