to fave our fouls? The faving of our fouls depends entirely upon the fpending of our time; for the merits of a Saviour will never redeem those who take no steps to redeem themselves.If we are wife we fhall confider this great queftion as we ought; and may God Almighty affift us with his gracious aid, in providing fuch an answer to it, as will prepare us for that awful account which we muft all give, when time fhall be no more.

N 2.

SERMON XIV.

PHIL. iii. 13.

BRETHREN, I COUNT NOT MYSELF TO HAVE APPREHENDED; BUT THIS ONE THING I DO: FORGETTING THE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND, AND REACHING FORTH UNTO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEFORE, I PRESS TOWARDS THE MARK.

IN

N the following discourse, I fhall, first, endeavour to explain the text; and fhall, fecondly, apply it.

The words will bear this general interpretation:-Brethren, I do not confider myself as having yet attained the highest degree of chriftian perfection. That is a height, towards which we may be continually advancing, and yet can never fully attain. It is the part of every good christian, however, to aim at it, as nearly as he

can.

can. He ought never to be at reft; but, leaving behind him his past attainments, he should prefs, like a racer, to the ground before him. All his attention fhould be laid out in adding to. his virtues-in improving those he has-in weaning himself from the world-in becoming daily more heavenly-minded, and in advancing ftill. nearer perfection.

This feems to be the general fense of the text: let us now examine it more closely.

THE first thing the apoftle enjoins, is to forget the things which are behind. What things he fays not; but leaves us to collect his meaning, and common fense will eafily explain it. He cannot mean our fins: thefe, it is true, may be called things behind, or things paft; but common fenfe affures us, these are things we should never forget, but always remember; bewailing and lamenting them; praying for God's grace; and hoping for his goodness, through Christ, to pardon them. We may take it for granted, therefore, that what the apoftle bids us forget, is fomething which is better forgotten than remembered. What that is, requires little study to recollect, but fome candour to apply. Let us take

a view of our own hearts, and reflect what thoughts are continually paffing and repaffing in those dark receffes. Let us fee what we are apt to remember with most readiness, and what generally comes uppermoft. I fear our memory is most apt to run upon any little matter of goodnefs we may have discovered in ourselves-fome fuperiority to others-fome little praise we may think we deferve, or may have received-fome little accomplishments, or qualities, we may value -fome little attainments, perhaps, we may have made in religion; or, fome little charity we may have rendered to a neceffitous neighbour. Thefe are the things the apoftle alludes to, and which he enjoins us to forget. We must not dwell upon them: we must not conceive there is any merit in them. Let us leave God to judge our works; let us only take care to do them; and leave his balance to weigh them, and fix what value his goodnefs pleafes on each.

Only confider, what advantage arifes from remembering these things. It only ferves to puff you up with vanity-to make you believe you are fomething, when in fact you are nothing to make you think you are good men, when you are only unprofitable fervants. This is not

12.

acting

acting the humble chriftian, but the proud Phas rifee. He cries, with felf-importance, God I thank thee that I am not as other men are. The humble chriftian, knowing how little he does, and how little he can do, forgetting all his doings as things not worth remembering, cries, God be merciful to me, a finner!

A

But the remembrance of our good actions not only leads us into pride of heart, but has a tendency to check our farther improvement: for, when a man thinks highly of himself, it is na tural for him to reft fatisfied, and ftop where he is nothing but a fenfe of our own deficiencies will make us proceed. It is fo in every thing, as well as in religion. If a man think he has gotten money enough, he will not distress himself with getting more; and, in the fame manner, if a man think he has religion enough, he will cease to improve himself farther.

Besides, to remember our good works, takes away whatever little value they may have. Only confider how the matter ftands in common life. When you hear a man praifing himself for any. good he may have done, you fee how much it leffens the action: he has fet his own value upon it, and perhaps a greater than people in general