2. Sometimes carnal men pretend certain causes and excuses, when their conscience knoweth it is otherwise ; and then the things alleged are not the real opinions and inward sentiments of their own minds, but something said or taken up to justify their sloth: 1 Cor. vi. 9, 1 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God ? Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adul- terers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,' &c. As hopes of impunity, though they live a godless and sinful course of life. If they were serious, conscience would tell them men may be deceived with these things, but God cannot. Ye may stifle conscience for a while with these allegations, but it will speak, and then these sorry fig-leaves will not serve the turn to hide your nakedness.
3. Sometimes these excuses are the fruit of blindness, sottishness,
478 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XV.
ignorance, and infatuation ; and the sluggard hath a high conceit of his own allegations : Prov. xxvi. 1G, ' The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render a reason.' He thinketh others are mopish, giddy, and crack-brained people, that make more ado with religion than needeth, are too nice and scrupulous ; take it to be good prudence to keep out of harm's way : his very foolish thoughts he thinketh are wise reasons ; that religion is a merry tiling : Prov. xv. 19, ' The way of a slothful man is a hedge of thorns, but the way of the righteous man is made plain.' He imagineth difficulties and intolerable hardships in a course of godliness. It is our cowardice and pusillanimous ignorance maketh the ways of God seem hard. All things are comfortable, plain, and easy to the pure and upright heart. Thus lie bloweth hot and cold, speaketh contrary things, according as he looketh upon them with a slight or pusillanimous heart.
4. Excuses argue an ill spirit and an unwilling heart. When they should do something for God, there is something still in the way, some danger, or some difficulty, which they are loath to encounter withal : Prov. xxvi. 13, ' The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way.' They are fruits of the quarrel between conviction and cor- ruption, and are usually found in us when we first begin to understand the way of the Lord, but are loath to come up to the terms. Certainly it is better be doing than excusing. Doing is safe, but excuses are but a patch upon a sore place. If we have done a fault, it is better confess, and seek a pardon, than to excuse and extenuate.
5. Consider the invalidity of all things that are usually alleged by sinners; and to help you, consider —
[1.] Nothing can be pleaded as reason which God's word disproveth. The scriptures were purposely penned to refute the vain sophisms that are in the hearts of men : Heb. iv. 12, ' To divide between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart;' to discover the affections of a sensual heart, however palliated with the pretences of a crafty understanding, to hide the evil from themselves and others. You must not lift up your private conceits against the wisdom of God.
[2.] Nothing can be pleaded as reason which your consciences are not satisfied with as reason. That is the reason there are so many appeals to conscience in scripture. Do not your consciences tell you you ought to be better, to mind God more ? That if these things be true, 2 Peter iii. 11, 'That all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness ?'
[3.] Nothing can be pleaded by way of excuse which reflects upon God, as if he had made a hard law. We are apt to plead so : ' The way of the Lord is not equal;' ' The woman thou gavest me, she gave me, and I did eat.' Will you excuse your idleness and sin by the severity of your master, and cast your brat at his doors?
[4.] There can be no excuse for a total omission of necessary duties. In a partial omission, the law itself alloweth a dispensation ; as in case of sickness we are taken off from some work which God requireth at other times. But some things are indispensably required : John
Vers. 26, 27.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 479
iii. 5, ' Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God ;' Heb. xii. 14, ' Without holiness no man shall see the Lord.' Here is necessitas precepti et medii.
[5.] You should harden yourselves with no excuse or reason but what you dare plead when you stand before the bar of Christ ; for then will the weight of all pleas be considered. Now, God hath left all creatures without excuse, Bom. i. 20. There is some witness of God to them, that convince th them of more duty than they are willing to perform.
Secondly, And more particularly, the usual excuses are these : —
Object. 1. I have no time to mind soul-affairs ; my distractions in the world are so great, and my course of life is such, I have no leisure.