Part 1

DISCOURSES ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS

DISCOURSES ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS,

By

JACOB DUCHÉ, M. A.

Rector of Christ-Church and St. Peter's, in Philadelphia;

AND FORMERLY OF

CLARE-HALL, CAMBRIDGE.

The SECOND EDITION.

VOL I.

LONDON;

Printed by J. Phillips, George-Yard, Lombard-Street.

And Sold by T. Cadell, in the Strand; H. Payne, Pall-Mall; C. Dilly, in the Poultry; and J. Phillips. M.DCC.LXXX.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LADY JULIANA PENN.

Madam,

I have ever deemed it one of the most favourable circumstances of my life, that your Ladyship condescended to honour my early youth with your kind countenance and protection. Your amiable character, and exemplary virtues, have always thrown such a lustre around you, as could not but enlighten and improve those, who came within their influence. This testimony from me, is no more than the just tribute of a grateful heart.

I am, therefore, happy, in having your Ladyship's permission to inscribe to you the following discourses. You are no stranger to the sentiments they contain: you love and honour the doctrines they inculcate.

The author intreats to be indulged with a continuance of that regard, which your Ladyship hath hitherto shewn him; and which he hath always held more desirable, in proportion as he hath been better qualified to judge of what is truly honourable and estimable in the intercourses of social life.

With this sentiment deeply impressed upon his mind, he cannot but rejoice in the opportunity your Ladyship hath granted him, of thus publickly subscribing himself,

Madam,

Your Ladyship's

Most obliged and

Most faithful Servant,

J. DUCHÉ.

PREFACE.

The following discourses were preached in the united Churches of Christ Church and St. Peter, in the City of Philadelphia, of which the author was appointed assistant minister in the year 1759, and to the rectorship of which he was elected in the year 1775.

The reader will find in them no display of genius or of erudition. To the former, the author hath no claim: of the latter, he contents himself with as much as is competent to the discharge of his pastoral duty. His divinity, he trusts, is that of the BIBLE: to no other Standard of Truth can he venture to appeal. Sensible, however, of his own fallibility, he wishes not to obtrude his peculiar sentiments; nor to have them received any further, than they carry with them that only fair title to reception, a conviction of their truth and usefulness. From his own Heart he hath written to the Hearts of others; and if any of his readers find not THERE the Ground of his doctrines, they are, surely, at liberty to pass them by, if they do it with Christian Candour, and to leave it to time and their own reflections, to discover that Ground or not.

UNIVERSAL BENEVOLENCE he considers as the SUBLIME of religion; the true TASTE for which, can only be derived from the Fountain of INFINITE LOVE, by inward and spiritual communications. The mind, that is possessed of this true Taste, whatever its peculiarity of opinion may be, cannot be very "far from the Kingdom of God."--"GOD is LOVE; and he that dwelleth in LOVE, dwelleth in GOD, and GOD in him." One transgression of the great Law of Love, even in the minutest instance, must appear more heinous in the Sight of the GOD OF LOVE, than a thousand errors in matters of doctrine or opinion.

If the reader peruses these volumes under the influence of such sentiments, it is not likely, that he will be offended with any singularities of diction, or any inelegant and colloquial expressions he may now and then meet with. Much less will his censure be incurred by the constant use of SCRIPTURAL Ideas, and SCRIPTURAL Language, in preference to what are called MORAL and PHILOSOPHICAL. Deviations from the Simplicity of EVANGELICAL TRUTH, have too often been occasioned by deviations from the Simplicity of EVANGELICAL LANGUAGE. A Christian ought never to be "ashamed of the GOSPEL OF CHRIST which is the Power of GOD unto Salvation," but should always speak of Christian Truths by Christian Names.

The revisal and correction of these discourses have relieved the author's mind from much of that anxiety and dejection, which a long absence from his family and his churches had occasioned. And he is now happy in the thought, that these volumes will ere long reach his native country, and revive the memory of his labours of love among a people, with whom he enjoyed a reciprocation of kindness and affection, which for eighteen years had known no abatement or interruption.

He most gratefully acknowledges the kind and honourable reception he hath met with since his arrival in England; the chearfulness and generosity with which persons of all ranks have honoured his publication; and the affectionate zeal of his friends, relations, and connexions, in undertaking and completing his subscription, without giving him the trouble of soliciting a single name.

To his most ingenious and worthy Friend and Countryman, BENJAMIN WEST, Esq. History Painter to his Majesty, he is happy to acknowledge himself indebted for the elegant designs, taken from two of his most capital paintings, which are placed as frontispieces to these volumes.

To his dear and valuable friend, the Author of the late accurate and elegant Translation of THOMAS à KEMPIS, he is sincerely thankful for his kind and chearful advice and assistance, in conducting the whole publication, to which the author's inexperience in printing, as well as his frequent and necessary absence from the press, would have rendered him altogether unequal.

He hath only to add, that the revisal and publishing of these discourses was undertaken at the instance of some of the most respectable names in the list of his subscribers to the first edition, under whose kind patronage, and in hopes of every indulgence from the candour of the publick, he hath ventured to send them abroad.

Hampstead, 1st March, 1780.

CONTENTS OF VOLUME FIRST.

DISCOURSE I.

THE CHARACTER OF WISDOM'S CHILDREN.

St. LUKE, CHAP. vii. VER. 35.

"But Wisdom is justified of all her Children."

DISCOURSE II.

EVANGELICAL RIGHTEOUSNESS.

JEREM. CHAP. xxiii. Part of VER. 6.

"And this is his Name, whereby he shall be called, The LORD our Righteousness."

DISCOURSES III. and IV.

THE RELIGION OF JESUS, THE ONLY SOURCE OF HAPPINESS.

St. JOHN, CHAP. vi. VER. 66, 67, 68.

"From that Time many of his Disciples went back, and walked no more with him. Then said JESUS unto the Twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered, LORD, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the Words of Eternal Life."

DISCOURSE V.

TRUE RELIGION, A COSTLY AND CONTINUAL SACRIFICE.

2 SAMUEL, CHAP. xxiv. VER. 24.

"And the King said unto Araunah, Nay, but I will surely buy it of thee at a Price: neither will I offer Burnt-Offerings unto the LORD my GOD, of that which doth cost me nothing."

DISCOURSE VI.

TRUTH, THE ONLY FRIEND OF MAN.

GALATIANS, CHAP. iv. VER. 16.

"Am I therefore become your Enemy, because I tell you the Truth?"

DISCOURSE VII.

THE STRENGTH AND VICTORY OF FAITH.

1 JOHN, CHAP. v. VER. 4.

"Whatsoever is born of GOD overcometh the World: and this is the Victory that overcometh the World, even our Faith."

DISCOURSE VIII.

FAITH TRIUMPHANT OVER THE POWERS OF DARKNESS.

St. MARK, CHAP. ix. Part of VER. 24.

"LORD, I believe: Help thou mine Unbelief!"

DISCOURSE IX.

THE FLOURISHING STATE OF THE RIGHTEOUS.

PSALM i. VER. 3.

"He shall be like a Tree planted by the Rivers of Water, that bringeth forth his Fruit in his Season: His Leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doth shall prosper."

DISCOURSE X.

THE CAUSE AND CURE OF THE DISORDERS OF HUMAN NATURE.

St. MARK, CHAP. vii. VER. 34.

"And looking up to Heaven, he sighed; and saith unto him, Ephphatha! that is, Be opened."

DISCOURSES XI, XII, XIII.

THE RICHES, PRIVILEGES, AND HONOURS OF THE CHRISTIAN.

1 COR. CHAP. iii. VER. 21, 22, 23.

"Therefore let no Man glory in Men: for all Things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the World, or Life, or Death, or Things present, or Things to come; all are yours: and ye are CHRIST'S, and CHRIST is GOD'S."

DISCOURSE XIV.

CHRIST, KNOWN OR UNKNOWN, THE UNIVERSAL SAVIOUR.

St. JOHN, CHAP. xiv. Part of VER. 9.

"Have I been so long Time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?"

DISCOURSE XV.

HUMAN LIFE, A PILGRIMAGE.

PSALM xxxix. Part of VER. 12.

"For I am a Stranger with thee, and a Sojourner, as all my Fathers were."

DISCOURSE XVI, XVII.

THE TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD INTERNAL AND PRACTICAL.

JOB, CHAP. xlii. VER. 5, 6.

"I have heard of thee by the Hearing of the Ear; but now hath mine Eye seen thee: therefore I abhor myself, and repent in Dust and Ashes."

DISCOURSE XVIII.

ON THE NATIVITY OF CHRIST.

St. LUKE, CHAP. ii. from VER. 6, to 20.

"And so it was, that while they were there, the Days were accomplished, that she should be delivered," &c.

SUBSCRIBERS NAMES OMITTED IN THE FIRST EDITION.

Rev. Dr. Allanson, Rector of Rippon, Yorkshire Mrs. Ambler, of Queen-Square Mr. George Adams Lady Boynton, Burton Agnes, Yorkshire Rev. Mr. Bull, Rector of Sarensfield, Herefordsh. Rev. Mr. Baker Miss F. Baker Robert Burton, Esq. Rich. Wilbraham Bootle, Esq. Francis Bernard, Esq. Charles Barker, Esq. Rev. Mr. Cook, Rector of Semer, Suffolk Richard Combe, Esq. Harley-street Mrs. Cotin, Upper Grosvenor-street Mrs. Festing, Weymouth Mr. George Fletcher Mr. Francis Freshfield, Colchester James Gordon, Esq. Glasgow William Grover, Esq. Mr. Robert Grimditch Mrs. Garnett Capt. Grindall T. Grosley, Esq. Mr. Greenwood E. Gurney Hon. and Rev. Mr. Hamilton Mrs. Hyde, Bedford-row Mr. James Hingeston Mr. Handcock, of Bath Rev. Mr. Harris Mrs. Hall, of Tottenham Mr. Healy, of Cambridge Tho. Johnson, Esq. Bradford Rev. Jonathan Judson, Essex Rev. Mr. Lantley, Prebendary of Hereford Dr. Lysons, of Bath Mrs. Levison Rev. Mr. Myddleton, Fellow of Clare-Hall W. Middleton, Esq. Bath Robert M'Kerrel, Esq. Rt. Hon. Countess Dowager of Northampton Mr. Nairne Henry O'Carroll, Esq. J. Palmer, Esq. of Bath Rev. Thomas Pryse, Norwich Mrs. Puget, Red Lionsquare Tho. Rogers, Esq. Bradford Robert Rasleigh, Esq. Mr. Thomas Smith Rich. Statham, Esq. Leverpool Mrs. Schaak, of York William Tompkins, Esq. Abingdon Mrs. Tuson, Bath William Taylor, Esq. of Worcester-Park, Surry Mr. Wm. Taylor, London Hon. Charles Vane, of Mount Ida, Norfolk Mr. Vickary Mr. Joseph Wrightman Rev. Dr. Watkins, Preb. of Hereford Rev. Dr. Wharton, of Barbadoes George Wilson, Esq. of Bedford Row Mr. Thomas Weston, jun. Mr. Joseph Woods Mrs. Wilding, Red Lionsquare Mrs. Wright, Thunder-Hall, Herts Miss Witts, Bath Witham Book Society

DISCOURSE I. The Character of Wisdom's Children.

St. LUKE, CHAP. vii, VER. 35.

"BUT WISDOM IS JUSTIFIED OF ALL HER CHILDREN."

If we take an impartial view of the sentiments and conduct of mankind with respect to religion, we shall find, that their errors in speculation, as well as in practice, originate, for the most part, in the will; that their understandings are blinded by their passions, and that their ignorance of truth too often proceeds from their aversion to goodness.

To combat this prevailing depravity of human nature, and to strike at that root of evil which we bring with us into the world, was the grand and principal design of all those different dispensations, by which Heaven hath condescended, from time to time, to speak to the sons of men. Instead, however, of yielding a grateful attention to this benevolent purpose, they have, in some instances, wholly rejected, and, in others, perversly misconstrued, the dispensations themselves. Whether "GOD spake at sundry times, and in divers manners, in times past, unto the fathers by the prophets;" or, whether he spake, as in these latter days, to the children, by his own INCARNATE SON; the generality of men have either been deaf to the salutary message, or have availed themselves of some idle pretexts to elude a compliance with its most serious and solemn contents. Hence arose the inattention and opposition of ancient unbelievers, to the missions of patriarchs and prophets; and hence it is, that infidels of later ages have called in question the truth and authority of that most full and complete Revelation of the Divine Will, with which mankind have been favoured by the ministration of the BLESSED JESUS. Far, however, from resenting their obstinacy, or indignantly with-holding from them any further communications of Divine Light, the great GOD AND FATHER OF SPIRITS hath still persevered in carrying on the purposes of his Love; and, "whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear," still seeks, by a variety of dispensations, to gain possession of the hearts of his creatures. Notwithstanding, therefore, the general indifference and obstinacy that have prevailed, there have not been wanting, in every age and nation, some docile virtuous minds, who have listened to the Heavenly Voice, and received with gratitude the instructions of that "Wisdom which is from above;" and who, as her true children, have vindicated her ways to man, and admired and justified the different methods by which she manifests herself to different souls.

The truth of these observations we find remarkably exemplified in that conduct and behaviour of the Jews, and particularly of the sect of the Pharisees, which is mentioned in the verses preceding my text, and which indeed gave rise to the pertinent and beautiful maxim there expressed.

Ignorant of the spirit of that dispensation under which they lived, and perversely attached to those externals of their religion, that most gratified their pride and selfishness, they seem to have been equally offended with the doctrines and manners of John the Baptist, and those of the BLESSED JESUS. And though the grand object of the Master and his Forerunner was one and the same, even the reformation of the heart and life; and though the outward means, however inconsistent they might appear, were but different parts of the same spiritual and redeeming process; yet these degenerate Israelites sought to stifle the power of conviction in their breasts, by childishly objecting to the abstracted, severe, and rigorous life of the Baptist on the one hand, and the easy, open, and condescending behaviour of JESUS on the other; insinuating, that the former was only the effect of a gloomy, dark, and diabolical spirit; and that the latter shewed a familiarity and levity, unworthy the character of a prophet sent from GOD.

Our BLESSED LORD exposes the weakness and inconsistency of these objections, by the following apt and lively similitude: "Whereunto shall I liken the men of this generation, and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the market-place, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not wept." That is to say: We have taken every method we could devise to engage your attention, and to prevail upon you to bear a part in our recreations; but you have unkindly and sullenly refused to come. We have endeavoured to adapt our little sports and exercises to what we conceived might be your particular taste and humour; but still we have failed of success.

In application of this allusion, our LORD proceeds--"For John the Baptist came neither eating bread, nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a devil." The austerity of the Baptist's life, which was meant to inculcate a lesson of self-denial, and abstraction from the follies and vanities of a worldly life, as well as a solemn preparation for the happiness of an heavenly one, ye maliciously declare to have proceeded from the melancholy suggestion of some dark and evil spirit, that hurried him into the desart, and secluded him from all affectionate intercourse with men. On the other hand, because "the Son of man is come eating and drinking, ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!" To answer the great purposes of Divine Love, I have, with condescending freedom, mingled with all ranks of people; put myself in the way of the giddy and the profligate, and even accepted the invitations of publicans and sinners. For this, without knowing the motives of my conduct, you have vilified me with the opprobrious names of glutton and drunkard; and insinuated, that the friendly attention I shewed to men of their character, proceeded not from a regard to their souls, but from a fondness for their vices. But notwithstanding your blindness and obduracy, notwithstanding your weak and wicked misconstructions, be assured, there are those, who can do justice to these dispensations of Heaven, whose minds, illuminated from above, can discern the beauty, propriety, and uniformity of design, which Wisdom manifests in these various methods of addressing herself to the sons of men. Such children of Wisdom are abundantly convinced, that the self-denying life of the Baptist was necessarily preparative to that meek, gentle, condescending Life of Love, which I have inculcated in my precepts, and recommended and enforced by my example; and that both these are the happy effects of that Redeeming Power, which I manifest in the hearts of those, who, with simplicity and self-abasement, receive and gratefully acknowledge my spiritual salutary visits. "But Wisdom is justified of all her children."

The truth was this: the Pharisees considered the severe exercises of John, his contempt of the world, and total disregard of the pleasures and honours of life, as a personal censure of their hypocritical pretensions to religion, by which, under the appearance of great zeal for the external and ceremonial parts of the law, they "sought the praises of men, more than the praises of God." In like manner, the humility and condescension of CHRIST, his free and affectionate intercourse with all ranks of people, even with those, whom (on account of their ignorance of some minute traditionary precepts of their Rabbins) they held accursed, were a perpetual impeachment of their intolerable pride and arrogance, and most effectually tended to lessen their credit and reputation with those whom they wished and earnestly sought to engage for their pupils and admirers. No wonder, then, that whilst they continued thus attached to favourite passions and prejudices, they should wilfully misconstrue the purest intentions, and vilify the fairest actions of those, who attempted to combat and expose them. Their objections to the person and doctrines of CHRIST, as well as to those of his illustrious Harbinger, came rather from their wills than their understandings: nor would they ever have called in question the Divine authority of their missions, had not the design and spirit of them militated against their own evil tempers and dispositions: "Light was come unto them; but they chose darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

In every age of the world, and under every dispensation of religion, human nature, in itself, has always been the same. The serpentine subtilty of human reason, when engaged in the service, and acting under the influence of vice and error, will never be at a loss for arguments to support their cause against the voice of truth and virtue. Hence the specious objections, which modern infidelity hath thrown out against the necessity of Divine Revelation; and hence the weak and idle censures, which libertinism on the one hand, and false enthusiasm on the other, so illiberally denounce against the sincere, honest, and cordial votaries of true Christianity.

Sincerely to be pitied is the poor unbeliever, whose short-sighted reason, incapable of seeing further than the externals of Christianity, furnishes him with some plausible objections, that seem to weaken its outward evidence, but cannot reach the spirit and power by which it is animated and supported. "Christianity was instituted for the common salvation of all men: its essential truths, therefore, are plain and obvious, level to every capacity, and stand in no need of learned labour to inculcate and explain them; they are rather matter of feeling, than of reasoning.

"Whatever is within, whatever is without us, calls aloud for a SAVIOUR. Change, corruption, distemperature and death, have, by the sin of fallen angels, and of fallen man, been unhappily introduced into this system of things which we inhabit. The whole creation groaneth; and animals and vegetables, and even the Immortal Image of GOD himself in man, are all in bondage to their malign influences; so that every thing cries out, with the apostle Paul, "Who shall deliver me from this body of death?" so that every thing cries out, with the apostle Peter, "Lord, save me, or I perish!"

"What kind of a Saviour then is it, for whom all nature thus cries aloud, through all her works? Not a dry moralist, a legislator of bare external precepts, such as some would represent CHRIST to be: no, the existence and influence of the REDEEMER OF NATURE, must, at least, be as extensive as Nature herself. Things are defiled and corrupted throughout; they are distempered and devoted to death, from the inmost essence of their being; and none, but HE alone, "in whom they live, and move, and have their being," can possibly redeem and restore them."

These are inevitable truths, which all men, at some time or other, must feel, and feel deeply too, whether they attend to them now or not. The redemption and restoration of every sinner can be accomplished in no other way, than by CHRIST'S spiritual entrance into his heart, awakening in him an abhorrence of evil, and a love of goodness.

This is the spirit of the GOSPEL OF JESUS; this the grand purpose of Heaven, under every dispensation of Revealed Truth, from Adam down to this day. The modes of communication, the outward forms of worship and of doctrine, may vary; but the same spirit runs through the whole, and the enlightened eye of "Wisdom's children" can see and adore her radiant footsteps, in paths that appear dark and dreary to the eyes of others. However her outward garb may change; whatever different appearances she may put on, under the patriarchal, legal, and evangelical dispensations; her real features, her whole person and employment, have ever been invariably the same. These different appearances were only adapted to the different circumstances of men, and calculated to direct their attention to the one great and principal object she has always had in view, even the Redemption of immortal spirits from the tyranny of earth and hell, and the full restoration of them to their primeval innocence and bliss.

Turn then, ye advocates of infidelity! O turn back from those delusive dangerous paths, into which the false light of fallen reason hath led your wayward steps. Wisdom herself, and all her true and Heaven-born children, lift up their sweet and instructive voices, and press you to return; to recognize your illustrious origin; to spurn the transitory and polluting joys of earth, and to aspire after the pure and permanent pleasures of Heaven! From the Throne of the Most-High, the center of her enlightened kingdom, she speaks, she illuminates, she warms every intelligent being that turns to her benignant ray: the darkness of nature kindles, at her approach, into the Light and Life of Heaven; every evil principle, every evil passion, shrinks from before her, and retires to its native hell; whilst the spirits of her redeemed children issue forth from their long captivity, and triumphantly re-enter the realms of purity and peace.