Few have sufficient independence of mind to “judge of themselves what is right.”  Many who “call Christ Lord, receive for doctrines the commandments of men.”  Therefore doth religion vary like the fashions of the world.  Was the fashion of the world to be the rule of judgment, it might be wise to follow it:  But “we must every one give an account of himself to God,” and be judged by the rule which be hath given us.  It becomes as therefore to “call no man master, because one is our Matter, even Christ.”  To him we are accountable.  At our peril do we neglect obedience to his commands.

It concerns us to do all things according to the pattern drawn out before us in the Scriptures.  Against the natural bias to affect improvements on divine institutions, and against the prevalence of fashion and contagion of popular opinion, we should be particularly on our guard.  “For cursed is every one who confirmeth not all the words of God’s law to do them, and all the people shall say, Amen.”

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SERMON XXIX.

The Sins of Communities Noted and Punished.

Matthew xxiii. 36.

“Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.”

This is predicated of the judgments of God on those who had shed the blood of his saints.  The Savior declares that all the righteous blood which had been shed on the earth from that of Abel down to the gospel day, should come on that generation!

But is not this unreasonable and contrary to the Scriptures?  “Far be wickedness from God and iniquity from the Almighty.  For the work of man shall be render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways—­The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.”  Such is the language of revelation.

And is not that of reason the same?  Will reason justify punishing some men for other men’s sins?  Those who lived in the days of our Savior had no share in the murder of Abel, or of many others who had died by wicked hands.  Those dire events had been accomplished before they had existence.  How then could they be answerable for them?  To solve this mystery we must consider man in a twofold view—­as an individual and as the member of a community.

As individuals mankind are solely accountable for the parts which they act personally.  In the judgment of the great day, they will only be judged for the use which they shall have made of the talents committed to them here—­“We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in the body, according to that he hath done, whether good or bad,”