Worldly Business no Plea for the Neglect of Religion.

A

SERMON

Preach'd at the Parish-Church of

St. Lawrence, Old Jewry, London.

3༼953༼དུ

Matt. viii. 22.

Let the Dead bury their Dead.

S

T. Paul preaching at Athens, tells them, that as he paffed by and beheld their Devotions, he perceived, they were in all Things too fuperftitious.

But was this Apostle to rife, and come publishing the glad Tidings of Salvation, in any of our populous Cities, he would fee no Reason why he fhould charge the Inhabitants with this; but rather, as he paffed by and obferved the Tenor of their Life, fay, I perceive in all things ye are too worldly-minded; ye are too eagerly bent on purfuing your lawful Bufinefs, fo eagerly, as either wholly to neglect, or at least too heedlefly to attend on the One Thing needful.

There cannot then be a greater Charity fhewn to the Chriftian World, than to found an Alarm in their Ears, and to warn them of the inexpreffible Danger of continually grafping after the Things of this Life, without be-. ing equally, nay a thousand Times more concerned for their Well-being in a future State.

And there is ftill the more Occafion for fuch an Alarm, becaufe Worldly-mindedness so easily

and

and craftily befets the Hearts of Men. For out of a fpecious Pretence of ferving God in labouring for the Meat which perifheth, they are infenfibly lull'd into fuch a fpiritual Slumber, as fcarce to perceive their Neglect to fecure that which endureth to everlafting Life.

The Words of the Text, if not at first View, yet when examined and explained, will be found applicable to this Cafe, as containing an admirable Caution not to pursue the Affairs of this World at the Expence of our Happiness in the next.

They are the Words of JESUS CHRIST. himself: The Occafion of their being spoken was this-As he was converfing with thofe that were gathered round about him, he gave one of them an immediate Summons to follow him: But he, either afraid to go after fuch a perfecuted Mafter, or rather loving this prefent World, fays, Suffer me Suffer me to go home. and bury my Father, or, as moft explain it, Let me first go and dispatch fome important Business I have now in Hand. But JESUS faid unto him, Let the Dead bury their Dead; Leave worldly Business to worldly Men, let thy fecular Business be left undone, rather than thou should'ft neglect to follow me.

Whether this Perfon did as he was commanded I know not; but this I know,That what CHRIST faid here in Perfon, he has often whifpered with the fmall ftill Voice of his Holy Spirit, and faid to many here prefent,, that rite up early and late, take Reft and eat the Bread of Carefulnefs, Come draw off your

Affections

Affections from the Things of this Life; take up your Crofs and follow me. But they willing to justify themfelves, make answer, LORD, fuffer us firft to bury our Fathers, to dispatch our fecular Affairs-I fay unto all fuch, Let the Dead bury their Dead, let your worldly Business be left undone, rather than you should neglect to follow him.

From the Words thus explained naturally arifes this Propofition,That no Business, though never fo important, can juftify a Neglect of true Religion:

The Truth of which I fhall first shew,
And then make an Application of it.

I. First then, I am to prove that no temporal Business, though never fo important, can justify a Neglect of true Religion.

By the word Religion, I do not mean any Set of moral Virtues, any partial Amendment of ourselves, or formal Attendance on any outward Duties whatfoever; but a thorough real Change of Nature wrought in us by the invifible, yet powerful Operation of the Holy Ghost, preferved and nourished in our Souls by a conftant Ufe of all the Means of Grace, evidenced by a good Life, and bringing forth the Fruits of the Spirit.

This is the true and undefiled Religion, and for the perfecting this good Work in our Hearts, the eternal Son of GoD came down and shed his precious Blood; for this End were we made, and fent into the World, and by this alone can we become the Sons of God.

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