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THE HIDDEN
LIFE
OF
A
CHRISTIAN.
[SERM..
I&.
lost
his
riches in a storm
at
sea,
gave
thanks
to
provi-
dence,
under
a
heathen name
;
"
I
thank
thee, fortune,
that
thou hast
now forced
me
to
retire, and
to live within
my
cloak;" that
is,
upon'
the
supports
of
philosophy,.
in
meaner
circumstances of
life.
how
much
more
should
the christian
be
pleased
with
a
private
station,
who
has
the supports
of
the gospel to
live
upon,
and to
sweeten
his
retirements.
How cautious should christians
be,
therefore,
of
the
management
of
all
the public
affairs
of
their
civil life,
lest
they
do
any thing
that
should
hurt
their secret
or religious
life
!
We should
be still
enquiring,
" Will
such
sort of
company
to which
I
am
now
invited
;
such a gainful
trade
which
I
am
ready to
engage
in;
such
a course
Of
life which now lies before
me; tempt
me to
neglect
my
secret
converse
with
God
?
Does it
begin to
alienate
my
heart
from heaven,
and
things unseen
?'
then let
me
sus-
pect
and fear
it."
Be
afraid, christians,
of
what
grieves
the
blessed
Spirit
of
Christ, who
is
the principle
of
your
life,
and
may
provoke
him to
retire
from you.
Be
dili-
gent
in
such enquiries,
be very
watchful and
jealous
of
every thing
that
would call
your
thoughts outward, and
keep them
too long
abroad. Christians
should
live
much
at
home, for theirs
is
a
hidden
life.
VI. Inference: We
may
see
here
divine wisdom
in
contriving the
Ordinances
of
the
gospel,
with
such plain-
ness,
and
such simplicity,
as
best
serves to
promote
the
hidden
life
of
a christian. Pomp and
ceremony, gilded
and sparkling ornaments, are ready
to call the
soul
abroad,
to employ it
in
the
senses,
and divert
it
from
that
spiritual improvement,
which
the secret
life
of
a
Christian
requires, and
which
gospel-
institutions
were
'designed
for.
You
see
in
the heathen
world, and you
see in popish
countries,
that
the
gay
splendors
of
worship
tempt
the
hearts of
the worshippers
to
rest
in
forms,
and
to forget
God
;
and
we
may
fear
that
the
greatest
part
of
the
people
lay
under
the same
danger
in
the days
of
Ju-
daism.
I
grant
indeed,.
that
where,
pompous and glittering
rites
of
religion are
of
special
divine
appointment,
and
were
designed
to typify
the
future
glories
of
a
more
spi-
ritual
church and
worship
;
there
they
might hope
for