EXPLAINED AND DEFENDED, IN A SERIES OF SERMONS; BY TIMOTHY DWIGHT, S. T. D. LL. D. LATE PRESIDENT OF YALE COLLEGE. WITH A MEMOIR OF THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. IN FOUR VOLUMES. NINTH EDITION. VOL. IV. NEW HAVEN: PUBLISHED BY T. DWIGHT & SON, AND SOLD BY LEAVITT, LORD, & CO. 180 BROADWAY, NEW YORK. 1836. CONTENTS OF THE FOURTH VOLUME. Pag SERMON CXXXII. The Tenth Commandment. Ambition.-Rom. xii. 16. SERMON CXXXIII. Man's Inability to obey the Law of God.-Rom. viii. 7. 16 SERMON CXXXIV. Faith and Repentance necessary to restore us to Obe- SERMON CXXXV. The Means of Grace. The Ordinary Means of Grace. Proofs that there are such Means.-1 Cor. iv. 15. SERMON CXXXVI. The Ordinary Means of Grace. What they are; and what is their Influence.-1 Cor. iv. 15. 49 - 60 - - - SERMON CXLI. The Ordinary Means of Grace. The Usefulness of Prayer SERMON CXLII. The Ordinary Means of Grace. The Usefulness of Prayer to Communities.-Psalm xxiii. 28. SERMON CXLIII. The Ordinary Means of Grace. The Objections to Prayer considered.-Job xxi. 15. SERMON CXLIV. The Ordinary Means of Grace. Forms of Prayer.- 182 SERMON CXLVII. The Ordinary Means of Grace. The Duty of Educating Children religiously. Objections.—Prov. xxii. 6. SERMON CXLVIII. The Ordinary Means of Grace. The Manner in which Religious Education is to be conducted. Motives to this Duty.-Prov. SERMON CXLIX. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. The Character of Members of the Church.-2 Cor. vi. 14. SERMON CL. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. Ministers of the Gospel. Who are Ministers.-1 Pel. v. 1-3. SERMON CLI. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. Officers of the Church. SERMON CLII. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. The End, Nature, and Subjects of Preaching.-Matth. xxviii. 19. SERMON CLIII. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. The Manner of SERMON CLIV. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. Various duties of SERMON CLV. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. Officers of the Church. Deacons.-Acts vi. 1—6. SERMON CLVI. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. The Ordinances of the Church. Baptism. Its Reality and Intention.—Matth. xxviii. 19. SERMON CLVII. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. The Objections against Infant Baptism answered.-Matth. xxviii. 19. SERMON CLVIII. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. Direct Arguments for Infant Baptism.—Matth. xxviii. 19. SERMON CLIX. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. No Infants but the Children of Believers, proper subjects of Baptism. Mode of Adminis- SERMON CLX. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. The Lord's Supper; Its Nature and Design. The Qualifications of Communicants.—Mark SERMON CLXI. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. The Lord's Supper. Disposition with which it is to be attended; and Motives to the Attend- SERMON CLXII. The Extraordinary Means of Grace. The Discipline of · 273 286 298 312 324 339 355 370 386 SERMON CLXIV. The immediate Consequences of Death.-Eccl. xii. 7. SERMON CLXV. The Remoter Consequences of Death. The Resurrec- 430 SERMON CLXVII. The Remoter Consequences of Death. The Punishment of the Wicked. Its duration.-Matth. xxv. 46. SERMON CLXVIII. The Remoter Consequences of Death. The Punish- ment of the Wicked. Its Nature.-2 Pet. ii. 12. SERMON CLXIX. The Remoter Consequences of Death. The Rewards of the Righteous. The New Creation.-2 Pet. iii. 13. SERMON CLXX. The Remoter Consequences of Death. The Happiness SERMON CXXXII. TENTH COMMANDMENT.-AMBITION. ROMANS xii. 16.-Mind not high things. THE subject of the preceding discourse, you may remember, was Avarice. In the present, I shall consider the other great exercise of a covetous spirit, viz. Ambition. Ambition is an affection of the mind, nearly related to Pride and Vanity. Vanity is the self-complacency, which we feel in the consciousness of being superior to others. Pride is the same selfcomplacency, united with a contempt for those, whom we consider as our inferiors. Ambition is the desire of obtaining, or increasing, this superiority. Vanity, usually makes men civil and complaisant. Pride, renders them rude, imperious, and overbearing. Vanity, chiefly subjects men to the imputation of weakness; and excites mingled emotions of pity and contempt. Pride, is often attended with a kind of repulsive dignity; is rather seen to be deserving of contempt, than realized as the object of it; sometimes awakens awe; and always creates hatred and loathing. Vain mea are always ambitious; proud men generally; but they sometimes appear satisfied with their present envied superiority to all around them. Ambitious men are frequently vain, and sooner or later are always proud. Vanity rests chiefly on personal attributes. Pride, in addition to these, fastens on every thing, which is supposed to create distinction. This love of superiority is the most remarkable exercise of Covetousness; and, united with the discontentment and envy, by which it is regularly accompanied, appears to constitute the prin cipal corruption of the human mind. It is impossible, without wonder, to observe the modes, in which mankind exercise it; and the objects, in which it finds its gratification. They are of every kind; and are found every where. We are proud and vain of whatever, in our own view, raises us above others; whether a gift of nature, an attainment of our own, or a mere accident. Our pride and vanity are excited by the possession of personal beauty, strength, or agility; by a lively imagination, clear judgment, and tenderness of feeling; by patrimonial wealth, and distinction of family; by the fact, that we live in the same neighbourhood, or even in the same country, with persons of eminence; that we know them; or even that we have seen them. No less commonly are we proud and vain of bodily feats, graceful motions, and |