[2.] If the omission be total: Jer. x. 25, 'Pour out thy fury upon the heathen that know thee not, and upon the families that call not on thy name;' Ps. xiv. 2, 'JSTone seeketh after God.'
[3.] If a duty be seasonable ; the feeding the hungry, <fec., as ver. 44, ' When saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger ? ' &c. ; and 1 John iii. 17, ' He that hath this world's good, and seeth his brother in need, and shulteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him ? "
[4] When it is easy. This is to stand with God for a trifle : Luke xvi. 24, ' And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue ; for I am tormented in this flame.' Desideravit cjut- tarii, qui nan dedit micam.
[5.] When convinced : James iv. 17, ' Therefore, to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.'
3. In many cases, sins of omission may be more heinous and damn- ing than sins of commission. They are the ruin of the most part of the carnal world. They are described to be ' without God,' Eph. ii. 12. Of the wicked within the pale it is said, Ps. x. 3, 4, ' The wicked, through the pride of his heart, will not seek after God ; God is not in all his thoughts.' Of the careless professor, Jer. ii. 32, ' My people have forgotten me days without number.' Sins of omission may be more heinous than sins of commission —
[1.] Partly because these harden more. Foul sins scourge the con- science with remorse and shame, but these bring on insensibly slight-
104 SERMONS UPON MATTHEW XXV. [SeR. XXVIL
ness and hardness of heart. And therefore Christ saith, ' Publicans and harlots should enter into the kingdom of God ' before Pharisees that neglected faith, love, and judgment, Mat. xxi. 31.
[2.] Partly because omissions make way for commissions : Ps. xiv. 4, they that 'called not upon God, did eat u]) his people as bread.' They lie open to gross sins that do not keep the heart tender by a daily attendance upon God. If a man do not that which is good, he will soon do that which is evil. Oh ! then, let us bewail our un]n-o- fitableness, that we do no more good, that we do so much neglect God, that we do no more edify our neighbour, so that God's best gifts lie idle upon our hands. That child is counted undutiful that doth wrong and beat his father ; so also he that giveth him not due rever- ence. How seldom do we think of God ! Every relation puts new duties upon us, but we little regard them ; every gift, every talent.
Again, secondly, The godly by their fruitfulness in good works, and acts of self-denying obedience. They fed, they refreshed, they harboured, they clothed, they visited, ver. 35, 36. The question is not, Have you heard, prayed, preached ? These are disclaimed : Mat. vii. 22, ' Many will say unto me in that day. Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name have cast out devils, and in thy name have done many wonderful works ? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you : depart from me, ye that work iniquity ; ' Luke xiii. 26, ' Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets ; but he shall say, I tell you, I know you not ; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.' Nay, nor have you believed : James ii. 20, 'Wilt thou know, 0 vain man, that faith without works is dead ? ' No ; Christ telleth us of another trial. Well, then, a religion that costs nothing is worth nothing. A notional religion, a word religion, is not a Christianity of Christ's making. Surely heaven is worth something, and it will cost us something if we mean to get thither. There is more in these works of costly charity than we usually think of, 1 Tim. vi. 18, 19 ; Luke xvi. 9 ; 1 John iv. 19, ' Hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.' Hereby ; by what ? ' If we love not in word and tongue only, but in deed and in truth.' Kefresh the bowels of the jioor, own brethren though with danger of our lives. Heaven is but a fancy to them that will venture nothing for the hopes of it. What have you done to show your thankfulness for so great a mercy tendered to you ? A cold be- lief and a fruitless profession will never yield you comfort. Good words are not dear, and a little countenance given to religion costs no great matter ; and therefore do not think that religion lieth only in hearing sermons, or a few cursory prayers and drowsy devotions. We should mind those things about which we shall be questioned at the day of judgment. Have you visited, fed, clothed, harboured, owned the servants of God, when the world hath frowned on them ? Com- forted them in their distresses ? Wherein really have you denied yourselves for the hopes of glory ?