267S 
 
 J , 2. 
 
 * "9 
 
SERMONS 
 
 O N T H E 
 
 Following Subjects, 
 
 VIZ. 
 
 of the Glory of God. 
 
 Of God's being the Father of 
 Mankind. 
 
 Of being the Children of God. 
 
 Of Loving God. 
 
 Of the Fear of God. 
 
 Ot the Wifdom of bt?ing Religious. 
 
 Of Imitating the Hoiinefs of 
 God, 
 
 Of the Love of God towards 
 Sinners. 
 
 Of Believing in God. 
 
 Of the Grace of God. 
 
 Of the Kingdom of God. 
 
 By SAMUEL CLARKE, D.D. 
 
 late Redtor of St James'Sy Wefimtnjler, 
 
 Publified from the A u T h o R*^ Manufcripf , 
 By J o H N Clarke, D. D. Dean of Sarum. 
 
 VOL. II. 
 
 The Second Edition Corrected. 
 
 LONDON, 
 
 Printed by TV. Botham, for James and John Knap ton* 
 at the Cr<yw7t in Sc Tauh Church-Yard. MDCCXXX. 
 

 CONTENTS. 
 
 s 
 
 ERMON I, II. Of the Glory 
 of God. 
 
 1 Cor. X. 31. 
 
 Whether therefore ye eat or drink^ or 
 whatfoever ye do^ do all to the Glory of 
 God, Page i. 25 
 
 S E R M. III. Of God's being the 
 Father of Mankind. 
 
 ' St Matt, xxiii. 9. 
 And call no man your Father upon the 
 Earth ; For One is your Father which 
 h in Heaven, 49 
 
 Vol. II. 
 
 A 2 
 
 Ser 
 
 Me 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Serm. IV. Of being the Chil- 
 dren of God. 
 
 Rom. viii. i6, 17. 
 I'he Spirit itfelf beareth witnefs with our 
 Spirit, that we are the Children of God : 
 and if Children then Heirs ; Heirs of 
 Cod, und Joynt-Heirs with Chriji, 73 
 
 Serm. V. Of Loving God. 
 
 St Matt. xxii. 37, 38. 
 yefus faid unto him, Thou Jhalt love the 
 Lord thy God, with all thy Heart, and 
 with all thy Soul, and with all thy 
 Mind'y This is the Firji and Great 
 Commandment. 93 
 
 Serm. VI. Of the Fear of God. 
 
 ^ Job xxiii. 15. 
 Therefore am I troubled at his prefence : 
 When I confider^ I am afraid of hint' 
 
 ijg 
 
 Serm, 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 S E R M. VII. Of the Wifdom of 
 being Religious. 
 
 Prov. ix. lo, ir. 
 
 I'be Fear of the Lord is the beginning of 
 Wifdom, and the Knowledge of the Holy 
 is Underjianding ; For by me thy Btays 
 fiall be multiplied, and the Tears of thy 
 J^if^ fi^ll be increafed, 139 
 
 Serm. VIIL Of imitating the 
 Holinefs of God. 
 
 ^ 1 Pet. i. 15, 16. 
 
 But as he which hath called you, is Holy -, 
 
 fo be ye Holy, in all manner of Convert 
 
 fation ; Becaufe it is written. Be ye 
 
 Holy^ for I am Holy. 167 
 
 Serm. IX. X. Of the Love of 
 God towards Sinners. 
 
 St JoH. iii. 16. 
 
 For Godfo loved the World, that he gave 
 bis only-begotten Son, that whofoever be- 
 
 lieveth 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 lieveth in him^ JJoould not perijh^ but 
 have everlafling Life. 189. 211 
 
 S E R M. XL Of Believing in God. 
 
 ^ Rom. iv. 3. 
 
 Abraham believed God, and it was counted 
 unto him for Righteoufnefs, 237 
 
 S E R M. XII. Of the Grace of God. 
 
 ^ Tit. ii. II, 12. 
 
 Por the Grace of God, that bringeth 
 Salvation, hath appeared to all men t 
 Teaching us, that denyifig Ungodlinefs 
 and Worldly Lujis, ive fiould live fi- 
 ber ly, right eoujly, and godly, iti this 
 prefent JVorld. 261 
 
 S E R M. XIII. XIV. of the Grace 
 of God. 
 
 Phil. ii. latter part of the i2thj and 
 the 13 th Verfe. 
 Work out your own Salvation with Fear 
 and Trembling -, For it is God which 
 2 ivorkcth 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 worketh in you, both to will and to do 
 of his good pkafure. 283. 305 
 
 S E R M. XV. Of the Kingdom of 
 God. 
 
 ' St Matt. vL ioo 
 fhy Kingdom come. 
 
 33^ 
 
 S E R M. XVI, XVIL Of the King- 
 dom of God. 
 
 ■ St Matt. vi. 33. 
 But feek ye Jirfl: the Kingdom of God^ and 
 bis Righteoufnefs, and all thefe things 
 Jhall be added unto you. 355. 381 
 
 SERMON 
 
[ ^ 1 
 
 SERMON I. 
 
 Of the G L o R Y of G O D. 
 
 I C o R. X. 3 1 . 
 
 Whether therefore ye eat or drinkj 
 or whatfoever ye do^ do all to the 
 Glory of God, 
 
 H E Defigii of the Apofile in s £ r m. 
 
 this chapter, is to prefs upon I. 
 
 Chriflians the great Obliga- ^^^^^t^^ 
 
 tion they are under, to walk 
 worthy of their holy vocation ; to walk 
 worthy of God, as he elfewhere expref^ 
 fes it, ( I Th. ii. 12.) to live as becom- 
 eth the Gofpel of Chriji ; to behave them- 
 felves in fuch a manner, as may do ho- 
 noiir to their religion, may give Credit 
 Vol, II. B and 
 
2 Of the Glory of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. and Reputation to their Profeffion ; In a 
 word, that they be follicitous above all 
 things to promote the Glory of God, and 
 the Salvation of Men \ to bring over Unbe- 
 lievers to the acknowledgment of the 
 Truth ; and to prevent, as far as poffible, 
 thofe who T)o believe, from being in any 
 manner offended and difcouraged in their 
 Duty, or by any means tempted and fe- 
 duced into Sin. 
 
 The Great Temptation in the Apoftles 
 days was thatof relapfing into the Heathen 
 Idolatry ; either direSily, into the grofs A6ls 
 of this Sin, through Fear of Perfecution ; 
 or confequentially, into the Snare of a de- 
 filed Confcience, by prefumptuoufly mif- 
 underftanding the true Bounds of what 
 was lawful and innocent. Againft Both 
 thefe, St Faul gives diligent Caution in 
 This chapter. Againft falling into dire5i 
 Idolatry through fear of Perfecution, he 
 exhorts the Corinthians by the following 
 Argument, ver. 13. Inhere has no Tempta- 
 tion, fays he, taken you, but fuch as is 
 common to Man: But God is Faithful^ 
 ivho will not fujfer you to be tempted above 
 what ye are able ; but will with the Temp- 
 tation alfo 7nake a way to efcape, that ye 
 
 may 
 
Of the Glory of G D. 3 
 
 fna\ be able to bear it : Wherefore^ my dear- S e r m. 
 ly beloved^ fee from Idolatry. To ftrength- ■*• 
 en which Argument, he proceeds in the 
 next Verfes, to reprefent to them the 
 Greafnefs of the Sin ; by fhowing them 
 diflincflly, under a plain and obvious Si- 
 mihtude, what Idolatry was. Ver. i^. / 
 fpeak^ faith he, as to Wife men 5 judge ye 
 what I fay. He does not infift merely up- 
 on his own Authority^ though it was no 
 lefs than Apoftolical , as Others, who 
 have no fuch Claim, are frequently too 
 apt to do : He does not require of them 
 to fubmit implicitly to what he fays, 
 without firft confidering whether it was 
 right or no : But he exhorts them to make 
 ufe of their own Reafon and Underiland- 
 ing : Ifpeak, fays he, as to Wife^ (that is,) 
 to Senfble and Keafonable Men ; Judge ye 
 *what I fay : Confider, if what I now 
 propofe to you, be not a reafonable and 
 conclufive Argument. T'he Bread which 
 we breaks is it not the Commu?jion of the 
 Body of Chrifl ? that is, is it not a profef- 
 fing ourfelves to be Difciples of Chrif f to 
 be Members of his Body? ver. 16. For we, fays 
 he, bei?2g Many, are one Bread and one Bo- 
 dy. In like manner, he i^^^ks oi Ifrael af- 
 VoL. II. B 2 ter 
 
4 Of the Glory of GOD. 
 
 ^-s-KVi. ter the fie fi., Are not they which eat of the 
 ' Sacrifices partakers of the Altar ? that is, 
 is not This a declaring themfelves to be 
 Difciples of Mofes f ver. 1 8. By the fame 
 Argument therefore ; being partakers., 
 faith he, of the "Table of Devils,^ by eating 
 of the Sacrifices in the Idol-Temple, 
 'ver. 2 1 j is, in reality, to communicate in 
 the Guilt of the Heathen-Idolatry. 
 
 Against the 7iext d^ing^v, viz. that 
 of- falling confe que ?tti ally into the Snare 
 of a defiled Confcience, by prefumptu- 
 oufly mifunderflanding the true Bounds 
 of what was lawful and innocent ; A- 
 gainft This, he cautions them in the re- 
 maining part of the chapter. An Idol, eve- 
 ry well inflrud:ed Chriftian knew to be 
 Nothing in the World: As to Meats there- 
 fore offered in facrifice to Idols ; the good 
 Creatures of God could not be defiled by 
 the imaginary Superflitions of 'vain Men. 
 And therefore Chriftians, provided They 
 themfehes bore no part in the Heathen- 
 worpip, were not obliged to make any 
 Inquiry, whether Meats fold in the Mar- 
 kets, or fet before them at any Friend's 
 houfe, had by Others been dedicated to 
 Superftitious Ufe, vsr, 25, 27. Never- 
 
 thelefs. 
 
Of the Glory of GOD. 5 
 
 thelefs, though as to Thofe who had this S e r m, 
 Underftanding, the Matter was clear ; ■** 
 yet, if any fcrupulous and weaker Brother 
 was dilTatisiied as to the Lawfulnefs of 
 This Pradice, in fuch cafe they were 
 bound to abftain : Bound, not by any ob-* 
 ligation upon- their ow?i Confcience, but 
 out of Tendernefs and Regard to His^ 
 ver. 28, 29, left by Their needlefsly do- 
 ing what was innocent to I'hemJ'ehes, He 
 fhould be incouraged to do the fame 
 thing which was 72ot innocent to Him: 
 In which cafe, it was much more materia 
 al^ and of greater importance to the Ho^ 
 nour of Religion^ that they fhould avoid 
 offending his Co?tfcience, than that they 
 fliould unfeafonably aftert their own Liber- 
 fy. Ver. 23. All things are lawful for me^ 
 hut all things are not expedient ; all things 
 are lawful for me^ but all thiftgs edify not. 
 The Meaning is j All things that are law^ 
 ful for a man to do^ *tis not confequently 
 for the Intereft of Religion that he fiould 
 do them, if it fo happens that other Mens 
 Confciences be not therein fatisiied as well 
 as his own. For That is moft for the True 
 intereft of Religion, which tends moft to- 
 wards making all men ad with a good 
 B 3 confcience. 
 
* 6 Of the Glory of G D. 
 
 S E R M. confcience. Ver. 24. Let no man therefore 
 feek his own, but every Man another i 
 Wealth : That is ; be not fo much foUi- 
 citous to keep up the full Extent of your 
 own innocent Liberty, as to do That 
 which will more generally and effed:ually 
 prevent Men's falling into Sin. This 
 ought always to be the main End, the 
 great and prevailing confideration, in 
 every Adion of a good Chriflian ; what 
 will moft tend to promote the Kingdom 
 of God, the Pradlice of univerfal Rightc- 
 oufnefs and Truth amongft Men. In or- 
 der to This End, it is not indeed Lawful 
 to do any thing that is Evil, but it is at 
 any time very commendable to forbear do- 
 ing what is innocent. This End, all our 
 Great and Religious Adions ought always 
 aBually and direBly to aim atj and all 
 owz fmaller and indifferent Adion s, ought 
 by a general and habitual intention, to 
 have the fame Tendency. For fo the A- 
 poftle concludes his whole Difcourfe, in the 
 words of the Text; Whether therefore ye eat 
 or drink, or whatjbever ye do, do All to the 
 Glo7y of God: Give none Offenfe, neither to the 
 yews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the Church 
 of God : Even as J pi cafe all men in all 
 
 things^ 
 
Of theGXovj of GOD. 7 
 
 things^ not fe eking mine own Trojit^ but theS e km* 
 Profit of Ma?iy, that they may be faved. •^• 
 
 The words of the Text contain a 
 Dodrine of the higheft importance in 
 Religion; And therefore, in the following 
 Difcourfe upon them, I fliall more large- 
 ly and diftindly confider; iji. What is 
 the true meaning, and full Intent, of that 
 Phrafe which we fo often meet with in 
 Scripture, T'be Glory of God : And 2dly, 
 What it is, that is required of men in 
 Pradice, in order to their fatisfying the 
 Precept in the Text ; Whether ye eat or 
 drink^ or whatever ye do, do All to the 
 Glory of God. 
 
 I. As to the true meaning of that 
 Phrafe which we fo often meet with in 
 Scripture, '\the Glory of God : 'Tis to be 
 obferved that the 
 
 iji and original Signification of it, is 
 to denote to us the EJence, the Perfon, 
 or the Majejly of God ; that is, God him- 
 felf who is the Fountain of Glory. Thus 
 2 Pet. i. ij. T'here came to him^ (to our 
 Saviour at his Baptifm,)^^^^^/^ a Voice from ^ 
 the Excellent Glory : From the Excellent 
 Glory, that is, from Go^, his Father; as 
 'tis literally exprefled, in the very fame 
 B 4 Verfe. 
 
8 Of the Glory of G D. 
 
 S E R M. Verfe. In T^his fenfe, the Name of Gody 
 4- the Majejiy on High, and fome other fuch 
 Phrafes, are alfo ufed in the like manner, 
 to fignify God himfelf. And, fitting on 
 the right hand of Power, Matt. xxvi. 64. 
 is, fitting at the right hand of God^ who 
 Alone has properly All Power. 
 
 2dly, This phrafe, the Glory of God, 
 iignifies in the Jtext place, the Manifefta- 
 tion of God's Perfedlions or Attributes by 
 the external Exercife of them towards his 
 Creatures. God was elTentially Happy 
 before any thing was created, in the injoy? 
 ment of his own unfpeakable Perfed:ions : 
 But the Manifejiation of the Glory of 
 thofe Perfections, and the Communicatiojt 
 of Good to Others, could not be till the 
 Creation of Things. Hence the Prophet 
 Jfaiah reprefents God Thus fpeaking, 
 (ch. xliii. J.) I have created him for my 
 Glory, / have formed him, yea I have 
 made him. In Allzfion to which expref- 
 fion it may probably be fuppofed to be, 
 that St Paul fays, i Cor. xi. 7. that Man 
 is the Image and Glory of God. 
 
 And becaufe in every one of the divine 
 Perfedions in particular, when manifefl- 
 gd fngly in their proper and refpedlive 
 
 Ads, 
 
Of the Glory of GOD. g 
 
 Ads, there is fomething diJiijiBly worthy S e r m. 
 of Adoration and Praife ; 'tis therefore ■^• 
 not unfrequent in Scripture to exprefs any 
 one of thofe Perfections lingly, by the Title 
 of the Glory of God, Thus concerning 
 the Divine Power, Pf. xix. i. T'he Hea^ 
 vens declare the Glory of God, (that is, 
 they fhow forth unto Men the Power of 
 God in creating, and his Wifdom in difpo- 
 fmg things ;) and the Firmament fieweth 
 his ha72dy-work. And J oh. xi. 4, 40. ^his 
 Sicknefs of Lazarus, faith our Lord, is 
 not unto Death, but for the Glory of God, 
 
 that thou jJmddefl fee the Glory of 
 
 God, and that the Son of God might be 
 
 glorified thereby : The Meaning is ; It was 
 intended for a manifeftation of God's 
 Power to raife the dead, and of his hav- 
 ing communicated That Power alfo to the 
 Son of Man. And here we may obferve, 
 by the way, that the Tyranny indeed of 
 weak a?2d vain Mortals, is apt to take 
 pleafure in Power for Power s fake -, an4 
 their great Complacency and Glory is, in 
 being able to exercife it arbitrarily and 
 without reafon. But God, whofe Power 
 is truly infinite, makes it His Glory to. 
 exercife Power, oiily in doing Good; (for 
 
 almqfl 
 
lo Of the Glory of G D. 
 
 Serm. almoft all onr Saviour's Miracles were 
 ^^J* A(5ls of Beneficence^ as well as of Power ;) 
 or at leaft, if the Subject is not capable 
 of Good, yet the Exercife of his Power, 
 even in A(fls of Severity^ is according to 
 yuftice always. Rom. ix. 22. JVhat if 
 
 God^ willing to make his Power known^ 
 
 endured with jnuch long-fufi'ering the vejfels 
 of Wrath fitted to definition ! He did not 
 fhow his abfolute Power^ m fitting a cer- 
 tain Number of men to defiruBion ; as 
 Some have abfurdly underftood this Text, 
 diredily contrary to the words themfelves ; 
 but he fhowed his Power mjifily punilhing 
 Thofe, who after much longfuffering and 
 forbearance with them, appeared finally 
 fit for nothing but Defiru5tion. 
 
 Again: Becaufe Mercy and Goodnefs 
 are reprefented in Scripture, as the Attri- 
 butes wherein God chiefiy delights ; accord- 
 ing to that of St James, ch. ii. 13. Mer^ 
 cy rejoiceth againfi fudgmcnt j or, as it is 
 in the Original, Mtvr^ glorieth over Judg- 
 ment : therefore This alfo is, in a particu- 
 lar and emphatical manner, called the 
 Glory of God. Ro?n. ix. 23. That he might 
 make known the Riches of his Glory, on 
 the Tejfels of Mercy : And Ephef in. 16, 
 4 ' That 
 
Oj the Glory of GOD. n 
 
 'I'hat he would grant you, according to the S e r m. 
 
 niches of his Glory, to be Jlrengthned ^• 
 
 by his Spirit in the inner ?nan. 
 
 I N purfuance of which fame manner 
 of fpeaking, Grace or Mercy is by the 
 Evangelift called likewife the Glory of 
 Chrift ; Joh. i. 14. We beheld his Glory, 
 the Glory as of the only-begotten of the Fa- 
 ther, full of Grace, (that is, of Mercy ^ 
 and Truth. And even of a Man, Prov. 
 xix. II. It is his Glory, faith Solomon, 
 to pafs over a Tranfgre/Jion. And the 
 Thanks, which men are bound to return 
 to God for \i\%free Goodncfs and Compaffi- 
 on towards them, is exprefled to be ac- 
 cordingly to the Praife of his Glory -, 
 Eph. i. 14. The redemption of the pur cha- 
 fed Pofejjion, unto the Praife of his Glory. 
 In This particular fenfe is fometimes 
 meant That general Obfervation, that the 
 End to which God directs All his Anions, 
 is his own Glory; Rom. xi. 32. God hath andGAliii. 
 concluded All under Sin, that he might 
 have Mercy upon AIL 
 
 Thus God's manifefling the feveral 
 Attributes and Perfedions of his Divine 
 Nature, in the external Exercife of them 
 
 towards 
 
 XI. 
 
12 Of the Glory of G D. 
 
 S E R M. towards his Creatures ; is frequently what 
 ^^* the Scripture means by the Glory of God. 
 
 ^dly. From hence, on the other fide, 
 the Return or Achiowledgment^ which 
 Creatures make again to God^ for His ma- 
 nifeftations of his Goodnefs to Tihem ; is 
 likewife in Scripture ftiled 'The Glory of 
 Gody or Their giving Glory to Him. To 
 give Glory to God^ is to promote his Ho^ 
 nour in the World ; or to contribute what 
 we can towards keeping up in All men's 
 minds, a juft ^e7fe of him, and Regard 
 towards him. 
 
 And This is done, particularly 3 by 
 WorJJnppi?7g him, with conftaiit and per- 
 petually-returning Ad:s, of folemn pub- 
 lick Devotion. Pf. xxix. i. Give unto 
 the Lord glory and Jirength ; give unto 
 the Lord the glory due unto his Najne \ 
 worlhip the Lord, in the Beauty of Holi- 
 nefs. Thus the Saints in Heaven, (Rev, 
 iv. 12.) are reprefented as ivorfiippiiig 
 God, and faying. Thou art ivorthy, O 
 Lordy .to receive Glory a?id Honour and 
 Power 'j for Thou haft created all things, 
 md for thy pleafure they are, and were- 
 Created. And the Kations of the Earth 
 are direded accordingly> (ch. xix. 7.) 
 4. Fear 
 
Of the Glory of G D. 13 
 
 Pear God^ and give Glory to him, and wor- S e r m* 
 Jhip him that made Heaven and £^r//6. Which ^' 
 Woffhip becaule the Heathen World gave ^'^^^^ 
 to Others inftead of the True God, even 
 to Gods which did not make the Heaven afid Jer. x. it. 
 the Earth, as the Prophet defcribes them ; 
 therefore St Paul Thus charges them, 
 Rom. i. 21. that when they knew God, yet 
 they glorified him not as God. 
 
 Again : B y Tha?2ks particularly return^ 
 edfor fpecial Mercies or Benefits received, 
 by which we profefs our Senfe of God's 
 being the Author of thofe Benefits ; is the 
 Honour of God promoted among Menj 
 or Glory given unto him. Thus [Luke 
 xvii. 18.) when of the ten Lepers that 
 were healed, one only, who was a Sama- 
 ritan, v/as truly Thankful for the Mercy 
 ihown him j lihere are not found, fays our 
 Saviour, that returned to give Glory to 
 God, fave T^his Stranger. 
 
 Further : GLORT \%\vi like manner 
 faid to be given to God, by Acknowledge 
 tnent of his Government and Supreme Do- 
 million in the World: Phil. ii. ii. That 
 every tongue Jhould confefs, that Jefus 
 Chrift is Lord, to the Glory of God the 
 Father 5 that is, to the Honour of God 
 
14 Of the Ghry of G D. 
 
 S E R M. who exalted him^ and who gave him a 
 I' Name which is above every Name^ hy Jet- 
 ting hi?7i at his own right hand in the Hea- 
 venly places. Thus alfo T^^-u. xi. 13. when 
 great Judgments of God fell upon the i- 
 dolatrous World, the remnant (fays the 
 Text) were affrighted^ and gave Glory to 
 the God of Heaven ; that is, they then 
 acknowledged the True God to be indeed 
 Supreme Governor of the World. For 
 not acknowledging of which, but proudly 
 afTuming to himfelf the caufe of his own 
 Grandeur and Riches, King Beljhazzar 
 is thus reproved by Daniel, (ch. v. 22.) 
 Thouy O Bclfiazzar, hajl jiot hufnbled 
 thine heart, but hajl lifted up thy felf a- 
 
 gaifiji the Lord of Heaven -, and the 
 
 God in whoje hand thy Breath is, and 
 whoje are all thy ways, thou hajl not glori- 
 fied. And King Herod, when^ being a- 
 rayed in royal apparel he fat upon his 
 Throne-, immediately the Angel of the 
 Lord f mote him. Ads xii. 23. becaufe he 
 gave not God the Glory ; that is, becaufe 
 forgetting his dependance upon God, he 
 fuffered the People to applaud him as be- 
 ing himfelf 2L God, and the Author of his 
 own Greatnefs. 
 
 Upon 
 
Of the Glory of GOD. 15 
 
 Upon the fame Ground, Confejjion ofSERM, 
 pafi Sins^ with true Humiliation^ and a ^' 
 jufl Senfe of the Unworthinefs and Un- 
 gratefulnefi of Sin, is in Scripture ftiled 
 giving Glory to God. Jo{h. vii. 19. Jo- 
 jJmafaid to Achan^ who had flolen fome 
 of the accurfed things, and. indeavoured 
 to dilTemble it ; My Son, gi'i'^, I pray thee^ 
 glory to the Lord God of Ifrael, and make 
 confejjion unto him : That is ; Acknow- 
 ledge, that nothing can be concealed from 
 His all-feeing Eye ; and that to Him there 
 is no fecret nor Shadow of Darknefs, 
 where the Workers of Iniquity may hide 
 themfelves. 
 
 A5lual Repentance, and Forfaking of 
 Sin, by real Amendment, is ftill in a high- 
 er degree giving Glory to God, or pro- 
 moting his Honour. Rev. xvi. 9. Men 
 blafphemed the Name of God, who hath 
 Power over thefe plagues j and they repent- 
 ed not, to give him Glory. 
 
 Habitual Holinefs, or a confiant 
 ejlablijhed PraBice (j/' Virtue, in the courfe 
 of our Lives, is yet ifurther, in the highcjl 
 degree we are capable, giving Glory to 
 the God of all Righteoufnefs and Holinefs, 
 who is of purer Eyes than to behold ini- 
 quity. 
 
1 6 Of the Glory of GO D. 
 
 Serm. quity. i Cor. v\. 20. Glorify God, inybun 
 
 ■*'^ ]Bod)\ and in your Spirit : Being Jilled with 
 
 the Fruits of right eouf?ieJs, which are by 
 
 Jefus Chriji, unto the Glory and Praife of 
 
 God. (Phil. i. II.) 
 
 I N a word : Whate^'cer tends to the 
 true Honour of Religion, to the promoting 
 and eftablifhment of Virtue and Goodnefs 
 
 Phil. iv. 8. among Men ; V/hatfoever things are 
 true, whatfoever things are honeji, what- 
 foever things are juft, whatfoever things 
 are pure, whatfoever thi?igs are lovely^ 
 whatfoever things are of good report, if 
 there be any Virtue, if there be any Praife, 
 thefe are the things which promote the 
 Glory of God. God is hirnfefz. Being of 
 infinite Holinefs and Goodnefs ; a perfed:-^ 
 ly juft and righteous, as well as Supreme, 
 Governor of the Univerfe : And the Glo- 
 ry oi fuch a Governor, is the eftablifh- 
 ment of his Moral Kingdotn, the univer- 
 fal eftablilhment of the Dotninion and 
 Power of Vi?'tue, in the Wills of all rea- 
 fonable and intelligent Creatures. His 
 natural Kingdom is by NeceJJity ; for 
 the material World cannot but obey him : 
 But his moral Kingdom which is his 
 greateft Glory ^ is the Dominion of Righte- 
 
 oifnef 
 
Of the Glory of GOD. 17 
 
 biifnefs and Virtue. Hence the Apoftles, S e r M. 
 in their Exhortations to the Pradlice of 
 Any Virtue whatsoever, frequently urge , 
 'This Argument, that it will be to the Glo- 
 ry of God : (Rom. xv. 5.) God— —grant 
 you to be like-minded one towards ano- 
 ther^ that ye may with one mind glo- 
 
 riiie God^ even the Father of our Lord 
 yefus Chriji. And in the words of the 
 Text 5 Whether ye eat or dri?2k^ or what- 
 foever ye ds, do all to the glory of God: 
 Do every thing, even the moffc common 
 adtions of Life, in fucli a manner as 
 may become the Profeflbrs of the Gofpe'l 
 of Chrift, and may promote the Honour 
 and Intereft of Religion. The words are 
 
 of the fame import, with thofe in Col. iii. , 
 
 1 7. Whatfoever ye do in word or deed, do 
 all in the name of the Lord Jcfus ; do eve- 
 ry thing fo as becomes the Difciples of 
 Chrift, giving Thanks to God, even the Fa- 
 ther, by Him J that God in all things may 
 he glorified, through J fas Chrift, 1 Pet. 
 iv. II; or, as 'tis exprefted. Tit. ii. 10. 
 that ye may adorn the Do5lrine of God 
 our Saviour in all things. To adorti the 
 Doftrine of God is, by your Praftife to 
 caufe it to appear lovely and beneficial to 
 Vol. II, e mankind^ 
 
I. 
 
 1 8 Of the Glory of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. mankind ; to fhow how glorious 'tis in its 
 Effects, and how 'worthy to be embraced, 
 and praftifed by all men. This is what 
 the Scripture elfewhere calls, glorifying 
 the word of the Lord, A(5ts xiii. 48 ; glo^ 
 rifying if, and caufing it to have its free 
 courfe ; fo St Paul explains it, 2 Th. iii. i. 
 'Tis promoting the interell of Religion 
 and Virtue, and the general Salvation of 
 Men J 'Tis fpreading the Knowledge of 
 God , and bringing men over to the 
 Obedience of his Commands, in order to 
 their becoming capable of being Partakers 
 of his Happinefs. Which Happinefs and 
 PerfeBion of rational Creatures, being- 
 the great End and Defign of God's Crea- 
 tion, and what both Nature and Scrip- 
 ture calls the Kingdom of God-, therefore 
 whatever tends to the promoting of Vir- 
 tue and True Religion in the World, is 
 promoting the Honour and the Glory of 
 God. When Many of the Jews, convin- 
 ced by our Saviour's Miracles, embraced 
 the Truth of his Dodlrine j the Scripture 
 thus expreffes it, Mat. xv. 31. that they 
 glorified the God of Ifrael. When our Sa- 
 viour promifes his Difciples, for the fur- 
 ther confirmation and eftablifliment of 
 * their 
 
Of the Glory of GOD. 19 
 
 their Faith, that God would certainly S e r m. 
 grant them the Petitions they fliould right- 
 ly put up in his Name; he does it in the 
 following manner, that the Father^ fays 
 he, may be glorified i?i the Son, Joh. xiv. 
 13. In the 2 1 ft chapter of the fame Go- 
 fpel, ver. 19 ; becaufe the Teftimony and 
 the Sufferings of the Martyrs, are one of 
 the principal Means of propagating the 
 True Religion, therefore our Saviour's 
 foretelling in what manner St Peter fhould 
 die, is by the Evangelift thus expreft, 
 that our Lord fignijied by what Death Pe- 
 ter JJjoiild glorify God. For the fame rea- 
 fon, the Spreading of the Knowledge of 
 the True God among the Nations of the 
 World, is by the Prophet called, fetting 
 his Glory among the Heathen, Ezek. xxxix. 
 21. And becaufe Nothing does This 
 more effectually, than the virtuous Lives, 
 and good Examples of thofe who profefs 
 the Truth ; therefore the Apoftle tells the 
 Corinthians, (2 Cor. iv. 15.) that the a- 
 bundant grace which was in them, did, 
 thro' the thankjgiving of Many, redouiid to 
 the Glory of God. And our Saviour, ex- 
 horting his Difciples to be bright Exam- 
 ples of Virtue to the World, does it in 
 Vol. IL C 2 this 
 
20 Of the Glory of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. this manner, (Matt. v. i6.) Let your 
 l^^i Light, fays he, Jo .fiine before Men, that 
 they may fee your good works, afid glorify 
 your Father which is in Heaven. 
 
 All that has been faid upon This 
 Head concerning the Glory of God, is 
 ftill further confirmed by the confiderati- 
 on of the Contrary, what is meant by the 
 Difonour of Godi Literally and il:rid:ly 
 fpeaking, 'tis evident God cannot be difo- 
 mured, becaufe his elTential Honour or 
 Glory is immutable. But as xhapromoting 
 of Virtue and Right eoif?iefs, is glorifyi?ig 
 God; fo the bringing any Reproach up- 
 on Religion ajid Goodnefs, is dijhonour- 
 ing of God, who is the Author of true 
 Religion and the Fountain of Goodnefs. 
 Thus, under the Old Teftament, the 
 Wickednefs of Eli's Sons, [i Sam. ii. 17.] 
 caufed men to abhor the offeri?jg of the 
 Lord. And the Sin of David, (2 Sam. 
 xii. 14.J gave great occafion to the Rne- 
 mies of the Lord to blafpheme. Upon This 
 ground, Nehemiah thus exhorts the Jews 
 at their return from the captivity, fch. v. 
 9') Ought ye not to walk in the Fear of our 
 God, becaife ^ //?£' Reproach of the Heathen 
 our Enemies .? And God complains by the 
 
 Prophet 
 
M. 
 
 Of the Glory of GOD. 21 
 
 Prophet Ifaiah, ch. lii. 5. I'hey that rule^ e r 
 o'uer my people, opprefs thejn^ faith the 
 Lord^ and my Name continually every day ^^ vV 
 is blafphemed. And again, by Ezekiel^ 
 ch. XXXV i. 20. When they entred unto the 
 Heathett whither they went^ they profaned 
 my Holy Name, when they /aid Thefe are 
 the people of the Lord. 
 
 I N the New Teftament, the fame Ar- 
 gument is urged by St Paul, Rom. ii. 23. 
 Through breaking the Laiv, difhonoureft 
 ihou God^ For the Name of God is blaf- 
 phemed among the Ge?itiles, through Tou, 
 as It is written. And in his particular 
 Dirculions to perfons in particular Stati- 
 ons, his exhortation to young women is, 
 that by fober converfation they give none 
 occafton to the Adverfary to fpeak reproach- 
 fully, 1 Tim. V. 14 : and that they be 
 chafle and difcreet, that the word of God be 
 not blafphemed : Tit. ii. 5. And to young 
 men, ver. 8. that by their uncorruptnefs, 
 gravity and finccrity,— — he that is of the 
 contrary part may be afoamed, having no. 
 evil thi?jg to fay of them. And to Se?'vants, 
 that they behave themfelves well to- 
 wards their Mailers, that the Name of 
 C 3 Qod 
 
2 2 Of theGlovy of GOD, 
 
 Serm. QqJ ^j^j IjI^ DoBrine be not blaj'phemed^ 
 
 Thus have I briefly explained what is 
 in Scripture meant by This phrafe, T^he 
 Glory of God, and our giving glory to him. 
 'Tis promoting the intereft of T'rue Vir- 
 tue and Right eoiijhefi in the World. For 
 as the natural Kingdom of God over the 
 inanimate Creation, conlifts in his Exer- 
 cife of Power and JVifdom j fo the fpiritu- 
 al Kingdom of God over the rational 
 World, confifts in the Obediefice of the 
 Wills of reafonable Creatures to the moral 
 and eternal Laws oj Right eoufne fs : And 
 the Glory of God, as of every Good Go- 
 vernoiir in Froportion, is the Goodnefs and 
 Happinefs of his SubjeSls. When there- 
 fore we fay that God does every thing for 
 his own Glory, and that This is his Ulti- 
 mate End; the meaning is, that his De- 
 fign in all things is the final eftablifhment 
 of his Kingdom of univerfal Righteoitf- 
 nefs in the whole Creation. And accord- 
 ingly when a Man does any Adion be- 
 caufe it is good and right, or forbears it be- 
 caufe it is evil and immoral \ then only, 
 and not when he ads upon any enthiifiaft- 
 
 ick 
 
Of the Glory of GOD. 23 
 
 ick principles, does he truly intend theS erm. 
 Glory of God. ^^ 
 
 This in General. I fhould now have 
 proceeded in the 2d place, to fliow more 
 particularly, what it is that is required of 
 men in Pradice, in order to their fatis- 
 fying the Precept in the Text, JVhe- 
 ther ye eat or drink, or whatfoever ye 
 do, do all to the Glory of God. But This, 
 hereafter. 
 
 C 4 S E R- 
 
[ 25 ] 
 
 SERMON II. 
 
 Of the Glory of GOD. 
 
 I Cor. X. 31. 
 
 Whether therefore ye eat or drink^ 
 or whatfoever ye doj do all to the 
 Glory of God. 
 
 N Difcourling upon thefeSERM. 
 words, I have propofed to H. 
 conlider, i//, what is the ^"^ 
 True Meaning, and full In- 
 tent, of that Phrafe which 
 we fo often meet with in Scripture, T^he 
 Glory of God : And 2^/v, What it is, that 
 is required of Men in Pradlice, in order to 
 their fatisfying the Precept in the Text. 
 
 I. As 
 
26 Of the Glory of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. I. As to This Phrafe, which we fo of- 
 ^^' ten meet withal in Scripture, The Glory 
 of God 'y I have fhowo, that it denotes, in 
 its iji and original Signification, the Ef- 
 fencCy the Per/on, or the Majefty of God ; 
 that is, God Himfelfy who is the Fountain 
 of Glory. 2dh\ It fignifies the Manifejia- 
 tion of God's Perfedions or Attributes, in 
 the external Exercife of them towards his 
 Creatures. And from hence, 3^/)', on 
 the other fide, the Return or Acknowledg- 
 ment^ which Creatures make again to God^ 
 for His manifeftations of his Goodnefs to 
 The^n^ is likewife in Scripture ftiled, The 
 Glory of God, or Their giving Glory to 
 Him. 
 
 Thus far I have already proceeded 
 in general. That which Now remains, 
 is, 
 
 II. To confider dillindly and parti- 
 cularly ^ in the feveral Cafes and Circum- 
 ftances of Life, what it is that is required 
 of men in Practice, in order to their fa- 
 tisfying the Precept in the Text j whether 
 ye eat or drink^ or whatfoever ye do, do all 
 to the Glory of God, 
 
 Anp 
 
Of the GXorj of GOD. 27 
 
 And I/?, He who will in all things Serm. 
 promote the Glory of God., muft in the ^^• 
 firft place fhow forth the Scnfe he has of ^-^^^^ 
 God upon his Mind, by .A^s immediately 
 and direSily religious ; hy J tic h A6ls, as 
 are ProfeJJ'ed Acknowledgments of our own 
 Dependence upon God, and exemplary to 
 provoke other men, (as the Apoflle ele- 
 gantly exprefTes it, Heb. x. 24.) imto Love 
 and to good Works. Of This Kind, are 
 publick Prayer and 'Thank/giving : Pf cvii. 
 31.0 that men isooidd therefore praife the 
 Lord for his Goodnefs., and declare the 
 Wonders that he doth for the Children of 
 Men ! 'That they would exalt him alfo in 
 the Congregation of the people^ and praife 
 him in the Seat of the Elders ! By this 
 publick Worfhip of God^ are made the 
 propereft Expreffions of the Senfe we 
 have of our Dependence upon him ; and 
 by this manner of exprefling it, is That 
 Sejjfe iff elf the Senfe of God and of Re- 
 ligion upon the Minds of men, moft ef- 
 fedually kept up and preferved. Very 
 emphatical is the Defcription Sc John 
 gives us, of the whole Univerfe joining 
 in their feveral Capacities, to give Glory 
 m This manner to their Common Lord ; 
 
 Rev, 
 
28 Of the Glory of G D. 
 
 Serm. Rev. V. 13. Every Creature^ which h in 
 ^' Heaven^ and on the Earth, and mider the 
 Earthy and fuch as are in the Sea^ and 
 All that are in them heard /, faying^ 
 Blejjing^ and Hojiour^ and Gkry^ and 
 Power ^ be tinto him that fit teth upon the 
 Xhrone. 
 
 2.dly, He who, according to the DI- 
 rediion in the Text, will do all things to 
 the Glory of God j as he muft be conllant 
 in A^s im77iediately and direBly religious^ 
 fo he muft refolve againft being at Any 
 time guilty of Any Action which is di- 
 reBly irreligious. Of This Kind, is every 
 deliberate Sin^ every Ad: which is againfi 
 a man's ow7i Confcieiice, every known 
 'Tranfgrefjion of a Commandment, Which 
 things whofoever is at any time guilty 
 of; far from doing all to the Glory of 
 God, he on the contrary, as much as in 
 him lies, di[J:onours and reproaches him. 
 For wilful Sin, fuming prefumptuoufy or 
 with a high hand, (as the Scripture ex- 
 prcffes it j) is in the Nature of Things a 
 Difiofiour to God : Ro?n. ii. 23. ^bou that 
 makefi thy boafi of the Law, through 
 breaki?ig the Law difhonourefl thou God "I 
 'Tis reproaching the Lord ; or contending^ 
 
 4 J^A 
 
Of the Glory of GOD, 29 
 
 in effedt, that his Commandments are not S e r m* 
 wife, juft, and good : Num. xv. 30. 7 he ^^- 
 Soul that doth ought prefumptuoujly, the 
 fame reproacheth the Lord^ and that Soul 
 fiall be cut off' from among his people. 
 'Tis cafting Contempt upon his Laws j 
 If V. 24. They have cafl away the haw 
 of the Lord of Hojis, and defpifed the 
 word of the Holy One of Ifrael. 'Tis de- 
 fytng his Power; i Cor. x. 22. Do we 
 provoke the Lord to jealoufy ? are we 
 Wronger than He ? In a word ; 'tis pro- 
 feffing that we know better what is right 
 and fit for us ourfehes, than he can judge 
 for us ; and therefore that we will not 
 have Him to reign over us. This is the 
 cafe of prefumptuous Sins ; of all Ani- 
 ons, known to be diredly and in their 
 own nature irreligious. 
 
 But, not only by Adlions intrinfcally 
 and in their own Nature immoral, is 
 Godi difhonoured ; but alfo by every 
 thing, which in its Circumflances is Evil j 
 by every Ad', which either the Perfon who 
 commits it, judges to be unlawful ; or 
 which needlefly gives Offence to Others^ 
 and becomes to ^hejn the Caufe or the 
 Qccafion of Sin. For, the Kingdom of 
 
 God 
 
30 Of the Glory of GOD. 
 
 S E RM. God confifting in the Prevalency of uni- 
 II- verfal Righteoufnefs, Sincerity, and Truth j 
 it follows, that not only by the Practice 
 of whatever is tntrinfically immoral^ but 
 alfo by whatever wounds and defiles the 
 confcie?ice either of him who does the 
 Adion, or of Others who by the Exam- 
 ple of it are led into the Commiflion of 
 what to Them is Sin ; by every fuch thing 
 is God's Kingdom of Righteoufnefs di- 
 miniflied, and the Dominion of Virtue 
 over the Hearts and Wills of Men, (which 
 is the Glory and the Delight of God) is 
 weakned and impaired. For w^hoever 
 does any thing with a Senfe or Judgment 
 in his own mind of its being unlawful 
 when he does it ; however otherwife the 
 A(fl might poflibly have been innocent in 
 its own Nature j yet he fins at That time 
 againfl his own Confcience^ and confe- 
 quently againft God. And whoever does 
 any thing with a probable Knowledge or 
 Expedation, that his doing it will be a 
 means of deceiving or tempting his Neigh- 
 bour into Sin j however otherwife the 
 Adion might have been not only inno- 
 cent in itfelf, but innocent alfo to Himy 
 becaufe he knew it to be fo j yet in This 
 
 cafe. 
 
Of the Glory of GOD. 31 
 
 cafe, by Uncharitablenefs, he fins againll: S e r m„ 
 his Brother^ and confequently againft God. ^^* 
 For, fince the promoting of Virtue and 
 Goodnefs in the World, is the moft im- 
 portant of all things j it becomes us at all 
 times, and in all our Aftions, to look 
 upon it as our main End. And though 
 the Perverfenefs of malicious perfons, who 
 are apt to mifreprejent things, is by no 
 means an Obligation upon any Good man 
 to forbear doing any thing that he him- 
 felf knows to be innocent j yet the Weak- 
 nefs oi jincere and is) ell-meaning perfons, 
 who by relying upon His Example might 
 be led to do what would in T^hem be Sin, 
 is a very ftrong reafon, (unlefs he has o- 
 therwife fome Great Occafion or Neceffi- 
 ty of Acting,) it is (I fay) in point of 
 Charity a very ftrong reafon, why he 
 fhould forbear doing that which would 
 be fo hurtful to The^n. Where the thing 
 that gives Offence to Others, and either 
 drives or leads them into Sin is fuch, as 
 not only upon account of this Circum- 
 Jlance or Confequence^ but intrinf.cally al- 
 fo and in its own Nature is unlawful \ 
 there the Scripture denounces againft the 
 Offender the utmoft Seijerity of Woe, as 
 
 againft 
 
32 Of the Glory of GOD, 
 
 Serm. againft a prefumptuous Difhonourer of 
 ^^- God : Matt, xviii. 6. Whofo jhall offend 
 
 ^'^'^ 0/?^ <?/' ^Z)^ //V//^ ones that believe in Me, 
 it were better for him that a jniljlone were 
 hanged about his Neck, and that he were 
 drow7ied in the Depth of the Sea: Woe un- 
 to the World, becaife of Offences ; for it 
 mufl needs be that Offences co?ne, but Woe 
 to that man by whom the Offence cometh. 
 But where the thing done is innocent in 
 itfelf, and only by accidental confequence 
 • proves an oecafion of Sin to Others j yet 
 even There, he who forefees this confe- 
 quence and takes not care to prevent it ; 
 is in Scripture charged with Vncharitable- 
 nefs towards the Soul of his Brother, if 
 it be a Fellow-chrillian whom he fo caufes 
 to offend ; or with want of true Concern 
 for the Glory of God, if the Offence be 
 given to an Unbeliever, 
 
 A s to the Gafe of U?ibelievers ; the A- 
 poftle thus exhorts, i Pet. ii. 12. Have 
 your converfation honefi among the Gen- 
 tiles ; that they may by your good 
 
 works which they Jhall behold, glorify God 
 in the day of Vifitation. Again, 2 Cor^ 
 viii. 21. Provide for honeft thifigs, (that is, 
 things of good reputation as well as law- 
 ful,) 
 
Of the Glory of GOD. 33 
 
 fill,) mt only in the fight of the Lord, but S e r m, 
 alfo in the fght of men. Ahftain from all ^^' 
 Appearance of Evil, i Th. v. 22. Provide 
 things honejl, that is, reputal)le, /// the 
 fght of all men, Rom. xii. 1 7. IValk ho-- 
 nejily towards them that are without'^ 
 I Th. iv. 12. Honeftly, that is, wifely^ 
 circumffedily, fo as to afford them tio Ob- 
 jeBion againft your religion ; Thus the 
 fame Apoftle explains himfelf. Col. iv. 5. 
 Walk /;zWifdom towards them that are 
 without. 
 
 A s to the cafe of Felhw-chnfiiaiis ; how 
 the Glory of God is to be promoted by 
 our behaviour towards Tihem j by our ta- 
 king care to avoid even fuch innocent 
 things, as we fee likely to lead any of 
 T^hem into Sin, and may be forborn with- 
 out Siny great inconvenience to Ourfehesi 
 the Apoftle explains himfelf at large, by 
 putting a particular and very remarkable 
 inftance, in the chapter whereof ?ny ''Text 
 is a part j and in the eighth chapter of This 
 Epifle 'y and in the fourteenth chapter to 
 the Romans. 
 
 The Cafe he puts, is, whether it was 
 lawful for Chriftians to eat of fuch meats, 
 as the Heathen had facriiiced to their 
 
 Vol. II. D Idols. 
 
j 
 
 ;4 Of theOAovy of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. Idols. In xh^prefent chapter^ whereof my 
 Text is a part, he thus refolves the que- 
 flion, 'ver. 25, 27. Whatfoever ts fold in 
 the jhambles, or Jet before you at a friend!^ 
 houft\ That eat, asking ?2o qiiefiion for con-- 
 fcience fake j i. e. Care not, whether the 
 Heathens have fuperftitioufly offered it to 
 their Idols, or not ; For the Earth is the 
 Lord's, and the Fulnefs thereof-, ver. 26. 
 The Meaning is ; God made all things, 
 and every creature of His is good, if it 
 be received with Thankfgiving ; nor can 
 any man's Folly and Superftition make 
 That to be unclean, which God has made 
 clean to us. But if any man fay unto you, 
 This is offered in facrifice imto Idols, ver. 
 28. then eat not, for his fake that fhewed 
 it ; that is, forbear Then, out of charity 
 to Him, leaft Tour Liberty caufe Him to 
 ftrain his Confcience, and fo fall into Sin. 
 And then he fums up all in the words of 
 the Text, Whether therefore ye eat or 
 drink, or whatfoever ye do, do all to the 
 Glory of God: Give none Offence, neither 
 to the yews, nor to the Gentiles^ nor to the 
 Church of God. 
 
 In 
 
Of the Glory of G D. 35 
 
 I N the eighth chapter of this epiflle, S e r m, 
 he again propofes and refolves the fajne II- 
 queftion : Ver. 4. As concerning the eating 
 things offered in Sacrifice unto Idols^ we 
 know that an Idol is iiothing in the Worlds 
 and that there is none Other God hut One, 
 Howbeit, faith he, ver. 7. there is not in 
 every man 'That knowledge : Forfome with 
 confidence ofi the Idol unto this hour^ eat it 
 as a thing offered unto an Idol-, and their 
 Confidence^ being weak^ is defiled. Where- 
 fore, though in reality, and to a man of 
 underftanding, the good creatures of God 
 are not at all the worfe, for having by 
 other mens vain and fenfelefs fuperftition 
 been offered to an Idols yet take heedy 
 fays the Apoflle, ver. 9. lefi by aity means 
 this Liberty ofi yours become a fiurnbling- 
 hlock to them that are weak : For ifi afiv 
 man fiee l^hee which haft ktjowledge^ fiit at 
 meat in the Idols temple^ fioall not the con- 
 fidence ofi Him that is weak^ be emboldened 
 (in the original it is expreffed very em- 
 phatically, jimll he not be edified,) to eat 
 thofie things which are ofiered to Idols f 
 And through Thy biow ledge ^ fihall the 
 weak Brother perifij^ fior whom Chrift di- 
 ed. And then he concludes, i:er, 1 2. When 
 
 V o L. II. D 2 ye 
 
36 Of the Glory of G D. 
 
 S E R M.^t- Jin fo agabifi the Brethren^ and wound 
 
 ^ ' their weak confcience^ J^fi^ agaijifi Chrifi : 
 
 Wherefore if Meat make 7ny Brother to 
 
 offend^ I will eat no meat while the World 
 
 Jiandeth^ leji I make jny Brother to offend. 
 
 Laflly, The fame queflion he again 
 determines, in the fourteenth chapter to 
 the Romans: I know, faith he, ver. 14. 
 and am perfwaded h the Lord yefus, that 
 there is nothing unclean of itfelf-, hut to 
 him that efteemeth any t hi fig to be wide an, 
 to Him it is unclean : But if thy Brother 
 he grieved with thy meat. Now thou walk- 
 
 eji not charitably : All things indeed 
 
 are pure, but 'tis evil for that man who 
 eateth with off'ence : It is good therefore, 
 neither to eat flejh, nor to drink wine, nor 
 any thing whereby thy Brother fumbleth, 
 or is made weak : Hajl thou Faith ? have 
 it to thyfelf before God. His meaning, 
 in thefe laji words, is ; not, (as fome have 
 wickedly perverted the words,) that pro- 
 vided a man has right notions of religion 
 himfelf he need not openly own and pro- 
 fefs them before Others : But his meaning 
 is, that in things of an i?idifferenf nature, 
 (of which only he was here fpeaking,) men 
 of under/landing had better keep to them- 
 ■ ^, felves 
 
Of the Glory of G D, 37 
 
 felves their lawful Liberty, than run the S e r m. 
 hazard of incouraeine others to venture _' 
 further than their Confciences will inno- 
 cently permit them. Haft thou Faith f 
 i. e. haft thou ajfurance of the innocency 
 of what thou doft ? have it to thyfelf be- 
 fore God. 
 
 The Sum is This : To do any Evil ' ' 
 Adfion, that Good may come of it, is not 
 lawful: But to forbear any tJinocent a6li- 
 on, when fuch forbearance is the likelieft 
 means to prevent another man's falling 
 into Sin, is both lawful and co?f]me?tdable. 
 Nay, the adling other wife, is, in fuch 
 cafe, Uncharitablenefs towards our Bro- 
 ther: Rom, xiv. 15. If thy Brother be 
 grieved with thy Meat, Now walkcfl thou 
 not charitably. 
 
 T o apply this to Other cafes. We af- 
 firm, and with great reafon, that fuch 
 Ufe of Images in religious Worfliip, as 
 the Church of Rome injoins, is dircB Ido- 
 latry, But fuppcife it were not ; yet, fo 
 long as the generality of the people can- 
 not poffibly pray otherwife amongft them, 
 than with Confcience of the Idol, as St Raul 
 expreffes himfelf, i Cor. viii. 7. 'twould 
 be the greateft Injuftice in the world, for 
 D 3 "them 
 
38 Of the Glory of G D. 
 
 S E R M. ^bem to caufe their Brethren to peri(h, 
 ^^' for whom Chrifl died ; by impofing up- 
 ^ on them needlelly, and without warrant 
 of Scripture, fo manifeft a ftumbling- 
 block, and fo evident a caufe of falling 
 into Sin. And the like may be faid in 
 proportion, concerning the Violent and 
 • . Obflinate Impofition of any dubious doc- 
 trine, or any dangerous Ceremony, be- 
 yond the original Plainnefs and Simplicity 
 of the Gofpel. 'Tis chufing to hazard 
 the Salvation of Men, and to caufe Di- 
 vifions, and Strifes, and unnecelfary Dif- 
 ficulties of Confcience among the Ser- 
 vants of Chrift, for the fake of Pride and 
 Vanity and Love of Dominion over men. 
 Whoever is fincerely defirous to do all 
 thhigs to the Glo7'y of God ; as he will be 
 lieartily forry for all his ow?i Sins and 
 Offences, fo he will really endeavour, as 
 much as in him lies, to prevent the Sins 
 of Others; He will avoid every things 
 that may lead them into Sinj he will 
 fet them an example of Virtue, in the 
 Praftice of his own life ; he will recom- 
 mend to them in his Difcourfe, upon all 
 fair and proper cccafions, the excellency 
 and the reafonablenefs of Religion 5 he 
 
 will 
 
Of theG\oTy of GOD. 39 
 
 will rejoice and be truly pleafed, to fee S e r m. 
 Virtue, Righteoufnefs, and univerfal Cha- ^^• 
 rity, and Good-will, prevail and profper 
 in the World j he will lead no man into 
 Error, nor be eafy to fee any man con- 
 tinue in it ; but will wifh with Mojes^ 
 that all the Lord's people were Prophets ; 
 and contribute, as much as in him lies, 
 towards enabling them to be fo. And, 
 if he be in Power .or Authority, he will 
 defire not to grieve or burden the Con- 
 fciences of Men ; but will efteem it of 
 much more importance to unite Chri- 
 ftians in the plain Simplicity of the Go- 
 fpel, and in the bonds of Righteoufnefa 
 and true Charity; than to eftablifli for 
 Himfelf Any Power or Dominion over 
 the Confciences of liIs Brethren, either 
 by prefumptuouily claiming to himfelf a 
 falfe Jpiritual Authority which Chrift 
 has not given him, or antichriftianly and 
 atheifticaily making ufe of Temporal Fouo- 
 er to compel or awe men in matters of 
 ReligioJi. 
 
 Thus have I briefly explained the 
 Two Pri?nary and Great Inftances, where- 
 in confifts a man's doing All things to the 
 Glory of God. It implies Jirjl^ that he 
 D 4 regu- 
 
40 Of the Glory of G D. 
 
 S E R M. regularly fliow forth the Senfe he has of 
 ■^^* God upon his Mind, by ASis immediately 
 and direSily religious ; and 2^/y, that he 
 refolves againft being at Any time guilty, 
 of Any ABion which is direBly Irreligi- 
 ous. But further, 
 
 3^/y, In all great Actions, A(flions of 
 moment and confequence in the main courfe 
 of a man's life j although they be not fuch, 
 as have any direct relation to Religion ; 
 yet ought he exprefsly to intend the Glory 
 of God J as his chief a?id main end. He 
 ought to intend the Glo7'y of God-y that is, 
 the promoting of T'rutb a?2d Right, of 
 yujlice and Goodnefs in the World. For 
 whatever is Therefore chofen, becaife it 
 tends to the promoting of Virtue and 
 Goodnefs, is (in the Scripture-fenfe) done 
 for the Glory of God : And whatever is 
 for That reafofi avoided, becaufe it has, 
 in any manner, a Tendency to 'Evil; is a- 
 voidedyt?r the Glory of God. Now there 
 is no confiderahle Adlion in any man's 
 Life, no Adlion of coJifequence and impor- 
 tance in the World, but which, even 
 though it has 7iot any dired: relation to 
 Religion, yet fome way or other has in 
 the whole a Tendency to promote the 
 
 Caufe 
 
Of the Glory of GOD. 41 
 
 Caufe either of Virtue or of Vice. Such S e r m. 
 is, for inftance, a man's choofing; his ^^' 
 ProfeJJion, imployment, or manner of *' 
 Life in the World. Whatever Profeflion, 
 though not in itfclf diredlly unlawful, yet 
 leads Men needlefsly into many and flrong 
 temptations to Sin, will always, if pof- 
 fible, and if he is not under any prejjing 
 neceffity, be avoided by a Man who is fin- 
 cerely defirous to do all things to the Glo- 
 ry of God. Every mnocent Profeffion 
 may equally and indifferently be chofen by 
 any good Man; But yet, even in T^hat 
 Choice, his main and ultimate End will 
 be the Exercife of Right and Truth, and 
 the mutual comfortable Support of Men, 
 in Juftice, Faithfulnefs and Charity. Pro- 
 fit, Power, Credit, Reputation, and the 
 like, may very innocently, and very juft- 
 ly be aimed at by Men in Any bufinefs 
 or imployment whatfoever : But thefe 
 things muft Always be defired with a 
 due Subordination to the Intereft of Vir- 
 tue ; which is the Glory of God, and the 
 only true and final Happinefs of Men, 
 Whoever, in the Great Lines and main 
 Coiirfe of his Life, aims merely or prin- 
 cipally at worldly and temporal Ends ; 
 
 in 
 
42 Of the Glory of G D. 
 
 S E R M. in the attainment of Thofe Ends, he has 
 "^' his Reward, 
 
 ^thly and Laftly ; As in all Great Ani- 
 ons, a good Chrifllan ought ad:ually ; fo 
 in all even the fmallefi and moft inconfide^ 
 rable Adtions of Life, he ought habitually 
 to intend the Gkry of God. Whether ye 
 eat or drink, or whatfocver ye do, do all 
 fo the Glory of God. The Scripture repre- 
 fents all, even irrational and the very ina- 
 nimate creatures, {Ff cxlviii. 2, &c.) 
 Beajls and all cattle, worms and feathered 
 fowls -y the Sun, the Moon and Stars ; 
 Mowitains and all Hills, fruitful Threes 
 and all Cedars ; Fire and Hail, Snow and 
 Vapours, Wind and Storms ; The Scripture, 
 I fay, reprefents even All I'hefe as glorify- 
 ing God, becaufe they adt regidarly, ac- 
 cording to the Nature he has given them, 
 and by his Command. Much ?nore then, 
 may even the moft common a(flions of 
 Men be juilly faid to be done to the glory 
 of God ', when they are done decently and 
 foberly, regularly and iiinocently -, as be- 
 comes Men, and Chriftians, and fuch as 
 have upon their minds, even when they 
 are not dired:ly thinking of it, an habitu- 
 al Regard to God and Religion. In a 
 
 Journey 5 
 
0/ the Glory of GOD. 43 
 
 'Journey j to a diligent Man, and one S e r m. 
 whofe mind is really bent upon his jour- ■^^• 
 ney's End, e-very thing he does, as well as 
 actual tra'velling, tends truly to the fame 
 End. His Rejl and Sleep, his Stops and 
 RefrefimeJtfSy nay even his very Diverji- 
 ons and DigreJJiojis, flill tend uniformly 
 towards enabling him to arrive at his in^ 
 tended Home. And thus likewife in the 
 courfe of a Religious Life ; to a Man tru- 
 ly and fincerely Virtuous, every ABion of 
 his Life promotes the Honour of Religi- 
 on, which is the Glory of God ; and eve- 
 ry tlmig he does is fandified by a Habit 
 of Virtue : His worldly bujinefi and it7i~ 
 ployment, by 'Jiijlice and Charity running 
 uniformly through all the parts of it ; The 
 common Adlions of his Life, by decency 
 and inoffenfi'venejs ; His very Pleafures and 
 Diverjions, by Iiinocency and right Inteji- 
 tion. In a word ; whatfoever he is doing, 
 he ftill Always habitually remembers the 
 End, and therefore he 7iever does amifs^ 
 Eccluf. vii. 36. 
 
 IIL The Ufes, which may be drawn 
 by way of Inference from what has been 
 fajd, are : 
 
 I/?, From 
 
44 Of the Glory of G D. 
 
 Serm. ly?, From hence we may learn how 
 ^^- fevere a Reproof thofe perfons juflly de- 
 
 ^^'^ ferve, who, far from doing all things, as 
 the Apoftle diredls, to the Glory of God, 
 do, on the contrary, by Profafienefs^ U?2- 
 righteoujkefs and Debauchery^ directly dif- 
 honour Him whom they profefs to ferve ; 
 bringing a Reproach and Infamy upon our 
 moft Holy Religion, and caufing the 
 Name of God and the Doftrine of Chrift 
 to be through T'hetr means blafphemed a- 
 mong Unbelievers. 
 
 2 J/)', Those deferve in the next place 
 to be rebuked fliarply, who, though they 
 do not dishonour God by Ads diredlly 
 irreligious^ yet are carelefs and negligent 
 in matters of Religion ; not much regard- 
 ing whether Truth or Err our prevails in 
 the World ; nor being follicitous to do 
 bojiour to their religion, and to promote 
 xht fpreadi?ig of the Dodrine of Chrift, 
 by fhowing the reafonablenefs of it, by 
 preferving the Simplicity and Purity of it, 
 and by exhibiting the Beauty of it to all 
 Mankind. 
 
 ^dly. After Thefe, are to be repro- 
 ved fuch as have indeed a Zeal for Religi- 
 on, but ?iot according to Knowledge -, pla- 
 cing 
 
Of the Glory of GOD. 45 
 
 cing the main Srrefs of Religion inSERM, 
 Fovjiii and Ceremonies unworthy of God ; ^^• 
 or in Opinions and Notions; which either 
 through their obfcurity and unintelUgible- 
 nefs^ or by their difagreeablenefs to the E.- 
 verlajiing Gofpely to natural Religion and 
 to the Divine Perje^ions^ hinder, inftead 
 of promoting, the Glory of God. 
 
 ^tbfy. Even the Bejl of Men have 
 need to be admoniflied, and to be put in 
 remembrance., that they ftir up the Gift of 
 God that is in them, 2 Tim. i. 6. That 
 they purge themfelves continually from 
 every evil work, that they may bring forth 
 moTQ fruit, Joh. xv. 2. that they be more 
 and more diligent in all their Actions, to 
 do every thing to the Glory of God : Not 
 with a fuperftitious Anxiety, or burden- 
 fom Precifenefs, in things of little mo- 
 ment ; but with a cheerful Application of 
 every thing that occurs in Life to the 
 promoting of Truth and Right, of Rea- 
 fon and Virtue among Men. Rejoicing 
 in the Glory of God, and in the eila- 
 blifhment of his Kingdom of Righteouf- 
 nefs ; as That wherein confifts the Hap- 
 pinefs of the whole Creation, both in 
 
 This 
 
46 Of the GXory of G D. 
 
 S E R M. This World and in That which is to 
 ^^' come. 
 
 Lajily, From hence we may learn to 
 comfort and fatisfy the minds of fome 
 weak Chrillians; who, not having a right 
 Notion What the Glory of God is, can 
 never afTure themfelves that they are T'rue 
 Promoters of it. They read that Mofes 
 prayed to God to blot Him out of his 
 book, if thereby the children of Ifrael 
 might be faved ; and that St Faul even 
 wijhed Himfelf accurfed from Chriji, if 
 thereby the Nation of the yews could be 
 converted. And hence fome have put the 
 queftion to T^hemfelves^ and others have 
 been fo weak as to put it in their Writings ; 
 whether a Chriftian ought to be content 
 to perifh finally, for the Glory of God. 
 The queftion is abfurd and contradicto- 
 ry ; and has no foundation in the Texts 
 referred to. Mofes, and St Paid, in the 
 circumftances they were Then in, might 
 charitably, and without any extravagancy, 
 be willing to have born the temporal Curfe 
 then coming upon the Jews, (which is 
 all that their words mean;) if thereby it 
 could have been poflible to have faved the 
 whole Nation. But fuch High Expreffi-^ 
 
 ons 
 
Of the Glory of GOD. 47 
 
 ons of Affed:ion are always well under- S f. r m. 
 flood, in all books and in all lanp;uao;es, ^'• 
 to have, not a literal, but a figurative 
 Meaning. A Chrijlians Duty, of doing 
 all things to the Glory of God, fignifies 
 plainly 'T'his only ; that he ought always 
 to prefer the Intereft of Religion a?id 
 Virtue, before all Worldly con/iderafions 
 whatfoever. Which that We may All 
 do, ^c. 
 
 SERMON 
 
[ 49 ] 
 
 SERMON III. 
 
 Of god's being the Father of 
 Mankind. 
 
 Matt, xxiii. 9. 
 
 And call no man your Father upon 
 the Earth ; For One is your Fa- 
 ther which is in Heaven, 
 
 m I 
 
 ^ 
 
 N the following Difcourfe up- S e r m. 
 on thefe words, I fhall endea- ^^^• 
 vour to fhow diftincftly, iji^ ^^"^ 
 in what Senfe God is in 
 Scripture ufually ftyled Our 
 Father. 2^/y, What we are to under- 
 fland, when we find it affirmed of him, 
 that he is in Heaven, '^dly. What is meant, 
 by calling a?iy man our Father upon the 
 Vol. IL E Earth. 
 
50 Of GO D^s being the 
 
 S E R M. Earth. And ^thly^ Why we are forbid- 
 ^^^' den. to call a?ty man Father on the "Earthy 
 upon account of there being One which 
 is our Father in Heaven. 
 
 I. I N the Firjl place ; there are two 
 Senfes, wherein God is in Scripture ufu- 
 ally filled our Father. 
 
 I. T H E JirJ} is, as he is the Father or 
 Author of all things^ by originally rr^^^/w^ 
 or giving them Being. In ^his Senfe, the 
 wifefl: of the Antient Philofophers among 
 the Heathen, ftyled God, the Father of the 
 XJniverfc. And the Scripture fometimes 
 ufes expreflions of the fame Nature. 
 Thus when St Paul had declared, i Cor. 
 viii. 6. that To Us there is but One God i 
 he immediately in the very next words 
 gives a Defcription who That One God 
 is, by adding, the Father^ of whom are 
 all things 'y that is to fay, from whom 
 all things derive their exiftence , and 
 are brought into Being by his Will 
 and Power. The like manner of fpeak- 
 ing we hnd again, Ef'h. iv. 6. One 
 God and Father of all, ivl:o is above all, 
 and through all, and in all : Father 
 of all, that is. Author and Creator of 
 all things. So the word is ufed in the 
 
 Creed, 
 
Father of Mankind. 51 
 
 Creed^ when we declare we believe in S z r \f . 
 
 God, the Father Almighty, or, the Al- ^^^• 
 
 mighty Father , the Maker of Heaven and 
 
 Earth. And This is the utmoft latitude 
 
 ef fignification to which the word can 
 
 pofTibly be extended : it reaching, in J'hii 
 
 fenfe, to things both rational and irra^ 
 
 tionaly animate and ifianimate ; niaking 
 
 God truly and properly, in the fulleft and 
 
 moft literal Senfc, the Father of the Uni- 
 
 verje. But more commonly, the word is 
 
 ufed in Scripture in a Senfe fomewhat 
 
 more reflrained, with regard to rational 
 
 and intelligent Beings ; God being pecu« 
 
 liarly filled Father, with refpedl to Thefe 
 
 to whom he has given Life and Under- 
 
 flanding'y but Creator or Maker only, with 
 
 refpedl to inanimate things, to whom he 
 
 has communicated only Simple Being. 
 
 Thus Heb. xii. 19. The Father of Spirits : 
 
 And Eph. iii. 15. 7'he FsLther -, — of whom 
 
 the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is 
 
 flamed. Father, and Family, are relative 
 
 Terms; And 'tis a noble Idea, which 
 
 This Text gives us of God ; reprefenting 
 
 the whole Univerfe as the Houfe of God, 
 
 framed and preferved by his Power ; and 
 
 all Orders of intelligent Beings, as the Fa- 
 
 V o L II. E 2 mily 
 
52 Of G IS s being the 
 
 S E R M. mily of God, under the Government of 
 
 ^^^' his Wifdom, Juftice, and Goodnefs, in 
 
 their feveral and refpedtive Stations. In 
 ^hh fenfe, Angeh are fliled the ^om of 
 God; Job xxxviii. 7. T^he morning-Jlars 
 fang together, and all the Sons of God 
 fhouted for joy ; that is, the Angeh rejoi- 
 ced and praifcd God at the time of the 
 creation of the vifible World. And the 
 fame AfTembly, who are ftiled the Hofi of 
 Heaven, i Kings yx\\. 19. (If aw the Lord 
 fitting on his throne, and all the Hoft of 
 Heaven Jlanding by him on his right hand 
 and on his left j) are, in another defcri- 
 ption of the like vifion, called the Sons 
 of God, Job i. 6. T'here was a day when 
 the Sons of God came to prefent themf elves 
 before the Lord. Again, Dan. iii. 25. Ne- 
 buchadnezzar faw four me7i loofe, walking 
 in the midjl of the fire ; and the Form of 
 the Fourth, fays he, is like the Son of God-, 
 or like a Son of God, that is, like an An- 
 gel; as the fame perfon is ftiled, ver. 28 
 of that chapter. Upon the fame account ; 
 namely, upon account of having received 
 Life from the hands of God, the Life (f 
 an intelligent and rational Being, our firft 
 Father Adam is called, T^he Son of God, 
 
 Luke 
 
F AT ntR of Mankind. 5 3 
 
 Luke iii. '?8. which was the Son of j^damy S e r m. 
 
 TIT 
 
 which was the Son of God. And all man- ^^' 
 kindy confidered as Creatures endued with 
 Reafon and Underftanding, in oppofition 
 to Idols, which have neither Underftand- 
 ing, Senfe, nor Life, are faid to be ^be 
 Off-fpring of God, ASis xvii. 29. This 
 therefore is the Jirjl and original Senfe, 
 wherein God is in Scripture ftiled our 
 Father, It fignifies our deriving from 
 him our Being and our Life. All things 
 are his Creatures 3 but Intelligent Beings 
 only are his Sons. 
 
 idly , Thus far God is our Father by 
 Nature. But 2^/y, there is flill a higher 
 and more peculiar fenfe, wherein the 
 Scripture reprefents God as being our Fa- 
 ther fpiritually, by religion and grace. 
 Concerning which St Paul thus fpeaks, 
 Rofn. viii. i^- Te have received the Spirit 
 of Adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Fa'- 
 ther. The true explication of which 
 Notion, may ( I think ) rightly be fet 
 forth in the following manner. As God 
 is in general the Father of all intelligent 
 and rational Beings, fo he is in a more 
 particular and exalted manner the Father 
 of Him, who in Scripture is itiled The 
 E 3 Only- 
 
54 Of GOD' s being the 
 
 S B R M. Only-begotten Son 'i xhtBrightnefsof bhTz-' 
 ^^^' ther'j Glory, and the exprefs Image of his 
 Perfon; the Image of the Invifible God, and 
 the Firji'born of every Creature, Col. i. 15. 
 By the interpofition of this divine perfon, 
 the only-begotten Son, it pleafed the Father, 
 faith St Paul, to reconcile all things unto 
 himfelf. Col. i. 1 9. By Him, faith he, to recon^ 
 cikdW things, ver. 20. whether they be things 
 in Earth, or things in Heaven. The 
 Meaning is : The whole World of ratio- 
 nal Creatures being conlidered as the Fa- 
 mily of God, (according to that Text be- 
 fore-cited, which declares that Of Him 
 the whole Family in Heaven and in Earth 
 is named ;) the government of this Houfe 
 of God is reprefented by the Apoflle, as 
 adminiftred by the only-begotten Son ; 
 
 Eph.i.22. whom the Father has given to be the Head 
 over all things^ that he might gather togc^ 
 tiier in 0?ie all things in Chrift, both which 
 are in Heaven and which are on Earth, 
 even in Him, Eph. i. 10. By Sin, men 
 reject themfelves ; and in the divine Ju- 
 ftice, are rejcded out of This houfehold 
 of God, and are no more worthy to be 
 called his Sons. But by True Repentance 
 and Amendment of Life, made available 
 
 through 
 
Father <?/* Mankind. 55 
 
 throueh the Interceffion of Chrift our great S e r m. 
 ^ III. 
 
 High-Prieft ; they who were Jbmetimes a- ^^^' 
 
 Uenated, and Emmiei in their Minds by 
 wicked fVorksj are again reconciled. Col. i. 
 21. and, T'hrough Him have accefs again 
 by one Spirit unto the Father ; and are no 
 more Jir angers and foreigners, but fellow- 
 citizens with the Saints, and of the Houfe- 
 hoidiofGod, Eph.ii. 18. This Reftoring 
 of Sinners by Repentance and Reforma- 
 tion of Life, through the Mediation of 
 Chriil, to the Favour of God, is ele- 
 gantly ftiled by St Paul, God our Father s 
 Adoption of Children by Jefus Chrijl to 
 Himfelf Eph. i. 2,5. The Effedt of which 
 reconciliation, to thofe who by the Prac- 
 tice of Virtue and Righteoufnefs, conti- 
 nue to live worthy of their moft Holy 
 Calling ; the EfFed: of it is, that Chriji is 
 not ajhamed to call them Brethren, Heb. 
 ii. II. that God himfelf vouchfafes them 
 the Denomination of Sons, i foh. iii. i. 
 Behold^ what manner of Love the Father 
 has beftowed upon us, that we fiould be 
 called the Sons of God; and that accord- 
 ingly they have accefs with confidence to 
 the Throne of Grace, as to a merciful 
 and reconciled Father-, Gal. iv. 5. Ye 
 E 4 have 
 
56 Of GO D's being the 
 
 S E R M. have received the Adoption of Sons; And 
 III. ^ ^ 
 
 TTT 
 
 • becaiife ye are SonSy God hath fent forth 
 
 the Spirit of his Son into your hearty cry- 
 ing Abb a^ Father-, wherefore thou art no 
 more a Servant, but a Son. In confe- 
 quence of this State of Reconciliation, 
 our Saviour in all his Difcourfes conftant- 
 ly reprefents God, as having the tender 
 care and affedion of a Father towards us^ 
 teaches us to acknowledge him and look 
 up to him as our Father, upon account 
 of his continual Providence in preferving 
 us J his Love, in revealing himfelf to us 
 by his Son j his Goodnefs, in being ready 
 to affift us with his Spirit ; his Mercy, 
 in .forgiving our Offences ; his Authority, 
 mixt with the greateft Patience, in cor- 
 recting us, not, as earthly parents, after 
 their own pkafure, but for Our Proffy 
 Heb. xii. 10. And, to incourage us to 
 pray to him, he lays before us That mo- 
 ving and moil pathetick Argument, Mat. 
 vii. 1 1. If y^ bei?ig evil, know how to give 
 good Gifts unto your children ; how much 
 more pall your Father which is in Heaven, 
 give goods- things to them that ask him ? In 
 the Writings indeed of Some Authors, 
 God feems fometimes to be reprefented to 
 
 us 
 
Father <?/* Mankind. ^y 
 
 us under a different charader ; as a hard S e r m. 
 mafter^ expeBing to reap where he has ndt 1^*- 
 fown, and to gather where he has not Jiraiv- 
 ed: But fuch reprefentations are confe- 
 quences only of mens own private Opi- 
 nions 5 and not taught, but reproved^ in 
 Scripture. For God is Love ; and he 
 loves, and does good to, all his Creatures ; 
 and his tender mercies are over all his 
 works. Only againft v^rilful wtckednefs^ he 
 is indeed irreconcileably fevere, and 2^;?- 
 righteoufnefs is his abhorrence and abomi- 
 nation. 
 
 II. Having Thus briefly explained 
 what the Scripture means, when it ilyles 
 God our Father^ I proceed now in the 
 2.d place to fliow what we are to under- 
 fland, when we find it affirmed of him 
 that he is in Heaven. As if He who is 
 equally in all places, could be confined in 
 Any ; or any proper Habitation could be 
 afcribed to Him, whom the Heaven, and 2 Kings 
 the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain. 
 If. Ixvi. I. ^hus faith the Lord, The Hea- 
 ve?! is my Tihrone, and the Earth is my 
 Footjtool ', Where is the Hoife that ye build 
 unto me ? and Where is the -place of 
 my Reji? The true meaning therefore, 
 4 when 
 
 vm. 27. 
 
58 Of GOD's being the 
 
 Serm. when God is faid to B^ in Heaven, is to 
 ^J**" exprefs his Heigth and Dignity ; not in 
 place, but in Dominion and Power : It 
 being only a Jimilitude drawn into com- 
 mon Speech, from the fituation of things 
 in Nature. As the Heavenly Bodies, the 
 Sun and Stars, are High above us in 
 place ; and all Earthly Bleflings depend on 
 the Sun and Rain and the Defcent of kind- 
 ly Influences literally from above: fo, by 
 an t,2Sy figure of Speech, whatfoever is a- 
 bove us in Power, we are from hence ufed 
 to reprefent as being above us in Place, 
 The Power and Dominion of the King of 
 Babylon, is thus fet forth by the Prophet 1- 
 faiah, ch.xiv. 13, 14. T^hou hafifaidin thine 
 Heart, I will afc end above the Heights of the 
 clouds, I will afcend into Heaven, I will ex^ 
 alt my Throne above the Stars of God ! And 
 the DeJiruBion of his Monarchy is defcri- 
 bed after the like manner, ver. 12. How art 
 thou falle?! from Heaven I Thus likewife 
 our Saviour fpeaking of the Pride andGreat- 
 nefs of Capernaum ; And thou Capernaum 
 fays he, which art exalted unto Heaven, 
 Jljalt be brought down to Hell, Matt. xi. 23. 
 And with Us Now, Men's being High or 
 Ij<Ai' in Place, is not meant to exprefs 
 
 their 
 
Father <?/" Mankind. 59 
 
 their hahitafion upon Hilh or in Vallies, S i r m. 
 but the Dignity of their Station in the ^^• 
 World. The Greatnefs and Dignity of ^''^^''^ 
 our Saviour's own Kingdom, is reprefen- 
 ted in Scripture, by his fitting at the right 
 hand of God in the heavenly -placet : We 
 knovi^ that God has no Hands, nor any 
 Shape or Figure; But the meaning of 
 Chrift's fitting on his right Hand, is, his 
 being exalted next to him in Authority 
 and Power. Thus therefore when we 
 fpeak like wife of GW, even the invifiblc 
 Father himfelf, as being in Heaven -, it 
 mufl always be underftood to exprefs his 
 Supremacy, not in Place, but in Power 
 and Dominion j that He is the High and 
 Holy One, Great and Glorious and Su- 
 preme above AIL 
 
 But there is alfo another reafon of this 
 Cxpreflion, of God's being in Heaven ; To 
 fignify, that tho* of his real adtual prefence 
 there is indeed no Confinement, yet of his 
 Glory and Majefiy there is in That place 
 a particular and extraordinary Manifefla- 
 tion. Thus the Archangel in the Book of 
 1'obit reprefents it, ch. xii. 15. I am (faith 
 he) one of the Seven Holy Angels^ which 
 go in and out before the Glory of the Holy 
 
 One ; 
 
6o Of GOD's bei7ig the 
 
 S E R M. One ; and the Salutation to the Churches, 
 III. which begins the Book of the Revelation, 
 
 ^^^^'^r^ is of the fame Nature, ch. i. 4. Grace be 
 unto you and Peace, from hhn which is, 
 and which was, and which is to come, and 
 from the feven Spirits which are before his 
 throne. The real and proper Prefe?ice 
 of God is equally and neceffarily in All 
 places : But his Throne, his Glory, the 
 place where the righteous ihall fee his 
 Face, that is, a more particular glorious 
 manifeffcation of his Power and Majefty j 
 this, is in Heaven. In like manner here 
 upon Earth ; m places where God has 
 been pleafed more particularly to manifefl 
 his Glory, to place his Name There, to 
 receive There the Homage of his Ser- 
 vants ; in thofe places God in Scripture- 
 Phrafe is faid to Be. Not as if at the 
 fame time he was not equally in all other 
 places alfo : For in Him we live and ?nove 
 and have our Being, A(5ls xvii. 28. And, 
 as fob elegantly exprelTes it, ch. xxiii. 8, 
 Behold, I go forward, but he is not there j 
 and backward, but I cannot perceive him j 
 On the left hand, where he doth work, but 
 I cajinot behold him ; he hideth himfelf on 
 the right hand, that J cannot fee him : But 
 
 the 
 
Father ^j/" Mankind. 6i 
 
 the Meaning of God's being faid to Be in S e r m. 
 particular places^ is, that in thofe places ■^^^• 
 he chofe to manifeji himfelf to his Ser- 
 vants, and to receive Homage from them. 
 The Patriarch Jacobs concerning the 
 place where he firft faw the Vifion of 
 Angels afcending and defcending out of 
 Heaven ; furely, faith he, the Lord is in 
 this place. Gen. xxviii. 1 6 j and it fiall be 
 the houfe of God , . ver. 22. In like manner 
 in the Temple at Jerufalem, the Glory of 
 God appeared 'uifibly, 2 Chr. vii. i. and 
 There it alfo was, when it did not appear : 
 And how He, whom the Heaven and the 
 Heaven of Heavens cannot contain, did 
 thus at that time dwell on Earth, in a 
 Temple made with hands, is in a lively 
 manner exprefled by Solomon, i Kings viii. 
 30. Hearken thou to the Supplication of thy 
 Servant, and of thy people Ifrael, when 
 they f jail pray in, or towards, this place -, 
 and hear thou in Heaven thy dwelling-place : 
 The meaning is ; God, who is prefent in 
 every place, had appointed in That place 
 to receive his Tribute of Worihip- A- 
 gain ; when the Lord appeared to Mofes 
 in the Bufh, the place, fays he, where- 
 on thou Jlandeflf is Holy Grou?id, Ex- 
 
 od. 
 
62 Of GOD\ being the 
 
 S E R M. Exod. iii. 5. Not that God himfelf was 
 in. prefent even Then in the Bu(h, any more 
 
 ^'^^^^^ than in all other places ; but the place 
 was made Holy, by God's manifefling his 
 Glory there ; For fo *S^ Stephen exprefsly 
 tells us, Adts vii. 30. 'there appeared to 
 Mofes an Angel of the Lord^ in a fame of 
 Fire in the Bufli. 
 
 In like manner, God is faid In Scri- 
 pture to dwell in the Hearts of good men : 
 And that the Bodies of them which arc 
 fanftified, are temples of the Holy Ghofl ; 
 God dwelling in them by his Holy Spirit : 
 Not by any Confinement of the Prefence 
 of God ; but by his being pleafed to fhow 
 forth the Power and Influences of his Ho- 
 ly Spirit, in particular places, and to par- 
 ticular perfons. 
 
 III. Having thus fhown at large, what 
 the Scripture means by ftiling God our 
 Father, and by affirming him to be in 
 Heaven j I am in the 3d place to confider, 
 what we are to underfland by calling any 
 man our Father upon the Earth. And 
 This plainly appears in the Context, from 
 the whole Scope and Delign of our Sa- 
 viour's difcourfe, in the diredtions he 
 gives to his Difciples. the Scribes and 
 
 Pharifees, 
 
Father ^ Mankind. 63 
 
 Pharifees, fays he, Jit in Mofeii. feat ; S e r m. 
 
 But do not ye after their works : For ^^** 
 
 they love greetings in the Markets, and 
 
 to be called of men. Rabbi, Rabbi : But 
 be not ye called Rabbi-, for One is your 
 Mafier, even Chrijl : And call no man 
 your Father upon the Earth ; for One is 
 your Father, which is in Heaven : Neither 
 be ye called Majiers ; for One is your 
 Ma/ler, even Chrijl. From whence it 
 clearly appears, that calling any man our 
 Father upon Earth, lignifies, paying to 
 any Earthly Teacher, (not a due regard 
 and attention, but) That deference, which 
 the Scribes and the Pharifees were by our 
 Saviour reproved for unjuftly claiming. 
 And the Deference or Regard they claim- 
 ed, was, that men fhould follow them 
 ignorantly and implicitly in the Tra- 
 ditions they taught. In the Hiftories of 
 the Antient Jews 'tis obferved, that they 
 frequently preferred the Traditions of 
 their Rabbi's, even before the Writings 
 €f the Prophets themfelves. And This 
 Account of them we find confirmed in 
 Scripture. God complained of old by the 
 Frophet Ifai ah, ch. xxix. 13. 7'heir Fear 
 towards me is taught by the Precept of 
 
 men -, 
 
64 Of GO D's being the 
 
 S E R M. men ; i. e. Humane Authority had too 
 III. much weight among them in matters of 
 
 ^^^^'^^ Religion. In our Saviour's timCy things 
 were grown to a ftill higher degree of 
 Corruption in this refpec!^ : In vaht, fays 
 our Lord to the Pharifees; do they worpip 
 God, teaching for T>o6irines the Command- 
 ments (or Inventions) (^/'Men, Mar. vii. 7. 
 For^ laying ajide the Commandment of God^ 
 ye hold the tradition of MeUy ver. 8, 
 And he repeats it again in the next verfe ; 
 Full well ye reject the Commandment of 
 God, that ye may keep your own 'Tradi- 
 tioHj ver. 9. Making the word of God of 
 none effeSf, through your 'Tradition which 
 ye have delivered, ver. 13. The Profef- 
 fors of Chrijlianity itfelf quickly began, 
 even in the earlieji times, to fall into 
 fome degrees of the fame Fault j as ap- 
 pears by the inftrudions St Paul gives to 
 Titus, ch. i. 14. Rebuke them Jharply, that 
 
 they — — ?}iay 7iot give heed to Fables 
 
 and Commandments of Men. Some of 
 thefe Commandments of Men, he parti- 
 cularizes, CoL ii. 18. "Let no man beguile 
 you of your reward, in a voluntary humi- 
 lity, and worfiipping of Angels, intruding 
 i?ito thofe things which he hath not feen, 
 
 vainly 
 
Father of Mankind. 65 
 
 mainly puft up by his fejhly mind. In ^ S e R m. 
 ter-times. thefe Commandments of Men _ ** . 
 (as is the nature of all Superftition) con- 
 tinually multiplied and increafed ; accord- 
 ing to the Apoftle's Prophecy, 2 Ttim, iv. 
 3. 7 he T'ime^ fays he, will come, whetz 
 they will not endure found doSlrine^ (that 
 is, they will not be content with the Form 
 of Sound words delivered by Chrift and 
 his Apofllesj) but after their own lufis 
 
 fiall heap up to themfelves I'eachers^ ajtd 
 
 fhall turn away their ears from the Truth 
 and fiall be turned unto Fables. And 
 the only poffible way to prevent this Evil, 
 is to confider, that this afTumed Authority 
 of Men in matters of Faith, prevailed 
 from time to time more and more, till at 
 length it ended in the eftablifhment of 
 that Kingdom of This World, which we 
 call Popijh religion. And here I cannot 
 omit to obferve, that the word Pope, the 
 original of which is the old Greek word 
 'nroLTj^'TtcLy fignifies Father-, and it fignifies 
 Father in that very fenfe, wherein the 
 Text forbids us to call any man Father 
 upon Earth. For by calling a man Fa- 
 ther here, our Saviour plainly means ha- 
 img regard to humane Authority in mat- 
 Vol II, F ten 
 
66 Of GOD' s being the 
 
 S E R M. ten of Faith ^ or in Doctrines of Religion, 
 ^2^ Which thing is altogether inconfiflent 
 with true Chriftianity ; becaufe the re- 
 vealed Will of God, or whatever is ad- 
 ditional to the law of Nature, is at o?ice 
 made known to us JVhole and Entire m 
 the Writings of the Evangeliils and A- 
 poflles. The adhering immoveably to 
 which Rule, the Law of Nature and of 
 the Gofpel, is acknowledging that One 
 only is our Father, which is i?i Heaven ; 
 and o;^^only our Mafier, which is Chriji. 
 All wCy are brethren only ; and have no 
 Authority to make any dodtrines of Reli- 
 gion, but only to perfwade and earneilly 
 exhort men to prad;ife what Chrift has 
 already taught. The Apojiles theinf elves ^ 
 did not take upon them to exceed their 
 Mailer's inflrudiions : Much more inex- 
 cufable are vain men, who in later Ages 
 have been guilty of fo great and high a 
 prefumption. The Power which the 
 Church of Kojne has aiTumed, of impo- 
 ling Dod;rines of Faith by the Authority 
 of Popes^ and of general Councils^ and Ar~ 
 mieSj and Inqnifitions^ is tnofl elegantly 
 defcribed in Scripture under the character 
 - Theff. of a 7nan of Sin, fitting in the Ticmple of 
 "• -*• God', 
 
Father of Mankind. 67 
 
 Godx that is, in his Church ; exalting S e r m. 
 
 « TTT 
 
 himjelf above God, Jhowing himfelf that ^Irjl. 
 He is God, fpeaking great words againfi oan^ ^ii. 
 the mofi High, and taking upon himfelf ^^^^ ^..j 
 to chajige T^imes and Laws, and com- 8. 
 manding all the World to worjhip him- 
 that is, impofing upon men by Force, 
 his own Religion. This is the defcription 
 given us of the Church of Rome in the 
 Prophecies of Scripture ; and whofoever 
 takethfrom, ov addethto, xh.Q words of xh2X 
 infpired Rule, by endeavouring to fet up 
 a?iy human Authority in matter's of Faith, 
 makes himfelf in proportion a partaker of 
 the Sin, of that great Corruptnefs of 
 the World. 
 
 IV. And nov^, having fufficiently ex- 
 f)lained what is meant by calling any man 
 Father upon the Earth-, it will be very 
 obvious to underftand, in the 4th and lafl: 
 place, how the ground and reafon of this 
 prohibition is affigned to be This, that 
 One is our Father which is in Heaven. 
 For, our Father in Heaven having clear- 
 ly, and fully, prefcribed to us the con- 
 ditions of Salvation through Chrift; it 
 follows evidently that They who call 
 men Fathers upon Earth, that is, who of 
 V L. II. F 2 their 
 
II. 
 
 68 Of GO D's being the 
 
 S E R M. their own Fancies make other conditions 
 
 ^ of Salvation, thereby cauiing Divifions 
 
 and Contentions among their Brethren; 
 
 do in effed fubvert all true Religion. 
 
 I Cor. iii. For, other foundation can no man lay^ 
 than that which is laid^ even J ejus Chriji ^ 
 that is, the doSirine alrcady taught, by 
 Chriji Himfelf and his Apoflles. If any 
 man departs frofn This foundation, and 
 teaches for doctrines the Commandments 
 of Men ; he for fakes the Fountain of Li- 
 ving waters^ and hews him out cijierns^ 
 broken cifterns that can hold no water ^ Jer. 
 ii. 13. Or, as St P^^z^;/ expreffes it, Co/, ii. 
 1 9. not holdiiig the Head, frofn which all 
 the Body has nourljlment minifired, his 
 religion confequently is vain. Or if iip07i 
 this true Foundation, he builds the Hay 
 and Stubble of unintelligible Speculati- 
 ons, and dodrines ufelefs in Praftice, he 
 at leafk lofcs great part of his Reward^ 
 I Cor.m. 12, 15. For This reafon, it 
 highly imports all Chrljlians to take heed 
 how they hear^ Luk. viii. 18; and dili- 
 o-ently to fearch the Scriptures, wherein 
 are the words of eternal Lif. And they 
 who have Power and Influence over 
 other Sy can never too often recoiled:, how 
 
 God 
 
Father ^Mankind. 69 
 
 God complains by the Prophet, concern- S e r m, 
 ing tiie Shepherds of Ifrael, that with ^^-^^ 
 Force and with Cruelty have ye ruled. 
 Ezek. xxxlv. 4 ; and how our Saviour in« 
 ftrudts his Difciples, faying, Te know that 
 the Princes of the Gentiles exercije Do- 
 minion over therny and they that are 
 greaty exercife Authority upon them ; But 
 it fiall not be jo among you ; but who- 
 foever will be great among you, let him 
 be your Minijler \ and whofoever will be 
 chief among you, let him be your Servant . 
 For even the So?i of Man himfelf came 
 not to be mini jl red unto, but to ?ni?iijier, 
 and to give his life a ranfom for many. 
 Matt. XX. 25, 26, 28. The Head of the 
 Church of Rome profanely ridicules this 
 Text, by filling himfelf the Servant of 
 the Servants of Chrifl, at the fame time 
 that he imperioufly impofes upon their 
 Faith his own Dodrines and Creeds, and 
 perfecutes them to death if they fubmic 
 not to Him and his general Councils as 
 Fathers upon the Earth. But the T'rue 
 Apoftles of our Lord, did not fo learn 
 Chrift. We preach not ourf elves, faith z Cor. iv, 
 St Faul, but Chrift Jefus the Lord : Nei~ ^'" 
 ther have we Tiominion over your Faith, 
 F 3 hut 
 
70 Of GOD' s being the 
 
 S E R M. but are Helpers of your Joy^ 2 Cor. i. 24, 
 ^^** Thus fpake the Apoilles concerning them- 
 fehes, even though they were infpired 
 perfons, and had a juft claim to infalH- 
 bihty in Dodlrine. How much more 
 ought All, who have no pretenfe to fuch 
 miraculous Gifts, to be of the fame meek 
 Spirit; following the Admonition of 
 St Peter^ i Pet. v. 3. Feed the fiock of 
 
 God, not as being Lords over God's 
 
 heritage, but as being enfamples to the 
 Flock: And That of St James, ch. iii. 
 23. Who is a wife man, and indued with 
 knowledge amongft yout let him fiow, out 
 of a good converfation, his works with 
 meeknefs of Wifdofn ; and ver. i. of the 
 fame chapter, My Brethren, be ?iot many 
 Mafters : The word in the original, is, 
 many Teachers; but our Tranflators ve- 
 ry rightly render it, Majiers ; becaufe the 
 Apoftle there fpeaks of the very fame 
 kind of haughty and imperious Teach- 
 ers, againfl: whofe Pradifes our Saviour 
 warns his Difciples in the Text, and in 
 the words next following: Be not ye 
 called, Majiers ; for One is your Mafler, 
 even Chrifi ; and call no man your Father 
 upon the Earth : for One is your Father 
 
 which 
 
Father ^ Mankind. 71 
 
 which is in HeaveJt. Which admonition, S e r m. 
 that All among us may conftantly attend ^^^' 
 to, both who Teach and Hear the Sim- 
 plicity of the Gofpel; God of his infinite 
 mercy grant, ^c. 
 
 F4 
 
 SEft- 
 
[ 73 ] 
 
 SERMON IV. 
 
 Of being the Children of GOD. 
 
 OfiCt caei .33fig3 
 
 
 Rom. viii. 16, 17. 
 
 72^ Spirit itfelf beareth wit7tefs 
 with our Spirit^ that we are the 
 Children of God : Afid if Childreii 
 then Heirs ; Heirs of God^ and 
 yoint-Heirs with Chriji, 
 
 N difcourfing upon thefe S e r m. 
 words of the Apoftle, I fhall IV. 
 indeavour to explain briefly ^* 
 ly?, What is here meant by 
 our being Childre?t of God, 
 zdly^ What is to be underftood, by our 
 
 being 
 
74 ^f ^^^^g the 
 
 S E R M. being filled Heirs of God, and joint-hein 
 \^r>^ w///6 Chriji. And 3^/j, How the Spirit 
 of God, the Spirit itfelf beareth wiUiefs 
 with Our Spirit, if we be good Chrifti- 
 ans, that thefe Characters do truly belong 
 to us. 
 
 I/?, I A M to coniider what is here meant 
 by our being children of God. God is in 
 Scripture filled, ^he Father of All \ Eph. 
 iv. 6. One God and Father of All, who is 
 above all, and through all, and in us all. 
 Here, the title Father is applied to him, in 
 refped: of his giving Being to all things, 
 as they are his Creatures and the Work 
 of his hands. For though inanimate or 
 irrational creatures can in no Senfe be fil- 
 led the Children of God j yet God, con- 
 iidered as the Author of All Being, may 
 properly enough be filled the Father of 
 the Univerfe. In a Senfe fomewhat more 
 reftrained, and with regard to fuch Be- 
 ings to whom he has given Life and 
 Reafon and Moral Faculties, God is fil- 
 led the Father, of whom the Whole Family 
 in Heaven and Earth is 7tamed, Eph. ill. 
 15. The Whole Family of rational crea- 
 tures. Angels and Me?2, And thefe in 
 like manner, upon account of the living 
 
 and 
 
Children of GOD. 75 
 
 and rational nature he has given them, S e r m, 
 are frequently in Scripture ftiled the Sons , ^^• 
 of God, By Sin, Men forfeit the Benefit ^^'^^^^'^^ 
 of this natural relation to God their Fa- 
 ther, and become Strangers and Aliens 
 and without God in the World j being re- 
 jefted by him, and no longer looked upon 
 as his Sons, but cail off as Objed:^ of 
 his Wrath and Difpleafure. By Repent- 
 ance and renewed Obedience, they who are 
 effedtually convinced of the Folly and 
 Unreafonablenefs of Sin, return, as far as 
 in them lies, to their Father's houfe, and 
 defire to have Accefs again to his Favour 
 and Mercy. And God, by accepting their 
 Repentance, and pardoning their paft 
 Sins according to the gracious Terms 
 and Declarations of the Gofpel, and gi- 
 ving them the affiflance of his Holy Spi- 
 rit to fandlify them for the future; re- 
 ceives them again, as a gracious Father, 
 and adopts them for his Sons ; (in St FauV% 
 language, gives them the Spirit of Adop- 
 tion, whereby they cry, Abba Father-^ and 
 they become again Fellow-citizens with 
 the Saints, and of the Houjhold of God. 
 This is what the Scripture elfcwhere calls 
 Regeneration^ or the New Birth ; and fome- 
 
 times. 
 
76 Of being the 
 
 Serm. times, the New Creation % Defcribing 
 ^^' fuch perfons, as being in a fpiritual fenfe, 
 
 '^^^^ Created anew unto good works ; and Born, 
 not of blood, nor of the Will of the FleP\ 
 nor of the Will of Man, but of God, Job. 
 i. 13. Bei?ig born again, not of corrupti- 
 ble feed, but of incorruptible, by the word 
 of God which Uveth and abidcth for cuer^ 
 I Pet. r. 23. T^he God and Father of our 
 Lord fefus Chrijl, having, according to 
 his abundant mercy, begotten us again 
 unto a lively hope, ver. 3. And the plain 
 Meaning of all thefe figurative expreffi- 
 ons, is ', that when a Sinner fincerely re- 
 turns to a Senfe of his Duty, and effedu- 
 ally amends his Life j God, who conlide- 
 reth whereof we are made, and remem- 
 breth that we are but Duft, pitieth him 
 even as a Father pitieth his children ; and, 
 though in il:ri(ftnefs of eftimation he be 
 indeed no more worthy to be called his 
 Son, yet, upon this his true Repentance, 
 he receives him again to the Arms of his 
 Mercy, and fays, Rev. xxi. 7, I will be 
 his God, and he (hall be my Son. An- 
 fwerable to which account of this relative 
 charadler on Gods part, 'tis manifeft that 
 the Title oji Our part, of being children 
 
ChildreiK?/ GOD. 77 
 
 of God, is expreffive of the higheft obli- S e r m. 
 gations of Duty and Obedience, and of ^' 
 our fledfaftly perfevering in the pradlice 
 of all Virtue and Right eoufnefs. The de- 
 parting from which originally, as it cau- 
 fed thofe who by creation were naturally 
 the Sons of God, to become Strangers 
 and Enemies to him ; fo by returning to 
 it again, and by no other method what- 
 foever, can they, who through wicked 
 works have been ftrangers and enemies 
 to God, become again, through the di- 
 vine Mercy, the Sons of God by adoption, 
 and continue to preferve That charad:er 
 by their perfeverance therein, hi This^ 
 the children 9f God are manifefi, and the 
 children of the Devil : Whofoever does not 
 right eoificfs, is not of God. 
 
 Having thus explained briefly, what 
 the Apoftle in the text means, by ftiling 
 us the children of God-, the next thing I 
 propofed to confider, was 
 
 2. What we are to under Hand by the 
 following charafters ; being Heirs oj God, 
 and joint-heirs with Chrifi : If children^ 
 then Heirs ; heirs of God, and joint-heirs 
 ivith Ch?iji. The word, children, being 
 a Title of afFedion and Love, implies, 
 I when 
 
yS Of being the 
 
 S E R M. when ufed in the figurative Senfe, an ex- 
 ^' pecftation of favour^ and a dependance for 
 Support. Gal. iv. 7. Wherefore thou art no 
 more a Servant, but a Son ; and if a Son, 
 then an Heir of God through Chriji, The 
 expreffion is exactly the fame with That in 
 the Text ; We are the children of God, 
 and, if children, then Heirs. If the rela- 
 tion of children be acknowledged, the ve- 
 ry Notion of that relation carries along 
 with it in courfe a Promife, or AlTurance 
 of a Bleffing. And becaufe God is infi- 
 nitely ??2ore able to provide for thofe who 
 rely on Hifn, than earthly Parents are to 
 make provifion for their natural Pofte- 
 rity ; and the portion of God'^ children 
 can by no poflible misfortune, by no Ac- 
 cident, by no Force, by no Fraud, be ta- 
 ken from them, unlefs by departing 
 from the commandments of their Hea- 
 venly Father, they voluntarily cafl them- 
 felves out ot His Favour. Therefore the 
 inheritance of thofe on whom the Father 
 has beftowed fuch ?nan?ier of love ^ that they 
 ' JJxuld be called the Sons of God, is in Scrip- 
 Heb. xii. ture filled a Kingdom which cannot be mo- 
 28, 27. ^^^^ ^^^ things which canriot be faken, a 
 ,^'/°' "^^ City which hath foundations, 2^ continuing 
 I city^ 
 
Children of GOD. 79 
 
 ck^, an inheritance among them that are S e r m, 
 fandiijiedy the inheritance of the Saints in ^^• 
 Light, an i?jheritance incorruptible and un- ^^^^^^^ 
 defiled that fade th not away. And God him- 3*- 
 felf, in St Johns virion, fpeaking from the i Pet.i.3! 
 throne of his glory, thus declares. Rev, 
 xxi. 7. He that overcometh, fiall inherit 
 all thijigs, and I will be his God, and he 
 fldall be ?ny Son. Here the Title of Son or 
 Child of God, being ufed as of the fame 
 import with One that is to inherit all 
 thi?2gs, that is, all thofe things which 
 God has promifed to Them that love 
 him ; is exactly correfpondent to the A- 
 poflles manner of fpeaking in the Text, 
 If children, then Heirs. And becaufe the 
 Promife of God, who cannot lie, ftand- 
 eth always fure^ fo that the Reward of 
 Virtue, however at prefent diftant and in- 
 vifible, is yet in reality as Certain in the 
 determinations of the Divine Counfel, as 
 if it was already adlually in poiTeffion 5 
 hence St Paid, carrying the fame figure 
 ftill higher, in his defcription of the Hap- 
 pinefs of thofe fmcerely religious perfons, 
 whom in the text he ftiles Heirs of God, 
 thus exprelTes himfelf, Eph. ii. 5. God 
 hath Guickned us together with Chrifi, afid 
 
 hath 
 
8o Of the being 
 
 S E R M. hath raifed us up together, and made us fit ^ 
 ^^' (hath already made us Jit) together in hea- 
 *venly places in Chriji 'J ejus. And elfe- 
 where he calls them, fellow-citizens with 
 the Saints, and of the houjhold of God : And 
 tells them that they are come, (that they 
 are already come) unto Mount Sion, unto 
 the City of the living God, the heavenly 
 Jerufalem ; and to an innumerable compa- 
 ny of Angels, and to the Spirits of juji 
 men made perfeB, and to 'Jefus the Media- 
 tour of the New Covenant, and to God the 
 'Judge of All. 
 
 This is the full meaning of that ^^- 
 co7id character given in the Text to fin- 
 cere Chriftians j that they are Heirs of 
 God ; Heirs of his P?'omiJes, and King- 
 dom. 
 
 I T follows ; A?id Joint-Heirs with 
 Chriji : Heirs with God, and Joint-heirs 
 with Chriji. The fenfe of which expref- 
 fion is this. Though Men, as well as 
 all fuperiour rational Creatures, are origi- 
 nally by Creation the Children of God ; 
 and fo long as they continue to obey the 
 Law of their Nature and the Commands 
 of God, cannot fail confequently to con- 
 tinue in his Favour j And though Si?i- 
 
 ners. 
 
Children (/ G Z>. Si 
 
 nerSi when they fincerely repent and a- S e r m* 
 mend, have good and reafonable Grounds, . ^ ' . 
 from the confideration of God's natural 
 Perfections, to hope for Mercy and Com- 
 paffion at his hands : Yet neither to Shi^ 
 ?iers is God under any obligation of 
 Jujiice^ to reftore them upon their Re- 
 pentance to the fame fiate of Favour as 
 if they had never finned; nor even to 
 the moft innocent and perfed:ly Smlefs, 
 Creatures, (if any fuch there were,) is he 
 under Any natural obligation to confer 
 Immortality^ and an eternal Kingdorn of 
 Glory. All that ^ufiice in That cafe re- 
 quires, is, to diflinguifh them according 
 to their Deferts, in That rank of the 
 Creation wherein their natural Capacities 
 placed them, and for fuch a Space of 
 Time as the original good pleafure of the 
 Creator allotted them. The Being which 
 God freely gave, he may at any time 
 without any injuflice take away: And 
 no Creature, even without confideration 
 of Sin, has any more claim of Right to 
 continue for ever, or even for any li- 
 mited time to be exalted above the na- 
 tural improvement of its original capa- 
 cities, than it had. an)^ Right to be created 
 Vol. IL C Before 
 
82 Of being the 
 
 S E R M. Before It was, or to have been made in 
 ^ • Any Higher Species of Creatures. Eternal 
 Life therefore, or the Kingdom of Heaven^ 
 is the Gift of God ; not due to Mankind 
 by Nature j not a Claim of Right ; no, not 
 even if they had continued Innocent j much 
 lefs, to returning Sinners-, but 'tis the 
 Gift^ the Free Gift of God, originally 
 in the State of Innocence ; and to Peni- 
 tents ftill much more is it merely a 
 Free Gift, in and through Chriji. That 
 which is born of the Flejh, is Flejh j and 
 has no title, no claim of Right, naturally^ 
 to the Spiritual Kingdom of God. But the' 
 Father has appointed unto his Son Jefus 
 Chriil a Kingdom , and /, fays our Lord to 
 his Difciples, appoint unto Tou a Kingdom, 
 even as my Father appointed unto Me : That 
 whofoever overcofneth, (that is, whofoever 
 prevails over the finful Temptations of the 
 World,) may fit down with Me in My 
 throne, even as I aJfo overcame, and am fat 
 down with my Father in His Throne. By Na- 
 ture^ we are only in general the Creatures 
 of the Almighty, and the Works of his 
 Hands. By Sin, we were become Ob- 
 jeds of his Wrath and Difpleafure, By 
 obeying the gracious Terms of the Gofpel, 
 
 of 
 
children of GOD. 83 
 
 of Chriji^ we are not only reftored again S e r Mo 
 to the Favour of God, as of a merciful 
 and tender Father j but our nature is 
 moreover exalted by him to fome fimiii- 
 tude with His., who was in a fingular 
 manner the Son of Gody and yet conde- 
 fcended to become our Elder Brother, by 
 being made in the likenefs of Men. He 
 voluntarily became himfelf the Son of 
 Man; and as many as received him^ to 
 them gave he power that They fhoiild be- 
 come the Sons of God. He has received 
 them as foint Heirs with himfelf in his 
 Father's Kingdom ; And God, even the 
 God and Path er of our Lord fefus Chrifi^ 
 has begotten them again (as St Feter ex- 
 prelTes it) unto a lively hope., (that is, un- 
 to the Hope of eternal Life,) by the re-- 
 furreBion of Chriji from the dead. He 
 hath caufed them to be conformed to the 
 image of his Son, that he might be the 
 Ftrfi-born among Many Brethren. And 
 for this caufe., faith St Paul, Heh. ii. 1 1. 
 Chrifl: is not afha?ned to call them bre- 
 thren. Nay, the fame Apoftle, in a mod 
 elegant and lively manner, carrying the 
 fame figure of fpeech ftill higher, Eph. v. 
 30. We are memberSy fays he, of his Bo- 
 V o L, IL G 2 dy^ 
 
84 Of being the 
 
 S E R M. ^v, of his Flefiy and of his Bones. Thofe 
 ^^' who never had the Knowledge of the 
 Gofpel, are God's children by creation j 
 in fuch a fenfe as St Luke fays of Adam^ 
 that he was the ^on of God, And with 
 regard to Thefe, the Judge of the whole 
 Earth will do what is Rights and with 
 Equity [hall he judge the Nations. But as 
 to his Free Gifts^ he is ftill always at 
 liberty to do what he pleafes with his 
 own : And in that Kingdom which he 
 has appointed to his Son Jefus Chrift, 
 he may appoint whom he himfelf thinks 
 fit to lit on his right hand and on his 
 left. He may have mercy on whom he 
 will have mercy, and compajfion on whom 
 he will have compafjion. The meaning is ; 
 not that God will a(5t arbitrarily and 
 without Reafon ; as fome have abfurdly 
 underftood thefe words: But that He, 
 and He only, is the competent, proper, 
 and unerring Judge, upon what Per- 
 fons, and on what Conditions, 'tis fit for 
 him to bellow his Favours. And in and 
 through Chrili, he may give power, up- 
 on what Terms and Conditions he pleafes, 
 to fuch as Ihall attain to thofe Conditions, 
 to become in a peculiar manner the Chil- 
 dren 
 
Children c/ G Z). 85 
 
 dren of God ; and if Children, then Heirs ; S e r m. 
 Heirs of God, and Joint Heirs with Chriji. ^^' 
 I T remains, in the LrV^s) 
 
 2d and lafl place, T h at I confider in 
 what fenfe the Apoftle here affirms, that 
 the Spirit of God, the Spirit itfelf bear^ 
 eth witnefs with Our Spirit, if we be 
 good Chriftians, that thefe Charaders do 
 truly belong to us. For the clearer ex- 
 plication of which aflertion, I obferve 
 ift. That nothing can be more ab- 
 furd, nothing can be more cpntrary to 
 the Whole Tenour of the Gofpel, than 
 the Notions of thofe men, who take their 
 own Enthiifiafick imaginations to be thp 
 Teflimony of jhe Spirit of God. Such 
 perfons judge not of the Tree, by its 
 Fruit ; They compare not the Courfe of 
 their Lives, with the Rule of God's Com^ 
 mandments ; They judge not of their being 
 fpiritual perfons, or having the Spirit of 
 Chrift, by their practice of thofe Virtues, 
 which the Scripture calls bringing forth 
 the Fruits of the Spirit : But they have a 
 Itrong, confident Conceit, that they are the 
 eledt, the chofen people of Godj aiidthe 
 jnere ftrength of this groundlefs imaginati- 
 <)n3 they apprehend to be the Spirit of God 
 G 3 bearing 
 
86 Of being the 
 
 S E R M . hearing tvifnefs with their Spirit, that they^ 
 *^' are the Children of God. But This is fo 
 fenfelefs a notion, fo manifeftly deftruc- 
 tive of all Virtue, and of all the true dif- 
 ference between Good and Evil ; that it 
 needs barely be mentioned among perfons 
 of common Underftanding, toexpofe the 
 Folly of it. Wherefore 
 
 2^/v, I N the Apofiles days, the miracu- 
 lous Gifts and Graces of the Spirit, made 
 evident by their real and 'vifible Effed;s, 
 as in That great Inftance of the Gift 
 of Tongues beftowed as upon This day, 
 were undeniable Teftimonies, of the Spi- 
 rit of God being given to thofe perfons, 
 in v^hom thofe Effects appeared. Not 
 that all who were endued even with mi- 
 raculous Gifts, were confequently good 
 and fmcere Chriftians: But thefe Gifts^, 
 to thofe who beheld them, were evident 
 Attellations of the Spirit to the Truth 
 of the Gofpel : And to the Perfons them- 
 felves, on whom thofe Gifts were beflow- 
 ed, if they were confcious in their own 
 Hearts of their being fmcere in their Pro- 
 feffion, and virtuous in their Practice, 
 then thefe Gifts were indeed the Spirit 
 of God bearing witnefs with Their Spirit, 
 \> • - that 
 
ChMrcn of GOD. 87 
 
 that they were the Children of God. But S e r m> 
 
 j^dly\ Both in the Apojiles days, and ^^• 
 in all fucceeding generations^ even to the 
 end of the World j the feveral Declara- 
 tions which the Spirit of God hath made, 
 by the Prophets in the Old Teftament, and 
 by Chriji and his Apoftles in the New^ 
 compared with the verdidt of our own 
 Confciences, concerning the agreeablenefs 
 of our Adions to thofe declarations j thefe 
 are the Teflimony of the Spirit itfelf 
 bearing witnejs with Our Spirit, that we 
 are the Children of God. The Promifes 
 of God made to men in Chrift, and efta- 
 bliflied upon the Terms of the Gofpel, 
 are reprefented in the New J^efament as 
 being Sea led j or confirmed by Co'uenant-i 
 to us in Baptifm : And therefore, fpeak- 
 ing concerning Baptized Converts, 2 Cor* 
 i, 22. God, faith St Paul, hath alfo Sealed 
 us, and given the Earnefl of the Spirit in 
 our Hearts. Confequently they who make 
 good This obligation, by bringing forth 
 the fruits of the Spirit in the fuitablq 
 Practice of a Virtuous Life j Thefe have 
 the Seal or Earnefi of the Spirit : 2 Tim. 
 ii. 19. The Foundation of God fiandeth 
 Jure, having This Seal, — —Let every one 
 G 4 t;hat 
 
88 Of being the 
 
 S E R M. that nameth the Name of Chriji^ depart 
 f^&f^ iniquity: And, Grieve not the Holy 
 "'' Spirit of God, whereby ye are Sealed u?2to 
 the day of Redemption. The Teftimony 
 of a good Confcience, is, in the language 
 of the text, the Witncfs of our own Spi- 
 ^ rit'. And the Agreement of this Tefti- 
 mony of our own Confcience, with the 
 Revealed Declarations of the Will of 
 God, when carefully and duly compared 
 together, is what the Apoftle here ftiks 
 the Spirit of God bearing witnefi with Our 
 Spirit, that we are the Children of God. 
 
 B Y this One obfervation, the whole 
 Difcourfe of the Apoftle in this chapter 
 becomes very plain and intelligible: And 
 ^t the fame time, by the whole tenqur of 
 his difcourfe in this chapter, is this clear- 
 ly confirmed to be the true meaning of 
 the Text. Vcr. i. T'here is now, fays he, 
 710 condemnation to tleni which are in 
 Chrlft fef'-^'y '^ho walk not after the 
 Flefi, but after the Spirit : That is, who 
 are guilty of no debauchery or vicious 
 Pradlices, but live in the regular practice 
 of thofe moral virtues, which he elfe- 
 where by name calls the Fruits of the 
 Spirit. For to be carnally (that is, vici- 
 
Children ^/G0£). 89 
 
 Gufly) minded, (ver. 6. ) is death-, but to Seru. 
 
 be fpiritually (that is, virtuouily) mind- ^' 
 
 ed, is life and peace. Ver. 8. So then they 
 
 that are in the Flejh, (they that are under 
 
 the power, and live in the pra<flice of any 
 
 known Sin,) cannot pleafe God: And if 
 
 any man have not the Spirit of Chriji, Ver. 9. 
 
 (that is, if any man who profeiTeth the 
 
 Name of Chrift, yet departeth ?iot from 
 
 iniquity, which is the Seal upon which 
 
 the Foundation or Covenant of Godfiand- 
 
 eth fure -, If any man in This fenfe hatb 
 
 not the Spirit of Chrift,) he is none of his. 
 
 For if ye live after the Flefh, ver. 13.^^ 
 
 Jhall die; but if ye through the Spirit do 
 
 mortify the deeds of the body, ye Jhall live. 
 
 For as many as are led by the Spirit of 
 
 God, (that is, as many as are prevailed 
 
 ppon by the Motives of the Gofpel to 
 
 live anfwerably to their Holy profeflion,) 
 
 they are the Sons of God, ver. 14. And 
 
 that th^y are fo, they may certainly know 
 
 by theie Fruits of the Spirit appearing in 
 
 . the whole courfe of their lives, compared 
 
 with the Declarations of the Spirit made 
 
 in the Gofpel -, even as certainly as a Tree 
 
 is known by its Fruit. For Thus, adds 
 
 the Apoftle in the Text, the Spirit itfelf 
 
 heareth 
 
go Of being the 
 
 S E R M. beareth witnefs with our Spirt f, thai we 
 ^^' are the Children of God -, and if Children^ 
 V then HeirSy Heirs of God, and 'Joint Heirs 
 
 with Chriji -, if fi be that we fuffer ivitb 
 hint^ that we may be alfo glorified toge- 
 ther. 
 
 The reafon of his annexing thefe lafi 
 words concerning our Suffering with 
 Chrift, isy becaufe in the whole Syflem 
 of moral Virtues which are the Fruits of 
 the Spirit, there is no one that affords 3 
 more certain Mark or Teftimony of Sin- 
 cerity ; there is no one, to which a man's 
 own Spirit or Confcience beareth witnefs^ 
 with more confidence, or to which All 
 the Declarations of the Spirit of God 
 bear witnefs with greater Clearnefs and 
 Affurance ; than to this virtue of Chufing 
 to run the hazard of Suffering at any 
 time for Truth and Righteoufnefs. 
 2 Tim. ii. 1 1. It is a faithful Sayifig^ If 
 we be dead with him, we Jhall alfo live 
 with him 5. If we fuffer, we fall alfo. 
 reign with him. Wherefore, think it not 
 \ Ffit. vi.ftrange^ — — faith St Peter^ but rejoice^ in. 
 ^?: as much as ye are partakers oj Chrifs 
 
 SufferingSy that when his glory fiall be. 
 revealed, ye may be glad alfo with ex- 
 ceeding. 
 
Children of GO D. 9 r 
 
 ceedi?tg Joy. In the Apoftles days, Suf- S e r m, 
 fertngfor or with Chrifi^ fignified being ^V. 
 perlecutediox the Profeflion of Chrijiiani- 
 ty in general. In later Ages, iince the 
 religion of Chrift has in Name ami Form 
 been profefled among the Nations, Perfe- 
 cution has more frequently been brought 
 upon men for adhering to fome particular 
 Truths, and for oppofing fome particular 
 Corruptions in pradlice. For, not only 
 the Apoftles fufFered in T^heir days, but 
 many alfo of the Befl: men in our days ; 
 yea, and All^ in All days, fays the A- 
 poftle St Paiil^ that will live godly in 
 Chriji Jefus, fliall fuffer perfecution. But 
 whether they be perfecuted by men^ or 
 no } yet if by iledfaftly refifling the Tem- 
 ptations of Sin, they be planted together 
 with Chrifl in the likenefs of his Deaths 
 they jhall be alfo in the likenefs of his re- 
 furreSlion. Knowing this, that our old 
 man is crucified with him^ that the Body 
 of Sin might be deftroyed, that henceforth 
 we fhould fiot ferve Sin. Now if we be 
 dead with Chrifl we believe that we fiall 
 alfo live with him^ Rom. vi. 5,6, 8. This 
 is what the Spirit of God conftantly and 
 uniformly declares and teflifies, through 
 4 ^^^. 
 
9 2 Of being the^ &c. 
 
 S E R M. the whole Scripture. And therefore they 
 ^' who by thefe declarations, and by the 
 confi deration of thefe religious motives, 
 are influenced to live in fuch manner, as 
 that they can fay with St Faul, Our re^ 
 joicing is T'hiSy the tejlimony of our con- 
 fcience, that in Simplicity and godly Sin^ 
 
 verity we have had our conljerfation in 
 
 the world ; Thefe, as often as they com- 
 pare their own hearts and actions with 
 the things that God has revealed unto us 
 by his Spirit, have, according to the ex- 
 preffion in the Text, the Spirit of God 
 hearing witnefs with Their Spirit, that 
 they are the Children of God. 
 
 SERMON 
 
[ 93 ] 
 
 SERMON V. 
 
 Of Loving GOD. 
 
 Matt. xxii. 37, 38. 
 
 Jefus faid unto him^ Thou Jbalt 
 love the Lord thy God^ with all 
 thy Hearty aitd with all thy 
 Souly and with all thy Mind ; 
 This is the Jirjl and G?^eat Com- 
 mand?nent. 
 
 N thefe words there is obfer- S e r m, 
 vable ; ly?, The Duty injoin- V. 
 ed ; nou Jhalt love the Lord ^^^""^ 
 thy God : 2dly^ The Circum- 
 Jiances requifite, to make the 
 
 performance of this Duty acceptable and 
 
 complete \ 
 
54 Of Loving GOD, 
 
 Serm. complete ; Thou {halt love him, with alt 
 ^- thy Hearty and with all thy Soul^ and with 
 
 ^^"^^^"^ all thy Mind: ^dly. The Weight, and 
 Importance, of the Duty ; It is the Firji 
 and Great Commandment. 
 
 I. T H E Duty injoined, is, T^hou jhalt 
 love the Lord thy God. A Duty, in every 
 mans mouth, of all Religions^ and in 
 all Sedls: But, upon what Ground iti 
 Obligation is founded, and in what par- 
 ticulars the rational PraBice of it con- 
 fifts, is not fo clearly aftd univerfally un- 
 derftood. Men often talk very earneftly 
 6f loving God, w^hile at the fame time 
 they in their dodlrine reprefent him a§ 
 the moft hateful Being in the Univerfe 5 
 cruel, and partial ; arbitrary, and tyran- 
 nical J fliowing favour to fome, and ma- 
 king others miferable, for no other reafon, 
 but becaufe he has abfolute and irrefiftible 
 Power. But what fuch perfons fpeak 
 concerning loving of God, is evidently 
 nothing but tnere Forms of empty words, 
 without any meaning ov fignijication at all ; 
 becaufe there is in their Minds no real 
 ObjeSi, upon which the Love they fpeak 
 of can be fixt. And where the Root thus 
 is rottennefs'j (to ufc the Prophet Ifaiah's 
 
 €ompa- 
 
Of Loving GOD. 9_^ 
 
 Comparifon, ) what wonder if the Blof- S e r -Mo 
 fom^ and the Fruity, accordingly goes up ^" 
 as Dii/l ? what wonder if the expreffions 
 of their Love towards God^ end in no- 
 thing but peevifhnefSj contentioufnefs^ 
 and perhaps Hatred towards their Bre-^ 
 thren? A True Love of God muft be 
 founded upon a right Seftje of his Per- 
 feBions being really amiable in themfehes^ 
 and beneficial to U> ." And fuch a Love of 
 God will of Neceffity iliow forth itfelf, 
 in our endeavouring to praBife the fame 
 virtues ourfelves, and exercife them to- 
 wards others^ which we profefs to love 
 and admire in Him. 
 
 All PcrfeBion is in itfelf lovely, and 
 amiable in the very nature of the Thing : 
 The Virtues and Excellencies of Men re- 
 m<^te in Hiflory, from whom we can re- 
 ceive no perjhnal Advantage, excite in us 
 an Efteeni whether we will or no: And 
 every good mind, when it reads ot thinks 
 upon the character of an Angela loves the 
 Idea, though it has fio prefent communi- 
 cation with the Subjed: to whom (o love- 
 ly a character belongs : Much more, the 
 jnexhauftible Fountain of All Perfedions ■„ 
 of Perfedions without number^ and with- 
 out 
 
96 Of Loving GOD, 
 
 S E R M. out limit : the Center, in which All Ex:- 
 V • • • • 
 
 ^^ * ^. cellencies unite, in which All Glory re- 
 fides, and from which every good thing 
 proceeds ; cannot but be the Supreme Ob- 
 je6l of Love^ to a reafonable and intelli- 
 gent Mind. 'Ewtn J'uppojing we ourfelves 
 received no Benefit therefrom, yet infinite 
 Poiver^ K?20wledgey and IViJdom in con- 
 jund;ion, are lovely in the very Idea^ and 
 amiable even in the abjlraSi Imagination. 
 But That which makes thefe Perfed:ions 
 moft truly and fubjlanti ally ^ moft really 
 and permanently^ the Objed: of our Love; 
 is the Application of them to ourj'ehes, 
 and our own more immediate Concerns ; 
 by the confideration of their being joined 
 alfo with thofe relative and moral Excel- 
 lencies, which make them at the fame 
 time no lefs beneficial to Us, than they 
 are excellent abfolutely in their own Na- 
 ture. Then is God the Co?nplete Objed: 
 of Love, when together with the Notion 
 of Infinite Power, Knowledge, and Wif- 
 dom, we confider him moreover as a(5lu- 
 2\\y governing the Worlds and when, in 
 the exercife of that Dominion over us, we 
 coniider his T'ruth and Faithfuhicfs, his 
 Jujlice and hnpartiality^ his Equity^ 
 
 Mercy, 
 
Of Loving GOD. 97 
 
 M^rcy^ and Goodnefs towards his Crea- S e r m, 
 tUres ; When we confider his Goodnefs 
 in giving us Being, knd a Being fo excel- 
 k?it', his Care, in rhaking fuch plentiful 
 Provifion for our temporal Brefervation-^ 
 and for our eternal Happinefs j his Mer- 
 cy, in fending his Son to redeem us from 
 Death and to procure Pardon even for 
 the greatefi of Sinners upon their true 
 Repentance: When we confider thefe 
 things, I fay, Then is it that God truly 
 appears the complete Obje6l of Love: 
 For fo our Saviour himfelf teaches us to 
 argue; Luk. v'li. 47. To whom much is 
 forgiven, he will love the 7nore', and the 
 Apoftle St John, i Joh. iv. 19. We (fays 
 he) love Him, becaufe He Jlrjl loved Us. 
 
 This therefore is the true Ground 
 and Foundation of our Love towards 
 God. But wherein this love towards God 
 confifts, and by what ABs it is moft pro- 
 perly exercifed, has fbmetimes been very 
 much mifunderftood. Men of flrona Paf- 
 (ions and warm Imaginations, have been 
 too apt to place it in a mere Enthufiafiick 
 zeal of AffeBion, a fort of Scbolaftick 
 Speculation, unintelligible and fruitlelsj 
 fcated in the Fa?jcy onlyj ijaflead of the 
 
 Vol, II, H Under^ 
 
98 Of Loving GOD. 
 
 S E R M. Xjnderjlanding \ and having no Effedl up-* 
 ^' on the Will^ or ABions, in the general 
 coiirfe of a Man's Life. By which means, 
 they make the Lo'^oe ef God a thing en- 
 tirely diJiinSl from the Love of Virtue and 
 Right eoif?iefs : Whereas the Scripture al- 
 ways fpeaks of them as being One and 
 the Same ; judging of Men conflantly by 
 that never failing Rule, of difcerning the 
 Tree by its Fruits ; and always reprefent- 
 ing men to have jujft fo much Love to- 
 wards God in their Hearts^ as they pay 
 Obedience to his Laws in their Adlions. 
 The only Difcindion found in Scripture, 
 is, that our Love of God h fometimes ufed 
 in a more refrained Senfe, as diftinguifhed 
 from the Love of our Neighbour ^ and 
 then it fignifies, that which is ufually 
 called our Duty towards God ; worfliip- 
 ping the True God, and Him Only, in 
 oppofition to all Falfe Gods ; and placing 
 our whole Faith and T!rufl in him accord- 
 ingly. At other times 'tis ufed in a more 
 general fenfe, as including our whole Du- 
 ty both towards God and towards Men-, 
 righteoufnefs towards Men being infepa- 
 rahle from a true Love towards God ; and it 
 being impoflible that he who loveth God^ 
 
 fliould 
 
Of Loving GO D. 99 
 
 ihoiild not love his 5rc/^^rairo. But in Both S e r m» 
 thefe Senfes, whether it be underftood ac- ^• 
 cording to the more limited, or the more '•-^^^'^^ 
 general, interpretation, it always fignifies 
 a moral Virtue, not a Pa/Jio?i or AffeBi- 
 071', and is therefore in Scripture always 
 with great Care explained and declared to 
 mean, the Obedience of a 'virtuous Life, 
 in oppolition to the Enthufiafm of a vain 
 imagination. In the old Teftament, Mofes^ 
 in his laft exhortation to the Ifraelites, 
 thus exprefles it; Deut. x. 12. And now 
 Ifrael, what doth the Lord thy God require 
 of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God^ 
 and to love him ? And what is loving 
 him? why, he tells them in the very 
 next words, 'tis to walk in all his ways, 
 and to ferve the Lord thy God with all thy 
 heart and with all thy Soul, to keep the 
 Commandments of the Lord, and his Sta- 
 tutes which I comma?! d thee this day for thy 
 good. In the New T^eflament, our Saviour 
 flill more difindfly exprefTes the fame thing, 
 inculcating and repeating it in fuch a 
 manner, as flaows plainly his forefeeing at 
 that time, in his own mind, how apt 
 men would be to mifunderfland it : foh. 
 xiv. 15, 21. If ye love me, faith he, keep 
 V o L II, H :? my 
 
loo Of Loving GOD, 
 
 S E R M. my Commandments : He that hath my Com-^ 
 '^mandments^ and keepeth them-, he it is 
 that loveth me. And in his prophecy 
 concerning the Signs of the End of the 
 World, he puts Love towards God^ as the 
 oppofite to iniquity 3 thereby plainly decla- 
 ring it to mean the fame as Virtue : Matt, 
 xxiv. 12. Becaufe iniquity yZ?^// abound^ 
 the Love, faith he, of Many fmll wax 
 cold. And the beloved Difciple, who, as 
 he leaned more nearly upon his Mailer's 
 Breaft, fo he feems in this matter to have 
 been more particularly infpired with his 
 
 rjoh.ii.5. Mafler's Sentiments; Whofo^ fays he, 
 keepth his wordy in Him verily is the 
 Love of God perfeSfed; Hereby know we, 
 that we Are in Him : For This is the Love 
 of Gody that we keep his Commandments^ 
 I Joh. V. 3. And again, 2 Joh.^i. This, 
 fays he, is Love, that we walk after his 
 Commandments. And, effedlually to pre- 
 vent fuch Men's enthufiaftick Notions of 
 Religion, as judge of their Love towards 
 God by any empty Speculation, by a?iy 
 Warmth of Zeal in matters of Opinion, 
 by any PafTion or Affe^lion whatfoever, 
 wherewith the Mind or Imagination may, 
 without any real Fruit of Virtue and 
 
 Righte- 
 
Of Loving GOD. loi 
 
 Righteoufnefs, fancy itfelf tranfported ^ S e r m. 
 
 the fame Apoftle frequently gives us this 
 
 one Jure rule, in which there can be no 
 Deception ; that we meafure the Truth of 
 our Love towards God^ by the extent and 
 proportion of our Love towards our Neighs 
 hour. I Joh. iii. 17. Whafo feeth his Bro- 
 ther have need, cind fiutteth up his co?n- 
 pajjion from him, how dwelleth the Love 
 of God in hitn? Again, ch. iv. 12, 20. 
 No man hath feen God at any time-. If we 
 love one another, God dwelleth in Us, and 
 his Love is perfeBed in us : If a man fay, 
 I love God, and hateth his Brother, he is 
 a Liar ; For he that loveth not his Brother 
 whom he h^th feen, how can he love God, 
 who7n he hath wot feen f The Argument is : 
 God, who is invifible, can no otherwife be 
 fhown to be the Obje<5t of our Love, than 
 by our delighting to obey and imitate him, 
 in Adls of Righteoufnefs, and Charity, and 
 univerfal Good-Will tov/ards Mankind 
 who are vifble and always with us. Thisver. %% 
 Commandment have we from Him, that 
 he who loveth God, love his Brother alfo .* 
 That isj that whofoever pretends to love 
 God, fhould prove the Truth of what he 
 profefTes by his behaviour towards Men, 
 H 3 for 
 
I02 Of Loving GOD, 
 
 S E R M. For by This we htow^ (as the fame Apo- 
 ^' file goes on, ch. v. 2.) that we love the 
 
 ^^^^ children of God, when we love God and 
 keep his Commandments. The words, 
 from their connexion with what went be- 
 fore, feem to be tranfpofed ; and that 
 they fhould not be read thus, that we 
 love the children of God^ when we love 
 God ; but on the other fide, by This we 
 know that we love Gody when we love the 
 children of God, and keep his Command- 
 ments. Thofe who place the Sum of their 
 religion in impofing upon men blind No- 
 tions and unintelligible Opinions ; and hate 
 and perfecute All who differ from them ; 
 and, by indeavouring to compel Others 
 into their own hypocrify, fill the World 
 with cruelty, violence and oppreflion ; 
 Thefe perfons, I fay, do in one refpeB ad: 
 extreme wifely ; that they difcourage 
 men, as much as they can, frorn reading 
 and fludying the Scriptures with their 
 own eyes ; leafl they fhould There fee it 
 fet forth, in fo plain, fo clear, fo brighfy 
 fo perpetual and unavoidable a Light, how 
 different, how Contrary, 'Their Spirit is 
 to the Spirit of Chriflianity, which is the 
 Spirit of Love, For, if they who ri^ 
 
Of Loving GOD, 103 
 
 /y teach the true dodrine of Chrlfl, fliall S e r m. 
 yet be bid to depart from hi?n, if in their ^• 
 own private lives they be workers of ini- 
 qity, much more fhall the fame Sentence 
 be pronounced on thofe, the manner of 
 whofe very teaching is itfelf a vvt)rk of 
 unrighteoufnefs, violence and oppreffion. 
 But to proceed : As the Scripture thus 
 exprefsly, fo the reafoji a?2d nature of the 
 thing itfelf no lefs plainly^ fliov^^s, in op- 
 pofition to all Superftitious Notions, that 
 honje towards God, and Virtue or Righte^ 
 oifnefs of Life, are in reality only two 
 different Names of One and the Same 
 '^hi?jg. For, What is rational Love, but 
 a Defre to plcafe the perfon beloved, 
 and a Complacency or Satisfadion in plea- 
 ling him ? To love God therefore, is to 
 have a iincere Defire of obeying his Laws, 
 and a Delight or Pleafure in the Confci- 
 ence of That Obedience. Wherever 'This 
 Obedience is not found , ^vlen may talk 
 what they pleafe, of ardent Love and De- 
 votion towards God, of the highefi Zeal 
 and even Fury for his Service 3 it is all 
 nothing but moil certain hypocrify. For 
 whatever fpecious pretenfes the Wit of 
 Man niay invent^ our Saviour's Argu-. 
 |i 4 menr 
 
I ©4 Of Lovmg GOD, 
 
 S E R M. ment will for ever ftand good j men do not 
 ^ ' gather grapes of thorns^ nor figs of tbiftles. 
 The -Tree will always be known by its 
 Fruit. Love towards God will always 
 fhow forth itfelf in doing his Will. If a 
 man love me^ faith our Saviour, he will 
 keep my words ^ Joh. xiv. 23. To love 
 God^ is to love Goodnefs^ Right eoufnefsy 
 Charity and 'Truth: If therefore to love. 
 thefe Virtues, and live at the fame time in 
 the Praiftice of all the co?itrary Vices be 
 a Contradiction ; for the fame reafon it 
 follows, that, to pretend to love God, 
 and at the fame time praCtife the Vices 
 which he hates, is a Contradidion alfq. 
 As He only who doth right eoufiefs^ is 
 righteous -.y fo He only who doth what is 
 pleafing to God, can be faid to love him. 
 To love God, and yet delight to d if obey 
 him, is a manifeft inconfiftency: And 
 therefore the Pfalmifl's Admonition, is 
 both an Argument of Reafon, and a Rule 
 by which to Try men ; Ff xcvii. 10. Te 
 that love the Lord, fee that ye hate the 
 Thing which is Evil. In Scripture, wick- 
 ed men, and evil Spirits, are elegantly ili- 
 led Enemies and Haters of God: not that 
 they oppofe or withfiand his Power -, for 
 
 That 
 
Of "Loving GOD, 105 
 
 That is impofTible ; but becaufe they hate S e r m* 
 his Laws, and delight in what he forbids. ^* 
 Jn like manner therefore on the other fide. 
 Love towards God, is alfo impoffible to be 
 exprelTed by any Benefit we can do to 
 Him^ but can. be teflified only by our 
 Love of Righteoufnefs and by our PraBice 
 of Virtue., Even to an Earthly Superiour, 
 to a Parent, or a Prince, Love can no o- 
 therwife be fhown from a Child or a Ser- 
 vant, than by chearfully obferving the 
 Laws, and promoting the true Interefi^ 
 of the Government he is under. There 
 is I'his difference only ; that Earthly Su- 
 periours are then only to be obeyed, when 
 they command what we fee to be juft and 
 right : But God, who, being infallible 
 can never command what is wrong, is 
 for that reafon abfolutely to be obeyed in 
 ^//things: Only, to prevent the Errors 
 and the Frauds of Men, whether impious 
 or pious Frauds, very great heed is to be 
 taken, in matters of weight and impor- 
 tance, that whatever is pretended to be 
 a Corrmiand of God, be really and in- 
 deed Such. 
 
 Laftly^ 
 
io6 Of Loving GO D» 
 
 Se R M, Laftly : That the Love of God, and 
 ' • the PraBice of Right eoufnefs^ are one and 
 the fame thing, appears from thofe Texts, 
 wherein all Relation of Men to God, is 
 declared to be founded upon Virtue only. 
 Thus the Title of So7is of God, Rotn. viii. 
 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of 
 God, they are the Sons of God : and 
 Phil. ii. i^. 'That ye may be blamelefs and 
 harmlefs, the Sons of God. The Title of 
 FriendJJjip likewife : Jam. ii. 23. It was 
 imputed unto Abraham for right eoufnefs^ 
 and he was called the Friend of God : He 
 was called ; that is, he was fo filled in 
 the old Tejiament by God himfelf. If xli, 
 8 ; and 2 Chr. xx. y. Thou, Ifrael, art my 
 Servant, the Seed of Abraham my Friend. 
 Our Saviour gives the fame Title to his 
 Apofiles, upon the fame ground 5 Job. xv. 
 14. ye are my Friends, if ye do whatfoever 
 I commafzd you. And flill more emphati- 
 cally, Mat. xii. 50. Whdfoever fiall do 
 the Will of my Father which is in Hea- 
 ven, the fame is ?ny Brother jW Sifter a?2d 
 Mother. Chrift acknowledges no relation^ 
 but what arifes from religion 07ily % nor 
 regards any declaration of Love towards 
 him^ other than that of Obedience to his 
 
 Commands 
 
Of Lovi?ig GOD. 107 
 
 Commands in the Gofpel. St Paul ele- S e r m. 
 gantly purfues the fame Similitude, 2 Cor. ^^' 
 V. 16. Henceforth know we no man after 
 the Flefld j yea^ though we have known 
 Chrift after the Flefi^ yet now henceforth 
 know we him ?2o more : His meaning is ; 
 All temporal perfonal Knowledge and 
 Friendfhip, fuch as was between Chrift 
 and his natural Relations here upon Earth, 
 now difappears ; and no man knows 
 Chrift, or is known of him, any other- 
 wife than in proportion as he obeys his 
 Laws. The like is to be obferved, con- 
 cerning That Title given to the Jews^ of 
 being God's peculiar people : For 'They on- 
 ly were fo in the fpiritual and religious 
 fenfe, who in PraSlice, not who in Pro- 
 fefjion^ ferved the true God. G^/. iii. 28; 
 and Col. iii. 11. There is neither Jew^ 
 nor Greek; there is neither male, nor fe- 
 male ; neither Barbarian^ Scythian^ bond 
 nor free ; but Chrift^ (that is, Obedience 
 to Chrift,) is all in all. And ch. v. 6 j and 
 .1 Cor. vii. 1 9. Circumcifion is nothings and 
 uncircumcijion is nothings but the Keep- 
 ing of the Commandments of God, And 
 the fame is fully exprefted in that decla- 
 ration of 'John the Baptifi, when he fays, 
 
 that 
 
urY^ 
 
 1 08 Of Loving GOD. 
 
 Serm. that even out of the Sto?2es of the Jlreef^ 
 God could raife up children unto Abra- 
 ham : Children unto Him^ in the fpiritu- 
 al an^ beft fenfe, who for his exemplary 
 obedience had this Teftimony given him, 
 that he is called in Scripture, {Rom» iv. 16.) 
 the Father of the Faithful. 
 
 Now from this Account which has 
 been given of the true Nature of Lo^ue 
 towards God; it will be eafy for us to 
 corredt the Errors, which Men have 
 fometimes fallen into in Both Extremes. 
 ^ome have been very confident of their 
 Love towards God, from a mere warmth 
 of fuperftitious zeal and enthufiaftick 
 affection, without any great care to 
 bring forth in their Lives the Fruits of 
 Righteoufnefs and true Holinefs. And 
 the Error of thefe men may be corred:- 
 ed, by confidering, that God being ef- 
 fentially jufl and good, holy and true, 
 and of all other moral Perfecflions ; 'tis 
 confequently evident, that unlefs they con- 
 fider him under T^hefe CharaSfers which 
 are infeparable from his Nature, and un- 
 lefs they accordingly love (and themfelves 
 imitate) thefe Virtues ; 'tis not God whom 
 they are zealous for^ but a mere abftraB 
 
 Notion.^ 
 
Of Lovi?7g GOD, 109 
 
 Notion, a Phantom only of their own Ima- S e r m. 
 
 gination. U.V>0 
 
 On the contrary; Others there are, 
 who though they really love, and fear, 
 and ferve God, in the courfe of a virtu- 
 ous and religious life ; yet, becaufe they 
 feel not in themfelves that 'warmth of 
 afFedion, which many Enthufiafts pretend 
 to ; therefore they are afraid and fufpe(5t, 
 that they do not love God fincerely, as 
 they ought. Now the Errour of thefe 
 pious perfons is to be corrected, by con- 
 fidering, that there is no other Mark fo 
 infallible of the Goodnefs of a Tree, as 
 the Fruit which it brings forth. If they 
 live in Obedience to the Commands of 
 God, they need no other evidence of the 
 Sincerity of their Hearts towards him : 
 For all other Signs may poffibly be erro- 
 neous ; but T^his^ is the very thing figni^ 
 Jied itfelf. Love of Goodftefs, Righteouf- 
 nefs, and T'ruth, is Love of God : For 
 God is Goodfiefs arid T^ruth : And He who 
 loves thefe Virtues, which are the moral 
 Perfections of the divine Nature, does 
 therefore love God moft perfectly ; be- 
 caufe he loves thofe Excellencies, for the 
 
 Sake 
 
no Of Lovi77g GO D. 
 
 S E R M. Sake of which God expeds that we fhould 
 ^' love him above all things. 
 
 '^'^"^^^^^ But further : There are Some perfons 
 of This fort^ who are fearful that their 
 Love towards God is not entire and per- 
 fect, and that they do not love God as 
 the Chief Good, if they obey and ferve 
 him for the hope of Reward. But This 
 alfo is a great miflake : For as Happi- 
 nefo, no lefs than Holi}2efs^ is eff'ential m 
 the divine Nature ; Jo in all ififeriour Be- 
 ings, the proper Reward of Virtue is in- 
 feparably defirable with Virtue itfelf : 
 And not the Defire of Heave?2, which is 
 the Perfedion of Virtue j but only the 
 Defire of Sinful Pleafure, which is de- 
 ftrudive of Virtue, is inconfiftent with, 
 and diminifhes from, our Love of God. 
 The Scripture exprefsly declares, that he 
 
 Heb. xi.6.who cometh to God, not only may^ but 
 muji believe him to be a Rewarder of them 
 
 ver. 10, that diligently feek him : That Abraham 
 
 ^^- accordingly, That Great Father of the 
 
 Faithful, looked for a City which hath 
 
 foundations^ whofe Builder and Maker is 
 
 ver. 26. God : That Mofes^ had refpcB unto the re- 
 
 ver. 3f. compeitfe of Reward : That ihQ Marty?'s 
 
 fuffered 
 
Of Loving GOD, III 
 
 fuffered in hope, that they might obtain ^ S e r m. 
 Setter RefurreBion : That our Lord him- ^• 
 felj\ endured the Crofs, for the joy that ch. xii. z. 
 was fet before him : And that the end of 
 All good mens faith is the Salvation of 
 their Souls, even joy unfpeakable and full ' ^^^' ^* 
 oi Glory. The Hope of which, foy, the 
 Apoflle in That very Verfe, not only fup- 
 pofes to be confijlent with^ but Ipeaks of 
 it as being, itfelf our Love ofChri/i, 
 
 II. Having thus at large explained 
 the Duty injoined in the Text, 'Thou fhalt 
 love the Lord thy God : I proceed now in 
 the 2d place, to confider briefly the Cir- 
 cumjiances requilite, to make the perform- 
 ance of this Duty acceptable and complete : 
 Thou llialt love him with all thy Hearty 
 and with all thy Soiily and with all thy 
 Mind. In St Luke it is, fomew^hat more xo.i?* 
 dijlin6ily\ with all thy Hearty with all 
 thy Soul^ with all thy Strength, and with 
 all thy Mifid. Which words, though 
 fometimes indeed ufed promifcuoufly, yet, 
 when thus put together in Order, feem 
 intended to exprefs after a more diJiinSf 
 manner, the requifite Circuinftances of 
 That Obedience^ which is the proper E- 
 vidence of our Love towards God. And 
 4 l/^> ^^ 
 
112 Of Loving GOD. 
 
 S E R M. i/?, I T muft be Sincere : We muft love, 
 ^- or obey him with all our Heart. 'Tis 
 not the external aSlion only, but the in- 
 ward affeBion of the Mind principally, 
 that God regards : An afFedion of Mind, 
 which influences all a man's ad:ions in 
 
 Mat. vi. Jecret^ as well as in puhlick j which deter- 
 mines the perfon's true Character, or de- 
 nomination ; and diftinguifhes him who 
 really is a Servant of God, from him who 
 only feems or appears to be fo. It vv'as 
 the character of the Jews of old, and is 
 710W of too great a part of Chriftians, jE- 
 zek. xxxiii. 31. With their Mouth this 
 people Jhews much Love^ but their Heart 
 goeth after their Covetoifnefs ; i. e. after 
 their Sinful Pleafures. 
 
 2 J/y, Our Obedience muft be Univer^ 
 
 fal : We muft love God with all our 
 
 Soul, or with our whole Soul. He does 
 
 . not love God, in the Scripture-fenfe j 
 
 who obeys him in fo?ne inftances only 
 
 Mar. vi. and not in all. No man, fays our Saviour, 
 can ferve two ?nafters : And, if any man 
 love the World, the love of the Father is 
 not in hijn, i Joh. ii. 15. And Jam. iv. 4. 
 Whofoever will be a Friend of the Worlds 
 is the Enemy of God. The meaning of 
 
 thefe 
 
Of Loving GOD. 1 1 j 
 
 thefe pafTages, is not, that he who Truly S e r m, 
 loves Gody muft confequently wholly neg- *^*^ 
 leB, and have ?to regard at all to any thing 
 elfe ; but, that nothing elfe muft jb pof- 
 fefs our affections as to interfere with 
 our Duty, when they come in competi- 
 tion, and thereby render our Hearts (as 
 the Scripture exprefles it,) not right or 
 not whole with the Lord. Thus Saul was 
 tempted to fpare the bejl of the Amale- 
 kite's Goods, exprefsly contrary to God's 
 Command : And the Jews, under Pre- 
 tenfe of the Corban, of giving fomewhat 
 to the fervice of the T^emple^ excuied 
 themfelves from providing for their ntcef- 
 fitous Parents : And Many who have 
 zealoufly taught the dod:rine of Chriil", 
 fhall at the day of Judgment be bid to 
 depart from him, becaufe they have al- 
 lowed themfelves in the pracftice of fome 
 unforfaken iniquities. The Pfalmift pla- 
 ces his confidence in 'This only, that he 
 had refpeB ujito All God's commandments^ 
 Pf. cxix. 6. Generally fpeaking, moll 
 men's Temptation lies principally in fome 
 One Particular Inftance : And This is the 
 proper Tryal of the perfon's Obedience^ 
 or of his Z/0^v towards God, If he over- 
 V o L, II, I comes 
 
114 ^f Loving GOD, 
 
 S E R M. comes in I'his inftance, then mav he have 
 . ^ • . confidence towards God ; But if he fails 
 here, and continues fo to do, he is guilty 
 of all. By forfaking the Sin that moji 
 eafily befets us, we muft endeavour to 
 improve daily and grow in grace ; aiming 
 at the chara(fter given in the gofpel to 
 Zacharias, that he was perfeB^ walking 
 in all the Commandments of the Lord blame- 
 lefs. The meaning is ; not that our Obe- 
 dience can in this life be indeed fmlefs ^ 
 but that we muil be fine ere in endeavour- 
 ing to avoid all Sin^ according to the 
 meafure and poffibilities of our frefent 
 frailty ; 'till at laft we be prefented really 
 fault lefs, before the prefence of his glory y 
 with exceeding Joy. 
 
 ^dly. Our Obedience muft be con ft ant 
 and perfevering in Time, as well as Uni- 
 verfal in its Extent : We muft love God 
 with all our Strength ; perfevering in our 
 Duty, without faifiting. He that endureth 
 to the end, faith our Saviour, the fame 
 pall be faved'y and He that overcometh, 
 pall inherit all things ; and, we are made 
 partakers of Chrif, if we hold the begin- 
 ning oj our confidence ftedfaft unto the 
 end. The Scripture-notion of Obedience 
 
 is. 
 
Of Loving GOD. 115 
 
 is, walking in holinefs and right eoiifnefs Sep. m. 
 before him all the days of our life, Luk. i. ^ • 
 75'. The meaning is, not lo as never to 
 jfall into any Sin, but fo as never to apo- 
 ilatize from our Duty by falling finally 
 into any courfe of Sitt. l^he jufi Jhall live 
 by faith j but if any man draw back^ fays 
 God, my Soul foall have no pleajure in 
 him. For Chriftianity is a warfare^ where- 
 in we muft not only fight ^ but fo fight as 
 to overcome \ and a race, wherein we mull 
 not only run, but fo run as to obtain. 
 
 j^thly. Our Obedience to God, ought 
 to be willing and chearful : We mull love 
 him with all our Mind. Pf v. 12. T'hey 
 that love thy Name, will be joyful in thee : 
 And St Paul, among the fruits of the 
 Spirit, reckons up peace, and joy in the 
 Holy Ghofi. Neverthelefs, This ought not 
 to be matter of fcruple to any weak and 
 Uncere mind : For Obedience to the Com- 
 mands of God, whatever principle it pro- 
 ceeds from, even though it be but Fear 
 only, will be accepted unto Salvation. 
 But Virtue becomes more perfeB, when 
 'tis made eafy by Love, and by habitual 
 Pradice incorporated as it were into a 
 man's very nature and temper. For fo 
 Vol. 11. I 2 tho 
 
ii6 Of Loving GOD. 
 
 S E R M. the Scripture reprefents Angels, as rejoy^ 
 ^ • ^ ci?ig and delightifig to perform their Lord's 
 ' pleafure; And our Saviour declares that 
 'twas his meat and drhik to do the Will 
 of his Father which is in Heaven. Which 
 Examples when we can in any tolerable 
 degree imitate, then is fulfilled in us the 
 I Joh. iv. obfervation of St 'John, that perfeB Love 
 '^' cajleth out Fear \ and That of St Paul, 
 
 Rom. viii. 15. that we have not received 
 the Spirit of bondage to Fear, but the Spi- 
 rit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba^ 
 Father-, and 2 T^ijn. i. 7. God hath not gi- 
 ven us the Spirit of fear, but of love, and 
 of a found mind. 
 
 These are the Circumfances requifite 
 to make the performance of this Duty ac- 
 ceptable and complete: We muft love 
 the Lord our God, with all our Hearty 
 with all our Soul, with all our Strength, 
 and with all our Mind. The 
 
 Hid and laft thing obfervable in the 
 Text, is the Weight and hnportance of 
 the Duty } It is tlie Firft and great Com- 
 mandment. The Reafon is, becaufe 'tis 
 the Foundation of all j and, without Re- 
 gard to God, there can be no Religion, 
 Not that Virtue, at any time, or in any 
 
 peifon 
 
Of Loving GOD. 117 
 
 perfon whatfoever, can be ?iot praife-wor-S e r m. 
 
 thy -, much lefs, that in thofe who have 
 
 not a right knowledge of God, even vir- 
 tuous Actions themfelves are (as fome 
 have very unreafonably affirmed) only 
 jplendid Sins; but that there is no fee u- 
 rity^ no certain dependi?2g upon fuch vir- 
 tues, as arife merely accidentally from 
 natural goodnefs of T^emper^ and are not 
 built upon a firm and fettled perfwafion, 
 that God does Now govern, and will fi- 
 nally judge the World. The Houfe is 
 good ; but it is built (according to our 
 Saviour's comparifon) upon the Sand our- 
 ly, and not upon a Rock. 'Tis Faith on- 
 ly that overcomes the World: Nothing 
 but a fleddy Belief of a Judgment to 
 come, and of God's being a Re warder 
 of them that diligently feek him, can be 
 effedlual to conquer the Temptations of 
 Sin. This Faith therefore, that we may 
 all hold faft, God of his infinite Mer- 
 cy grant, ^c. 
 
 I 3 S E R- 
 
C "9 3 
 
 SERMON VI 
 
 Of the Fear of GOD. 
 
 Job xxiii. 15. 
 
 Therefore am I troubled at his pre- 
 fence: TVhe7i I co?tfder^ I am 
 afraid of him* 
 
 N This Chapter 'Job gives a S e r m. 
 
 noble Defcription of the VI. 
 
 Senfe he had upon his Mind, ^^'"^'^^^ 
 1] of the invifible Omniprefence 
 
 and Omnifcience of God. 
 Ver. 8. "Behold^ I go forward^ but he is 
 not there : and backward, but I cannot 
 percei've him : On the left hand ivhere he 
 doth work, but I cannot behold hitn-j he 
 hideth himfelf on the right hand, that I 
 cannot fee him : But he knoweth the way 
 I 4 that 
 
120 Of the ¥^2ir of G D. 
 
 S E R M. that I take. To a man of Virtue and In- 
 
 ^^' tegrlty, the confideration of This great 
 
 Truth is a folid Ground of real and lafling 
 
 Satisfadlion. He knoweth the way that I 
 
 take : My foot hath held his Jieps ; his 
 
 way have I kept, and not declined : Nei- 
 ther have I gone back from the Com- 
 mandment of his Lips : I have ejleemed the 
 Words of his Month, more than my neceffary 
 Food, ver. ii. In times of Affii&ion^zv- 
 ticularly, 'tis an inexpreflible Support, if 
 a man can be able to fay with this exem- 
 plary perfon, ver. 3. O that I knew 
 where I might find him I that I might 
 come even to his Seat I I woidd order jny 
 Caife before him, and fill my Mouth with 
 
 Arguments. Will he plead againfi me 
 
 with his great Tower ? No ; but he would 
 
 put Strength in me. He knoweth the 
 
 Way that I take : When he hath tried me, 
 I fiall come forth as Gold. Neverthelefs, 
 though the Hope fignified by thefe high 
 Expreflions, is indeed a well-grounded 
 Hope, and what the Apoftle St John 
 ijoh.iii. calls, an ajfuring of our Hearts before 
 '^" God; Yet confidering the infinite Purity 
 
 of the Divine Nature, and the Frailnefs 
 of this our mortal State, and the unpro- 
 
 fitablenefs 
 
Of the Fear of GO D. 121 
 
 fitablenefs even of our beft Services, and S e r m. 
 our aptnefs to impofe upon ourfelves, and , 
 
 to deceive through carelefsnefs even our 
 Ov^^n Hearts ; fo that though a man be 
 not confcious to himfelf of any Great 
 Wickednefs, yet is he ?2ot hereby jiiftijied^ » Cor.iv. 
 hut he that jujlifies him, is the Lord : 
 And confidering alfo, that, in the nature 
 of Things, there cannot but be many Se- 
 crets in the Difpenfations of Providence, 
 and in God's Government of the Univerfe , 
 unfearchable to our fhort and limited Un- 
 derftandings ; 'Tis not vi^ithout great rea- 
 fon that yoi; immediately corred:s himfelf 
 in the words next following ; ver. 13. 
 But he is in One Mtnd^ and who can turn 
 
 him? For he performeth the thing that 
 
 is appointed for me 5 and many fuch things 
 are with him. Therefore am I troubled at 
 his prefence ; when I confider, I am afraid 
 of him. The Expreffions are of the fame 
 import, as thofe in the Ninth chapter, ver. 
 II; Loj he goeth by me, and I fee him 
 not ', he pajfeth on alfo, but 1 perceive him 
 not. Behold, he taketh away j who can 
 hinder him f Who will fay unto him, what 
 
 dofi thou f IVhom, though I were 
 
 righteous. 
 
122 Of the Fear of GOD, 
 
 S E R M. righteous^ yet 'would 1 not anfwer ; but 
 ^^h^ I would make Supplication to my Judge. 
 
 The words of my Text ; I am trou- 
 bled at his Prefence ; wheft I conjider, I 
 am, afraid of him ; have, in the place, 
 they fland, a particular Reference to 
 Thefe Confiderations. But I fnall take 
 them at this time in their larger fenfe, as 
 containing this more general 2iVidi very im- 
 portant Proportion ; that the Fear of 
 God is the Refult of Confideration, the 
 Refult of Attention, and true Reafon ; not 
 of empty Imagination, and vain Appreheti- 
 fom. When I confider, J am afraid of 
 him. 
 
 B Y the Fear of God, I v^ould be un- 
 derflood to mean, not the Superfliti- 
 ous Dread of an arbitrary or cruel Be- 
 ing ; but That Aive and Regard, which 
 necelTarily arifes in the Mind of every 
 man, who believes and habitually confi- 
 ders himfelf as living and a6ling in the 
 fight of an Omniprefent Governour, of 
 perfedl: Juftice, Holinefs and Purity ; who 
 fees every Thought, as well as every Ad- 
 ion ; who cannot be impofed upon by 
 Any Hypocrify ; who, as certainly as 
 there is any Difference between Good and 
 4 Evil, 
 
Of the Fear of GOD, 123 
 
 Evil, cannot but approve the one, andSERM. 
 deteft the other 1 and whofe Government, ^* 
 as certainly as he has any Power at all, 
 confifls in rewarding what he approves, 
 and puniihing what he hates. Of fuch 
 a Governour as This, though we are fure 
 he is indued with infinite Goodnefs, yet 
 may it juflly be faid, with the greateft 
 Reafon, and without any tendency to Su- 
 perflition ; When I confider^ I am afraid 
 of him. 
 
 This Fear of God, is the Foundation 
 of Religion. For though Virtue is indeed 
 amiable, abfohitely, in its own Nature ; 
 and, if the World could poflibly be fup- 
 pofed to fubfifl without the Government, 
 and even without the Being of God, ftill 
 the nature of Good and Evil would be 
 what it is, and Virtue would be in it f elf 
 unalterably excellent, and Vice for ever 
 blame- worthy ; Yet the great Support of 
 Virtue among Men, is the Senfe upon 
 their Minds of a Supreme Governour and 
 Judge of the Univerfe, who will finally 
 and effedually reward what is in itfelf ef- 
 fentially 'worthy of reward, and punifh 
 what is worthy of piinijhment. To a per- 
 feSf and unerring Mind, incapable of be- 
 ing 
 
1 24 Of the Fear of GOD. 
 
 S E R Rl- Ing deceived, and which is exalted above 
 ^ ^' all poffible temptation ; to fuch a one, 
 
 ^^ the intrinfic Reafo?i of Things, the e[fen^ 
 tial Kxcellency of Truth and Right, is in 
 itfelf a fteady and always fufficient Mo- 
 tive of Ad:ion. But Meii ; who, when 
 they know what is Right, and neceifarily 
 approve it, yet at the fame time find ano- 
 ther Law in their Members warring againji 
 the Law of their Mindy urging them with 
 ftrong Pajpons, and uneafy Appetites ; 
 and thefe follicited moreover with perpe- 
 tual Temptations from without, with Al- 
 lurements of Pleafure and Profit, with 
 Baits of Power and Ajubition, with Ex- 
 amples of a degenerate and corrupt World, 
 and with 'Threatnings alfo of perpetual 
 P erfeciitions in different kinds, if they 
 adhere ftedfaftly to the Interefts of 
 Truth and Virtue : To fuch Beings as 
 thefe, I fay ; to finite, changeable and 
 fallible Creatures 3 'tis very neccflary, 
 that the eternal intrinfic Peafon of 
 ^hifigs, the ejfential and unalterable Ex- 
 cellency of 'Truth and Right, confidered as 
 a Motive of Action, fhould be fuppcrted 
 and ftrengthened by a conftant and lively 
 Senfe upon their Minds, of an univerfal 
 
 Supreme 
 
0/ the Fear of GOD. 1^5 
 
 Supreme Governour 5 who being eflenti- S e r m. 
 ally the Fountain of all Perfedlion, the ^}l, 
 Truth and Reafon of Tubings and the ufiaU 
 terable Right of every Cafe are confequent- 
 ly the eternal Laws of his Kingdom ' 
 Which, by his univerfal Power and Go- 
 vernment over all, he \y\\\ as certainly 
 fupport and maintain j finally rewarding 
 Virtue, and punifliing Vice j as 'tis cer~ 
 tain there Is a Difference between Good 
 and Evil, and that infinite Wifdom can- 
 not be i?tfenfible of That DifiFerence. A 
 firm and fettled Perfwafion of the reality 
 and certainty of this great Truth, that 
 we are continually under the infpedtion of 
 fiich a Supreme Governour and Judge j of 
 an omniprefent Spirit, in whom we live 
 and move and have our Beings and to 
 whom our very Thoughts are open as 
 our Adtions ; cannot but fill the mind 
 of every conf derate Perfon, with a jufl 
 Awe and Fear of him : IVhen I confider^ 
 I am afraid of him : Afraid, not as of 
 an arbitrary and tyrannical Power ; but 
 as of a juft and powerful and wife Gover- 
 nour, whofe Laws are reafonable and ne- 
 celTary to be obeyed, and from whofe juft 
 
 difpleauvre 
 
126 Of the Fear of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. difpleafure the Difobedient can by No 
 
 Power or Artifice be proted:ed. 
 
 The Ground of T^his Fear, the Text 
 tells us, is Reafon and Confideration : 
 When I Confider, / am afraid of him, 
 Atheiftical and profane men fuppofe on 
 the contrary, that the Ground of this Fear 
 is T^imoroufnefs of 'Temper, Superjlitiony 
 Cufomary Tradition, or political FiBion. 
 'Tis of infinitely great Moment, to deter- 
 mine which of thefe two is the Truth ; 
 And therefore I fliall confider diflindly 
 the very different Grounds, CharaBerSy 
 and FffeBs, of Religio?i and Superjlition ; 
 and how thefe Two things, which Athe- 
 iftical and corrupt Minds would fain ima- 
 gine to be the fame, may be dijlinguijhed 
 from each other. 
 
 I. In the T^r/? place, as to the Ground 
 and Foundation of Religion. That there 
 is an efiential Difference between Good 
 and Evil, between Virtue and Vice, is 
 what every man as clearly difcerns by the 
 natural and neceffary Perception of his 
 own Mind and Confcience, as his Eyes 
 fee the Difference between Light and 
 Darknefs. 'Tis not a man's particular 
 Timoroufnefe f Temper, 'tis not Cujlomary 
 
 Tradition 
 
Of the Fear of GO D* 127 
 
 tradition from his Ancejiors^ 'tis not the S e r m. 
 imaginary Speculatioji of Philojhphers, 'tis ^^• 
 not the political FiSiion of Governours^ *^' 
 that makes him fee when he is opprejpdy 
 defrauded, cheated, treated unjujily and 
 injurioujly ; that thefe ABiom are in their 
 own nature unrighteous, and the Perfon 
 who is guiky of them worthy of Punijlo- 
 ment. Every man, of every degree of 
 capacity, in every Age, and in every Na- 
 tion, fees and feels this to be the Truth 
 of Things j And no accidental Variety of 
 'Temper, no 'Tradition, no PLiloJophy, no 
 Form of Government, can either alter or 
 abolijh thefe Notions. The Reafonings 
 and Speculations of M.c7i do not make 
 things to be what they are ; but only help 
 men to difcover with greater Clearnefs, 
 or to a greater degree, what their real 
 intrinfic Natures are. Laws likewife, 
 do not 77iake Virtue to be Virtue, or Vice 
 to be Vice ; but only inforce or difcoiirags 
 the Pradlice of fuch things, as the very 
 making of a Law always and neceifarily 
 prefuppofes to have been Fit or Unfit 
 before the making of the Law : Becaufe 
 otherwife all Laws about moral matters 
 would be profejfedly to no Purpofe, and 
 
 of 
 
128 Of the V^2ivof GOD. 
 
 S E R M . of no life. There may perhaps be in fomc 
 ^^' Men^ and pofTibly in fome whole Nations, 
 ^ for v/ant of Attention and Confideration, 
 a very great degree of Ignorance^ in ma- 
 ny particular Injiances^ of this natural 
 and efTential difference of Good and Evil ; 
 (Though, I beHeve, no perfon, who had 
 at all the ufe of his Reafon, ever was fo 
 imiverfally ignorant, as not to diflike 
 and think really blame-worthy a wilful 
 Breach of Faith^ or an Adl of caufelefs 
 Cruelty.) But the Ignorance^ be it in 
 what degree it will, either of any Man 
 or of any Number of men^ makes no al- 
 teration at all in the Nature and Truth 
 of Things \ nor affords any Argument, a- 
 gainft the reality of their ejfential Differ- 
 ences. Were there in nature no real and 
 unalterable Difference between Moral 
 Good and Evil ; it would follow, not 
 only that whole Nations might poflibly 
 be ignorant of This Diflincftion ; which 
 is nothing to the purpofe : ( For fo they 
 may be of the plaineft Mathematical 
 Truths, and yet thofe Truths not be at 
 all the lefs certain: ) But it would follow, 
 that whole Nations might as pojjibly, with 
 a full perfwafion within themfelves of the 
 
 Strength 
 
Of the Fear of GOD, 129 
 
 Strensith and Clearnefs of their manner of S e r m. 
 reafoning and arguing, determine in all .^.^1. 
 inflances univerfally Virtue to be Vice, 
 and Vice to be Virtue, as We think we 
 with reafon determine the contrary : Nay^ 
 it would be as eaf)\ and as natural^ and 
 as probable they fhould fo determine, as 
 that Nations fhould differ in the Fafiion 
 or Colour of their Cloaths^ or in any other 
 Circumflances of things by nature indif- 
 ferent. Which iince no man ( I think ) 
 has ever been fo abfurd as to affirm ; it 
 follows undeniably, that That Firfl 
 Ground and Foundation of Religion^ the 
 effential Difference between Virtue and 
 Vice, is laid immutably and imiverfally 
 in the Nature and Reafon of Thino-s: 
 Whereas all SupejflitioJis^ various always 
 as the Motion of the Winds and Clouds, 
 are notorioufly founded only in accidental 
 T'emper^ cujlomary 'Tradition, or political 
 FiBion. 
 
 Again: That there is an in'^oifible 
 Power prefiding over the Univerfe, (which 
 is Another part of the prime Ground and 
 Foundation of Religion;) The Belief, I 
 fay, of an invijible Power ruling over the 
 Univerfe, and which will finally fupport 
 
 V o L. II. K Virtue 
 
130 Of the Fear of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. Virtue and ptmijh Wickednefs, is a Be- 
 lief arifmg from Reafonand Confideration\ 
 which is diredtly contrary to the EiTence 
 of Superjlition. The '^oifible Works of 
 Nature, every man by his own experience 
 every day perceives evidently to be the 
 EfFed:s of an ifivijible Power. The more 
 extenfive^ and the more exaB^ any man's 
 Obfervations are, the more Evidences he 
 continually finds of the reality^ and of 
 the Greatnefs, of this invifible Power : But 
 even to the fneaneji Capacities, and in the 
 moil obvious Occurences of life, God has 
 by no means left himfelf without Witnefs, 
 Matt. V. caufmg his Sun to finne, and fending us 
 fesxiv. -^^^^''^ ^^d fruitful Seafons, fi^^i^g our 
 i7- Hearts with Food and Gladnefs. The 
 
 Marvellotfnefs of the Works of Nature 
 iliows the Greatnefs of this Power; and 
 the Regularity and Uniformity of them 
 fhows it to be the Power of One and the 
 Same Agent, ading or directing every 
 where. The JJnderflanding of this uni- 
 verfal Governour, which is fufficient to 
 direcft the whole Frame of Nature, can- 
 not be infenfible of that Difference of 
 Moral Good and Evil, which even to Us 
 appears necelTarily and eflentially demon- 
 
 ftrablc. 
 
Of theYQZxof GOD. 131 
 
 ftrable. To expedt therefore that this S e r m. 
 
 . VT 
 
 Supreme Being will judge according to 
 Rights that is, according to the necejfary 
 nature of Things j In other words, To 
 fear that he will punifli us if we a6t un- 
 reafonably, and to hope for his Favour if 
 we be Followers of Truth and Right -, is 
 the Voice of Reafon^ and not of Super- 
 Jiition, 
 
 Superjiitioui. Apprehenlions, arifing in 
 particular from Timoroufnefs of 'Temper, 
 teach men to fear they know not what, 
 or to be afraid of God they know not 
 why ; to fear him, not as a jujl and righ- 
 teous fudge, but merely as veiled with 
 irrefjiible Power ', to fear him, not fo as 
 by That Fear to be deterred from unrigh- 
 teous Practices, but fo as to be perpetu- 
 ally commuting for a vicious Life with 
 the repetition of unprofitable Ceremonies 
 without number. Siipcrjiitions founded 
 upon Cujiomary Traditioit, teach men to 
 be afraid of things which have no exiji- 
 ence-, or of Beings which have ?io Power 
 and Dominion over us j to place Religioft 
 in Pradlices which have no Tendency to 
 Virtue -, to lay Strefs upon Opinions, which 
 have no Senfe, or no Truth in them ; upon 
 Vol II. K 2 things^ 
 
132 Of theVtOir of GOD, 
 
 S E R M. tliin2;s, whereof no man can give a raJ 
 tional Account, or, in St P^/^r's language, 
 I Pet. iii. «g"^'"^'<? <^" Anfwcr to any one ^^<?if asketh a 
 ■^' Reafonof theHope^ or of the F^^r, that i^ 
 
 in him. SuperJiitio?is derived from political 
 FiBiotij teach men to make RcligioJi con- 
 lift in Parties and Fa5lions\ in things 
 which, in diffcj'cnt countries^ are contrary 
 to each other, and, in the fame country^ 
 contrary at different "Ti'mes j in things 
 which promote not at all the Honour of 
 Cod, nor univerfal Meeknefs and Good- 
 will towards Men ; but on the contrary, 
 fometimes are directly dejlru^i've both of 
 'Truth and Charity, 
 
 Instances of all thefe feveral kinds 
 of Superflitions in the Heathen World, 
 v/erc their worfliipping o^ Jidlitious Dei- 
 ties, inftead of the Great God and Go- 
 vernour of the Univerfe, of whom by 
 the Light of Nature and Reafon they 
 were not ignorant : And more particu^ 
 larly, their mixing fometimes barbarous 
 and cruel, fometimes beajlly and impure 
 Rites, even amongft their facred and re- 
 ligious Performances. In the Jewijlj Na- 
 tion, the general and prevailing Superfti- 
 tion always v/as, their relying upon 
 
 outward 
 
Of the Fear of GO D. 133 
 
 outward Forms and Ceremonies^ (which S e r m. 
 
 VL 
 
 ought ?zo^ indeed to be left undone,) and 
 
 laying the ftrefs of Religion upon them, 
 more than upon the weightier matters o/'Mat.xxiii. 
 the Law, Juftice, Mercy, and Fidelity; 
 of which, all external Purifications 
 were but Shadows and Memorials. In 
 the Chrijiian World, Inftances of no lefs 
 fhameful Superftitions, are, mens depart- 
 ing from the Everlajling Gofpel, which 
 requires us (Rev. xiv. 6, j.) to worfiip 
 him that made Heaven and Earth ; and 
 fetting up the Worihip of the Hojl, and 
 of the Blejfed Virgin, and of Angels^ and 
 Sat Jits, and Relic ks, and Images : Alio re- 
 lying upon Ifidulgences, Pilgrimages, Pro- 
 cejjions, Mafes for the Dead, and the like: 
 Nay, and upon the mofh ridiculoufly ex- 
 travagant Abfurdities in Belief -, and the 
 moft inhuman Perfeciitions and Barbari- 
 ties in Practice. All which things have 
 no Foundation in Reajon, nor any Ap- 
 pearance of being commanded of God. 
 The true Religion of Chrifl, as taught by 
 Himfelf and his Apojflles, has nothino- of 
 This Sort in it ; requiring nothing of us, 
 but This moft reafonable Service, that, in 
 expedation of a righteous Judgment to 
 K 3 come. 
 
134 Of the Fear of GO D, 
 
 S £ R M. come, v/e continually worjhip the God of 
 the Umverfe j living in Sobriety^ Righte- 
 oufnefs^ and Charity towards All men ; 
 and making conftant Acknowledgments of 
 the Divine Goodnefs and CompaJJion^ in 
 receiving Situiers to Repentance through 
 the Atonement and Intercejjion of Chrifl. 
 Than which Dodrine, nothing can be 
 more firm in its Foundation^ or more ex- 
 c client in its EffeBs. 
 
 2. A N D This is the Second great or 
 charadieriftick Mark, by which Religion 
 and Superfiition may be difiijigiiijljed from 
 each other. As they differ entirely in 
 their Ground and Foundation^ fo do they 
 like wife in their EffeBs. By their Fruits 
 ye Jloall know them^ Matt. vii. 20. Reli- 
 gion^ which is founded in 'Truth, always 
 makes men impartially inquifitive after 
 ^ruthy Lovers of Reafon, Meek, Gentle, 
 Patient, Willing to be informed: Superb 
 fiition, on the contrary, naturally makes 
 men blind and pajjionate, defpifers of 
 Reafon, carelefs in ijiquiring after Truthy 
 Hafty, Cenforious, Contentious, and Impa- 
 tient of inflruBion, Religion teaches men 
 to be exaftly juji, equitable, and chari- 
 table towards all men : Superfiition, on 
 ^ the 
 
Of the Fear of GO D. 135 
 
 the contrary, frequently puts men upon S e r m. 
 undervaluing the eternal Rules of Mo- ^^• 
 rality, and upon preferring the Interefl 
 of particular SeSfs and Parties, the pre- 
 valency of fome uncertain Opinions, and 
 the pradlice of fome needle fs CeremofiieSi 
 before the unalterable Precepts of the 
 everlajiing Law and the everlajling Go- 
 /pel. Laftly, True Religion, the Religion 
 of Nature in general, and the Religion 
 of Chriji in particular, by fecuring the 
 Belief of 2i future Judgment, tends great- 
 ly to promote the Happinefs of Nations 
 and good Governments, in obliging the 
 ConJ'ciences of men to real Fidelity, Ju- 
 Jlice, and the Jincere PraSfice of every 
 Virtue, which the very beft human Law% 
 can but imperfedily fecure, by compel- 
 ling merely the External Aftion : But 
 Superjiition, on the contrary, frequently 
 produces Wars, and T^iunults, and Perfe- 
 cutions, and 'Tyrannies without end ; there 
 being nothing fo wicked, which men of 
 Superjlitious Principles will not think pi- 
 ous and necejfary^ and which men of No 
 Principles will not upon occallon bring 
 rhemfelves to fubmit to. 
 
 K4 IsHALL / 
 
136 Of the Fear of GOD. 
 
 Serm. I SHALL conclude This Head, with 
 '" oblervinff that there are T'li;;? Particulars, 
 wherein T^riie Religio?i, the Religion taught 
 by Cbriji bimfelf, (for the Religion pro- 
 feiTed by many Nations who call them- 
 felves Cbriftia?!^ is palpably nothing but 
 Superjlitio7t ; ) the true Religion, I fay, as 
 taught by Chrijl hijnfelf^ has in l^wo 
 Particulars principally, by men who re- 
 ceive not the Gofpel, been objedled to as 
 encouraging Siiperjlition. One is, that it 
 teaches men to be objlinate and wilful^ in 
 parting with all Advantages, even with 
 Life itfelf, for the fake of Religion. The 
 Other is, that by teaching men to defpife 
 the Worlds it hinders them from attend- 
 ing to the Good of the Publick. But the 
 Anfwer to Both thefe Objections is not 
 difficult. Without a Stedfajinefs which 
 cannot be moved by Temporal Inconve- 
 niencies, there is 7io Virtue to be depend- 
 ed upon, in natural Religion, any more 
 than in Chriflian : Is therefore All Virtue^ 
 nothing but Superjlition ? And as to de- 
 fpifmg the Worlds in the Senfe of with- 
 drawing from the Bufnefs of the World, 
 Chriftianity no where teaches this, but 
 only in Times and Places of general Per^ 
 ^ fecution. 
 
Of the Fear of GOD. 137 
 
 feciit'ion. In Other Cafes, defpifing the S e r m. 
 Worlds does not fignify defpifnig the Bu- VI. 
 Jinefs of the World, or negleding to at- ^"■'^'VNJ 
 tend the Pttblick Good, but defpiling all 
 Temptations to the JVickednefs of the 
 World, the Temptations of lawlefs Plea- 
 fure, the Temptations of unjujl Gains, 
 the Temptations of corrupt Ambition. 
 Thefe only, are, in the Scripture-fenfe, 
 That World which is an Enemy to God, 
 
 SERMON 
 
[ 139 ] 
 
 SERMON VII. 
 
 Of the Wi s D o M of being Religious. 
 
 Pro V. ix. lo, ii. 
 
 7he Fear of the Lord is the begin- 
 ning of Wifdom^ and the Know- 
 ledge of the Holy is Underfland- 
 ing\ For by me thy days fball be 
 multiplied^ and the years of thy 
 Life fball be increafed. 
 
 ';HERE is no Defire which Serm. 
 1 God has fo deeply fixed and Vil. 
 I implanted in our Nature, as ""^^^^^ 
 
 ^Sj^tl^i that of Preferving and Pro 
 
 longing our Life. Life and 
 
 Health, are the Foundation of all other 
 
 enjoyments j 
 
140 Of the Wifdom 
 
 S E R M. enjoyments j and are therefore of greatef 
 ^^'- value than all other Poffeffions put to- 
 gether, becaufe they are neceflary in order 
 to the Enjoyment of thofe PolTeflions ; 
 And without Thefe, all other things that 
 are the Objeds of Men's Hopes and De- 
 fires in the World, have v^ith regard to 
 Us, no Being, no Subfiftence. For^ 'what 
 Jhall it profit a man, if he gain the whole 
 World, and lofe his own Life? Or what 
 (Idall amangi've in excha?ige for his Life? 
 The principal Point of Wifdom there- 
 fore in the Condudl of Human Life, is fo 
 to ufe the enjoyments of this prefent 
 World, as that they may not themfelves 
 fhorten that Period, wherein 'tis allowed 
 us to enjoy them. And if any part of 
 Knowledge deferves a fteddier attention 
 than other, and has of all others the 
 juflefl: pretence to be efleemed invaluable ; 
 'tis unqueflionable T'hat Knowledge, by 
 which, as the Wifemen here expreifes it, 
 our days may be multiplied, and the Tears 
 of our Lije may be increafed. 
 
 Let us eat a?jd drink, for to morrow 
 we die ; was the reafoning of the Epicure, 
 mentioned by St Faul, i Cor. xv. 32. 
 But it was very falfe reafoning, to make 
 
 the 
 
of being Religiotis. 14.1 
 
 the melancholy confideration of the Short- S e r m. 
 nefs of Life an Argument for Debauchery, ^Jf^ 
 when that very Debauchery is evidently 
 the Caufe of making Man's Life ftill 
 fliorter. Temperance and Sobriety, the 
 regular Government of our Appetites and 
 Paffions, the promoting Peace and good 
 Order in the World, are, even without re- 
 gard to any Arguments of Religion, the 
 greateft inliances of Human VVifdom ; 
 becaufe they are the moft effectual means 
 of preferving our Being, and Well-being 
 in the World -, of prolonging the Period, 
 and inlarging the Comforts and Enjoy- 
 ments of Life. Religio7ij has added 
 Strength to thefe Confiderations ; and, by 
 annexing the Promife of God's immedi- 
 ate Bleffing to the natural Tendency and 
 Confequences of Things, has made the 
 Wifdom of choofing Virtue infinitely 
 more confpicuous j and the Folly of Vice 
 more apparently abfurd. hength of Days. 
 upon Earthy is in the old T'cfiament fre- 
 quently promifed to the Righteous j And 
 the principal intent of that Promife, was 
 to be an Emblem or Signification of a 
 loJtger Life^ even of Eter7iit\\ more ex- 
 prefsly promifed in the Neiv, The Land 
 
 of 
 
142 Of the Wifdom 
 
 Sefm.oF Canaan was a Type of Heaven, the 
 ^^^' true Land of Promife j And the days of 
 the righteous being long in the Land 
 which the Lord their God had given them, 
 was a figurative praefignification of that 
 future and more complete State of Hap- 
 pinefs, wherein their days JJjould be multi- 
 plied without number, and the years of 
 their Life JJoould be increafed loithout End, 
 This is a Demonftration indeed, of the 
 Wifdom of being Religious ; and of the 
 happy Effeds of having always before our 
 Eyes the Fear of the Lord. 'The Fear of 
 the Lord is the beginning of Wifdom, and 
 the Knowledge of the Holy is JJnderftand- 
 ing ; For by me thy Days JJmll be multi- 
 plied, and the Tears of thy Life Jloall be 
 increafed. 
 
 'The Fear of the Lord, and the Know- 
 ledge of the Holy, are two fynonymous 
 ExprefTions, each of which fignifies in 
 Scripture Phrafe, the Pradlice of Virtue 
 and true Religion. For fo it is very ufual 
 in all good Authors, to exprefs the Whole- 
 by fome principal Part. Thus, when 
 *tis faid, The Soul that fmneth, it fhall die -, 
 becaufe the Soul is the principal and moil 
 excellent part of Man, 'tis of the fame 
 
 import^ 
 
of being Religious » 143 
 
 import, as if it had been exprefTed, ^he S e r m. 
 Man thatfmneth^ pall die. And Gen. xlvi. )^ 
 27. All the Souls of the Houfe of Jacob 
 which came into Egypt ; that is, all the 
 PerfonSy were threefcore and ten. In like 
 manner, becaufe the Fear or LtOiie of 
 God, the Knowledge or ^tudy of his Will, 
 Faith or T'ruft in him, the Remembrance 
 of him, or frequent Meditating upon his 
 Laws, are principal Parts of Religion j 
 and fuch as are apt to have fo great an 
 influence upon Men, that One of thefe 
 Virtues can hardly be fuppofed to be 
 found any where feparate from the reft, 
 or without producing its true and genuine 
 Effects in the general courfe of a religi- 
 ous and Holy Life ; therefore each of 
 thefe are frequently ^uifingly in Scrip- 
 ture for the Whole of Religion, and to 
 exprefs the Pradice of Virtue in general. 
 Thus, to Remember our Creator in the 
 days of our Touthy is the Wifeman's de- 
 fcription of an early Piety j and with the 
 Wicked that IhaJl be turned into Helly in 
 the Pfalmift's language, are joined all the 
 Nations that forget God. In like manner 
 BelieverSy or they that have Faith in 
 God, fignifies always in the New 7'ejla^ 
 
 ment 
 
144 ^f t^^ Wifdom 
 
 S E R M. jnent good Chrijiians, or fuch as are endu- 
 2. , ed with ^// virtues and graces of the Spi- 
 rit ; and on the contrary every kind of 
 JVickednefsy as well as Infidelity^ is repre- 
 fented under the Charadler of Unbelief. 
 The Love of God, is by St John and by 
 our Saviour himfelf, defined to be this, 
 that we keep his Commandments, i Joh. v. 
 3 J and Joh. xiv. 15. The Knowledge of 
 God, is in the writings of the fame Apo- 
 flle explained by the very fame Phrafe of 
 keepifig his Commandments, i Joh. ii. 3, 4 : 
 and they that know not God, are by St 
 P^z^/ defcribed as Perfons nothing differ- 
 ing from thofe that obey not the Gofpel. 
 2 Th. i. 8. Laftly, Becaufe Fear is of all 
 other Paffions the moft deeply rooted in 
 our Nature ; and is more apt to be ftrong- 
 ly moved by Apprehenfions of the Divine 
 difpleafure, than the milder Paffions of 
 Deiire and Hope are to be worked upon 
 by Reprefentations of the Excellency of 
 Virtue and of the Greatnefs of its Re- 
 ward ; therefore the Fear of God is the 
 mof frequently of all thefe figurative Ex- 
 preffions, put in Scripture for the Whole 
 of Religion ; and Perfons of Univerfal 
 Piety and remarkable Holinefs, are by no 
 
 chara^^er 
 
of being Religious, 145 
 
 charader more ufually defcribed than by S e r m» 
 This, that they fear the Lord^ or have the ^^^* 
 Fear of God before their Eyes. And be- 
 caufe each one of thefe Phrafes fingly, fig- 
 nifies thus, properly enough, the Sum?n 
 of Religion; therefore any 'Two of them 
 may Hkewife be ufed, as fynonymous to 
 each other ; As, in the Text, the Fear and 
 the Knowledge of the Lord : The Fear 
 of the Lord is the degin^iing of JVifdom, 
 and the Knowledge of the Holy is Under- 
 fianding-y For by me thy Days fiall be 
 multiplied, and the Tears of thy Life flmll 
 be increafed. 
 
 I N the Words we may obferve, 
 
 ly?, That the Pradice of Religion 
 is in general Man's truefl Wifdom : The 
 Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wif- 
 dom; and the Knowledge of the Holy is 
 Underftanding. 
 
 2dly. T H AT the Pradlice of Religion 
 is in particular Wife in this refpedi^ that it 
 tends to prolong our Life and lengthen 
 our days : For by Me thy Days Jhall be 
 multiplied^ and the Tears of thy Life Jhall 
 be increafed. And 
 
 3^/y, It may be reafonable to inquii-e, 
 how far this Blefling of long Life pro- 
 
 V o L. IL L mifed 
 
14^ Of the Wifdom 
 
 S E R M. mifed to Obedience under the Old T'elia- 
 VTT • 
 
 \^' ment, is proper to be defired by Chrlftians 
 
 under the Gofpel- State. 
 
 \fty The Words contain this univerfal 
 Propofition ; That the FraBice of Reli- 
 gion is in general Man's trueft Wifdom : 
 The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of 
 Wifdom, and the Knowledge of the Holy is 
 Underflanding. And here, the whole Te- 
 nor of Scripture, in Conjundiion with the 
 Reafon of Things, concurs in fetting 
 forth the Wifdom of being virtuous and 
 religious. The Books of Solomon efpe- 
 cially, whofe Human Judgment was fupe- 
 rior to all others, even feparate ffom his 
 Knowledge in things Divine, are fo full 
 of this Notion; that, throughout all his 
 Writings, the Words feem never to be u- 
 fed in any other Signification, but that 
 Wifdom is always put for true Virtue and 
 Piety, and Folly or Madnefs for the Ha- 
 bit of Sin. As if there were no other Fol- 
 ly in the World, but that of Wickednefs 5 
 nor any true Wifdom, but that of Reli- 
 gion ; becaufe, in the comparative Senie, 
 no other things fo eminently deferve thofc 
 Names. And indeed, if Wifdom con- 
 fifts in fludying thofe things which are 
 * of 
 
of being Religious, 147 
 
 of the greateft Ufe and Neceffity for us "^ e p. m. 
 to Know ; If it be wife to imploy our ^ ^^* 
 Thoughts about things tn their oidji Na- 
 ture the moft Excellent, and, in their re- 
 lation to Us, of the utmoft importance ; 
 If it be Wife to purfue the nobleft EfiJs^ 
 and in the purfuit thereof to ufe the befl 
 and properefl Means -^ If it be Wife to 
 confult our own real Happinefs j and to 
 be more concerned for the improvement 
 of our Minds in pradlical Knowledge, 
 than for amuling them with vain and 
 empty Speculations j If Eternity be of 
 more importance than Time, and a ne- 
 ver-ceafing Duration than a tranfitory 
 Moment ; If the Favour of God be infi- 
 nitely more valuable than the Friend- 
 fhip of the World ; and it be more advi- 
 fable to pleafe an Almighty Benefadtor, 
 than mortal Men whofe Breath is in their 
 Noftrilsj If Joy and Satisfaction of Mind 
 be truly more defirable, than endlefs Anx- 
 iety, Horrour and Defpair j If Peace and 
 Love, Charity and univerfal Good-Will, 
 be more eligible than Wars, Confufions 
 and Defolations ; and it be wifer to pro- 
 mote the Happinefs of the World, than 
 that Men Ihould make each other mifera- 
 * V'oL. II. L 2 ble 
 
14S Of the Vfi^dom 
 
 S E R M. ble without Caufe and without End ; In 
 ^^' a word j If Wifdom confifls in knowing 
 and diftinguifliing, in choofing and in ad- 
 hering to, whaffoe'ver things are true^ 
 
 honejl^ -jiifi^ piire^ 
 
 lo'velyy of good report ; things 
 
 that promote the Health of our Bodies, 
 and fecure the Peace and Qmet of our 
 Minds; things that eftablifli the Order 
 of the World, and make Other Men 
 Happy as well as ourfelves ; things that 
 make our prefent enjoyments, eafy, and 
 the remembrance of what is paft, com- 
 fortable J and the Hopes and ExpecStations 
 of what is to come, fecure ; If the choo- 
 fing T^hefe things, be the Part of a Wife 
 Man ; then is Religion evidently Man's 
 truefl Wifdom. For where are thefe 
 things to be found, but in the Pra(5tice of 
 Virtue and true Religion ? 
 
 There is 2. Wifdom in the under- 
 hand ing of Arts and ufeful Sciences, 
 which are beneficial to Mankind in this 
 prefent State, and are in Scripture afcri- 
 bed to the infpiration of the Almighty: 
 But this is a Wifdom confined to particu- 
 lar Perfons, and its ufefulnefs limited to 
 a very fhort Duration. There is a Wif- 
 * dom. 
 
of being Religious » 149 
 
 doni, which men place in being able to S e r m, 
 over-reach and defraud each other, con- ^ *^ 
 lifting in the Skill and cunning Craftinefs 
 of them that lye in wait to deceive : But 
 this is a Wifdom falfely fo called ; and 
 the End of it appears always to be the 
 extremeft Folly. There is a Wifdom 
 of thofe, who by Political Skill manage 
 fecretly the great Affairs of the World, 
 and by deep Counfels bring about unex- 
 pected Changes in the States and King# 
 doms of the Earth : But "This Wifdom is 
 often a great Snare, and a dangerous 
 Temptation to Men's Virtue j giving ex- 
 traordinary Opportunities indeed to the 
 brighter Virtue of fome very few Heroick 
 Spirits to Cnmt forth illuflrioufly, to the 
 Glory of Religion in lingular AOiS of Mo- 
 deration and Juftice, of Piety and great 
 Goodnefs, for the Publick Peace and Se- 
 curity of Mankind J but much more ufa- 
 ally joined with great Wickednefs, and 
 feldom mentioned in Scripture, but with 
 the Marks of an evil or fufpicious Cha- 
 rader. There is a Wifdom, in JVords 
 and artful Reprejentations of Things j 
 called by St Faul the enticing Words oj\ 
 Man's Wijdom : But This alfo in Scrip- 
 L 3 ture. 
 
^5^ ^f i^^ Wifdom 
 
 S E R M. ture, is always fpoken of with an ill Cha- 
 ^^^' racier: being that Philofopby and main 
 Deceit^ That Art of confounding Truth 
 and Falihood, which St Paul warns us 
 againfl: ; and which vain Pretence to Wif- 
 dom, God chofe the weak things of the 
 World, the plain unaffeded fimplicity of 
 the Docftrine of the Gofpel, on purpofe 
 to confound. Lallly, There is a Wifdom 
 in fearching out tlie Secrets of Nature^ 
 and underftanding the Variety of the 
 Works of God: And this indeed, fo far 
 as 'tis pracflical, and leads to the Know- 
 ledge of the Author of Nature, is an ex- 
 cellent ^yifdom, and worthy of great 
 Commendation : But where 'tis merely 
 Specidati've, 'tis of more difficulty than 
 Ufe, and lies level to the Capacity of 
 but few mien's Underflandingjj. The 07i- 
 />• IVijdom^ that all Men are capable of, 
 and that all Men are indifpenfably obliged 
 to attain, is the PraBical Wifdom of be- 
 ing truly Religious; the Wifdom ofun- 
 dcrilanding, and of fteddily purfuing, 
 their ov/n true Temporal and Eternal In- 
 tereil. The comparifon between Specu- 
 lative and this PraBical Wijdom is moft 
 elegantly made by 'Job^ in his xxviiith 
 
 chapter: 
 
of being Religious 151 
 
 chapter : Surely, fays he, there is a Vein S e r m. 
 for the Silver, and a place for Gold where Irl, 
 they fine it, ver. i. T^hereis a Path which 
 no Fowl knoweth, and which the Vultures 
 Eye has not feen -, The Lions whelps have 
 not trodden it, nor the fierce Lion pajfed by 
 it ; ver. 7. But where /hall Wifdom be 
 fowid, and where is the Place of Under- 
 fianding^ ver» 12. Man knoweth not the 
 price thereof, neither is it found in the 
 Land of the living ; The depth faith. It is 
 not in Me j and the Sea faith. It is not 
 with Me; It cannot be gotten for Gold, 
 neither jhall Silver be weighed for the 
 price thereof, ver. 15. Whence then come th 
 Wifdom'^ and where is the place of Under- 
 fiandiiig f ver. 20. The Reply follows j 
 God, faith, he, underfiandeth the Way 
 thereof and He hioweth the place thereof-. 
 For He looketh to the Ends of the Earth, 
 and feet h under the whole Heaven, ver. 23. 
 But unto Man he f aid-. Behold, the Fear of 
 the Lord, That is his Wifdom, and to de- 
 part from Evil that is his Uiderftanding, 
 ver. 28. His Meaning is 5 The Secrets of 
 Nature, God only knoweth perfed:Iyj 
 but the Knowledge of Religion is the 
 proper Wifdom of Ma7i, The Secret 
 L 4 things 
 
152 Of the WMom 
 
 S E R ivi. things belong unto the Lord our God ; but 
 ^^' the things that are revealed^ belong unto 
 Us and to our Children for ever ; that we 
 may do all the Works of the LaWy Deut. 
 xxix. ult. This is very affecflionately ex- 
 prefTed like wife by Mofes in his exhortati- 
 on to the Ifraelites, Deut. iv. 6 j Behold ^ I 
 have taught you Jiatutes and judgment s^ 
 even as the Lord my God commajided 
 
 ?ne J Keep therefore and do them j for 
 
 'T'his is your Wifdom and Underflanding 
 in the fight of the Nations. This is that 
 \vhich alone can make men truly great, 
 truly admirable and praife-worthy ; T'he 
 Fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wif- 
 dom \ a good Underjianding have all they 
 ■ that do thereafter-, the Praife of it i?idu- 
 reth for ever, Pf. cxi. 10. I conclude 
 this Head, that the PraSfice of Religion is 
 in general Mans trueft Wifdom, with the 
 excellent Words of the wife Author of 
 the Book of Eccluf ch. i. 14, 16, 26, 
 27. I'ofear the Lord, is the beginning of 
 Wifdom ', and it was created with the 
 faithful in the Womb : To fear the Lord, 
 isfulnefs of Wifdom -, and filleth men with 
 her fruits : If thou defire Wifdom, keep 
 tie co7nmandments\ and the Lord fiall 
 
 give 
 
of being Religious* 153 
 
 give her unto thee ; For the Fear oj' the Serm. 
 Lord, is Wifdoj)i afid InJiriiBion ; and '^^II- 
 Faith and Meeknefs are his Delight. 
 
 2dly, The Pradice of Religion, as it 
 is man's trueft Wifdom in general^ fo in 
 particular the Text allures us 'tis wife in 
 this ReJpeB, that it tends to prolong our 
 Life and lengthen our Days : The Fear 
 of the Lordy is the beginniiig ofWifdom-, 
 and the Kfjowledge of the Holy, is Under- 
 fianding j For by Me thy days Jhall be mul- 
 tiplied , and the years of thy Life pall be 
 increafed. There is nothing in the Old 
 Teflament more frequent, than Promifes 
 of Health and Life, of a longer and more 
 comfortable Subfiftence, to them that live 
 in Obedience to the Commands of God. 
 In the delivery of the Law, God himfelf 
 ^nexes to the Fifth Commandment a 
 Promife, that the Days of thofe that ob- 
 ferved it fhould be loiig in the Laiid 'which 
 the Lord their God had given them : And 
 St Paul takes notice of it as the frjl^ 
 and indeed the only Commandment, with 
 an exprefs and particular Promife annex- 
 ed. Solomon, in his Book of Proverbs^ 
 among a great variety of Arguments to 
 perfwade men to the Practice of Virtue^ 
 
 ahvays 
 
154 Of the Wifdotn 
 
 Serm. always mentions Length of Days, as' a 
 ^^** principal Motive propofed by God in the 
 
 ^•^^*^ perfon of Wifdom ; My Son, forget 7iot 
 my Laii), but let thitie Heart keep my Com-- 
 ma?idments ; For length of Days, and long 
 Life, and Peace fljall they add unto thee-^ 
 Proy. iii. i. ^hey Jhall be Life unto thy 
 Soul, ver. 22 ; and yer. 13. Happy is the 
 Man that fndeth JVifdo?n, a?id the Man 
 that getteth Underjianding -, For Length of 
 D^ays a.re in her right hand, and in her 
 left hand Riches and Honour, ver. 16. 
 And accordingly the Pfalmifl in his ex- 
 hortation to Obedience, cited by St Feter 
 in his firft Epiftle ; Come ye children, fays 
 he, hearken unto me, I will teach you the 
 Fear of the Lord ; What ?nan is he that 
 defireth Life, and loveth rnany Days, that 
 he may fee good ? Keep thy T'ongue from 
 e"jil, and thy Lips that they fpeak no guile j 
 Depart from evil, and do good, Pf. xxxiv. 
 II. And in the prophetical defcription 
 of the final happy refloration of ferufa- 
 Icm, among other blelTings it is added. 
 If Ixv. 20. ^here Jhall not be in it an old 
 man that hath not filled his days. On the 
 contrary, among the various Threatnings 
 denounced in the Old Teflament againll 
 
 Sinners, 
 
of being Religious. 155 
 
 Sinners, 'tis very ufual to make this de- S e r m. 
 claration, that their Days Jhall be Jhort^ ^"• 
 ned. Prov. x. 27. 77;^ Fear of the Lord ^^^*^ 
 frolongeth Days ; but the Tears of the 
 wicked JJjall be Jhortned. And yob xv. 31. 
 Let not him that is deceived^ trujl in Va^ 
 nity ; for Vanity jhall be his recompenfe. 
 It jJmll be accompli fhed before his T'trnCy 
 and his Branch jhall not be green. He 
 jhall fiake off his unripe Grape as the VinCy 
 andjJjall cajl off his Flower as the Olive,. 
 The Application of which Obfervation, 
 is made by the Wifeman, Ecclefvn. 17. 
 Be not overmuch Wicked^ neither be thou 
 foolijh J why jl^ouldeft thou die before thy 
 Time f There is fomething in the Nature 
 of Things that tends to verify this Doc- 
 trine 5 and there is More in the poftive 
 Appointment and Confiitution of Provi- 
 dence. In the Nature of Things, men de- 
 flroy themfelves and fhorten their Days 
 by many kinds of Wickednefs : By Wars 
 and Defolations they depopulate whole 
 Countries ; by private Quarrels they bring 
 each other to untimely Ends j by capital 
 Crimes they bring themfelves to be cut 
 off by the Hands of Juftice ; by Luxury 
 and Intemperance they deftroy their Bo- 
 dies j 
 
15^ Of the Wifdom 
 
 S E R M. dies J the riotous and unclean perfon go- 
 ^^^^^.J ing (as Solomon very elegantly exprefies 
 it) like /^5 an ox goeth to the JIaiighter, or 
 ai a Fool to the correSfion of the Jiocks ; 
 '7/7/ a dart Jirike through his Liver j as 
 a Bird hajleth to the Jnare, and knoweth 
 not that it is for his Life^ Prov. vii. 22- 
 By Envy and Malice they confume them- 
 felves, and pine away in the midil of 
 their iniquity J This alfo is elegantly ex- 
 prelTed by Solomon^ Prov. xiv. 30. A found 
 Heart is the Life of the FleJJj^ but Envy 
 the Rottennefs of the Bones. Laftly, by the 
 Terrors of their own Minds are they 
 eaten up, and gnawed upon by the "Worm 
 of Confciencc till thev are confumed : 
 PfxKXix. 1 1. IVhen thou with Rebukes doji 
 chajlen Man for Sin, thou makeji his Beau- 
 ty to confume away, like as it were a 
 Moth fretting a garment. In like manner 
 on the other hand, according to the fame 
 natural Tendency of Things, by Peace 
 and Charity are men prefer ved from De- 
 ftrucftion j by Temperance are their Bo- 
 dies maintained in Health ; by Quiet of 
 Conlclence and Satisfaction of Mind, is 
 a new Life added to their Spirits ; Prov, 
 iii. J. Fear the Lord^ and depart from 
 
 Evil', 
 
of bemg Religions, 157 
 
 'Evil ; It (hall he Health to thy Navel, S e r m. 
 
 ^ VII. 
 
 and Marrow to thy Bones, which Notion 
 
 is flill more fully expreft by the Author 
 of the Book of Ecclefiafticus^ ch. i. ver. 1 1 , 
 12, 20. T^he Fear of the Lord is honour, 
 and glory, and gladnefs, and a crowfi of 
 rejoycing ; T^he Fear of the Lord maketh a 
 merry Heart, and giveth joy and gladnefs^ 
 and a long Life ; I'he Root of Wifdom is 
 to fear the Lord, and the Branches therc- 
 <f are long Life. 
 
 And This, in the Natural Order and 
 Tendency of Things. 
 
 In the pofitive Appointment and Con- 
 filtutlon of Frovidence, there was yet more 
 Aflurance of the Dodtrine ; God, under 
 the Old Teflament, wherein thefe Pro- 
 mifes were made, ifually preferving the 
 Righteous by a fingular Care and Pro- 
 tection J (fo that fob\ Friends could ap- 
 peal to experience, Whoever perijJ^ed bet- 
 ing innocent ? or when were the righteous 
 cut off P Job iv. 7. ) and on the contrary, 
 the fame Providence generally cutting off 
 the Wicked, by extraordinary judgments, 
 in the prefent Life. Even of thofe who 
 profpered longeft, fo that it was hard for 
 the Pfalmifl to u?iderfland the reafon of 
 
 it. 
 
158 Of the Wifdom 
 
 S E R M. it and reconcile it with Providence, Ff. 
 ^ ^*' Ixxiii. i 6 ; yet even of Thefe at length he ob- 
 ferved upon better conlideration,5.7r^/y tkou 
 didji Jet them in Jlippery places^ thou cajl- 
 edji them down into DeJiruBioh j How are 
 they brought into Defolation as in a mo- 
 ment ! they are utterly confumed with j'er- 
 rorSy ver. 18, 19. But, moft frequently, 
 evil Doers were cut o^ fooner, and de- 
 flroyed fuddenly in the midft of their 
 carriere. Haji thou marked the old way, 
 which Wicked men haije trodden ? which 
 were cut down out of Time, whofe foun- 
 dation was overjlown with a Flood ? Job 
 xxii. 15. Bloody and deceitful Men^ p^all 
 not live out half their days, Pf. I v. 23. 
 Upon account of the Profahenefs of Eli's 
 Family, God threatens him, i Sam. ii. 32. 
 Inhere Jhall not be an old man in thy houfe 
 for ever. And the Pfalmift, as being fen- 
 fible what the ufual EfFed: of Wickednefs 
 was, prays thus, Pf. cii. 24. O my God, 
 take me not away in the midft of my Days. 
 Indeed, in the whole Book of Pfalms the 
 Wicked are perpetually threatned with; 
 being cut off before their Tirne : And 
 That Threatning is paraphrafed with great 
 Variety and Elegancy of Expreffion, in 
 
 the 
 
of being Religious. 159 
 
 the Book of Job ; 'The Flag, ivhiljl it is S t r m, 
 yet in its greejinefs, dnd not cut dow?!, if ^^^• 
 withereth before any other Herb -y So are ^*^ 
 the Paths oj- all that forget God, and the 
 Hypocrites Hope fhall periJJj, ch. viii. ver. 
 12. Teay th^ Light of the Wicked f mil be 
 put out ; and the fpark of his Fire jhdll 
 not JJjine, ch. xviii. ver. 5. His roots fi all 
 be dried up beneath^ dnd above fjall his> 
 branch be cut off, ver. 16. They are ex- 
 alted for a little while, but are gone and 
 
 brought low, and cut off' as the tops of 
 
 the ears of Corn, ch. xxiv. ver. 24. 
 
 Nevertheless, a:fter all This j foraf- 
 much as general Threatnings are not ex- 
 ecuted always without exception ; neither 
 were the Wicked conftaritly cut off, evea 
 under the Times of the Old Teftamenr, 
 but fometimes profpered for a long time ; 
 and Sudden Cutting off was not itfelf 
 always a judgment, but fometimes a taki?ig 
 away from the Evils to come -, and righte- 
 ous Perfons thernfelves, were not always 
 preferved from every Deftrudtion, but in 
 fonfie cafes, God threatned to cut off the 
 Righteous with the Wicked -, and Prefervation 
 itfelf, or Length of Day's, was not al- 
 ways^ a Mercy ; but only vi^hen it was 
 
 promifed 
 
i6o Of theWMom 
 
 S E R M. promifed and granted as an Emblem or 
 ^"^- Praefio-niiication of a loneer, even of an 
 eternal Life ; and the Temporal promifes 
 of the Old Teftament, cannot Now be 
 applied with any Certainty under the 
 New, where eternal Life is fo much 
 more clearly revealed : For thefe reafons, 
 in the 
 
 3^ place, It may be worthy our In- 
 quiry, how far this Bleffing of long Life, 
 promifed to Obedience under the Old 
 Teftament, is proper to be defired by 
 Chriftians under the Gofpel State. And 
 here it is certain, the Gofpel gives us fo 
 mean a Notion of the prefent Life, and 
 fo glorious a reprefentation of the Hap- 
 pinefs of that to come ; that no Man 
 who firmly believes the Scriptures, and 
 has lived fo religioully as to have fecured 
 tohimfelfa good Foundation againft the 
 Time to come, but muft needs wifli ra- 
 ther, (whenever he ferioufly meditates 
 upon thefe things, ) to be delivered from 
 the miferies of this finful Worlds and to be 
 prefent with the Lordy which is far better. 
 But .alas ! there are few, extremely few, 
 whofe Lives have either been fo innocent, 
 or their Repentance and Amendment fa 
 
 complete^ 
 
of being Religious. 1 6 1 
 
 complete, as not to have Reafon to wifn S e r m. 
 
 VIT 
 
 for more years^ wherein to root out more 
 
 perfectly their former ill Habits, Or to 
 improve the good Difpofitions they have 
 already in foxne meafure attained. And 
 it were very well, if even Years and Ex- 
 perience could, in thefe latter degenerate 
 Ages of the World, produce but the 
 fame Effed which the Belief of the Go- 
 fpel, in the primitive and purefl Times^ 
 accomplillied frequently as it were in a 
 Moment. But if the generality of Chri- 
 flians were (o perfed, as not to need to 
 defire longer Space of Time for their o^oft 
 Amendment and Improvement j yet at 
 leafl: for the fake of others^ with ^/hom 
 they are concerned either in private 
 Friendfnips, or in natural Relation, or 
 in publick Affiiirs, 'tis reafonable men 
 fhould defire for themfelves, and others 
 for them, the Bleffing of Length of Days. 
 For nbne of us Iheth to Hirnfelf] a?id no 
 tnan dieth to HimfelJ^ Rom. xiv. y j and 
 St Paul^ though for his own part he de- 
 fired rather to be prcjent with the Lord -^ 
 yet, becaufe for him to live was Chrijl^ 
 that is, was n.eedful for the propagation 
 of the Gofpel, and m.ore beneficial to th§ 
 Vol. IL M .Perlons, 
 
1 62 Of the WIfdom 
 
 S E R M. Perfons he had Converted ; therefore he 
 
 VTT 
 
 11. defired rather to continue with them ; 
 and This he calls the Fruit of his habour- 
 Phil. i. 22. Further j lince God has pla- 
 ced Us in this World, for Ends and Pur- 
 pofes of his all-wife Providence i and we 
 know not beforehand what Duties he in- 
 tends to call us to 5 and he has implanted 
 in us a natural and neceffary Defire of 
 Life, in order to accompliili his Wife 
 Defigns inxhe Government of the World ; 
 'tis therefore natural- and reafonable for 
 us to look upon Length of Days as a 
 Bleffing ; and that the hoary head is a 
 crown of glor)\ if it be found in the way 
 of right coifnefs. But when any perfon 
 through difcontent defires, not to conti- 
 nue in the World, nor to fulfil that Du- 
 ty which God has appointed him here; 
 'tis like defiring that he had never come 
 into it; which is murmuring and finding 
 fault with God's Creation, and repining 
 at God for making us fuch Creatures as 
 he has been pleafed to make us. How- 
 ever, the very longefl: Life here, is but a 
 Moment in Comparifonof Eternity; And 
 the greatefl Length of Days is then only 
 really a Bleffing, (as I before obferved,) 
 2 when 
 
of being Religious, 163 
 
 when 'tis a Type or Emblem of a happy S e r m. 
 Eternity, of God's gi'ving men indeed a ^"• 
 long Life, even for ever and ever, Pf. xxi. 
 4. We ought therefore to make it the 
 main Care of our Lives to fecure our 
 Eternal Happinefs hereafter j and then 
 Length of Days here will be a Bleffing, 
 not only upon their own Account, but 
 much more fo upon account of their af- 
 fording us Opportunity of preparing 
 ourfelves by flill greater Care and Watch- 
 fulnefs, and continual improvement of 
 ourfelves in the Pradice of all Virtues, 
 for a more perfed: and complete Degree 
 of Happinefs in the Life to come. If 
 This be not done, Length of Days will, 
 like all other Bleffings, be turned into a 
 Curfej and become only a ftronger Evi- 
 dence againll: us of our incorrigible Im- 
 penitency. If we be not fo taught to 
 number our Days, as to apply our Hearts, 
 unto JVifdom, If, as our Years pafs on, 
 we think not more and more intenfely 
 on the Preparations for Eternity ; but de- 
 fer our Repentance from day to day, and 
 put off our defigns of being religious from 
 one year to another ; it will nothing pro- 
 fit us, (nay, on the contrary, it will be a 
 Vol. II. M 2 .great 
 
VII. 
 
 164 Of the Wifdom 
 
 S E R M. great Aggravation of our Mifery,) that 
 our Days have bee?! mukiplied^ and that 
 the Tears of our Life have been mere a fed. 
 For, when all thefe things are faffed away 
 as a Shadow, and as a Poji that hafl- 
 eth by ; (which is the cafe even of the 
 longeft Life here upon Earth ;) then fud- 
 den and fo much heavier deftrudtion will 
 come upon us unawares, even as Pain 
 Upon a Woman in Travail, and we fhall 
 not efcape. Then the exped:ations of the 
 delaying Sinner (liall appear thin as the 
 Spider s web ; and his Hopes as the light 
 Chaf\ ivhich the ivind fcattereth away 
 from the Face of the Earth. Then they 
 who fpend the Day in Riot and De- 
 bauchery, and fay To tnorrow Jhall be as 
 this Day and much jnore abundant^ fhall 
 have their Soul required of them in a 
 moment; and the Servant that fays in 
 his Heart, My Lord delayeth his Coming ; 
 and foall begin to beat the inen-ferva7its 
 and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to 
 be drunken 3 the Lord of that ferv ant will 
 come in a day when he looketh 7iot for him^ 
 arid at an hour when he is not aware^ and 
 will cut him i?i finder, and will appoint 
 him his portion with the Unbelievers-^ and 
 
(.yvv 
 
 of being Religious* 165 
 
 how much foever the Mafters delay, i, ^. S e r m, 
 how long foever that wicked Servant's ^^* 
 Life be, yet his deilrudiion, when it 
 comes, furprizes him unprovided as in a 
 moment. But He, on the other hand, 
 who in a (hort Life makes fpeedy provi- 
 lion for Eternity ; though he be prevent- 
 ed with early death, yet, being made per- 
 fe5i in a fiorf Time^ he fulfiUefh a long 
 time J as the Son of Sirach excellently 
 exprefles it; For honourable Age is not 
 that which fiandeth in length of Tijne^ 
 nor that is meafured by numbers of Tears j 
 But Wifdom is the gray hair unto men^ 
 and an unfpotted life is old Age. 
 
 
 ^- 
 
 
 M 
 
 SER^ 
 
I ^67 ] 
 
 SERMON VIII. 
 
 Of imitating the Holiness of 
 GOD. 
 
 ^ ^ • •$? ^ ^ '^ •* -^ '!$? « ^^^&^A'-1(f^^ '$• 
 
 I P E T. i. 15, 16. 
 
 But as he which hath called you^ is 
 Holy 'y fo be ye Holy^ i?2 all 7nan' 
 ner of Converfation ; Becaufe it 
 is written^ Be ye holy^ for I a77i 
 
 holy. 
 
 Otwithstanding the natu-Sn rm. 
 ral Pronenefs of Mankind to ^^^^^ 
 Superflitlon ; and the ftrong ^^^"^^^^ 
 Bent which is in all cor- 
 rupt Minds to endeavour to 
 make amends, by formal and external 
 M 4 Services, 
 
i68 Of imitating the 
 
 S E R M. Services, for the want of true Virtue and 
 ^^^- Holinefs of Life ; yet even in the Heathen 
 World itfelf, under the bare Light of Na- 
 ture alone, the beft and wifeil men were 
 fenfible of this great Truth, that the moft 
 acceptable Service which could be paid 
 to God, was to indeavour to become like 
 him by a righteous Temper and Difpofiti- 
 on of Mind. The Revelation which God 
 has been pleafed to make to us of himfelf 
 in Scripture, does every where confirm 
 this Notion; and almcft the whole De- 
 fign, both of the antient Prophets under 
 the Law, and of all our Saviour's Dif- 
 courfes in the Gofpel, is to cftablifh the 
 fame Doftrine : As he ichich hath called 
 you, is Holy j Jo be Te Holy, in all -manner 
 of Converfation. In the following Dif- 
 courfe upon which words, I fliall iji 
 briefly- fet forth the Obligations we are 
 under to imitate the God whom we wor- 
 fliip. 2^/y, I fhall confider the true Ex- 
 tent, and proper Limitations of This 
 Duty. And '^dly, I fhall draw fome ufe- 
 ful Obfervations from the whole. 
 
 I/?, I SHALL briefly fet forth the Obli- 
 gations we are under, to imitate the God 
 wjiom we worihip. The Diference of 
 7. moral 
 
Holinefs of GOD. 169 
 
 moral Good and Eiil^ is, in the nature of S e r m. 
 things, eternally, etrentiallr/, and un- ^I^^- 
 changeably neceilary. JuPc as Light and "^ 
 DarkneJ} are of necefTity always contrary 
 to each other, and can by no iPovver be 
 made to be the fame. With regard to 
 this neceiTary and unalterable difference 
 of Good and Evil; the Will of God, who 
 can never be impofed upon by any Er- 
 rour, is conftantly and invariably deter- 
 mined to do always what in the whole is 
 I?e/l and jittefi to be done, according to 
 the everlafting Rules of Juftice, Equity, 
 Goodnefs and Truth. This, is the 
 Ground and Foundation of all God's own 
 ASlions in the Government of the Uni- 
 verfe. Nov/ the fame intrinfick Excel- 
 Jency of Right and Good^ which always 
 determines the Will of God Himfelfy 
 ought alfo in Proportion to govern the 
 Adions of all other rational Beings like- 
 wife, according to the degree of their 
 Knowledge of what is right, and of their 
 Tower to perform it. That is to fay ; 
 All rational and intelligent Beings are, by 
 the Law of their Nature, obliged to in- 
 deavour to becoms- in their feveral degrees 
 and proportions like unto Hini^ who a- 
 
 lone 
 
170 Of imitating the 
 
 S E R M. lone is Perfect Reafon and Underfland- 
 VIII. jj^g^ 'j'l-jis is an original Obligation, 
 
 ^''"^^''*^ founded in Nature itfelf, requiring us to 
 imitate what it necejjitates us to admire' 
 And this Obligation is confirmed by the 
 fame Light of Reafon, teaching us further, 
 that Imitation ofGod^ as 'tis moft^?^ in it- 
 felf, fo it cannot but be likewife moil accep- 
 table unto Him^ and agreeable to his Will. 
 For, the fa?ne abfolute PerfeBion of the 
 Divine Nature, which makes us certain 
 that God muft Himfelf be of Neceffity in- 
 finitely Holy, Jufl: and Good ; makes it 
 equally certain that he cannot poffibly 
 approve Iniquity in Others : And the 
 fame Beauty, the fame Excellency, the 
 fame Weight and Importance of the Rules 
 of everlailing Righteoufnefs, with regard 
 to which God is always pleafed to make 
 thofe Rules the Meafure of all his Own 
 Adions, neceffarily prove, that it muft 
 likewife be his Will, that all rational 
 Creatures fliould proportionably make 
 them the Meafure of T^ heirs. Even a- 
 mong Men^ there is no Earthly Father, 
 but in thofe things which he efteems his 
 own Excellencies, defires and expeBs to 
 be imitated by his children. How much 
 
 jnore 
 
HoHnefs of GOD, 171 
 
 more is itheceffary that God, who has the er m. 
 tendered Concern for all his Creatures. ^^^^• 
 and who is infinitely far from being fub- 
 jed: to fuch Paffions and Variablenefs as 
 frail Men are, fhould defire to be imita- 
 ted by his Creatures in thofe Perfections, 
 which are the foundation of his own un- 
 changeable Happinefs. 
 
 Particularly, If God is himfelf ti- 
 fentially of infinite Holinefs and Purity 5 
 It plainly follows, that 'tis impoflible but 
 he muft likewife be of purer Eyes than to Hab.i. 13. 
 heboid with Approbation any manner of 
 Impurity or Immorality in his Creatures, 
 And confequently it muft needs be his 
 Will, that they lliould All (according to 
 the Meafure of their frail and finite nature) 
 be Holy as He is Holy. 
 
 If God is hi mf elf -a Being of infinite 
 Juftice, Righteoufnefs and Truth j it muft 
 needs be his Will, that all rational Crea^ 
 tures, whom he has created after his own 
 Image, whom he has endued with excel- 
 lent Powers and Faculties to enable them 
 to diftinguifh between Good and Evil -, 
 fhould imitate him in the Exercife of 
 thofe diyine Perfedions, by conforming 
 
1^2 Of hnitating the 
 
 S E R M. all their Actions to the eternal and unal- 
 v.iIL tej-able Law of Righteoufnefs. 
 
 If God is himjelf a Being of infinite 
 Goodnefs ; making his Sun to rife on the 
 R'vil^ and on the Good, and fending Rain 
 on the yuf and on the Xlnjuft j having ne- 
 ver left himfelf wholly without Witnefe^ 
 but always doi?ig Good, giving men Ram 
 from Heaven and Fruitful Seafons, and 
 filing their Hearts with Food and Glad- 
 nefs : it cannot but be his Will, thsiX. all 
 reafonable creatures fhoiild, by mutual 
 Love and Benevolence, permit and affift 
 each other to i/ijoy in particular the feve- 
 rai EIFecfts and Bleffinjs of the divine 
 univerfal Goodnefs. 
 
 If God^l^ himjelf a Being of infinite 
 Mercy and thmpafjion j as 'tis plain he^ 
 bears long with men before he punifhcs 
 them for their Wickednefs, and often 
 freely forgives them\his ten thoufand ta- 
 lents J it mull needs be^is Will, that they 
 ihould forgive cne anodjer their hundred 
 pence ; being merciful onXto another, as 
 he is raerciful to them Altv and having 
 Compaffion each en his Fellow-Jtfva?its, af 
 God has pity on T^hem. ^ 
 
 Again : 
 
Holinefs of GO D. 173 
 
 Again: If Z/C-i;^ ^ cowards God be an S e r ?>?, 
 obvious and principal Duty of Natural ^"^' 
 Religion, in thofe \'\^ho believe God to be 
 the Supreme Good 5 it follows of neceffi- 
 ty, that Imitation of him alfo mull 
 equally be a Duty of indifpenfable Obli- 
 gation. For God, being eidential Good- 
 nefs, Righteoufnefs and Truth, can no 
 otherwife have Lo've exprell towards him 
 from his Creatures, than by their loving 
 and imitating thofe Virtues in their Pradl- 
 icc, which in His Nature are elfential Per- 
 fed:ions. Love of God, in any other fenfe 
 than This, is nothing elfe but unintelli- 
 ble Enthufiafm, Laftly: If Happifiefs is 
 Man's chief End j and perfect Happi?iefs 
 is, in the divine nature, in ejjential con- 
 juncftion with perfe^S Holinefi and Good- 
 nefs ; it follows neceflarily, that Jo far 
 only can any creature polfibly become like 
 to God in the injoyment of Happinefs, as 
 he is firfi; made like to him in the parti- 
 cipation of Goodnefs. 
 
 T H E s E are the Obligations we are un- 
 der, to imitate the God whom we wor- 
 fhipi drawn from the conlideration of the 
 Nature of things j and of the Will of God 
 as made known to us by the Light of Rea- 
 
 fon 
 
174 ^f ifni toting the 
 
 S E R M. fon ouly. In the Revelation which God 
 ^^^* has been pleafed to make to us of himfelf 
 in Scripture^ the neceflity of the fame 
 Duty is mor^ exprefsly and more clearly 
 inforced. At the delivery of the Law, to 
 Mofes, the particulars of Duty, by which 
 the Worfliippprs of the True God were 
 to be dillinguifhed from all other Na- 
 tions, are in|:roduced with this general 
 Preface to the' whole, Levit. xix. i. ^be 
 hordjpake untb^ Mofcs, fay'^^^gt Speak unto 
 all the Congre)ration of the children of 
 Ifraelj and fc^ unto them, Te fall be 
 Holy, for I tte Lord your God am Holy, 
 And ch. xi. ^a^.\I am the Lord your God% 
 ye fall therefor^ fantlify yourfehes ; and 
 ye fall be holy, for I atn Holy. By the 
 citation of wjijch words, fpoken thus 
 from the Moutli[ of God himfelf to MofeSy 
 the Apoflle confirms his own Argument in 
 the words of the- Text ; As He which hath 
 called you, is Holy ; fo be 1} Holy, in all 
 manner of Convpfation : Becaufe it is 
 written. Be ye Holy, for I am Holy. 
 Man, was originjally created in the Image 
 of God, Gen. i. 27 j that is, he was 
 made in his natural capacity a rational 
 and intelligent cireature, capable of di- 
 \ flinguijfhing 
 
Holinefs of GOD, 175 
 
 ftineuifhinp; between Good and Evil, and S e r m. 
 of being Lord over tbe inferiour Creation. ,\^rll. 
 By a right ufe of, thefe Powers and 
 Faculties, in imitation of God, he is 
 declared likewife in/ the /;7or<^/ fenfe, to 
 be after God^ create^ in right eoiijhefs and 
 true Holinefs^ Eph. |iv. 24. After God ; 
 that is, after the pattern and fimilitude 
 of God, after the Image of Him that 
 created him^ Col. iii. 10. By Debauchery 
 and Corruption of manners, by the Pra- 
 (Stice of Any wickednefs whatfoever, men 
 are alienated, faith St Paul from the Life 
 of God, Eph. iv. 18 : And when again 
 by true Repentance and real Amendment 
 of Life, they return to their Duty, and 
 improve in the Practice of Virtue j the 
 Apoftle reprefents them as being reftored 
 and made partakers of the Divine Nature. 
 2 Pet i. 4. The manner of fpeaking is 
 figurative, and very elegantly expreffive 
 of that moral likenefs to God, which is 
 elfewhere filled literally, being partakers 
 of his Holinefs, Heb. xii. 10 5 and, in the 
 Text, being Holy as He is Holy : With- 
 out which Holinefs, the Scripture plainly Heb. xij. 
 declares, no man /hall fee the Lord. A ''^' 
 Likenefs to God here, by the habitual Dif- 
 
 pofition, 
 
VIIL 
 
 176 Of imitating the 
 
 S E R M. poiition of a virtuous mind, is indifperi- 
 fably necefTary to the enjoyment of Glory 
 and Happinefs hereafter. And the Per- 
 fedlion even of Tijat Glory and Happi- 
 nefs itfelf principally coniifls in our be- 
 coming ftill more and more like him, by 
 the total aboli{hing of all Sin : We jhall 
 be like him^ for we flail fee him as he is^ 
 I Joh. iii. 2. What the full meaning of 
 This is, the Apoflle tells us, does not yet 
 clearly appear. But, though God is him- 
 felf invifible j yet both by the Light of 
 Nature we have a competent Knowledge 
 of his moral Attributes; and in the Life 
 of Chrifi^ who is the 'vifible Image of the 
 invifible God, we have a complete Ex- 
 ample, and Pattern of moral PerfeSlion^ 
 fet before us to imitate. Learn of Me, 
 faith our Saviour, for I am meek and low- 
 ly in Hearty Matt. xi. 29. And again in 
 Job. xiii. another place, / have given you an Ex- 
 ample, faith he, that ye floould do as I 
 have done to you. The Apoftles accord- 
 ingly, in their exhortations to the practice 
 of Virtue, do frequently remind us of 
 this Divine Pattern: i Pet. ii. 21. 
 Chrifl has left us an Example, that ye 
 Jhould follow his Steps j who did no Sin^ 
 
 neither 
 
 »5 
 
HoHnefs of GO D, 177 
 
 neither was mile found in his mouth : Se r m. 
 And I Joh.n. 6. He that faith, he abideth ^ ^^^' 
 in Him, ought himfelf alfo fo to walk, enjen 
 as he walked. This is the higheft Ex- 
 cellency and Perfection of a Chriftian ; 
 to be conformed to the Image of the So?t Rom. viii. 
 of God, by a Life of Virtue and Righte- ^^* 
 oufnefs here: Which whofoever is, {hall 
 hereafter alfo be changed into the fame I- 2 Cor. iii. 
 mage, from glory to glory ; when our Lord 
 fliall prefent his Servants fault lefs before 
 the prefence of his Father'^ glory, with 
 exceeding Joy ; and they fhallfee his Face, 
 and his Name jhall be in their foreheads ; 
 and they fiall ferve him day and night in 
 his 'Temple, and enjoy his uninterrupted 
 Favour for ever and ever. 
 
 These are the Obligations we are 
 under to imitate God: Which was the 
 firfl Head I propofed to fpeak to. 
 
 Wdly, I A M in the next place to confi- 
 der the true Extent, and proper Limita- 
 tions of this. Duty. And here 'tis very 
 evident, 
 
 I/?, That All imitation of God muft 
 be underftood to be an imitation of his 
 moral Attributes only, and not of his na- 
 tural ones. In the exercife of his Su- 
 
 V o L IL N preme 
 
178 Of imitating the 
 
 S E R M. preme Power ^ we cannot imitate him: 
 ^^^^* In the Extent of his unerring; Knowledge 
 we cannot attain to any Similitude with 
 him : We cannot at all Tihunder with a 
 Voice like Him, Job xl. 9 ; nor are we able 
 to fearch out and comprehend the leafl 
 part of the depth of his unfathomable 
 Wifdom. But his Holinefs and Goodtiefs, 
 his Jiijiice, Right eoujhefs, and 'Truths his 
 Mercy and ComfaJJion 5 thefe things wc 
 can underftand ; in thefe things we can 
 imitate him ; nay, we cannot approve 
 ourfelves to him as obedient Children, if 
 we do not imitate him therein. 
 
 The Holinefs of God ; that is, in ge- 
 neral. That difpofition of the Divine 
 Nature, by which he is infinitely removed 
 from all moral Evil whatfoever^ is in an 
 emphatical manner propofed to our imi- 
 tation in the words of the Text ; As he 
 which has called you is Holy, fo be Ye 
 Holy in all manner of Converfation. The 
 word, Holinefs, is perpetually in the 
 mouths of Chriftians ; but what it pro- 
 perly means. This they have often but a 
 very imperfect and confufed Notion of. 
 It fignifies originally, in the Jewifli lan- 
 guage, Separation from Common life : And 
 
 * 
 
 in 
 
Holinefs ^/ G Z). 179 
 
 in T'hat Senfe, all the VelTels and Furni- S e r m. 
 ture of the Temple are, in the Old Te- ^ ^'^• 
 flament, ftiled, Holy. In the fame Senfe 
 'tis ufed of Perfons alfo imployed in the 
 Service of God j who are intitled to this 
 external and nominal HoUnefi^ v/hether 
 they really anfwer their characfter or no. 
 But the word is ufed in a better Senfe, 
 when 'tis transferred from this literal to 
 a moral fignification ; expreffing a man's 
 being feparatedy by true religion, from 
 the cuminon Practices of a vicious and 
 corrupt World j And, when applied to 
 God, it fignifies his infinite Diftance, 
 from every kind and degree of moral Evil 
 whatfoever. 
 
 I N the Text therefore is propofed to 
 our imitation the Example of the Divine 
 Holinefs, or his Hatred to Sin and Wick- 
 ednefs in general i Be ye Hoh\ for I am 
 Holy. In other paflages of Scripture, 
 particular moral Attributes are laid before 
 us as Patterns to walk by. The words 
 immediately following the Text fet forth 
 the Juftice of God ; ver. 17. Calling on 
 the Father, who, without refpe5l of Per- 
 Jons, judgeth according to every jnans work. 
 In iht fifth chapter of St Matthew, our 
 V o L. IL N 2 Saviour 
 
i8o Of imifatmg the 
 
 S E R M. Saviour direds us to imitate the Goodnefs 
 ^^,^^ of God, as the mofl effedual means to 
 obtain a fhare in his Favour, and a part 
 in his moft perfed Happinefs : Love your 
 Enemies, faith he, (that is, not, make 
 them equal with your Friends, but, de- 
 fire and promote their amendment, and 
 then be ready to forgive them j) do good to 
 them that hate you, and pray for them which 
 dtfpitcfiilly ufe you: T^hat ye may be the 
 children of your Father which is in Hea- 
 ven, (that is, that ye may be like unto 
 Hijn,) who maketh his Sun to rife on the 
 Evil and on the Good, and fendeth Rain 
 on the Jujl and on the Unjujt. And, to 
 mention no more Inftances, the Mercy of 
 God is by our Saviour in a very affecfti- 
 onate manner propofed as an Example to 
 excite us to Charity; Luk. vi. ^S- ^^ 
 good, and lend, hoping for nothing again ; 
 and your Reward Jhall be great, afid ye 
 Jhall be the children of the Highejl j for 
 He is kind unto the Unthankful and to the 
 Evil', Be ye therefore merciful, as your 
 Father alfo is fuerciful. Which laft words, 
 are remarkably varied by St Matthew, in 
 his narration of the fame Difcourfe of 
 our Lord. For what in St Luke we read 
 ^ thus, 
 
Holinefi of GOD. 1 8 r 
 
 thus, Be ye therefore merciful, as your Fa- S e r m. 
 ther alfo is merciful^ Is by St Matthew fet ^III. 
 down in the following manner; Be >'^ Mat. v. 48. 
 therefore perfedl, even as your Father 
 which is in Heaven is perfeB. As if Per- 
 feSiion^ and Mercy or Charity., were one 
 and the fame thing ; and as if he that 
 was truly indued with this virtue of Cha- 
 rity., might confeqiiently be fuppofed to 
 be perfedl in all other virtues likewife. 
 This is the firji neceffary limitation, of 
 this Duty of imitating God j It mufl al- 
 ways be underflood to be an imitation of 
 his moral Perfections only. 
 
 2^/y, Even in thefe moral Excellen- 
 cies, 'tis evident further, that it muft ne- 
 cefTarily mean an imitation of likenefs 
 only, and not of Equality, One would 
 think, there could be no great need of 
 this Obfervation. Yet fome Enthufialts 
 there have been, who have vainly boaft- 
 ed thcmfelves to be altogether without 
 Sin ; and being puffed up with fpiritual 
 pride, and thinking themfelves above the 
 Duties of what they call common Mora- 
 lity, have by a Negled of true Virtue, 
 fallen into the fnare and coJidemnation of 
 the Devil, Of This kind there feem to 
 N 3 have 
 
1 8 2 Of imitatmg the 
 
 S E R M. have been Some in St Johns time, againll 
 ^ ^^^' v/hom he dired:s his Difcourfe, in his Firfl 
 Epiftle, ch. i. 8. If we fay that we ha've 
 no Sin, wc deceive ourjehes^ andtheT^ruth 
 is not in us. But in our prefent Age, 
 men are apt to run much rather into the 
 contrary extreme ; not pretending to a 
 perfe6tion above what is human, but neg- 
 le5ling to endeavour after what is their 
 Tiuty to obtain. They know God to be 
 a Being of infinite Holinefs ; that he 
 charges even his Angels with Follyy a7id 
 the Heavens are not pure in his Sight : 
 And therefore they think fraii men may 
 be excufed from attempting to imitate 
 him at all. But This is a very wicked 
 and profane Suggeflion. For though the 
 Goodnefs indeed of fuch imperfed: crea- 
 tures as we are, can be but in a very mean 
 and low degree ; yet in that proportion 
 and degree, we are indifpenfably bound 
 to follow after it. And as a Finite can 
 refemble infinite, fo we are to refemble 
 God, by partaking of the fame moral ex- 
 cellencies in kindy though they cannot 
 but be infinitely inferiour in degree. The 
 Light of a Star^ though it bears no pro- 
 portion at all to the glorious Beauty of 
 
 the 
 
Holintfs of G D. 183 
 
 the Sun, yet Lighf it Is neverthelefs, and S e r m. 
 diredlly contrary to Darknefs : So the . ^,^^-/. 
 Virtues of Angels aiid of Men, though 
 they bear no proportion to the adorable 
 Perfedions of God, yet, in their proper 
 meafure and degree, they refemble them, 
 as being of the fame nature and kind-, 
 oppolite and contrary to wickednefs, jufl 
 as every degree of Light is contrary to 
 Darknefs. The Apoflle aptly expreffes 
 This, by the fimilitude of a Child learn- 
 ing to imitate the Virtues of a wife man, 
 and an affectionate Parent ; Eph. v. i. Be 
 ye therefore Followers of God, faith he, 
 as Dear Children. 
 
 'Tfdly, B ir T though our Imitation of 
 the moral Perfedions of God is always 
 to be underflood with thefe great Limita- 
 tions ; as fignifying an imitation of Like- 
 nefs only, and not of Equality ; fuitable 
 to the weak nature of fuch frail, imper- 
 fedl, and fallible Creatures : Yet ought 
 we alfo to confider, that even in the De- 
 grees of Goodnefs it is our Duty conti- 
 nually to improve, if we will at all an- 
 fwer the Precept in the Text, Be ye Ho- 
 ly, for I am Holy, A perfed and mod 
 complete Example is fet before us to 
 N 4 imitate^^ 
 
1 84 Of imitating the 
 
 S E R M. imitate, that a imine always at That which 
 ^^^' is moft excellent, we may grow conti- 
 nually and make a perpetual Progrefs in 
 the ways of Virtue: And though w© 
 can never come up to our Pattern itfelf, 
 yet, by fuch imitation as our frail and 
 mortal nature is capable of, we may at- 
 tain to what St Peter calls being made 
 Partakers of the Divine Nature. Which 
 participation of true Holinefs after the 
 Image of him that created us, is truly and 
 in a proper Senfe the comparative Per- 
 fe(5lion of our Humane nature, as abfo- 
 lute Perfe(5lion is the Perfection of the 
 Divine. Which clearly explains the 
 meaning and extent of St Paul'?, exhor- 
 tation, 2 Cor. vii. I. that we lliould per- 
 fe(5l Holinefs in the Fear of God; and 
 That Advice of our Saviour himfelf, 
 St Matt. v. 48. Be ye perfect, even as 
 your Father which is in Heaven is per- 
 'fe£l. 
 
 III. It remains now in the laft place, 
 that I draw fome ufeful Obfervatio?is 
 from the Whole of what has been faid ; 
 and fo conclude. And 
 
 I/, If 
 
Holinefs ^/GO/). 185 
 
 ift, I F true Religion confifts in the imi- S e r m^ 
 ration of God j and all imitation of God, ^^^^• 
 is of neceflity confined to his moral Per- 
 fedions only j then it hence evidently 
 follows, that moral Virtue is the chief 
 End of Religion ; and that, to place 
 the main ftrefs of religion in any thing 
 elfe befides true Virtue, is Enthufiafm or 
 Superflition. When our Saviour gave his 
 Apoftles Power over unclean Spirits, he 
 thought it neceflary to add at the fame 
 time the following Caution, huke x. 20. 
 Notwithji anding in 'This rejoice not^ that 
 the Spirits are fubjeSl unto you -, but ra- 
 ther rejoice^ becaufe your Names are ivrit- 
 ten in Heaven : your Names are nvritten 
 in Heaven, that is, your Repentance and 
 Obedience is acceptable to God : For fo, 
 in Scripture-phrafe, they who keep the 
 Commandments of God, are fa id to be 
 written in the Book of Life j and thofe 
 who Sin againft him, he threatens that he 
 v/ill blot out of his Book, Exod. xxxii. 33. 
 Again : In his defer iption of the day of 
 Judgment, Many, fays our Saviour, will 
 fay to me in That day. Lord, Lord, have 
 we not prophejied in thy Name, and in thy 
 Name have cafi out devils^ and in thy 
 
 Name 
 
i86 Of imitating the 
 
 S E R M. Name done many wonderful works ? And 
 ^•^"- then will 1 profefs unto them, I never knew 
 you^ Depart fro?n Me ye that work ini- 
 quity ; that is, all ye who have lived viti- 
 oufly and immorally. St Paul in like 
 manner, i Cor. xiii. i . T^hough I fpeak 
 fays he, with the T'ongues of Men and An- 
 geh ; and though I have the gift of Prophe- 
 cy, and under ft and all myfteries^ and all 
 knowledge ; and though I have all Faith, 
 fo that I could remove Mountains j and have 
 
 not Charity, it profiteth me nothing. 
 
 The greatefl part of the Rulers of this 
 World are ftrangely guilty of ^his Er- 
 rour ; when they affed: rather to be like 
 God in Power, which is izot an imitable 
 Attribute, than in Goodnefs, wherein a- 
 lone 'tis their Glory to be like him. 
 
 2dly. I F true Religion confifts in the 
 imitation of God ; and that which is imi- 
 table in God, be his moral Perfedtions ; 
 hence it follows neceflarily, that moral 
 Excellencies, fujlice, Goodnefs, T*ruth, 
 and the like, are of the fame kind in 
 God as in Men. For otherwife, if ( as 
 fome have imagined in order to maintain 
 unintelligible docflrines,) Jufice, Good- 
 . nefsy and "Truth in God^ did not anfwer 
 
 our 
 
Holinefs ^/GOZ). 187 
 
 our common and natural Notions of thofe S e r m. 
 Virtues ; but were of a kind quite diffe- ^^"° 
 rent, and inconceivable to us ; how then 
 could Men be obliged to imitate they 
 knew not what ? or how could it become 
 poffible in any fenfe to be holy as he is Ho- 
 ly, if it could not Be underftood by us, 
 JVhat Holinefs is ? The Truth therefore 
 plainly isj As Light is Light, wherefoever 
 and in what degree foever it appears, and 
 has no communion or fimilitude with 
 Darknefs : fo Goodnefs, in whcmjbever 
 and in what degree foever it be found, ftill 
 always carries along with it the fame I- 
 dea of Goodnefs, and has no communion 
 or Fellowfliip with Wickednefs. 
 
 '^dly and Laflly ; F r o m hence it ap~ 
 pears, of how great importance it is to 
 Me?i to frame to themfelves right and 
 worthy Notions of God. For fuch as are 
 the Conceptions Men have of the ObjeB 
 of their WorJlAp ; fuch alfo will propor^ 
 tionably be their own Behaviour and 
 FraSlice, The Gentiles, who worfhipped. 
 vile and impure "Deities, were themfelves 
 accordingly given up to ivork all Unclean- 
 nefs with Greedinefs. The fews, when 
 they fell from the Worfhip of the True 
 
 God, 
 
1 8 8 Of imitating^ &c. 
 
 S E R M. God, to ferve the Idols and Images of re- 
 VIII. ally or fidtitioufly cruel DcPrnojts ; were 
 
 ^^^"^^^ themfehes accordingly devefted of huma- 
 nity, and facrificed even their own Chil- 
 dren to Moloch. And among Ch?'iJitaf2S 
 likewife, it is too fad and true an obfer- 
 vation ; that in proportion as they have 
 departed from the Simplicity of the Go- 
 fpel, and feigned to themfelves either ri- 
 diculous or wicked notions of the infinite- 
 ly wife and good God ; fo has their religi- 
 on accordingly been changed either into 
 a ridiculous^ or into a barbarous and cruel 
 Superftition. The only poflible remedy 
 for which Evil, is to adhere ftedfaftly 
 and immoveably to the natural and un- 
 changeable notions of righteoufnefs and 
 bolinefs in God, and the indifpenfable ne- 
 ceffity of true right eoujhefs and holinefs 
 among Men, 
 
 jSERMON 
 
[ i89 ] 
 
 SERMON IX. 
 
 Of the Love of GOD towards 
 Sinners. 
 
 St J o H N. iii. 1 6. 
 
 For God fo loved the TVorld^ that 
 
 he gave his only-begotten Son^ 
 
 that whofoever believeth i7i him 
 
 Jhould not perilh-i but have ever- 
 
 lajling Life. 
 
 HESE Words are part ofc^j^j^^ 
 that Excellent Difcourfe, IX, 
 wherein our Saviour inftru(5t- ^"^'^ 
 ed Nicodemus, giving him a 
 fliort Account of the Dod- 
 rine of the Gofpel j And the Words them- 
 
 felves 
 
 w 
 
 1 
 
 ^M 
 
 m 
 
I go Of the Love of GO D 
 
 Se R M. felvcs are a brief Summary of that whole 
 IX- Difcourfe. Nicodemus was a Man of 
 
 ^"^ Learning and Authority among the Jews, 
 and, as it feems, of a better and more 
 pious Difpofition, than the generaHty of 
 thofe of his own Rank. Moved there- 
 fore by the Greatnefs of our Saviour's 
 Miracles, and probably alfo having fludi- 
 ed the Prophecies, which foretold the co- 
 ming of the MefTias about That Seafon j 
 he thought himfelf bound to inquire what 
 That Doctrine was, which our Saviour 
 began fo publickly and with fo great Au- 
 thority to teach ; And accordingly he 
 goes to him by Night, to converfe pri- 
 vately about it. Our Saviour, addreffing 
 himfelf to him as to a Man of Under- 
 flanding, begins at the Foundation of the 
 Whole ; and reprefents to him the Necef- 
 fity of entring upon a religious Courfe of 
 Life, according to the perfeder and more 
 fpiritual Principles of the Chriflian insti- 
 tution : ver. 3. Except, fays he, a man 
 he born again, he cannot fee the Kingdom 
 of God. Which ExprefTion, Nicodemus 
 at firft not underftanding ; our Saviour 
 further explains it to him, ver. 5. Except, 
 fays he, a Man be born of Water and of 
 
 the 
 
towards Sinners, 191 
 
 the Spirit \ except he be baptized into the S e r m„ 
 ProfefTion of the true Reliffion, and, fui- ^^• 
 tably to this external Obligation, be in- 
 wardly renewed and purified from all 
 wicked Difpofitions in the Spirit of his 
 Mind ; he cannot enter into the Kingdom 
 of God. For, whatfoever is born of the 
 Flefi^ can be but Flejh j T'hat which is 
 born of the Spirit^ That only is Spirits 
 By natural Birth, a Man can have no o- 
 ther Title than only to the injoyments 
 of this Natural and Mortal Life : To 
 Immortality and a fhare in the Kingdom of 
 God, he cannot be intitled, but by a New 
 and Spiritual Birth, by being delivered 
 from the Dominion of Flcfhly Lufts, and 
 living under the more perfedl Law of 
 Reafon and Religion. To make This 
 ftill more intelligible, and to take off the 
 Difficulty of apprehending the meaning 
 of that Phrafe of being Born again, our 
 Saviour proceeds to illuftrate it by an eai\* 
 iimilitude, ver. 7 ; that, as in the Courfe 
 of Nature fome of the greatefl and molt 
 fenfible Effedls are produced by fecret and 
 imperceptible Caufes -, fo it ought not to 
 be wondred at, if fome of the greateft 
 Moral Effeds, and mofl important Chan- 
 ges 
 
192 Of the Love of GO D 
 
 S E R M. ges in the Mind of Man be wrought like- 
 ^-^- wife by degrees invilible, and by means 
 ^"^ not difcernable to Senfe : Marvel not that 
 1 faid unto thee, ye mufi be born again : 
 The Wind bloweth where it lijieth, and 
 thou hearefi the Sound thereof, hut canjl 
 7iot tell whence it comcth, and whither it 
 goeth ; fo is every one that is born of the 
 Spirit. 
 
 Having thus prepared the Way, by 
 explaining the Foundation ; our Saviour 
 from hence makes a Tranfition, ver. 12. 
 to the higher and more fuMime Dodrines 
 of the Gofpel ; If I have told you, fays 
 he, earthly things, and ye believe not ; how 
 pall ye believe if I tell you oj heavenly 
 things f If ye beheve me not even in 
 thefe plain and more obvious matters, 
 which I have fuited to your Capacities, 
 and delivered in eafy Comparifons, drawn 
 from the moft natural and common 
 ihings here upon Earth ; how much lefs 
 will ye believe me, when I tell you more 
 fublime and heavenly myfteries ? when I 
 declare to you the Dignity of my Perfon 
 and Office, the fpiritual Nature of my 
 Kingdom, and the Sufferings I muff firft 
 undergo for the Redemption of Mankind ? 
 
 And 
 
towards Sinners, 193 
 
 And yet thefe things are true and certain S e r m. 
 as the others; and the Works which I do, J;,^ 
 are fufficient Arguments, why yc fhould 
 beheve me even in Thefe things alfo. 
 Now Thefe fubhmer Dodrines he begins 
 to enumerate, vef. 13. No man, fays he, 
 hath afcended up to Heaven, but he that 
 came down from Heaven, even the Son of 
 Man which is in Heaven : That is ; Chrifl, 
 the Son of Man^ the promifed Meffifls, 
 ^hat Son of Man defcribed in the Prophet 
 Daniel as coming in the clouds of Heaven 
 to receive an everlafting Dominion ; This 
 Son of Man came forth from God, fo as 
 no other Prophet, no not Mofes himfelf, 
 ever did; For he was with God before 
 he came amongfl; Men ; and when he 
 firft appeared in this World, he had before 
 had a Being in Heaven in the Bofom of 
 his Father, in which Dignity he ftill con- 
 tinues. And 'tis the Prerogative of him 
 only, who came thus from God as no o- 
 ther ever did, throughly to underftand and 
 to reveal to Men, the yet fecret Counfels 
 of God concerning the eflabliflimenr of 
 his Kingdom, and the Method of Men's 
 Salvation. No man hath afcended up to 
 heaven, but he that ca??ie down from Hea- 
 Vol. 11. O ven^ 
 
194 Of the ILoYt of G D 
 
 S E R M. 'ven, even the Son of Man which is in Hea- 
 ^^- ven. What This Method of Men's Salva- 
 tion was he proceeds more diftindly to 
 declare, ver. 14 and 15, As Mofes lifted 
 up the Serpent in the Wildernefs^ even fo 
 mufi the Son of Ma?! be lifted up j T^hat 
 whofoever believeth in hi?n, fhould not pe~ 
 rijh, but have eternal Life. That is : 
 That the Meffiah, by his Sufferings and 
 Death fhould accomplifh the Redempti- 
 on and Salvation of Men, opening an 
 entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven, to 
 all thofe who fhall lincerely obey him ; 
 l^his (fays our Saviour) ye ought not to 
 be furprized at, as a new and ftrange 
 Dodrine j fmce ye have a reprefen ration 
 and prediction of it, even in your own 
 Law. For as Mofes fet up in the Wilder- 
 nefs the Figure of a Serpent, which being 
 indeed the Likenefs of a venomous Beafl, 
 yet was fo far from having any thing of 
 its poifonous Nature, that on the contra- 
 ry all thofe which had been bitten by real 
 Serpents , were immediately healed by 
 looking up towards this Reprefentation : 
 
 Mai. iii. i. So the Son of Man^ the Angel of the Co- 
 
 ' venant, being made in the likenefs of iin- 
 
 ful Flefli, yet having really no Sin in him, 
 
 (hall 
 
towards Sinners, i9S 
 
 (hall be lifted up on the Crofs, that by S e r m. 
 the Power of his Death, finful men be- ^J^ 
 lieving in him, and being enabled to con- 
 quer and forfake their Sins, may obtain 
 remilTion of Sin, and Everlafting Life. 
 For thus he adds in the Words of the 
 Text, fumming up his whole Difcourfe ; 
 God jo loved the Worlds that he gave his 
 only-begotten Son, that whofoever believeth 
 in him, Jhould not perijh, but have ever- 
 lajling Life. 
 
 The Connexion of our Lord's Dif- 
 courfe being thus explained j we may in 
 the Words themfelves confider i/?, how 
 and in what fenfe it is fuppofed, that 
 without the coming of Chrifb into the 
 World, Men could not but have perifli- 
 ed: idlyy in what Senfe it is affirmed, 
 that all who believe in him fhall not pe~ 
 rifh, but have everlafting Life : and yih\ 
 we may take Notice, that this Salvation 
 of Men by the Coming of Chrift is afcri- 
 bed to the antecedent Love of God, the 
 original Goodnefs and Mercy of the Fa- 
 ther Almighty. Gody^ loved the Woi-ld^ 
 that he gave his only-begotten Son, that 
 whofoever believeth in him jlmild ?2ot perijld, 
 but have everlafiing Life. 
 
 Vol. IL O 2 I ft, We 
 
196 Of the Love of GOD 
 
 S E R M. I/?, We are to confider, how it is fup-» 
 ^•^- pofed in the words of the Text, that with- 
 out the Coming of Chrifl; into the World, 
 Men could not but have periflied. And 
 for the clearer explaining the ground of 
 this Suppofition, it may be proper to ob- 
 ferve in the firft place, that when God 
 originally created Man in the State of In- 
 72ocence^ and feated him in the Garden of 
 Paradice, there was no Obligation upon 
 God to indue him with Immortality. 'Twas 
 hot by Virtue of any Claim of Rights or 
 by any Necejfity in the Nature of the 
 Thing, but an Effe(9: of his unbounded 
 Gooducfs only, and a mereyV^^ G//?, that 
 God created Man to be Immortal^ and 
 made him to be an Image of his own Eter- 
 nity. He might juftly have created him 
 for what Time he pleafedj and even in 
 the State of Innocence^ might without 
 any Wrong have put a Period to That 
 Being, which at firfh 'twas nothing but 
 his own good Pleafure, that moved him 
 to give Beginning to at all. And if this 
 was the Cafe even in the State of Innocence 
 itfelf, how much more when Man by Sin 
 had forfeited all Title to the Divine Fa- 
 vour! If God was under no Obligation 
 2 to 
 
towards Sinners. 197 
 
 to give Immortality to the immediate S e r m. 
 Work of his own Hands, how much lefs ■^^• 
 to the Pofteritv of a fallen Sinner ! and 
 what claim could T'bey have to the perpe- 
 tual injoyment of Paradice, which to 
 their Firft Parent himfelf, even in his 
 moil perfed State of Innocence, was but 
 a Free Gift ! Undoubtedly nothing k 
 more evident, than that God might with- 
 out any Wrong have left them All to the 
 natural Confequences of their own Mor- 
 tality, and without any Injury to them 
 might have forborn to make that Promife 
 of eternal Life in Chrifl, which the 
 World would have had no Right to de- 
 mand, even though there had never been 
 in it any Sin. But then we are alfo to 
 obferve further^ that all the Sons of A- 
 dam are moreover Sinners themfelves ; and 
 as by the Sin of Adam they became in the 
 Courfe of Nature excluded out of Para- 
 dice, and from the Tree of Life, and 
 from the Hopes of Immortality; fo by 
 their own Sins they became farther, and 
 in a more proper Senfe, liable to the 
 Wrath of God; and fubjc<5l, not only 
 to Deaths which came equally and um- 
 verjally upon All ; but alio to cBual Pa- 
 O 3 nipmenh 
 
198 Of the "Lov^ of GOD 
 
 S E R M. merits in the future State, proportionable 
 ^^^' to eveiy man's private Sin and perfonal 
 Demerit. From which common Deathy 
 coming equally upon All-, and from 
 which proportionable Funijhment^ due to 
 every man's particular Sins ; nothing, that 
 Sinners themfelves could do, could avail 
 to refcue them, or to prevent their periJJj^ 
 ing according to the Courfe of Nature, 
 and the righteous Judgment of God. For 
 God, whofe Promife of Immortality e- 
 ven to hinocent Creatures, was but a Free 
 Gift of mere Bounty, was much lefs un- 
 der any Obligation to provide a Place of 
 eternal Happinefs for the Poflerity of a 
 finful Parent; themfelves alfo adual Sin- 
 ners, and at the beft but very imperfed: 
 and undeferving Penitents ; whofe great- 
 eft Endeavours of Repentance, could at 
 the m-oft but afford ground of Hope for 
 an Abatement of Punifhment, and not 
 any Expectation of Reward. The Sup- 
 poiition therefore in the Text is by no 
 means difagrseable to Reafon j that, with- 
 out the Coming of Chrift into the World, 
 Men could not but have perified : Thofe 
 who themfelves had finned after the Umi- 
 litude of Adam's tranfgreffion, being ne- 
 * cefTarily 
 
towards Sinners* 199 
 
 ceflarily liable to the wrath of God, and S e r m. 
 to the proportionable a5iual Funijhtnent ^^• 
 of their Sins ; and thofe who had not fin- 
 ned in their own Perfons, being yet una- 
 voidably in the Courfe of Nature involv- 
 ed in that common Deaths from which 
 God was not under any Obligation to ref- 
 cue them ; feeing it was his Free Gift to 
 give them Being at all, and that even in 
 the State of Innocence itfelf He had been 
 under no Obligation to indue them with 
 Immortality. 
 
 This feems, flridly and accurately 
 fpeaking, to have been the True State of 
 All Mankind^ when confidered as antece- 
 dent to the Promife of Chrifl's Coming. 
 But it deferves alfo to be taken Notice of, 
 that as in moft other places, fo in the 
 Text likewife, 'tis probable that when 
 men's Perifiing is fpoken of, it is not fo 
 much to be underflood in xhaxJlriB Senfcy 
 wherein Every ?nan whatfoever is liable, 
 more or lefs, to the Wrath of Godj as in 
 that more general and nfual Se?ife^ where- 
 in both Jews and Gentiles are reprefented 
 as being for the greatejl part by an uni- 
 verfal Corruption of Manners lofl in Sin, 
 and utterly failenyZ^(?r/ of the Glory of God, 
 O 4 The 
 
20O Of the Love of GOD 
 
 S E R M. The 'Jews had in their Law itfelf, no 
 ^X* Expiation appointed for great and wilful 
 Tranigreffions ; And therefore through 
 Chrift was preacht unto them the forgive- 
 nefs of Sins ; that by him, all that believe 
 might be jujlified from all things, from 
 which they could not be jujlified by the Law 
 of Mofes, Ad:s xiii. 39. And Rom. viii. 3. 
 What the Law could not do, in that it was 
 weak through the FleJJj, God fendirig his 
 own Son in the likenefs of finful Flefi, and 
 for Sin, condemned Sin in the Flejh. The 
 Gentiles are juftly reprefented by St Paul, 
 as being Enemies to God j walking gene- 
 rally in the Vanity of their Mind ; Ha- 
 ving the JJnderfiandlng darkned, being alie- 
 nated from the Life of God, through the 
 fgnorance that is in them, becauje of the 
 blindnefs of their Heart ; who being paft 
 feeling, (having loft all fenfe of the natu- 
 ral and effential Difference of Good and 
 
 Evil,) have given themfelves over to 
 
 'umrk all Uncleannefs with greedinefs, 
 £ph. iv. J 8. This was too plainly the 
 cafe of the greateft part of the Gentile- 
 World in the Apoftles Time. And 
 though there be among Us, fome De- 
 niers of the Gofpel of Chrift, who pre- 
 
 tepd 
 
towards Sinners, 201 
 
 tend that by the Light of Reafon, with- S e rm. 
 out any Belief of Revelation, they can IX. 
 make out the Obligations of Morality, 
 and teach men the Practice of Virtue, and 
 their natural Duty both towards God and 
 Man 5 yet the befl: and principal of thofe 
 Reafonings they are inabled to make ufe 
 of even concerning natural Religion it- 
 felf, are evidently owning to that Light 
 and Improvement, which has arifen from 
 the Preaching of the Gofpel of Chrijl. 
 Had the Knowledge of the Chriftian Re- 
 ligion never been propagated amongfh Us, 
 we had ftill, like our barbarous Anceftors, 
 been Worfhipping of Stocks and Stones 
 in the Darknefs of moft ftupid Igno- 
 rance : And thofe very Perfons, who now 
 indeavour to turn againil Chriftianity, 
 thofe Arguments for the Reafonablenefs 
 of Natural Religion, which without the 
 Knowledge of the Gofpel they would 
 never have been able to difcover j far 
 from improving themfelves, as they 
 fondly imagine, under the Light of Na- 
 ture, had then in all probability been def- 
 titute of the common Principles even of 
 Civility and Humanity. 'Tis to the Mer- 
 cy of the Gofpel therefore, that thefe 
 
 Perfons 
 
:jo2 Of the Love of GOD 
 
 S E R M. Perfons owe their being N(m in a State 
 . ^-^' fo different from that of the Gentiles in 
 the Apoftles Times, who, by their total 
 Corruption, were in a State of abfolute 
 'Enmity againfi God^ and liable to his fe- 
 vereft Wrath. Without the Knowledge 
 of Chrift, it cannot be doubted but the 
 greateft part of Us, who now are apt to 
 think fo highly of our own Improve- 
 ments, would have been in the Cafe of 
 thofe, who not liking to retain God in 
 their Knowledge, were given up unto vile 
 Affedfions, and received in themfelves 'That 
 recompence of their Error, which was 
 meet, being drowned in TiejlruBion and 
 Perdition, And thofe who, by efcaping 
 the greater Pollutions, would not indeed 
 have been involved in the fame degree of 
 Perdition with the reft, (for the Judge of 
 all the Earth will always do what is 
 Right,) yet would have had 720 Title to 
 that eternal Inheritance, that heavenly 
 Kingdom, which is the Free Gift of God 
 in Chrift j an undeferved Gift, which no- 
 thing that Men could do of themfelves, 
 even when they had done their whole 
 Duty, could at all have merited, or (with- 
 out the San<ftification of the Spirit of 
 
 God,) 
 
towards Sinners, 203 
 
 God, ) have qualified them for. For S e r m. 
 Except a man be born from above (fo L. 
 the words are in the original, which we 
 render, Except a man be born again ; ) 
 Except a man be born from above, except 
 he be born of Water and of the Spirit, he 
 cannot enter into the Kingdotn of God, Joh. 
 iii. 3, 5. Neither is there Salvation in 
 any other J Ads iv. 12. For there is none 
 other Name under Heaven given among 
 inen^ ivhereby ive muji be faved -, i. e. 
 whereby we can attain that Kingdom of 
 Heaven, that free Gift of eternal Life, 
 that Place peculiarly prepared by Chrift 
 for his Difciples out of the Ma7iy Man- 
 fions in his Father's Houfe^ that Weight 
 of Glory and unfpeakable Reward, un- 
 deferved even by our beft Performances. 
 Very agreeable to Reafon therefore is the 
 Suppofition in the Text, that, without 
 the coming of Chrifl into the World, 
 men, in the manner before explained, 
 could not but have perijhed. 
 
 idly^ The Second thing to be confi- 
 fidered in the Text, is j in what Senfe 'tis 
 affirmed, that All who believe in Chrifl, 
 fmll not perijh^ but have everlajiing Life, 
 Of which Kind, there are fre(juent geite- 
 
 ral 
 
204 Of the Love of GO D 
 
 Serm. ral AiTertions in Scripture. ASfsx. 43. 
 ^- ^Through his Name^ whofoevcr belie veth in 
 him^ JJmll receive Remiffion of Sins ; and 
 ch. xiii. 39, By him ^ ail that htVieve, are 
 jujiijicd from all things ^ from which they 
 could not be jujlifed by the Law of Mofes. 
 St John in like manner in his Firfl E- 
 piftle, ch. V. 12, He that hath the Son^ 
 hath life ; and he that hath not the Son of 
 God^ hath not life-, Thefe things have I writ- 
 ten unto you that believe on the Name of the 
 Sen of Gody that ye may know that ye have 
 eternal Life. And our Saviour himfelf, 
 in the Gofpel, St fohn iii. 36. He that 
 believeth on the Son, hath everlafing 
 Life\ and in the words immediately be- 
 fore thoie of the Text> ver. 14. Js Mofes. 
 lifted up the Serpent in the Wildernefs^ 
 even fo muf the Son of Man be lifted up \ 
 ^h&t whofoever believeth in him, fould 
 not perijh , but have eternal Life. 
 There have been fome fo abfurd, as from 
 thefe and other the like pafTages in the 
 New Teflament, to conclude that by 
 Faith only, viz. by a bare Affent to the 
 Truth of the Chriflian Dodrine, or by a 
 confident Perfwafion of their belonging 
 to Chrifl, they fhould not fail of Obtain- 
 
 ing 
 
towards Sifiners. 205 
 
 ing Salvation. But the contrary is plain S e r m. 
 both from the Reafon of the thing itfelf, ,?^*^ 
 and from numberlefs other paflages of Scri- 
 pture : That, when it is affirmed, that 
 whofoever believeth in Chrift, fhall not 
 perijl\ but have everlajiing Life j the 
 meaning is nor, whofoever profejfetb or 
 pretends to believe in him, bet whofo- 
 ever really believes in him, and "juith Ef~ 
 fe£i 'y whofoever is fo. perfwaded of the 
 Truth of his Doctrine, as to embrace the 
 l^erms propofed by the Gofpel, and to 
 make them the Rule of his Life and 
 Actions. For as, in all other cafes, things 
 are judged of not by their mere Denomi- 
 nation and external Appearances^ but by 
 their inward Powers or ^alities, and by 
 their real EffeBs, and Shadows are noc 
 taken for Subjlances^ nor PiStiires for the 
 things themfehes which they reprefenty 
 notwithftanding their being called per- 
 haps by the fame Names : So, believing 
 in Chrijiy is not barely profeiii ng to be- 
 lieve in him, but believing in him indeed 5 
 believing his Doctrine to be True ; con- 
 fidering it accordingly as of the utmoft 
 Importance \ endeavouring conlequently 
 to underftaod it our/elves, and not truft- 
 
2o6 Of the Love of GOD 
 
 S E R M. ing ourfelves to be impofed upon by O- 
 IX. thers 5 and finally, governing ourfelves by 
 ' it in all our Adions, in the whole Courfe 
 of our Lives. For the word Faith ^ al- 
 ways contains in it the Notion of Faith- 
 ftdnefs or Fidelity. And though the plain 
 Reafon of the Thing itfelf might be fuf- 
 ficient in fo evident a Cafe j yet the Scri- 
 pture is not wanting to explain it alfo in 
 variety of Words. He that believeth^ 
 (fays our Saviour in another place,) and 
 is baptized, /. e. and enters into an obli- 
 gation to live fuitably to That Belief; he 
 {hall be faved. For, not every one that 
 faith unto me^ Lord, Lord, fhall enter in- 
 to the Kingdom of Heaven, hut he that 
 doth the Will of my Father which is in 
 Heaven. And being baptized, faith St Pe- 
 ter, is not the wajhing away of the fit h 
 of the Flefh, but the Anfwer of a good 
 Cojifcience towards God. And the Anfwer 
 of a good Cconfcience towards God, is the 
 Faith which worketh, or evidences itfelf, 
 by Love : For the End of the Cotnmaiid- 
 ment, faith St Paul, is Charity, out of a 
 -pure Heart, and of a good Confcience, and 
 of Faith unfeigned, i Tim. i. 5. 
 
 ALL 
 
towards Si?t?iers, 207 
 
 AL L that believe therefore, are All S e r m. 
 that embrace and obey the Gofpel. For ^ijl, 
 Thefe, Chrift came into the World on 
 purpofe, that they ?night not perip^ hut 
 have everlajiing Life : And becaufe the 
 Gofpel was commanded to be preached 
 to every Creature, that is, to all man- 
 kind ; and God has exprefsly declared 
 that he would have all men to be faved j 
 and defireth not that any fhould perifh, 
 but that All might come to Repentance j 
 therefore we may reafonably underftand 
 the Words in the Text, whojbever belie- 
 veth in him, as if it had been Thus ex- 
 prefled : God gave his Son, that Every one 
 by believing in him ; that e^ery man, by 
 his means, and by accepting the advan- 
 tage and gracious Terms of the Gofpel^ 
 might avoid perifliing, and obtain ever- 
 lafting Life. And This Senfe of the 
 Phrafe is juftified by the Words immedi- 
 ately following the Text, ver. 1 7. For God 
 fent not his Son into the World to condemn 
 the World, but that the World, that the 
 ijohole World, through him ?night be faved. 
 Thofe to whom the Gofpel is aftually 
 preached, have this Salvation clearly of- 
 fered them, unlcfs they reject it by their 
 
 wilful 
 
2o8 Of the Love of GOD 
 
 Se RM. wilful Impenitence. The Jews and Pa- 
 *-^- triarchs had it no lefs certainly^ though 
 more obfcurely, repofited in the expecta- 
 tion of him that was to come : And thofe 
 who never heard either of the Law or the 
 Gofpel, yet have it effedfually laid up for 
 them, (though without their having any 
 prefent Knowledge of it,) in that decla- 
 ration of the Apoftle, that they which have 
 not the LaWy are a Law unto themf elves ; 
 and that their iincircumcijion^ if they keep 
 the LaWy fhali (through the blood of 
 Chriil, though not explicitly made known 
 amongft them,) be counted to them for 
 circiimcijion. Thus God fhall univerfally 
 be juftified, when he appears in Judg- 
 ment; and All months fliall be ftopped 
 before him. 
 
 And This may fuffice for Explication 
 of the id particular that was to be con- 
 fidered in the Text, viz. in what Senfe 
 it is affirmed, that all who believe in 
 Ch?'ijly Jhall not periJJo, but have everlaJU 
 ing Life. 
 
 'Tfdlyy We are in the laft plact to take 
 Notice, that This Salvation of Men by 
 the Coming of Chrift, is afcribed to the 
 antecedent Love of God, the original 
 
 Mercy 
 
towards Simiers, ' 209 
 
 Mercy and Goodnefs of" the Father Al- S e r m. 
 mighty. God Jo loved the World, that he ^PEl, 
 gave his only-begotten Son, that whofoever 
 helieveth in him fiould not peri jh, hut have 
 everlajiing Life. It Is a falfe Notion which 
 fome men have taken up of God, and 
 very injurious to Rehgion, to conceive 
 God In his own Nature to be a fevere and 
 mercilefs Punifher ; to look upon him as 
 a Cruel Exercifer of irrefiftible Power, 
 as an Objed: only of dread and horror ; 
 to imagine, that, contrary to his own In- 
 clination, and as it were againji his Will, 
 he was prevailed upon by Chrifl: to take 
 Pity on his Creatures, as a Cruel and 
 Paffionate Man Is fometimes over-ruled by 
 his Friend, to be better than his Intentiou. 
 No : All This is a very unjuit Reprefe.nr 
 tation of God ; The hard Speeches which 
 ignorant or unrighteous men have fpo- 
 ken againfl: him„ The Scripture on the 
 contrary, as welLas Natural Reafon, al- 
 ways fets forth God as the Supreme 
 Fountain of Goodnefs ; the Preferver, not 
 the Enemy and Deftroyer, of his Crea- 
 tures. 'Twas not the interpofition of 
 Chrifb which changed the Mind of God ; 
 but 'twas the original Goodnefs and Love 
 Vol, II, P of 
 
2IO Of the Love of GOD^ &c. 
 
 S E R M. of God, which appointed for us the Intef- 
 ^"^- pofition of Chrift. To pimiili Sinners, 
 and deftroy Wickednefs out of his King- 
 dom, is indeed the neceflary Office even 
 of That Governour who is Goodnefs it- 
 felf ; and therefore, in order to difcou- 
 rage Sin, he thought iit it fhould be par- 
 doned by no eafier a Method, than by 
 the Incarnation and Death of his Son. 
 Yet 'twas his Goodnefs only that moved 
 him to contrive that Method; and his 
 original Love to his Creatures, that put 
 him upon fo reconciling Mercy with 
 Juflice. God did not hate the World, 
 and fufifer the IntercelTion of Chrift to 
 prevail over that Hatred ; but God loved 
 the World, and therefore gave his only- 
 begotten Son, that whofoever believeth in 
 him ihould not perifh, but have everlafl- 
 ing Life. And hence it is, that the Fa- 
 ther is ftiled (by way of eminence) God 
 our Saviour: Tit. iii. 4, 6. l^he Kindnefs 
 and Love of God our Saviour,—* — which 
 he Jhed on us abundantly through Jefus 
 Chrijl our Saviour. But this is a Subjed: 
 of iiich importance, that it deferves to 
 be treated of more particularly in a fol- 
 
 lowing Difcourfe. 
 
 SERMON 
 
[ 211 ] 
 
 SERMON X. 
 
 Of the Love of GOD towards 
 Sinners. 
 
 St J o H N. lii. 1 6* 
 
 For God fo loved the World-, that 
 he gave his only-begotten Sony 
 that whofoever helieveth in him 
 pDOuld not perijh-i hut have ever-^ 
 lajling Life, 
 
 N difcoufling upon thefeSERMi 
 Words, I have propofed tO 
 confider the following parti- 
 cular's j i/?, how and iii 
 what fenfe it is prafuppofed 
 in the Text, that without the Coming of 
 Chrift into the World, men could not but 
 have periflied, zdl)\ In what Scnfe it is 
 V o L II, P 2 affirmed. 
 
^12 Of theLovQof GOD 
 
 5 E R M. affirmed, that All who belieije in hinl 
 ^' fhall not perifli, but have everlafting 
 Life. And ^^fyy ^^^^^ this Salvation of 
 Men by the Coming of Chrift, is afcri- 
 bed to the Antecedent Love of God, the 
 Original Mercy and Goodnefs of the Fa- 
 ther Almighty. God fo loved the World, 
 that he gave his otily begotten Son, that 
 whofoever believeth in him, fhould not 
 periih, but have everlafting Life. The 
 Tv^o former of thefe Proportions I have 
 already difcourfed of; and fhall therefore 
 at this Time proceed directly to the 
 Third ; namely, to obferve, that in the 
 Words of the Text, the Salvation of 
 Men by the Coming of Chrift, is exprefs- 
 ly afcribed to the Antecedent Love of 
 God, the original elTential Mercy and 
 Goodnefs of the Father Almighty. God 
 fo /oi;^^3Wfie World, that ^^^^i;^' his only- 
 begotten Son. And This is neceflarily to 
 be obferved, in Vindication of the elTen- 
 tial Good?ieJs of God, w^hich is one of the 
 primary Attributes of the Divine Na- 
 ture; and in oppofition to thofe, who 
 while they think they magnify the Re- 
 demption purchafed by the Blood of 
 Chrift, (which can never indeed be too 
 
 much 
 
towards Sinners. 213 
 
 much magnified in a confiftent manner,) S e r m. 
 
 X. 
 
 feem to forget the equal Neceffity, of ^* 
 
 maintaining at the fame Time all the ori- 
 gmal Attributes of God ; and are not fuf- 
 ficiently aware of the Danger of reprefent- 
 ing one Method of God's adling, as incon- 
 liftent with another-, or any of God's adlions 
 fo^ as to be contradidiory to his Nature or 
 any of his Attributes. For lince Truth can- 
 not be contrary to itfelf ; and every true 
 Do(ftrine mufl: of Neceflity be agreeablcj 
 and in perfed: harmony on all fides with 
 every other true Dodlrine whatfoever ; 'tis 
 of the utmoil importance to Religions 
 that we take Care never to reprefent any 
 one part of its Dodrine in fuch a manner, 
 as to deflroy another 5 leail That alfo in 
 its turn dertroy the prefent Notion ; and 
 fo Both give Advantage to the fceptical 
 Unbeliever. 'Tis not eafy to imagine, 
 how much Religion has frequently fuftered 
 by this very means 3 and what occalion 
 has been given to the profane Adverfary 
 to blafpheme, whilfl the unwary carrying 
 particular Doctrines too far, and pref« 
 fmg them by Arguments not well con- 
 fiftent with other Doctrines of equal Ne- 
 ceflity , have afforded too plaufible 
 P 3 Grounds 
 
214 Of the Love of GOD 
 
 S E R M. Grounds of Objediing againft the Whole. 
 ^- What I am now fpeaking of will beft 
 
 ^^^^ be underftood, by injlancing in fLirticu- 
 lar Injiances. The Jiijiice of God may 
 feem to be moft highly magnified, by 
 fuppofing that it puts an abfolute Neccjji- 
 ty upon him, either of infliding an in- 
 finite Punifhment, or of demanding an 
 infinite Satisfad:ion. But they who fo 
 fpeak, ought at the fame time to confider 
 on the other hand, that they leave no 
 room either fiDr Goodnefs or Mercy : 
 And that the Scripture on the contrary 
 always fpcaks, even of the Satisfad:ion 
 of Chriji^ not as a Price or Equivalent 
 which made our Pardon due by a Claim 
 of Right ; but as a Means yr^^/y appoint- 
 ed, and freely accepted, by the mere 
 Mercy and Compaffion of the Father; 
 who, as Supreme Governour of all things, 
 remits voluntarily of his own Right, in 
 what Meafure and upon what Terms he 
 pleafes. 
 
 I N like manner the Grace of God, 
 fomc Men imagine they greatly magnify, 
 when they afcribe to its operation the 
 whole and entire Progrefs of every good 
 ^ork. But if they would look at the 
 
 fame 
 
towards Sinner's, 215 
 
 ilime time on the other part of the Queft- S e r h. 
 ion, they might find, that by leaving no- ^• 
 thing at all for the Will of Man to do, 
 they make him to be a Subjed no more 
 capable of Religion, than the Beafts 
 that perifh, or even than lifclefs Matter 
 itfelf. 
 
 Again; The Merit of good Works^ 
 which the Church of Rome boafts of, is 
 indeed effeftually deftroyed, by making 
 good Works to be of no importaJtce at all 
 towards Juftification, and by afcribing 
 the Whole to Faith only. But they who 
 fo deflroy Merit, fliould not be ignorant, 
 that at the fame time and with the fame 
 Argument, taking away the Necefiity of 
 Virtue and of good Manners, they de- 
 ftroy alfo the very Foundation of all Re^ 
 ligion. 
 
 T o give an inflance or two of another 
 kind. The Authority of Councils^ or of 
 any humane Power, to determine Matters 
 of Faith, is indeed a moil effectual 
 Means of putting a perpetual flop to 
 all kinds of Schifm, and to all Divifions 
 whatfoever in Matters of Religion : But 
 he that ufes this Argument againfl an 
 Adverfary before him, ought not to be 
 P 4 unaware, 
 
2i6 Of thehbvtof GOD 
 
 S E R M. unaware, that there is another behindKimy 
 •^ who makes ufe of the very fame Argu- 
 ment even with greater rorce againlt 
 Him ; For the Church of Rome has plain- 
 ly the greateft and the mofl univerfal 
 Weight of human Authority^ which God 
 ever permitted to opprefs fair and im- 
 partial Inquiry after the Truth. 
 
 A GAIN J the Divinity of Chriji^ may 
 feem to be moft earneftly and zealoully 
 contended for, by thofe who confound 
 it with the Supreme Independency and 
 Self-exiftence of the Perfon of the Fa- 
 ther : But if they confidered on the other 
 hand, how in fo doing they either de- 
 ftroyed the moft Fundamental Principle 
 of all Religion, the Wiity of God j or 
 elfe the firft Principle of Chrijiian Reli- 
 gion, the Being of the Son of God j it 
 would appear that they knew rightly, 
 neither the Father nor thq Son. 
 
 Lajily j T o inftance in the Do6:rine 
 of the Text, the Coming of Chriji into 
 the World for the Redemption of Man- 
 kind \ It may feem indeed at firft fight to 
 be a pious extolling the Love of our Sa- 
 viour, and the Greatnefs of the Work 
 he undertook j to aggravate the natural 
 
 Mifery 
 
towards Sinners, 21 j 
 
 Mlfery of Mankind, to reprefent in the S e r m. 
 terribleft Colours the Seventy of the Ju- ^• 
 ftice of an incenfed God, and to defcribe 
 the Supreme Father and Creator of all 
 things, as having no Thoughts of Pity 
 or Compaflion towards his perifliing 
 Creatures, till moved thereto as it were 
 againfi his original Intention, by the In- 
 terpofition of Chrift. But they who 
 thus argue, ought on the other hand to 
 be aware, that 'tis no lefs injurious to Re- 
 ligion, to diminifh the original Goodnefs 
 and Compaffion of the Father of Mercies^ 
 than 'tis pious to be worthily fenfible of 
 the greatnefs of the Redemption purchafed 
 by the Blood of Chrift. A true and fm- 
 cere Chriftian will after a confiflent 
 manner magnify the Love of Chrtji in 
 dying for our Sins; and the Mercy of 
 God^ in fending him to die for that Pur- 
 pofe, in choofing and in accepting that 
 Atonement. God yo loved the Worlds 
 that he gave his only-begotten Son , (and 
 the only-begotten Son fo loved the World, 
 that he was willi?ig to be given for our 
 Redemption ;) that whofoever believetb on 
 him^ Jldould not perifl:)^ but have everlajiing 
 Life, The Salvation of Men therefore, is 
 
 owing 
 
2i8 Of ihel^oYQ of GOD 
 
 S E R M. owing both to the Redemption of Chj'iji, 
 ^' who gave himfelf for us j and to the an- 
 tecedent Love and original efTential Good- 
 nefs of the Father Almighty, who was 
 pleafed to appoint and to accept that Sa- 
 crifice. Nor is it fo great an Argument 
 of the Severity of God, that he would 
 not pardon Sinners without the Death of 
 his Son ; as it is of his efTential Goodnefs 
 and Compqjjion^ that he would rather ap- 
 point his Son to die, than that finful 
 man fhould not be pardoned. He that 
 appoints the Means, thereby declares his 
 Choice and Approbation of the Efid •' And 
 if God had not been by Nature, origi- 
 nally and elTentially Good and Merciful, 
 he would no more have accepted any Pro- 
 pitiation for Sin. than he would have 
 pardoned it without any. Mofl unjuftly 
 therefore, and with great Injury to Reli- 
 gion, is God fometimes reprefented as an 
 implacable and cruel Judge, delighting 
 in the deflru6tion of Sinners, till they 
 were taken (as it were) out of his Hands 
 by the Interpofition of Chrift 3 This (I 
 fay) is a very injurious Reprefentation of 
 the Great God and Father of Mercies J, 
 For, the Coming of Chrift was not the 
 
 firft 
 
towards Sinners, 219 
 
 firft Caufe of the Goodnefs and Love of S e b m. 
 God towards us ; but the efTeiitial and "^*- 
 eternal Goodnefs of God was the caufe 
 and reafon of the Coming of Chrift. God 
 fo loved the World, fays our Saviour, that 
 he gave hh only -be gotten Son. It became 
 the Supreme Governour of the Univerfe, 
 to punifh Sin : And yet he fo loved the 
 World, and had fuch CompafTion upon 
 the Work of his Hands, that he was wil- 
 ling to find an Expedient by which finful 
 man might be pardoned and faved, with- 
 out giving encouragement to Sin j and 
 therefore he gave his only-begotten Son, 
 that whofoever believeth on him, JJjould not 
 perifi, but have everlajling Life. 
 
 The words of the Text, are Each of 
 them very emphatically fignificant, and 
 ftrongly expreffive of that glorious Attri- 
 bute of the Divine Nature, his elTential 
 and eternal Goodnefs. God, even the 
 Father and Lord of all things, who dif- 
 pofes all things according to the plea- 
 fure of his own Will, and whofe Anions 
 can be determined by Nothing Without 
 Himfelf J He fo loved the World, was fo 
 moved by the original and eternal Good- 
 nefs of his own Nature, to have Com- 
 ^ palTion 
 
220 Of the Love of GOD 
 
 S E R Mo paflion upon the Work of his Hands 5 that 
 -^' he gavt\ freely and out of mere Bounty, 
 without any Obligation, and without any 
 Conflraint ; he gave his Son out of his 
 Bofonij his only-begotten Son^ the Son of 
 his Lovey to die for the Sins of Men; 
 that fo, though it was not fit, in his Wif- 
 dom and Government of the World, that 
 Sin fliould pafs unpuniHied j yet by this 
 means. Sinners believing on him, and 
 being by him brought to Repentance 5 
 might not perifh, but have everlafting 
 Life. He might juftly have fent his Son 
 to take Vengeance upon a finful World ; 
 to dejiroy it totally^ as he did before in 
 fart at the overthrow of Sodom y and to 
 do it finally^ as he had before done it 
 for a ^ime at the general Deluge, But 
 on the contrary our Saviour declares, that 
 Mercy prevailed over Judgment 5 that 
 God fo loved the World, (that is, was fo 
 moved by his own internal Goodnefs to 
 have cornpallion upon Sinners,) that he 
 fent his Son into the World, not to condemn 
 the World,^ but that the World through 
 him might befaved, Joh. iii. 17. In later 
 Ages, Many have been ufed to fpeak o- 
 therv/iie ^ and to reprefent God as clothed 
 
towards Sinners, 221 
 
 with the mere Severity of a rigorous and S e r m. 
 ftrid Judge, till his Wrath was, (as ic ^^ 
 were, contrary to his own Intention,) ap- 
 peafed and pacified by the Interceffion of 
 Chrifl. And This has made Some very 
 pious Perfons look upcn God as an Objeft 
 of the greateft Terror, vfho on the con- 
 trary ought above all things to be Loved 
 as the moft perfed: Good : For, compa- 
 ratively fpeaking, There is None Good, 
 faith our Saviour, but One, that is, God. 
 To Sinners indeed, fo long as they con- 
 tinue Impenitent, God cannot but be very 
 juflly an Objed: of the utmoft Dread. 
 And fo aifo indeed is even our Saviour 
 himjelf, who died for them : For thus 
 the Scripture emphatically reprefents their 
 Cafe, Rev. vi. 1 6. that they fhall fay to 
 the Mountains and to the Rocks, Fall on. 
 us ; and hide us from the face of him that 
 fitteth on the throne, and from the Wrath 
 of the Lamb. To impenitent Sinners, the 
 Wrath of the Lamb himfelf is no lefs 
 terriblcj, than even the Face of him that 
 fitteth upon the Throne. But on the 
 contrary, to Sinners truly penitent, and 
 to All who lincerely endeavour to obey 
 the Will of God j not only the Love of 
 
 Chrift, 
 
222 Of the Love of GOD 
 
 S E R M. Chriji, which is the mediating Caufe, but 
 ^- the antecedent Love and effential Good- 
 nefs of the Father Almighty^ which is the 
 primary and original Caufe of their Sal- 
 vation, is always in Scripture reprefented 
 and laid before them as a Motive of Gra^ 
 titudey and as a principal Argument to 
 excite in T'hem fuitable Returns of Love 
 and Obedience to Him. In the twentieth 
 chapter of the A5ls^ ver. 24. St Faul calls 
 his Apoftlefliip the Minijiry which he had 
 received of the Lord Jefus^ to teftify the 
 Gofpel of the grace of God : T^he Gofpel 
 of the Grace of God^ i. e. the graci- 
 ous declaration of God's Love and Fa- 
 vour towards Mankind, manifefted by 
 Chrif. In his EpilHe to the Romans, 
 ch. i. ver. i, 3, 5. he ftiles it the Gofpel of 
 Gody concerning his Son Jefus Chrifi our 
 Lord, by whom we have received grace ; 
 Grace, that is, the gracious Manifeftation 
 of God's Compaffion towards Sinners in 
 the Gofpel. Ch. iii. 22, 25. he calls it 
 the righteoufnefs of God, which is by Faith 
 ofjefus Chrifi; who?n God hath fet forth 
 to be a propitiation through Faith in his 
 Bloody to declare his righteoufnefs for the 
 remiffion of Sins that are paji, through the 
 
 for-^ 
 
towards Sin?ters» ^23 
 
 forbearance of God. The Righteoufnefs of^ e r m. 
 
 A.. 
 
 God, in fending Chrift for the remiflion ^• 
 
 of our Sins, is a phrafe that founds harfh 
 in modern language : But in the Jcwifh 
 Speech, becaufe righteous and good men 
 are apt to be moved with compafjion, there- 
 fore they have but one and the fame Word 
 to exprefs both Right eoufiefs and chari- 
 table Pity. From whence, both in the 
 Old and New Teftament, the word Righ- 
 teoufnefs mufl frequently be underftood to 
 fignify, not flrid: Jujiice, but Equity^ 
 Charity, Forbearance , and Compaffion : 
 And particularly in the place now cited, 
 the Righteoufnefs of God in fending Chrift, 
 iigniiies, not any Obligation upon him in 
 fiftice fo to do, but his Goodnefs and 
 Mercy moving him to do it. In the fame 
 Epiftle to the Romans, ch. v. 5, 6, 8, 15. 
 he Thus defcribes the ftate of the Gofpel ; 
 that the Love of God is (hed abroad in 
 our Hearts, becaufe wheJi we were yet 
 without fir ength, in due time Chrift died 
 for the Ungodly y And, that God com- 
 mendeth his Love towards us, in that 
 while we were yet Sinners, Chrift died for 
 us ; And that, as through the offence of 
 OnCy viz. by the Occafion of Adam's Sin, 
 
 Many 
 
224 Of the Love of GOD 
 
 S E R M. Many be dead s (o^ and much more, the 
 ^^^T^ Grace of God and the Gift by Grace^ i. e. 
 the Love and Favour of God, by one Man^ 
 fefiis Chrift, hath abounded unto Many, 
 And ch. viii. 32. He draws an Argument 
 oi further Hope, from this very confi- 
 deration ; He that fpared not his own Son, 
 but delivered him up for us all^ how Jhall 
 he not, with Him, alfo freely give us all 
 things F 'Tis the fame Argument, which 
 the wife of Manoah had of old made ufe 
 of, fudg. xiii. 23. If the Lord were pleafed 
 to kill us, he would ?2ot have received a 
 hur7it-offering at our Hands. Again, in 
 the Second Epiftle to the Cori?tthians^ 
 ch. V. the Apoflle reprefents God, not 
 only as confenting to our redemption by 
 Chrift, and being the original Author of 
 it, ver. 18. All things are of God, who 
 hath reconciled us to himfelf by fefui 
 Chrifi ', but he carries it ftill much fur- 
 ther, ver. 20. As though God did befeech 
 you by Us, we pray you (faith he ^ in 
 Chrifs Jiead, be ye reconciled to God. 
 This is not the Character of a mercilefs and 
 Cruel Judge j to be himfelf not only the 
 Author of man's Redemption by Setiding 
 his Son, but even to befeech us alfo xo 
 
 accept 
 
towards Sinners, 225 
 
 accept him when he is fent ? As I live, S e r m. 
 faith the Lord God, / have no pleafiire in ?^ 
 the Death of him that dicth, but rather 
 that he fhould turn fro?n his Ways and live. 
 Nor are thefe, figurative ExprelTions, or 
 the incidental reprefentations of Single 
 Texts ; but they are the 'wkcle Tefjour of 
 Scripture, inculcating This Notion per- 
 petually, as of the greatejl ijnportance to 
 Religion. Thus tile fame Apoflle St Paul 
 again, in his Epiflle to the Ephefians^ 
 ch. ii. 4, 5, 7, 10, II, 12, 13. God, faith 
 he, who is rich in Mercy, for his great 
 Love wherewith he loved us, even when 
 ive were dead in Sins, hath quickned us 
 
 together with Chrifl j That in the Ages 
 
 to come he tJiight JIjow the exceeding Riches 
 of his Grace, in his Kindncfs towards us 
 
 through Chrifl Jefus : For we are His 
 
 worhnanfhip, created in Chrifl "Jefus unto 
 good works, which God hath before ordain- 
 ed that we fjoiild walk in them ; Wherejore 
 remember that ye being in time pafl Geji- 
 tiles in the fleflo^ who arc called Uncircum- 
 cifon by that which is called the Circum- 
 ciflon in the flefo made by hands, that at 
 that time ye were without Chrifl, being 
 aliens from the commonwealth of Ifrael^ 
 Vol IL Q^ and 
 
226 Of theLoYQof GOD 
 
 S E R M. and Strangers from the covenants of Pro- 
 -^* mife, having 7io hope, and without God in 
 the world; But now in Chrifi fefus ye 
 who fcmetimes were far of, are made nigh 
 by the blood of Chriji. And in 2 T^hef ii. 
 13, 14. JVe are bound to give thanks al- 
 ways to God for you, becaufe God hath 
 
 from the beginning ckofen you to Salvation, 
 
 whereunto he called you by our Gofpel, 
 
 to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord 
 Jefus Chrifi: And ver. 16. Our Lord 
 yefiis Chrif himfelf and God, even our 
 Father, which hath loved us and hath 
 given us everlafiing cojifolation, and good 
 hope through grace, — -Jiablifi you in every 
 good IVord and Work. Again, 2 Tim. i. 9* 
 
 God hath faved us, and called us 
 
 according to his own Purpofe and Grace, 
 which was given us in Chrifi fefus before 
 the World began : And Tit. iii. 4, 6. Af- 
 ter that the Kindnefs and Love of God 
 
 our Saviour toward Man appeared; ■ 
 
 which He Jhed on us abundantly through 
 Jefas Chrifb our Saviour : The expreffion 
 is very remarkable, that fpeaking of the 
 Love of the Father towards us, he calls 
 Him by the Title of Saviour in the frfi 
 place : The Kindnefs and Love of God our 
 
 Saviour^ 
 
towards Sinners. 227 
 
 Saviour, which he fied on us through Je- S e r m. 
 fus Chrift our Saviour. The ^poflle ^^ 
 St John m like manner, i J oh. iii. i, 16. 
 Behold (faith he) what manner of Love, 
 the Father hath beftoived upon us, that we 
 jhould be called the Sons of God : Hereby 
 perceive we the Love of God, becaufe He 
 (that is, Chriji) laid down his Life for 
 us : And ch. iv. 9. very nearly repeating 
 the Words of our Saviour in the Text, 
 In This ( faith he ) was manifejled the 
 Love of God towards us, becaufe that God 
 fent his only-begotten Son into the World, 
 that we might live through Him. Thefc 
 and numberlefs other the like pafTages in 
 Scripture, do fufficiently declare, w^hat I 
 at firft propofed to prove in Vindication of 
 the Divine Attributes, viz. that the Sal- 
 vation of men by the Coming of Chrift, 
 is and ought to be afcribed primarily to 
 the Antecedent Love, and Original eflen- 
 tial Goodnefs of the Father Almighty. 
 God fo loved the World, that he gave his 
 only-begotten Son, that whofoever belie- 
 veth in him, Jhould not ferijh, but have 
 everlafiing Life. 
 
 Vol, n. Q^ I t 
 
228 Of the'Lovzof GOD 
 
 S E R M. It remains that I conclude , with 
 ^* drawing fome ufeful Inferences from what 
 has been faid upon This Subjed:. 
 
 And ly?, From hence we may obferve, 
 that every Dodrine of Truth is confift- 
 ent both with itfelf^ and with every other 
 Truth; and {lands clear of Objedions, 
 equally on All fides. Upon fome Repre- 
 fentatlon^ of the Severity of God^ and of 
 the Mifery of Meit^ Unbelievers have been 
 encouraged to objed : If perfed: Goodnefs 
 be an effential Attribute of the Divine 
 Nature, how then could God, who is 
 infinitely Good, leave all men to perilh, 
 antecedently to the confideration of the 
 Coming of Chrifl? The Anfwer is ob- 
 vious : God did not caufe Men to perifh, 
 but their own Wickednefs made it necef- 
 fary for the Wifdom of a perfed ly Good 
 Governour to punifh and deftroy them. 
 And yet his Juflice and Wifdom were 
 not more fpeedy in condemning them, 
 than his Goodnefs in moving him to find 
 a means of bringing them to Recovery 
 by Repentance, and to Salvation by Chrift. 
 And This Goodnefs did not firft manifeil 
 itfeif at the Coming of Chrill:; but the 
 
 Apoftle 
 
 2 
 
towards Sinners, 229 
 
 Apoftle aflures us k was given us i/iS e r m, 
 Chriji Jefus before the World bcgaji ^ -^• 
 2 Tim. i. 9. It was promifed to Adam^ 
 it was repeated to the Patriarchs, it was 
 declared by the Prophets ; it was fulfil- 
 led in Chrift : And both before and fince 
 the Coming of Chrift, it has been made 
 good to thofe, who obferved the Law^ 
 and who obeyed the GoJ'pcl^ and to thofe 
 who (without the Knowledge of Either) 
 have been (as St Paul defer ibes them ) 
 a Law unto themfehes. In this whole 
 Tranfacflicn, the Goodnefs of God has 
 manifefted itfelf abundantly, in doing 
 what he was by no means bound to do, 
 what no Power could have conjirafned 
 him to do, what to Himfelf was no Be- 
 nefit or Advantage; (For he could as 
 eafily out of the Stones have raifed up 
 Children unto Abraham^ according to the 
 elegant expreffion of St 'John the Baptifi^ 
 as have prevailed with the real Children 
 of Abraham to bring forth Fruits meet 
 for Repentance :) Laftly, 'twas doing 
 That, which brought the greatefi Suffer- 
 ings^ (not indeed neceffarily^ for That 
 would not have been juftj but freely 
 and voluntarily^ upon the Ferfon who was 
 Q_3 mofi 
 
230 Of thehoYtof GOD 
 
 S E R M. mojl dear to him, even his only-begotten 
 i^ and moil beloved Son. And JVhat greater 
 Inflance of Goodnefs and Bounty than 
 This, can poflibly be conceived ? Had God, 
 without requiring any Propitiation at all, 
 freely forgiven all Sins upon Repentance ; 
 This (no doubt) would by all have been 
 efteemed an A.&. fufficiently evidencing 
 that perfed: Goodnefs and Mercy which 
 is an effential Attribute of the Divine 
 Nature : But now, freely and of his own 
 meer Bounty, to Jind out and appo'nrt a 
 Propitiation j is, with regard to his Good- 
 nefs towards C/J, the very fame thing, as 
 requiring no Atonement at all would have 
 been; and, at the fame time, 'tis more 
 agreeable to the Exercife of his Other 
 Attributes, in the Government of the 
 World. Neither therefore is the ejfential 
 Goodnefs of God, in any wife inconfiilent 
 with that Severity againft Sin, which 
 made the Incarnation of Chrift neceffary 
 to mens Salvation j Nor on the other 
 fide is that Severity, wherewith God con- 
 demns men antecedent to their redem- 
 ption by Chrift, at all inconfiftent with 
 the moft perfect N©tion of elTential 
 Goodnefs. 
 
towards Sinners, 231 
 
 idly^ From what has been faid, we S e r m. 
 may obferve, of how great Importance it X. 
 is to Religion, to frame right and wor- ^^^^'^^''^ 
 thy Notions concerning the Attributes 
 and the Adiiom of God. The Foundati- 
 on of Rehgion is the Love of God ; 
 and no Man can love whom he does not 
 think well of. The Service of a Tyrant, 
 is Slavery : And where there is not a Re- 
 verence, mixt with the AfFedion of Love 
 as well as Fear, there the Obedience can 
 be but Formal and External, without the 
 Heart and without Life. 'Tis therefore 
 of the greateft Confequence in Religion, 
 that men entertain not hard and difho- 
 nourable Thoughts of God. To repre- 
 fent God, as chooiing and delighting to 
 make Men extremely miferable, or as be- 
 ing originally and of Himlelf mercilefs- 
 ly fevere, may indeed at firft Sight to in- 
 confiderate Perfons feeni to magnify the 
 Redemption purchafed by Chrift: But in 
 reality, by deftroying our natural Notion 
 of God's effential Goodnefs, it deftroys 
 the firft Principle and Foundation of Re- 
 ligion. God is, of Himfelf, the Father 
 of Mercies : But becaufe, in the All-wife 
 government of the World, it was fit and 
 Q^ 4 neceflary 
 
232 Of the Love ofGOD 
 
 S E R M. neceflliry that Sin fliould not go unpunifli- 
 -^- ed, therefore this Mercy could not be ma- 
 nifefted to us, but thro* the Son of his 
 Love. Yet Hill 'twas the fame God, v/ho, 
 moved by his own Compaflion, fliovv'ed 
 us mercy in his Son; And the Scripture 
 is againil: no perfons more fevere, than a- 
 gainll thofe who fpeak hardly, and un- 
 worthily, of God. One part of the great 
 and final judgm.ent, as reprefented by 
 St yiide^ is to con'vince men of all their 
 hard fpeeches which they have fpoken a^ 
 gainji hifn, ver. 15. And fevere is there- 
 proof given upon this Account to the 
 llothful Servant in the Parable, St Luk. xix. 
 22. Out of thine own Mouth will I judge 
 
 thee J T'hou kncweji that I was an au- 
 
 Jiere man^ taking up that I laid 7iot down, 
 and reaping that I did not fow. And 
 I Sam. ii. 2, 3. There is none Holy as 
 the Lord; let 7iot arrogaticy (in the ori- 
 ginal it is, let not Hard words) come out 
 of your Mouth. And Mai. iii. 13. Tour 
 Words have been font againft me, faith the 
 Lord ; Tet ye fay. What have we fpoken 
 fo much agaitfl thee ? Te have faid. It 
 is vain to jerve God, and what profit is 
 
 it that we have walked mournfully be- 
 
 fore 
 
towards Sinners. 233 
 
 fore him ? 'Tis therefore plainly injurious S e r m. 
 to relisiion, to entertain hard Thouehts of X- 
 God, in diminution of his original and 
 elTential Goodnefs. Neverthelefs on the 
 contrary it ought alfo to be obferved, that 
 'tis equally dangerous for Sinners to pre- 
 funie on the other fide unreafonably upon 
 his ho'^oe and Mercy. For as, before the 
 Coming of Chrift, men flood condemned 
 for their Sim ; fo, after his Coming al- 
 fo fliall they be condemned for their im- 
 pemte?2cy. And as the fufiice of God 
 did not prevent his Mercy from fending 
 a Redeemer to iave all true 'Penitents ; fo 
 his Lonje in Chriji will not prevent his 
 yujlice, from becoming to all incorrt^ible 
 Sinners a confuming Fire. 
 
 '^dly^ From what has been faid, we 
 may learn liow vain That diftindlion is^ 
 which has fometimes been made between 
 Nature and Grace, as if the Gifts of Na^_ 
 ture and thofe of Grace were oppofite to 
 each other; when in reality they are no- 
 thing elfe but the Gifts of the fame God, 
 derived to us originally from the effential 
 Goodnefs of his Nature, and improved in 
 us by his reconciled Goodnefs and Mercy 
 
 through Chrift. 
 
 ji^thly. 
 
234- ^f ^^^ Love of GO D. 
 
 S E R M. ^fhlyy From hence we may obfervc, 
 X- how the SatisfaBion of Chrijl is by no 
 means inconfiftent with the Notion of 
 God's Free Pardon of Sin. For it was 
 not, that the Sattsfa5lion of Chriji did in 
 Stridlnefs of Jullice oblige him to pardon j 
 but on the contrary, his Refolution to 
 pardon Sin determined him freely to ap- 
 point and to accept that SatisfaSlion. 
 
 ^thly, I F God fo loved ZTj, the AppH- 
 cation is eafy, that JVe ought alfo to love 
 Him. And how we are to do 'That, the 
 Apoftle St John tells us, i J oh. v. 3. This 
 is the Love of God, that we keep his Com- 
 mandments, Love towards a Superiour 
 conlifts properly in taking pleafure to do 
 his Will : in delighting to obey him and 
 to do things acceptable to him. Whofo 
 therefore keepeth his Word, in Him ve- 
 rily is the Love of God perfeBed ; here- 
 hy know we that we Are in Him, i Joh., 
 ii. 5. 
 
 Lajily, I f God fo loved us, then ought 
 JVe alfo, after His example, to love one 
 another. And This is the Inference of 
 the fame Apoftle St John, i Joh. iv. 7 — ■ 
 2 1 ; wherewith I Ihall conclude : In this 
 was manifefled the love of God towards us^ 
 
 becaufe 
 
towards Sinners. 
 
 23s 
 
 becaiife that God fent his only-begotten Son S e r m. 
 i?ito the World y that we might live through ^V. 
 
 Him ; Beloved, if God fo loved Us, We 
 
 ought alfo to love one another. If a 7nan 
 
 fay, I love God, and hateth his Brother., 
 he is a Liar j for he that loveth not his 
 Brother whom he hath feen, how can he 
 love God whom he hath not feen ? And'T'his 
 commandment have we from Him, that 
 He who loveth God, love his Brother alfo. 
 
 S E R M O N 
 
[ 237 3 
 
 »r'^I<^^'I''^I'<S5^^C<i?^r<iEL<^^<S?>r<'^^I-<>X^S3i^iS^v'^^]3?3S< 
 
 SERMON XL 
 
 Of Believing in GOD. 
 
 ^$? ^t * ^p *^^ ^& ^& «y» ^? *$• ^» f^ iy* *y« «x* ^p vt • 3^ vt ^& c^ 
 
 Rom. iv. 3« 
 
 ylira/jam believed Goc/^ and it 
 was counted unto him for Righte- 
 oufnefs. 
 
 EL I EF in God is the Foun- s e r m* 
 dation of all Religion both XI. 
 Natural and Revealed. For, ^'^V^ 
 he that cometh to God muji 
 believe that He Is, and that he is a 
 Rewarder of them that diligently feek 
 him. Good Temper and Humanity ^w^j 
 be, and often is the caufe of many vir- 
 tuous Anions ; which, wherever they 
 are found, ought never to go without 
 
 their 
 
238 O/Bdieving in GOD, 
 
 S E R M. their juft commendation : But the fieddy 
 
 XI 
 
 couj'fe of a virtuous and religious life, u- 
 
 niform in all its parts and upon all occa- 
 fions, refilling all the temptations of the 
 World, overcoming all difficulties, and 
 perfevering to the End under all difcou- 
 ragements ; this is a Superftru(flure 
 which cannot be built upon a lefs ftrong 
 Foundation than a firm Belief of a fu- 
 ture State, and an Expedation of the 
 righteous Judgment of God. 
 
 Now, as without Belief in God 
 there can be no Religion ; fo, where there 
 is fuch Belief in God, the Scripture al- 
 ways in courfe fuppofes it accompanied 
 with every other part of true Religion. 
 The Root is always fuppofed to have the 
 Branches joined with it j and where a 
 T^ree is mentioned, 'tis always underftood 
 to be a Tree bearing its proper Fruit. A 
 Man^ never fignifies the dead Body of a 
 Man without the Soul or Life ; neither 
 does Faith in Scripture-phrafe ever 
 mean the bare ProfeJJion of men's Beliefs 
 without evidence of its reality by its Ef- 
 feSis', except only where it is declared 
 to be dead and ufelefs. As the Body, faith 
 5t JameSy without the Spirit ^ is dead-, fo 
 
 Faith 
 
0/" Believing in GOD. 239 
 
 Faith without Works^ is dead alfoy Jam. ii. S e r m. 
 26. As, in 7iatural things, to fepar ate ^^ 
 Caufes and Effefts, to feparate things in 
 their own nature infeparable, to fuppofe 
 the Sun to be without Lights or the Fire 
 without Heat, is unnatural and abfurd : 
 fo, in matters of Keligion and Morality^ 
 to feparate Belief and PraSiice^ to fepa- 
 rate the Obligation to any Duty from the 
 Performance of it, is, morally fpeaking, 
 monftrous and impoffible : the one being 
 as contrary to Reajbn, which is the Rule 
 of Morality, as the other is contrary to 
 the courfe and poflibilities of nature. 
 For this reafon both in Scripture and in 
 common Speech, the Name of any One 
 eminent Virtue is very ufually put for 
 the Sum of ^11 ; and he that in the in- 
 fpired Writings is commended particular- 
 ly for 0?ie Virtue, is not thereby fo much 
 intended to be diflinguifhed for ^hat, as 
 fuppofed to be thereupon indued with all 
 others likewife. Righteoufnefs, which pro- 
 perly iignifies the particular Duty of 
 fair and equitable Dealing between Man 
 and Man, is in Scripture generally ufed 
 for the whole PraAice of true Religion in 
 general. And the Chara(Ser given to 
 
 NoaL 
 
24^ Of Believing In GOD 
 
 S E R M. Noah, Gen. vi. 9. that he was a jufl man ; 
 ^^' IS in the very fame verfe explained to be, 
 that he was a man perfect in his generati- 
 on, and that he walked with God, In hke 
 manner, believing in God j becaufe 'tis 
 the Foundation of Obedieiice to him, and 
 wherever it is ilncere will naturally be 
 attended with fuch Obedience, fignifies 
 therefore the fame as living religioujly. 
 Which, as it is True concerning Religion 
 in general, fo in Chrijiianity in particular 
 it is ilill mere ufual, to put Faith for the 
 whole Pradice of Virtue and Religion ; be- 
 caufe, as the FoundatioJi of Religion in ge- 
 neral is Believing in Gcdy fo the Foun- 
 dation of Chrijiianity in particular, is the 
 Belief of that great j^B of God, the rai- 
 ding his Son from the Dead, in order to 
 judge the World in Righteoufnefs. Which 
 as what the Apoftle obferves, ver. 23. of 
 this chapter : It was not written, fays he, 
 for Abraham's fake alone, that his Faith 
 was imputed to him j or Righteoufnefs : But 
 for Us alfo, to whom it Jhall be imputed, 
 if we believe on Him that raifed up Jefus 
 our Lord from the Dead. This is the rea- 
 fon, why the whole Gofpel i?, in the New 
 T^ejlamenty fo frequently called by the 
 
 Name 
 
Of Believing in GOD, 241 
 
 Name of Faith. The Jewifi Religion S e r m. 
 is, on the contrary, through the whole •^^• 
 New Teftament^ iifually ililed by the 
 Name of Works \ upon account of the 
 numerous external Ceremonies and ritual 
 Obfervations, which, though not in reali- 
 ty, yet, in the opinion and practice of the 
 greater part of that Nation, were the 
 main Body of their Religion, or that which 
 they chiefly and moil eagerly contended 
 for. For fo indeed, both in a?itient and 
 in modern time, the corrupt difpolition 
 of Mankind generally leads them to this 
 one conftant Errour ; to value moji in eve- 
 ry Religion that which is of leaji impor- 
 tance in it 'j opinio/ts or cerejnonies^ which 
 diftinguiih them into different Parties -, 
 and not true Virtue, Righteoufnefs and 
 Goodnefs, wherein all, who are indeed 
 religious, do neceffarily agree. The great 
 Queftion at the firfl preaching of the 
 Gofpel, was, whether the Practice of Vir- 
 tue required by Chrift in his Religion, 
 was fufficient to Salvation, without the 
 continuation of the Jewifi Ceremonies. 
 The Argument ufed by the Apoftle to 
 prove that it was fufficient, was, that A- 
 braham their Father was himfelf faved. 
 Vol. IL R not 
 
24-2 Of Believing in GOD. 
 
 S E R M. not by the Obfervation of the Rkes T^hey 
 
 ^^- laid fuch ftrefs upon ; but by the Pracfllce 
 
 ^^^ of the very fame Virtues which the Go- 
 
 J'pel now requires ; infcmuch that the 
 Scripture exprefsly affirms, that the Go- 
 
 f^el was before preached unto Abraham^ 
 Gal. iii. 8. And this Argument is at large 
 urged in Rom. iv. 3. the prefent chapter, 
 whereof my Text is a part. Abraham's 
 Faith, fays the Apoftle, was reckoned iin^ 
 to htm for right eoufnefs j and it was fa 
 reckoned unto him, not only after^ but 
 ^^r^ his circumcifion, ver. 10. The ac- 
 ceptablenefs of his Faith therefore did 
 not depend upon the covenant of circum- 
 cifion, as the 'Jew^ imagined ; but upon 
 that right and worthy Notion of God 
 from which his Faith proceeded ; and up- 
 on that confeqiient Obedience^ of which 
 his Faith was the caufe ; ver. 20. He fiag- 
 gered not at the promije of God through 
 Unbelief-, but gave Glory to God ; being 
 
 fully perfwaded, that what he had promt- 
 
 fed, he was able alfo to perform ; and 
 therefore it was imputed to him for Righte^ 
 oufnefs. And the Application is ; that it 
 was not written for his fake alone, but for 
 Us alfoy to whom it fhall likewife be impii- 
 
 ted. 
 
0/* Believing in GO D. 243 
 
 ted, if we believe on Hitn that raifed upS er m, 
 ^ XI. 
 
 ye/us our Lord from the Dead; who was -^^• 
 
 delivered for our ofmfes and rofe again for 
 our Jujlif cation. Which laft words are 
 added to fet forth the True Nature of 
 Faith in Chrift. For if the End of 
 Chrift's Death was to deliver us from 
 Sin ; and the End of his RefurreSfion, to 
 bring us unto Righteoufnefs ; 'tis evident 
 that Faith in Chrift is no otherwife of 
 Benefit to us, than as it tends to deftroy 
 Sin^ and eftablifh Virtue. Which fhows 
 the extreme Folly and moft dangerous 
 Error of Thofe, who fet up Faith in 
 oppofition to Moral Virtue ; and make the 
 Gofpel of Chrift a Form of Words only, 
 and an imaginary Speculation^ inftead of 
 being (what the Scripture always repre- 
 fents it) the way of Righteoufnefs and the 
 Holy Commandment. 
 
 Having thus briefly explained the 
 nature and ground of the Apoftle's Argu- 
 ment in general ; we may now eafily un- 
 derftand the meaning of the words of the 
 Text ill particular : Abraham believed 
 God, and it was counted unto him for 
 righteoufnefs, Abraham was the great Ex- 
 ample of Righteoufnefs, fo as to be ftyled 
 
 Vol. II, R 2 in 
 
244 Of Believing in GOD. 
 
 S E R M. In Scripture (by way of eminence) the 
 . ^^ , FrkndofGody ^nd thtF^aher of the Faifh- 
 Rom. iv. y^^^- Eccluf. xliv. 19. He was a great 
 '^' Father of many people ', in glory was thera 
 
 none like unto hi?n, who kept the law of the 
 mo ft High^ and was in covenatit with him^ 
 Now ^This Righteoufnefs, which the Son 
 of Sirach calls keeping the Law of the 
 mqft Highj the Apoftle calls the righte- 
 oufnefs of Faith, in oppolition to that of 
 Works. By the Works therefore which he 
 difparages, 'tis plain he means Kites and 
 Ceremonies, not the Pradiice of Virtue ; 
 and by Believing in God, which he fo 
 highly commends, he means 'True Reli- 
 gion. By adhering to this true Religion, 
 Abraham made proof of his believing in 
 God, which was counted to him for righ- 
 teoufnefs j and/^^, ifweyo believe in God, 
 fliall have it imputed for righteoufnefs 
 unto Us likewife. 
 
 I N order therefore to make this obfer- 
 vation of the Apoftle ufeful to us in 
 Prad:ice, it may be proper to confider di- 
 flindlly, iji, wherein confifted that Faith 
 of Abraham, which the Text fays was 
 counted to him for righteoufnefs j and 
 2dly, What it is, that is particularly re- 
 quired 
 
O/' Believing in GOD. 245 
 
 quired of Us, when we likewife are in S e r m. 
 Scripture commanded to believe in ' 
 God. 
 
 I. N o w the Account which the Scri- 
 pture gives us of the Faith of Abraham^ 
 is this: 
 
 I/?, I T confifted in his believing the 
 true God, the Maker and Governour of 
 the Univerfe, the Lord of Heaven and 
 Earth. The Nations among whom he 
 fojourned, were all Idolaters ; Worfliip- 
 pers of dead men, worfhippers of the 
 Kings who had reigned over them in 
 their life-time: For T^hat was the origi- 
 nal of all the Heathen-Idolatry. Every 
 City or Territory had its own Prince, 
 and the World was divided into fmall 
 Kingdoms. Thefe Kings were honoured 
 by their Flatterers with Honours, during; 
 their hives too nearly divine ; and after 
 their Deaths ^ they were by the ignorant 
 people worfhipped as Gods. The Wor- 
 Ihip paid to fuch Gods of their own ma- 
 king, was accordingly fuperditious ; and 
 the corruption of their manners was an- 
 fwerable to the abfurdity of their religi- 
 cn. From thefe Ahrahatn feparated him- 
 fcjf, and believed in the true God the 
 R 3 Maker 
 
246 Of Believing in GOD, 
 
 S E R M. Maker of all things ; and for the fake of 
 • ^ that Belief forfook his native country. 
 Heb. xi. 8. By Faith Abraham ivent out, 
 jiot knowing whither he went^ and fojoiirn- 
 ed in the land of Promt fe as in a jlrange 
 country j for he looked for a City which 
 hath foundations^ whofe Builder and Ma- 
 ker is God. He believed that the God 
 of the whole World, whom alone he 
 worfhipped, v/as able to prefervr him in 
 the prefent Life, or reward him in ano- 
 ther that fhould come ; and This Faith 
 was counted unto him for right eoufnefs. 
 Some have difputedy whether the Patri- 
 archs under the old Teftament had any 
 exprefs knowledge of the Life to come. 
 But that they had^ the Apoftle's Argument 
 is a plain demonftration^ Heb. xi. 13. They 
 who having y^^;z the promifes afar of\ con- 
 fcff'ed themjelves to be Strangers and Pil- 
 grims in the Earthy declare plainly that they 
 
 fcek a better country y ver. 16. 
 
 idl\\ A s Abraham?, Faith confifled in 
 general in believing the True God^ fo in 
 particular it manifefted itfelf in fuch ABs. 
 of Dependence upon him, as became a per- 
 fon who had jujl and worthy Notioiis of 
 the True God vvhom he ferved -, And for 
 
 Thisj 
 
Of Believing hi GOD, 247 
 
 This, it was counted unto Him for S e r m. 
 righteoufnefs. Thus St Paul exprefsly ■^■^• 
 argues, in the cafe of Abraham's receiv- 
 ing the promife of a Son, Rom. iv. 17. 
 Before hi?n whom he believed^ eve?i God 
 who quickeneth the deady and calleth thofe 
 things which be not, as though they were^ 
 He againji Hope believed ifi Hope, gi- 
 ving glory to God, and being f idly perfwa- 
 ded, that what he had pi^omifed, he was 
 able alfo to perform ; aiid therefore (faith 
 he) it was imputed to him for righteoufiefs- 
 Thus likewife in the cafe of offering up 
 his ^on, the excellency of his Faith con- 
 fifted in This, that it was founded upon 
 that Great Principle of Religion, the ex- 
 pedlation of a Refurrection from the 
 dead. He accounted, faith St FauL that 
 God was able to raife hnn up even from the 
 dead, from whence alfo he received him in 
 a Figure, Heb. xi. 19. Thefe laft words, 
 from whence alfo he received hiju in a Fi^ 
 gure, are by Expoiitors underflood to lig- 
 nify, Ifaac's near efcape from Death, 
 when he w^as juft upon the point of bein?^ 
 offered. But This being an Event not 
 forefeen by Abraham before it came to 
 pafs, could not be to him an Argument 
 R 4 at 
 
248 Of Believing in GOD. 
 
 S E R M. at That Time, to confirm his Faith. And 
 • therefore I think the words will bear an- 
 other fenfe, much more pertinent to the 
 Apoftle's intention. Abraham^ faith he, 
 accounted^ that God was able to raije him 
 up even from the Dead; and he had the 
 more reafon fo to account, becaufe he had 
 already once before receroed him from the 
 dead in a figure 3 namely, at the time of 
 his Birth, when he fprang from Parents 
 as good as dead ; as the fame Apoflle ex- 
 prelTes in the very fame chapter. Abra- 
 ham's Reafoning was This; (and it was 
 very pertinent and ftrong ;) The fame 
 God who could caufe IJiiac to receive 
 life at firil from Pare?its already dead 
 through Age, could as eafily the fecond 
 time raife him to life again, when he 
 hifnfelf iliould be dead. 
 
 '^dly. The Faith of Abraham was not 
 a Speculation or mere Credulity, but a 
 Principle of Obedience and True Holi- 
 nefs. Gen. xviii. 19. /know Abraham, 
 that he will command his children and his 
 houpold after him, and they jhall keep the 
 way of the Lord, to do juftice atid judg- 
 ment ; that the Lord may bring upon A- 
 braham that which he has fpoken of him. 
 
 Thefe 
 
Of Believing in GOD, 249 
 
 Thefe words of God himfelf in the Old S e r m. 
 
 -^ ^ XI. 
 
 XI 
 
 Teftament, are fufficiently clear. But 
 
 becaufe there arofe afterwards fome mif- 
 takes about this matter ; St James, in ex- 
 prefs decifion of a point of controverfy 
 in His time, alleges the very fame ex- 
 ample : Ch. ii. 21. Was not Abraham our 
 Father jiifiijied by Works, when he offered 
 Ifaac his Son upon the Altar ? Seeji thou 
 how Faith wrought with his Works, and 
 by Works was his Faith made perfedi I 
 And the Scripture was fulfilled which faith, 
 Abraham believed God, and it was imputed 
 unto him for Right eoufnefs. 'Tis very re- 
 markable that thefe laft words, which in 
 the Text are cited by St Paul for the 
 magnifying the efficacy of Faith, are at 
 the fame time cited by St James, to fhow 
 the equal neceffity oi Works of Right eouf- 
 nefs. Abraham believed God, and it was 
 imputed unto him for Right eoufnefs. A- 
 braham was juftified by believing in God ; 
 but the Reafon why his Faith was fo 
 highly accepted, was becaufe the FffeB ot 
 it was Righteoufnefs of Life. 
 
 \thly and Laflly, The Faith of Abra- 
 ham is oppofed in Scripture, jull as the 
 Faith of Chriflians is, not to the Works 
 4 of 
 
250 Of Believing in GOD. 
 
 S E R M. of Virtue, but to the Rites and Ceremo-^ 
 ^^- nies of the Law of Mofes. Gal. iii. 7 
 ^^"^^^ They that are of Faith, faith St Faid^ 
 that is, they who believing in Chrift ex- 
 pert Salvation through the real Holinefs 
 of the Gofpel, and not by fuch outward 
 Forms and Ceremonies as the Jews ob- 
 ferved J the fame (faith he) are the chil- 
 dren of Abraham ; ver. 6. Even as Abra- 
 ham believed God, and it was accounted 
 to him for right eoufnefs. And Rom. iv. 13* 
 T!he Promife was not to Abraham or to his 
 Seed through the Law, but through the 
 
 righteoifnefs of Faith : T'o the end the 
 
 PromiJ'e might be fure to all the Seed, not 
 to that ofily which is oj the Law, but ta 
 That alfo which is of the Faith of Abra-> 
 ham, who is the Father of us all. His 
 meaning is : The Promifes of God to 
 Abraham, the Promife of giving him a 
 better Country than that which he went 
 out from ; the Promife of being his God 
 and his exceeding great Reward ; the Pro- 
 Rom. iv. ^^^^ of making him Heir of the World-, 
 '*• (all which, the reafon of the thing iliows, 
 
 and the Apoille in the eleventh to the 
 Hebrews exprefsly declares, to be meant 
 of the heavenly Canaan^ the new feru- 
 
 fakni^ 
 
Of Believing m GOD, 251 
 
 falem, whereof the Land of Promife was S e r m. 
 but a Type and a Shadow j ) Thefe Pro- ■^^* 
 mifes were made to Abraham, not as cir- "^ 
 cumcifcd, not as the Father of the Na^ 
 tion of the Je'ti^ ; but as having that ex- 
 emplary Faith, that firm Belief in the 
 One true God the Maker of all things, 
 that readinefs to obey him in oppofition 
 to the univerfal corruption of an idola- 
 trous World, and that dependence upon 
 God's being finally a Rewarder of them 
 who diligently ferve him without Any 
 Profped: of temporal Advantage ; which 
 made this great man to be defervedly 
 efteemed the Father of all Faithful and 
 Holy Men, who fhould acceptably ferve 
 the fame God, in all Ages and in all Na- 
 tions of the World. 
 
 This is the Account the Scripture 
 gives us of that Faith of Abraharn., which 
 uoas accounted to him for Righteoufncfs. 
 The right Underflanding of which mat- 
 ter removes at once all the Difficulties 
 concerning the Notion of Faith and 
 Works, which has occafioned fo many 
 vain controverfies in the Chriflian World ; 
 and at the fame time may ferve to in- 
 ilrud; us, (which was the 
 
 4 JL Second 
 
^52 Cy Believing In GOD, 
 
 S E R M. 11. Second thing I propofed to fpeak 
 •^^' to ;) what it is, that is particularly re- 
 
 ^'''^^"'^ quired of Us, when We likewife are in 
 Scripture commanded to Relieve in God. 
 And this evidently implies, 
 
 ly?. Believing his Being : That is ; 
 not only, in a Speculative manner, be- 
 lieving that there is an infinitely Perfed: 
 Being, in the notional v^ay wherein Phi- 
 lofophers defcribe him, wliich may eafiiy 
 be feparate from any religious AfFedtion j 
 but 'tis having upon our Minds a conftant 
 Senfe of his being, in the moral fenfe, 
 the Supreme Governour, and righteous 
 Judge of the World. T'his Belief of the 
 Being of God is That only, which be- 
 caufe it will certainly produce the Fruits 
 of Virtue, fhall therefore certainly be ac- 
 counted unto us for Righteoufnefs. 
 
 zdly. The Duty of Believing in God 
 implies, not only our believing his Being, 
 and his being Governour and Judge of 
 the World j but alfo that we have worthy 
 and honourable Apprehenfions of his Na- 
 ture afid Attributes. For when any man 
 thinks he believes in God, without at- 
 tending at the fame time to thofe Per- 
 fed;ions and Excellencies, which conili-- 
 
 tute 
 
0/* Believing in GOD, 253 
 
 nite the true and real Notion of God, he S z r m„ 
 deceives himfelf with that empty flillacy ^3^ 
 of putting Words for Things ; and inftead 
 of placing his Religion in obeying the 
 Commands of the True Governour of the 
 Univerfe, by the Practice of all Holinefs, 
 Righteoufnefs, and Virtue ; he will be 
 apt to content himfelf with worihipping 
 he knows not what^ and he knows not 
 how^ with a blind Superftition, without 
 Underftanding, and without any real im^ 
 provement in Goodnefs. This is natural- 
 ly the Effe6t of afcribing Abfurdities to 
 God, as thofe of the Church of Rome 
 do in the matter of Tra?iJub/ia?itiation ; 
 or of teaching things concerning him 
 contrary to the common and obvi- 
 ous Notions of Righteoufnefs and Good- 
 nefs, as thofe have done, who contend 
 for the Dodrine of abfolute and un- 
 conaiuonate Fredefiination. The Reli- 
 gion of fuch men ufually confifts more 
 in an ufelefs amazement of Mind, than 
 in any real Pra(5tice of Virtue : Than 
 which, nothing can be more difhonour- 
 able to God, or more injurious to Reli- 
 gion. For if a wife and good man had 
 rather his Name lliould not be mentioned 
 
 at 
 
254 Of Believing in GOD. 
 
 Serm. at all, than that there fhould be joined 
 ^*^ with it a Charadler contrary to Wifdom 
 and Goodnefs ; much more muft it needs 
 be unacceptable to God, that men fliould 
 frame of him fuch Notions as are not 
 honourable to Him ; and ferve him with 
 fuch a Religion, as is of no True Benefit 
 to I'hem. God governs the natural World 
 with abfolute Power and Wifdom ; and 
 the moral World with perfedt Righteouf- 
 nefs, Juftice, and Goodnefs. In the imi-^ 
 tation and Pradice of thefe Virtues con- 
 fifts the true Effence of Religion towards 
 77ien ; and in the acknowledgment of, and 
 dependence upon, thefe Perfections of the 
 Divine Nature, confifts True Faith to- 
 wards God, Herein confifleth the Faith 
 of Abraham ; that, in the midft of an 
 Idolatrous World, he conftantly retained 
 this Notion of the One invifible God of 
 the whole Univerfe j and trufted in him, 
 and ferved him, and obeyed him accord- 
 ingly, in all Holincfs and Righteoufnefs 
 of Life ; depending upon a remote and 
 invifible Reward ; and therefore he was 
 ftyled, the Friend of God, and was fet 
 forth as a perpetual Example of True 
 Faith to all fucceeding generations. Look 
 
 at 
 
Of Believing in GOD. 255 
 
 at the generations of old, faith the Son of S e r m. 
 Sirach, and fee ; did ever any truft in the ^^' 
 Lordy and was confounded? or, did any 
 abide in his fear, and was forfaken ? or 
 whom did he ever defpife, that called upon 
 him ? 
 
 '^dly. Believing in God, fignifies 
 believing his Revelations alfo, as w^ell as 
 what Nature teaches concerning Him, 
 The Obligations of revealed Religion 
 are founded upon the fame ground as 
 the obligations of natural Religion j and 
 they mutually ftrengthen and confirm each 
 other. By the didlates of Nature it was 
 reafonable to expeft that God v/ould 
 vouchfafe to make more clear to men his 
 Will by Revelation ; and in all true Re- 
 velation is contained a fuller enforce- 
 ment and more ftrong confirmation of 
 the Law of Nature. Men therefore 
 who in Chriflian countries, where the 
 Gofpel is preached, pretend to believe in 
 the God of Nature, and yet at the fame 
 time rejed: the revelation of the Gofpel^ 
 which is fo agreeable to and perfedlive of 
 the Law of Nature j do, generally fpeak- 
 ing, in pretenfe only, and not in reality^ 
 fliow any more regard to natural than 
 
 to 
 
256 0/* Believing in GOD. 
 
 S E R M. to revealed Religion 5 falling for the 
 ^^' moft part into abfolute Atheifm. Where- 
 
 ^^ as they who ferioufly believe, and prac- 
 tife the Duties of natural Religion, are 
 generally difpofed to embrace alfo con- 
 fequently the Revelation of the Go/pel. 
 Thofe whom the Father, the God of 
 Nature, draweth, come eafily to Chrijf, 
 who is the Author of the Gofpel. The 
 only thing neceffary here to be obferved, 
 is, that for preventing with due care the 
 Frauds and Impofitions of men, who 
 have fometimes attempted, (as particu- 
 larly in many Inftances in the Church of 
 Rome ;) to impofe their own Inventions 
 inftead of Divine Revelation j diligent in- 
 quiry ought always to be made into the 
 evidence of the FaBs, and into the nature 
 and reafon of the thijig. For a dodrine, 
 even not unreafonable in itfelf, yet is not 
 to be admitted as a Divine Revelation 
 without good evidence of the FaB : Nei- 
 ther on the contrary can any pretenfe of 
 evidence of Fa6l, be fufficient for the 
 admiilion of a Doftrine impojfible or ab~ 
 furd in itfelf. Tranfubftantiation has no 
 evidence of being revealed : But had 
 there been never fo great an appearance 
 
 of 
 
Of Believing in GOD. 257 
 
 of Evidence for it, yet it could not be S e-R m. 
 received, becaufe the manifeft Ahfurdlty ^^• 
 of the thing w^ould always be a flronger 
 Argument againji its being an Objedt of 
 Faith, than any other Evidence could be 
 for it. Every Revelation muji be agree- 
 able to the Nature of God^ and to the 
 pojjibiltty of things. Our Saviour himfelf 
 alleges it as an Argument for the Proof 
 of the Truth even of his Miracles them- 
 felves J that his Do6trine was diredlly 
 contrary to the Powder and Intereft of evil 
 Spirits, and tended in its ov^^n Nature to 
 the Glory of God, and to the Benefit 
 of Men : Otherwife the Objection of the 
 Pharifees would have been of fome forc^e, 
 that he caft out Devils by the Prince of 
 the Devils. In the Old Teftament^ the 
 greateft Difficulty of This kind is the 
 Inftancc of Abraham offering up his Son ; 
 which if it was a thing unalterably evil 
 in itfelf, it may be objed:ed could never 
 be a Revelation from God. For the 
 clearing of which it is therefore to be 
 ohlerved, that of things Evil or Immo- 
 ral there are three forts. Some things 
 are Evil, only becaufe prohibited by a 
 pofitive Law j and thefe it is evident are 
 Vol, IL $ no 
 
258 Of Believing in GOD. 
 
 S E R M. no Ipngcr evil, than the Law which for^ 
 ^^' bids them continues in Being. Other 
 things are Evil unalterably in their own 
 Nature ; even fo as that it would be a 
 dire<5t contradidion and abfolute impofli- 
 bility to fuppofe, that God fhould at any 
 time whatfoever, or upon any occafion% 
 command them : Such are Hatred of 
 God and Goodnefs^ the worjhip of Falfe 
 Gods^ a malicious or cruel 'Temper of Mind ; 
 and the like. Now between thefe two 
 forts of Evils there is a third ; which is 
 not only evil, becaufe contrary to any 
 politive Law, but contrary alfo even to 
 the Law of Nature itfelf : Yet not fo un- 
 alterably^ but that in fome particular 
 circumftanpes, when exprefsly command- 
 ed by the God of Nature, it may ceafe 
 to be contrary to that Law. And of this 
 kind, is the taking away the Life of an 
 innocent man j as in the cafe of Abra- 
 ham and his Son. Which though con- 
 trary to the Law of Nature, to be done 
 by the Will of Man, or of any Power on 
 Earth j yet may without any inconfiften- 
 ey be in a particular cafe commanded by 
 God : Becaufe God who gaije life, may 
 take it away when he pleafes, either by 
 
 a fia^e 
 
(y Believing in GOD, 259 
 
 a natural Difeafe, or by any other In- S e r m. 
 ftrument which he thinks fit. Only he ^^- 
 who in fuch a cafe fhall pretend to be 
 an Inftrument in the hand of God, muft 
 fhow a CommiHion or Revelation, as clear 
 as was That to Abraham : Otherwife all 
 Impiety and Superftition may be brought 
 in the place of Religion; as thofe of the 
 Church of Rofne, under pretenfe of doing 
 fervice to God, are perpetually deftroying 
 the beft of his Servants. 
 
 /{.thly and Lajlly ; A s believing in God, 
 fignifies believing his Revelations^ as well 
 as his Nature and Attributes -., fo it al- 
 ways includes Obedience to him like wife, 
 when it means That Faith which fhall be 
 counted to us for Righteoufnefs. Abra- 
 ham's Faith^ faith St 'James^ wrought with 
 his Woi'ks^ and by Works was his Faith 
 made perfedl. And concerning Ours in 
 like manner St P^z// declares, Rom.x. 10. 
 With the Heart man believeth unto Righ- 
 teoufnefs, a?2d with the Mouth confefjion is 
 fjmde unto Salvation. 
 
 V Q L. 11. S 2 S E R. 
 
[ 26l ] 
 
 SERMON XII. 
 
 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 T IT. ii. II, 12. 
 
 "Por the Grace of God, that bringeth Sal- 
 'uatiofj, hath appeared to all men : 
 'Teaching us, that denying Ungodlinefs 
 and Worldly Lujis, we fiould live Jh- 
 berly, right eoujly and godly , in this pre^ 
 fent World. 
 
 )? N the Firji Chapter of This S e r m, 
 Epiftle, the Apoftle inftruds ^^^• 
 7itus in the particulars- of ^"''^'^'^ 
 his own Duty ; exhorting 
 him to be diligent mjludying, 
 iledfaft in holdi?jg fajl, painful in teach- 
 ing, and, above all things, exemplary in 
 S 3 praBifj7g 
 
262 Of theGr^ctof GOD, 
 
 S E R u, praBifing the Chriftian Dodrine. In the 
 -^*^' feco7id chapter, he direds him what in- 
 ^^'^ ftrudlions he {hould give to Others-, to 
 perfons in every circumftance of Age, 
 and in every Station of Life ; That men 
 of all Ranks and Conditions whatfoever, 
 of all degrees and of all capacities, might 
 know how, by a fuitable Behaviour, to 
 adorn in all things the DoBrific of God 
 our Saviour ; whofe kindnefs and hove 
 has been Jhed on us abundantly, through 
 Jefus Chrift our Saviour, ch. iii. 6. The 
 Apoftle, I fay, having in l^his, and in the 
 foregoing chapter, inftrucfled both T^itus 
 himfdf and thofe who were under his 
 charge, in the Great Branches of Moral 
 Duty ; he proceeds in the words of the 
 Text to i?iforce the PraSlice of thofe 
 Duties by this emphatic al Argumejtt -, 
 that the very End and Defign of the Go- 
 fpel of Chriji was to teach men the ne- 
 ceflity of fuch Pradice : To teach them, 
 that denying iingodli fiefs a fid worldly Lujis, 
 they jhould live foberly, righteoufly and 
 godly, in this prefent World ; Looking for 
 that Blejfcd Hope, and the Glorious Ap- 
 pearing oj the Great God, and our Savi- 
 our Jefus Chrift j TVho gave hi mf elf for us, 
 
 that 
 
Of the Grace of GOD. 263 
 
 that he might redeem us from all iniquity^ S e r M. 
 and purify unto himfelf a peculiar people, •^"' 
 :zealous of good Works. 
 
 Sobriety, Righteoufnefs, and God- 
 linefs, are the Efids for the promoting 
 whereof, Chrift came into the World. 
 Whatever therefore in Any Profeflion of 
 Religion tends not to promote thefe Ends, 
 is ufelefs and deceiful: Whatever tends in 
 any degree tofriijirate them, is pernicious 
 and dejlru^ive. By This Rule, may ea- 
 fily be tried the real and ifitrfnfick Value 
 of every doSlrine % by This, may be 
 weighed the degree of dangeroufnefs of 
 every Errour, in Religion. Every No- 
 tion and Speculation whatfoever, every 
 Form and Ceremony of Any Kind, every 
 external Rite , every inward Opinion, 
 concerning Faith, or Grace, or the Me- 
 rits of Chriji, or any other Do6lrine what- 
 ever it be : So far as it leads and influen- 
 ces Men to be more truly virtuous and 
 good, to have a more conftant Senfe of 
 God upon their Minds, to be more fober 
 and temperate, to have a more ilridl Re- 
 gard to Truth, Juftice, Equity and Cha. 
 rity, in the whole Courfe of their Adii- 
 ous ; fo far it makes them better Chrifli- 
 S 4 ans. 
 
264 Of the Grace of QOD. ' 
 
 S E R M. am. But if, on the contrary, any of 
 ^^J^ thefe things be ( as they too frequently 
 are, among All ProfelTions of Men j If 
 they be ) at any time looked upon as Equi- 
 valents, to be accepted of God in the 
 roofn and in the Jlead of true Virtue ; 
 they are Then really deftrudlive of all Re- 
 Mat. v. 19. ligion. For whoj'oever ( fays our Lord ) 
 Jhall break one of thefe Leaf Command- 
 ments^ ( fpeaking of the eter7ial Duties 
 of the Moral Law,) and fiall teach men 
 fo , ( that is , fhall upon Any pretenfe 
 whatfoever teach men to look upon Other 
 things as of more importance than thefe ;) 
 he jlmll he called the heajl in the Kingdom 
 of Heaven ; that is, he fhall of all men 
 be the fartheft from ever entring therein, 
 The Reafon why Chrift gave himfelf for 
 us^ was, that he might redeem us Jrom all 
 iniquity y and pur if e unto Htmfelf a pecu- 
 liar people, zealous of good Works. The 
 Caufe, for which was revealed that Blef- 
 fed Hope, and the glorious Appearing of 
 the Great God^ and our Saviour Jefus 
 Chrijiy was, that it might be an effedual 
 Support to men in the PraBice of Virtue^ 
 under the various Temptations of a viti- 
 ous and unrighteous World. The End 
 
 and 
 
Of the Grace of G D. 265 
 
 and Dejign, for which God's gracioiifneji S e r m-. 
 towards men in the Forgivcfiefs of Sins -^"• 
 Was declared in the Gofpel, was to tench 
 us the neceffity of Obedience for the future, 
 and to incourage us in our fincere Ended- 
 njours after it. 'The Grace of God, that 
 bringeth Salvation, hath appeared to all 
 men ; Teaching us, that denying Ungodli- 
 nefs and Worldly Lujls, ive Jhould live fo- 
 berly, right eoujly and godly, in this prefent 
 World 
 
 In the following Difcourfe upon Thefe 
 Words, I fhall ift explain What is meant 
 by the Grace of God. And 2dly, I fhall 
 confider, How This Grace of God 
 Teaches us j teaches us in a peculiar and 
 emphatical manner ; that, Denying Vngod^ 
 linefs and Worldly Liijis, we fioidd live fo~ 
 berly, right eoufly and godly, in this prefent 
 World. 
 
 I. I N the Firfi place, the proper Signi- 
 fication of the word Grace, is Favour : 
 Favour mfuch a fenfe, as denotes Mercy 
 and Good?2efs in a Superiour, either remit- 
 ting fomewhat of his Own Right, or cofi- 
 f erring fomewhat Beneficial upon O- 
 thers J freely, and without Any obligati- 
 on 
 
266 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 SERM.on of Debt. And becaufe ^his may be 
 ^^^' done after various manners, and in a great 
 ^'^^ diverjky of Injiances ; hence the word 
 Grace in Scripture, is accordingly appli- 
 ed, in a proportionable diverjity of Signi' 
 Jications. 
 
 Sometimes it lignifies thofe extra- 
 ordinary Gifts and Powers of the Holy 
 Ghoft, by which the Apoftles were ina- 
 bled to demonjlrate the Truth of their 
 CommiJJion, to preach their DoBrine with 
 Authority^ to convince Gainfayers with 
 Evidence^ to govern the Churches by a 
 proper diftribution of different Trufis and 
 Offices. And the G///5 or Powers, by 
 which the Apoftles were inabled to do all 
 thefe things with extraordinary Efficacy 
 and Succefs, are Therefore called Grace^ 
 becaufe they are not at all Natural Acqui- 
 fitions, but Free Gifts of God% diftributed 
 to every one feverally, not according to 
 the Will o1 Man, but at fuch times, and 
 in fuch proportions, and to fuch Pcifons, 
 and for fuch Purpofes, as God himfelf 
 pleafed. Thus Rom. i. 5. 5)' whom we 
 have received Grace and Apoftlcfhip, for 
 Obedience to the Faith among all Nations. 
 That is ; Who has gracloufy been pleafed 
 2 to 
 
Of the Grace of GO D, 267 
 
 10 fend forth Us the Apoftles, to preach S e r m, 
 with mighty Works and Demonftration •^^^* 
 of the Spirit, in order to bring back the 
 Nations to the Knowledge of God and 
 to the Pra(^ice of Virtue, by the Argu- 
 ments and Motives of the Gofpel of 
 Chrift. In like manner, ch. xii. 6. lia^ 
 'ding then Gifts, differing according to the 
 Grace that is given to us, (that is, accord- 
 ing to the good pleafure of God in diftri- 
 buting thofe Gifts j) whether it be prophe^ 
 cy, let us pt'ophefy^ (or whatever Gift it 
 be, let us imploy it diligently,) according 
 to the proportion of Faith, i. e. according 
 to the Nature and Ufe of the Gift or Pow- 
 er or Trufl committed to our Charge or 
 Fidelity : So the word Faith evidently lig- 
 nifies in This place ; and above, in ver. 3. 
 according as God has dealt to every man the 
 Meafure of Faith, i. e. according to the 
 nature and degree of the Power commit- 
 ted to every man's l^rufi or Faithfulncfs, 
 Had This fi^nification of the "word been 
 generally attended to, which is manifeftly 
 the Apoftle's true meaning ; it might 
 have prevented abundance of weak and un- 
 intelligible things, which have fometimes 
 been fpoken concerning God% givijtg men 
 
 Faiths 
 
268 Of the Grace of GOD, 
 
 Serm. Faid\ and the like. But This, by thd 
 XII. ^ay. Another remarkable Paflage of the 
 fame Apoftle, where the word Grace 
 plainly fignifies again the extraordinary 
 Gifts of the Spirit, is in Eph. iv. 7, 1 1; 
 Unto every one of us is given Grace, ac- 
 cording to the Meafure of the Gift of 
 
 Chrif: And he gave Some Apojiles, 
 
 and Some Prophets, and Some Evange- 
 lifis, and Some Paflors and 'Teachers. 
 This therefore is the Firfi Senfe, wherein 
 the word Grace is frequently ufed in the 
 'New Tefiameiit : It denotes the extraordi- 
 nary Powers wherewith God was graci-^ 
 oufy pleafed to indue the Apoftles, in or- 
 der to inable them to propagate the Go- 
 spel with Authority and Succefs. 
 
 In Other Paflages, the fame word is 
 made ufe of to fignify That extraordina- 
 ry Affiftance and Support, which Cod has 
 fometimes been pleafed to afford his Ser- 
 vants, under extraordinary Difficulties 
 and Trials. And This is called Grace^ 
 becaufe confidered as given particularly 
 upon extraordinary occafions, over and 
 above the general Supports arifing irom 
 the Confiderations of Reafon, and frorii 
 the Motives and Promifes of the Gofpel in 
 
 general. 
 
Of the Grace of GO D. 269 
 
 veneral. Thus when St Faul under fonie S e r m, 
 particular Afflidion and Diflrefs, which J!r^ 
 he calls The Mefj'enger of Satan to buffet 
 him, prayed with repeated importunity 
 to have this Trouble removed from him j 
 The Lord faid unto him, 2 Cor, xii. 9. 
 My Grace isfufficientfor thee. And when 
 our Saviour foretells his difciples, that 
 they fhould be perfecuted and brought be^ 
 fore Kings and Rulers for His name's fake -, 
 he tells them at the fame time, which is 
 another Inilance of This Grace or Graci- 
 ous Goodnefs of God, which will not fuffer 
 men to be tempted above what they are 
 able ; He tells them they need not be fol- 
 licitous, what Anfwer to make; For the 
 Holy Ghoft fhould teach them in That Hour^ 
 and He himfelf would give them a Mouth 
 and Wifdom, which All their Ad^oerfaries 
 fhould not be able to gainfay or refif ; 
 Luke xii. 1 1 ; and xxi. i^. 
 
 A Third (cnk, wherein the word Grace 
 is fometimes made ufe of in the New Te^ 
 ftament, is to exprefs fuch Moral Virtues^ 
 as are the 'Effects of men's being influen- 
 ced by the Spiritual Motives of the Go- 
 fpcl \ and the 'Practice of wliich, pre- 
 ferves men in the Favour of God, and 
 
 rcconi«. 
 
270 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. recommends them to his Gracious Accept- 
 ^^' ance. Thus Eph. iv. 29. Let no corrupt 
 ^^^1^ Co'mmunication proceed out of your Mouth, 
 but that which is good to the U/e of edify^ 
 tTig J that it may minifter Grace unto the 
 Hearers ; That is, that it may promote 
 the Practice of Virtue in the World. And, 
 a Fet. iii. 18. Grow in Grace ; That is, 
 improve more and more in all virtuous 
 Behaviour, which may render you Ac' 
 ceptable in the Sight of God, After the 
 fame manner of fpeaking, the Apoftle 
 ^t Paul^ 2 Cor. viii. i, ftiles the extra- 
 ordinary liberality of the Macedonian 
 Churches to the Poor, the Grace of God 
 bejlowed on them. And his diredion to 
 'TituSy to perjwade the Corinthians to imi- 
 tate that exemplary liberality, he tha 
 exprefles, ver. 6, M'^e defred T'itus^ that, 
 as he had begun ^ fo he would alfo finifo in 
 you the fame Grace aljo. And then he 
 adds his Own exhortation, ilill in the ve- 
 ry fame Style, ver. 7. 'therefore as ye a- 
 bound in every things in Faith, in Utter^ 
 ance J and Knowledge^ and in all Diligence y 
 and in your Love to Us , fee that ye abouJtd 
 in This Grace alfe^ the Grace of Libera- 
 lity and Charity. In thefe Paflages, 'tis 
 
Of the Grace of GOD. ^71 
 
 as evident as poffible, that the word Grace S e r m. 
 denotes the 'very fame^ as Chrifiian or "T, 
 Moral Virtue, And Moral Virtues are 
 plainly yor T'his reafon called by the name 
 of Grace, becaufe they proceed from and 
 tixtfoujided in sl Regard to God in gene7'al^ 
 and in particular to his Will revealed un- 
 der the Gracious Difpenfation of the Gofpel 
 of Chrijl, They are the Effe&s of men's 
 Converfon to God \ the Effeols of all the 
 external and internal Influences of the 
 Gofpel ; the Fruits of the Spirit. And 
 not only in the Language of Scripture^ 
 in the Apofiles times j but even at T^hii 
 day, in common Speech, the word {Grace') 
 fiill retains in many Cafes the fatne Signi- 
 fication. Thus when abandoned and de* 
 bauched perfons are vulgarly filled Grace-> 
 lefs'y the Intent of That denomination 
 never is to excife, but always to aggra-t 
 vate the Fault of the perfons fo ftiled. It 
 never means any Defedt on God's part, as 
 if He afforded them not the Capacities 
 of Religion and Virtue ; but always on 
 their own part only, that All the Means 
 and Afliflances of Religion are beftowed 
 on them in 'vain, and have not Influence 
 fufiicienr to reform them,. 
 
 To 
 
Of the Gmc^ of GOD. 
 
 To proceed : Another Signification of 
 the word Grace in Scripture, is to exprefs 
 that merciful Acceptance of Repentance 
 and Amendment^ whereby God is plea- 
 fed, not out of any obligation of Juftice, 
 but in gracious Goodnefs, to reftore men 
 to his Favour. In T'his fenfe, St Paul 
 1 Cor. XV. fays o{ Hhnfelf 1 ajn not meet to be cal- 
 led an ApojUe, becaufe I perfccuted the 
 Church of God : But by the Grace of God, 
 (that is, by his gracious Acceptance of my 
 fincere Intentions,) / am what I am. In 
 like manner, when the Doclrine ofChnik:, 
 Joh. i. 17 ^s diftinguiflied from the Law oj Mofes, 
 is by the Evangelill: flyled Grace and 
 Truth ; and when the ApQjlles Preachings 
 Ads xiv. is by St Luke called The Word (or De- 
 ^- claration) of God's Grace ; and when St 
 
 Rom.iii. P^2^/ declares, that repenting Sinners ^^<? 
 ^"^^ juftifed freely by his Grace ; and blames 
 
 thofe, as the moft pernicious Perverters 
 of his Dodlrine, who think they may 
 Rom. vi. continue in Sin^ that Grace may abound ' 
 ■• 'Tis evident the word Grace, in all thefe 
 
 PaiTages, fignifies That merciful and com* 
 pa'ijionate difpofition of the Divine Na* 
 ture, whereby God freely remits of his 
 Right of Punijlmxent ; and receives peni- 
 
Of the Grace of G OD. 273 
 
 tent Sinners upon more gracious T'erms^ S e r m. 
 and to greater degrees of his Favour, than ^^1. 
 he was bound to do by any obligation of 
 Jujlice. 
 
 And hejice it is, that, in the Laji place, 
 the Go/pel itfelf as being the Great and 
 Standing Declaration of God's Mercy and 
 Good fiefs towards men, Ihown forth in 
 the free Pardon and Forgivenefs of Sin, 
 upon the gracious Terms of Repentance 
 and Amendment ; hence the Gofpel itjelf 
 
 1 fay, is in the New Teftament very fre- 
 quently meant by This Phrafe, the Grace 
 of God. Thus Col. i. 6. Since the day ye 
 heard of it, and knew the Grace of God 
 in T'ruth : That is, from the Time ye 
 were inftruded in the DoSirine of the 
 Gofpel. And 2 ^hef ii. 16. Our Lord 
 yefus Chrift himfelf and God even our 
 
 Father^ hath given us good Hope 
 
 through Grace ; that is, through the gra- 
 cious Promifes of the Gofpel. Again; 
 
 2 Tim. ii. i. T'hou therefore, my Son, be 
 jlrong in the Grace that is in Chriji ye- 
 fus, (that is, Be Faithful and Diligent, 
 
 in preaching the Gofpel ;) And the things 
 
 that thou hafl heard of Me,— —the fame 
 
 commit thou to Faithful men, who Jhall be 
 
 V o L II. T able 
 
2 74 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. able to teach Others alfo. In like manner 2 
 
 ^^^- the Prophets -prophecyi?ig of the Grace 
 
 1 Pet. i. ^'^^^ Pdould cofiie^ is, their foretelling the 
 
 '°- Revelation of the Go/pel. And Some a- 
 
 mong the Galatians^ falling from Grace ; 
 means their rejefting the Privileges of the 
 Gofpel oj Chriji^ vv^hen they claimed to 
 be jujiifed by their obferving the Cere- 
 monies of the Jewijh Law. To give but 
 one Inftance more : The Queftion St Paul 
 puts, Rom. vi. 15. Shall we firiy becaufe 
 we are not under the Law, but under 
 Grace ? is, in fenfe, plainly This : Shall 
 the Mercy ^ the CompaJJion and gracious 
 Goodnefs of God, declared in the Gofpel 
 much more exprefsly than under the 
 Mofaick Law-, {hall it be an incourage- 
 ment to us to continue in Sin ? God for- 
 bid. And Thus therefore likewife in the 
 words of the Text : 'fhe Grace of God, 
 that is, the gracious DoSlrine of the Go- 
 fpel, has been declared to all men 5 Teach^ 
 ing us, that 'Denying Ungodlinefs, and fo 
 on. The Apoftle here very exprefsly 
 explains his own words. He is not fpeak- 
 ing of l^hat Grace of God, which ope^ 
 rates in or upon men ; but of 'T'hat Grace 
 vviuch Teaches them, that Denying Un- 
 J godlinefs 
 
Of the Grace of GOD. 275 
 
 godlinefs and Worldly Lufts, thty Jbou Id S 2 rm. 
 
 //i;^ jbberly, righteoujly, and godly in this ^^*" 
 
 prefent World. 
 
 The Additional words, (which bring- 
 eth Salvation,) are, in the Original, of 
 ambiguous conftrudiion -, and may equally 
 lignify, either, as we render them, T^he 
 Grace of God that bringeth Salvation^ 
 hath appeared to all men ; or, I'he Grace 
 of God hath appeared, bringing Salvation 
 tmfo all tnen. If we underftand them in 
 the former fenfe, (The Grace of God 
 that bringeth Salvation, hath appeared 
 to all men ;) they are ^hen of the fame 
 import with thofe other expreffions, 
 Rom. X. 18. T'heir Soimd is gone forth into 
 all the Earth, a?id their Words unto the 
 Ends of the World-, and Col. i. 23. T^he 
 Hope of the Gofpel which ye have heardy 
 and which was preached to every creature 
 under Heaven. If they are underflood in 
 the Latter {zwiQ \ (The Grace of God hath 
 appeared, bringing Salvation utito all 7nen ;) 
 the meaning of them Then is the fame> 
 as in the folloiving Expreffions of Scrip- 
 ture J that Chrift has abolified Death, and 
 hath brought Life and Immortality to 
 Light through the Gofpel -y that God will 
 
 V L II. T 2 have 
 
276 Of the Grace of G OD, 
 
 S E R M. have All mm to be faved, and to come to 
 ^r}l the Knowledge of the I'ruth ; being not 
 'Willing that Any fjould periJJj^ but thai 
 All fiould come to Repentance. In which- 
 foever of thefe two fenfes the words of 
 the Text be taken ; the Meaning of them, 
 upon the whole, amounts to the Same ; 
 that the Defign of God in the gracious 
 Declarations of the Gofpel, is to bring 
 all men^ by the Promife of Pardon, to 
 Repentance and Amendment here^ and 
 thereby to eternal Salvation hereafter. 
 The Senfe of the Propofition is plain : 
 The only difficulty here, is that which 
 arifes, and indeed very obviouily, from 
 comparing the aBual Event of things, 
 with the Declarations of God's gracious 
 Intention and Defign. If God defigned by 
 the gracious Terms of the Gofpel to 
 bring all men to Salvation ; how comes 
 the Extent of it to be confined within fo 
 narrow a Compafs, and the EJe^ of it 
 to be in experience fo inconfiderable, even 
 where in Profeflion it feems to have uni- 
 verfally prevailed ? The Anfwer to This, 
 is J that in all ;/7(^nz/ matters, the hiten- 
 tion or Dcfgn of God, never fignifies (as 
 it does Always in Natural things) an 
 T Intention 
 
OftheGx^ctofGOD. 277 
 
 Intention of the Eve?it, aSiually and m- S £ r m. 
 
 ce [far ily to ht ace ompli (lied ; but (which '^^^• 
 
 Alone is confident with the nature of Mo- 
 ral things,) an Intention of all the Means^ 
 neceffary on His part to the putting That 
 Event into the Power of the proper and 
 immediate Agents. For inflance : With 
 intention that all men fhould a(ft reafon- 
 ably, God indues them with the Faculty 
 of natural Reafon. The Event, whether 
 after This they will a5l reafonably or no, 
 mujl depend upon their own Choice and 
 Care : Becaufe the very Faculty or Power 
 of a<5ting reafonably, does necejfarily and- 
 ejfentially include in it a Power of a<fling 
 like wife unreafonably. The cafe is the 
 very fame with refpedl to the Method of 
 bringing men to Salvation by the GofpeL 
 God has commanded the Gofpel to be 
 preached to the whole World. The mer- 
 ciful Conditions, and the gracious Means 
 and Afjiflances of the Gofpel, ^ltq fuficient 
 to bring all men to Salvation ; except fuch 
 as either wilfully reje^ it, when fairly 
 and reafonably propofed to them ; or who 
 frofefjing to embrace it, yet obey it not^ 
 For, as for Thofe to whom it was either 
 T 3 never 
 
2 7 B Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E '^ M. never af ally or (which is much the fame 
 ■^^^- thing,) never reajonably preached, their 
 cafe is exaftly the fame with regard to 
 the Gojpely as the cafe of fuch others is 
 with regard to Natural Reajon^ who ei- 
 ther totally or in great meafuie want 
 That natural Faculty. Every man fhall 
 be accepted according to what he Hath, 
 and not according to what he hath not, 
 2 Cor. viii. I2. God therefore Wto/6 all 
 men to be J'aved j ( juft in the fame man- 
 ner as he willeth all men to adl ratio- 
 nally.) And yet This does not hinder 
 them from dejlroying themfelves by wil- 
 fully rejeSiing That Salvation. For tho' 
 the Grace of God has indeed appeared to 
 all men, and is fuficient alfo to bring all 
 men to Salvation ; yet it effects This no 
 otherwife than by T^eachitig thein^ as the 
 Apoftle proceeds in the Text, (which is 
 the Second Particular I propofed to con- 
 lider ;) teaching them, in a peculiar and 
 emphatical manner, that denying Ungod- 
 liiiefs and worldly Lujls, they JJjould live 
 Jbberly, righteoujly, and godly, in this 
 prej'ent World. 
 
 II. N o w 
 
Of the Grace of GOD, 279 
 
 II. N o w How the Gofpel does This, S e r m. 
 is not a point which needs much tnlarge- ■^^^• 
 ment, 'Tis what our Saviour and his 
 Apoilles inculcate in the whole New 7V- 
 Jlament, from the One End to the Other.- 
 The PraSiice of Virtue^ or Living fober^ 
 /v, righteoiiJl)\ and godly, is the E?2d and 
 Defign of all Religion. God is Himfelf 
 a Being of infinite Holinefs and Good- 
 nefs , and by no other way than by imi- 
 tating thefe Perfediions can Any Crea- 
 ture become acceptable in his Sight. By 
 the Light of Nature and Reafon there- 
 fore, men are bound to the Practice of 
 thefe Virtues, But becaufe their very 
 Beji Performances are always defeBive ; 
 and Thofe who have tranfgrejfed in any 
 plain Inftanccs, fland in need of parti- 
 cular Pardon j and Methods of mens own 
 Invention to appeafe the Anger of God, 
 had continually introduced numberlefs 
 vain and delufive Superjlitions ; therefore, 
 in compaflion to the Weaknefs of Man- 
 kind, and to cure thefe Great Evils, God 
 was pleafed to fend them an Inftrudor 
 from Heaven, to teach them in a ??iore 
 effeBual manner than any ever before 
 T 4 difcovered. 
 
2 So Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S ERM. difcovered, how that denying TJngodlinefs 
 iy\^ ^«^ worldly Lufts^ they Jhould live fiber- 
 ly, righteoujly^ and godly^ in this prefint 
 World. The Gofpel, I fay, teaches us 
 ^his^ in a method more effectual than 
 Any foregoing: By giving, even to the 
 Meanejl Capacities, the plaineft and ful- 
 left, the perfedteft and moil diftind Ac- 
 count, of the Excellency and Extent of 
 Moral Virtue j as in our Saviour's Ser- 
 mon upon the Mount. By giving, even 
 to perfons of the Lowefi Abilities, clear- 
 er Inftrudions concerning the Nature 
 and Perfecfions of God, than were ufu- 
 ally attained even by the moft Learned 
 Philofiphers amidft the dark Superftitions 
 of the Pagan World. By fhowing to aH 
 men, that God is ,a Being of purer Eyes 
 than to behold iniquity; So far hating 
 Wickednefsj as that he did not think fit 
 to pardon Sin without fo great a Tefti- 
 mony againfl it as the Death of his Son ; 
 And yet, at the fame time, of fuch eA 
 fential Mercy and Goodncfs, that he would 
 rather give his own Son a Ranfom for 
 Sinners, than not find a method of par- 
 doning them, confident with the Wif- 
 
 dom 
 
Of the Grace of GOD. 281 
 
 dom of his infinite and eternal Govern- S e r m. 
 ment. By giving us confequently the ^^-^ 
 Example of Chrijly in his Life, and in 
 his Sufferings j the AJfifiances of his Spi- 
 rit ; the AlTurance of a Reward for 
 Virtue^ in a happy immortaHty j and a 
 more exprefs declaration of his Wratk 
 from Heaven againfi all Vnrighteoufnefi 
 and JJngodlitiefi of men. By T^hefe Means 
 does the Gofpel in the moft effedtual 
 manner T^each us, T^hat denying Ungodlinefs 
 and worldly Lujis, we fiould live foberly, 
 right eoufly, and godly in thisprefent Worlds 
 And to Them who are thus taught by it, 
 and to Them only, it is the Grace of God 
 which bringeth Salvation, 'Tis unto 
 Them, as the fame Apoflle elfewhere ex- 
 prelTes it, the Savour of Life unto Lije = 
 but unto the Wicked, the Savour of Death 
 unto Death. 
 
 SERMON 
 
[ 283 ] 
 
 SERMON XIII. 
 
 Of the Grace of G O D. 
 
 
 jWigtgjgtjagE.JBeefaaetgagfgcet. 
 
 Phil. ii. latter part of the 12th, 
 and the 1 3 th verfe. 
 
 Work out your own Salvation with 
 Fear and Trembling ; For it is 
 God which worketh in you^ both 
 to will and to doy of his good 
 pleafure, 
 
 HERE is no one Queflion S e r m. 
 in the whole Syftem of Di- ^^}^ 
 vinity, which has raifed 
 I greater Controverfies in the 
 Church of God, than That 
 concerning the Extent of the Grace of 
 
 God 
 
 s^-^V"^ 
 
284 Of the Grace of GO D. 
 
 Serm. God and the Pcmer of Man, Borne ^ in 
 XIII. Qffjej. to vindicate God from beine the 
 Author of Sin, have been fo follicitous to 
 maintain the perfedl Freedom of Meris 
 Faculties, and their Liberty of choofmg 
 Good or Evil, that they either have^ or 
 have been thought to have^ diminifhed 
 from the abfolutenefs of the Sovereignty, 
 or from the Efficacy of the Grace of God, 
 They have been thought, I fay, to dimi- 
 niili from the Grace of God. For whe- 
 ther they have really done iOy or only 
 by their Adverfaries been reprefented as 
 doing fo J is not very evident. In almoft 
 all Controverfies, what Men fay for 
 ^hefnj elves, and what their Adverfaries 
 infer or reprefent them as faying, are ge- 
 nerally two very different things : And 
 they who will not be at the pains to con- 
 iider diftincftly what each fide alleges for 
 itfelf but will judge of Either by the 
 charader or reprefentation made of it by 
 the Other only ; will for ever be led into 
 erroneous judgments concerning Men and 
 Things, and continue unavoidably igno- 
 rant of the True State oi the Matter in 
 Queflion, whatfoever it be. Whether 
 
 therefore 
 
Of the Grace ofG OD, 285 
 
 therefore They who in Antient Times S e r m. 
 were reprefented as D enters of the Grace ^^^I* 
 of Gody were rightly charged with fo do- 
 ing or no, does not certainly appear ; be- 
 caufe the Ground of that charge, was on- 
 ly their aflerting the Freedom of the Will 
 of Man J which though their Adverfariei 
 judged to infer a Denial of the Sufficien- 
 cy of the Power or Grace of God, yet 
 perhaps T'hey Themfelves faw no fuch Con- 
 fequence of it. However That be ; O- 
 therSy in the contrary Extreme, that they 
 might be fure not to afcribe too little to the 
 Efficacy of ihe Divine Grace, have fup- 
 pofed men to have no natural Towers at 
 all of Ading or Willing, no Ufe of the 
 original Faculties given them at their 
 Creation, no Liberty of Will or Freedom 
 of Choice, in matters of Morality and Re- 
 ligion. By which Doctrine they have 
 confequently, (even themfelves feeing and 
 acknowledging the confequence,) introdu- 
 ced an ablblute Necejjity or Fatality upon 
 Men's Adions. From whence it follows, 
 in the next flep of dedudtion, (though 
 This indeed they are not fo willing to 
 fee j) but in Truth it does neceffarily and 
 
 unavoidably 
 
2 86 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. unavoidably follow ; that God himfelf, 
 ^^^^' and not Ma?!, will be the Author of 
 oin. 
 
 Something not unlike to This, 
 has happened in another Queftion con- 
 cerning the Liberty of the Will of Man^ 
 and the Prefcience or Foreknowledge of 
 God. Sofney confidering that without 
 Liberty of the Will, there can be no Re- 
 ligion, no Virtue or Vice, no juft Punifh- 
 ment or reafonable Reward, have, in 
 order to remove an Objedlion which they 
 judged would otherwife lie hard againft 
 fo important a Truth, denied, or Teemed to 
 deny, God's foreknowledge of future and 
 free Events. Others on the contrary, in- 
 tent upon magnifying the Glory of the 
 Divine Attributes, and follicitous to fe- 
 cure the including all poffible future E- 
 vents within the Compafs of God's Fore- 
 knowledge, have affirmed all the Adions 
 of Men to be Neceflary and Determined 
 abfolutely, by a Chain of certain and un- 
 alterable Caufes. The Confequence of 
 which unavoidably is, that Man in rea- 
 lity is no mere capable of Morality or 
 
 Religion, 
 
Of the Grace of GOD. 287 
 
 Religion, than a Beafl tjiat periflies, or S e r m, 
 than a lifelefs Machine, ^^W, 
 
 The Truth, in Both thefe controver- 
 iies, is ; that there is Something in Each 
 part of the Queflion, which muft needs 
 be acknowledged to be True ; and yet *tis 
 equally neceflary that it be always fo only 
 acknowledged, and fo only underftood, as 
 to be confiftent with what on the Other 
 part of the Queftion muft at the fame 
 Time, and for the fame Reafons, of Ne- 
 ceffity be acknowledged too. For other- 
 wife, we do but indeavour to eftablifh 
 One Truth at the Expenfe of Another ; 
 which, at the conclulion of the Argu- 
 ment, is not indeed confirming Either of 
 them, but deftroying Both. Thus, for in- 
 ftance, the Freedom of Men's Will, what- 
 ever be the Nature and the Degree of that 
 Freedom, muft upon no account be any 
 thing in any wife inconfiflent with any of 
 the PerfeBions of God ; becaufe the At- 
 tributes of the Divine Nature are Necefa^ 
 ry in themfelves, abfolutely and unaltera- 
 bly, and antecedent to the Producflion of 
 all created Beings. And on the other 
 fide, 710 Attribute of the Divine Nature^ 
 
 fuch 
 
288 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. fuch as Forekfiowledge in particular, can 
 •^"^- poffibly be fuch as to take away the Liber^ 
 ty of the Will of Man ; becaufe then it 
 would confequently deftroy fome of the 
 Other equally neceflary Perfecflions of 
 God, fuch as Juftice and Goodnefs, 
 which cannot poffibly be deftroyed. Since 
 therefore neither the Foreknowledge of 
 God^ nor the Liberty of Man^ can with- 
 out a plain contradi(ftion be denied j it 
 follows unavoidably, that the Foreknow- 
 ledge of God muft be of fuch a Nature, 
 as is not inconliflent with the Liberty of 
 Man. That is to fay ; it cannot be a 
 Knowledge of the fame fort of Species, 
 as is the Knowledge of neceflary and de- 
 termined Events, arifing from a View of 
 the whole Chain or Series of NecelTary 
 Caufes producing thofe Events : but it 
 mufl be a Knowledge quite of another 
 Nature ; a Power, difficult indeed for 
 Us to frame a clear conception of, but 
 yet not impoffible to have a Notion of in 
 general. For as a Man who has no in- 
 fluence over Another perlbn's Adlions, can 
 yet often perceive beforehand what That 
 Other will do \ and a wifer and more ex- 
 t> perienced 
 
Of the Grsict of GOD. 2 
 
 perienced Man, will ftill with greater Serm. 
 probability forefee what Another, whofe -^^"v 
 Difpolition he is perfed:Iy acquainted 
 with, will in certain Circumftances do ; 
 and an Angel, with flill much lefs degrees 
 of Errour, may have a farther Profped: 
 into Men's future Actions : fo 'tis very 
 reafonable to apprehend, that GW, with- 
 out influencing Men's Wills by his Pow- 
 er, yet by his Forelight cannot but have 
 as much Certainer a Knowledge of fu- 
 ture Free Events, than either Men or An- 
 gels can poffibly have, as the PerfeSiion 
 of His nature is greater than that of 
 1'heirs. 
 
 In like manner, in that Other queftl- 
 on, which is the Subjed-matter of my 
 Text: Whatever Power Men be fuppo- 
 fed to have in the Ufe of their natural 
 Faculties, 'tis evident it cannot be fuch 
 as in any wife to diminifh the Senfe they 
 ouo^ht to have of their continual Depen- 
 dance upon God-, bccaufe thofe very Pow- 
 ers and natural Faculties, are themfehes 
 entirely the Gift of God, and not any 
 thing at all of our own procuring, as of 
 our J elves. So that thofe who have been 
 
 Vol. II. U charged 
 
290 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. charp;ed with afcribinp; the tnofi to the 
 "YTir *-> J 
 
 ^^^^* Power of Men's own Wills, did not per- 
 
 haps (as their Adverfaries conceived) in- 
 tend to derogate any thing from Men's 
 true Dependance upon God ; For it can- 
 not be imagined that any reafonable Men 
 fhould contend, (neither did their Argu- 
 ment require it,) that any One fhould in 
 any Adion, or in any Degree, be Inde- 
 pendent on his Maker. On the other 
 fide ; whatever be fuppofed to be the 
 Power and Efficacy of the Grace of God^ 
 even where it has the moft effectual Influ- 
 ence J yet it muft upon no account be 
 ♦ underflood to be fuch as to over-rule the 
 Liberty of Men's Will and Choice, and 
 render their Adions necejfary-y becaufe 
 This would be to remove the whole 
 Foundation of Religion, by entirely de- 
 flroying the Morality of Men's Acti- 
 ons, and taking away the very Nature 
 of Virtue and Vice. Since therefore 
 neither the Influence of the Divine 
 Grace, nor the proper Power of Men in 
 the ufe of their natural Faculties, can 
 without an evident contradidion be de- 
 nied ; it follows unavoidably, that the 
 
 Grace 
 
Of the Grace of GOD, 291 
 
 Grace of God muft of neceflity always be S e r m. 
 ijnderftood to have the nature of a moral -^i^l- 
 AJfifiance only, which does perfedlly a- 
 gree with Men's Free life of their FaciiU 
 ties ; and that it is not in the nature of a 
 phyfical compulfion, which is altogether 
 inconfillent with Men's doing any thing 
 thewfehes. The Apoflle perfectly ex- 
 prefTes this whole Notion, in the Words 
 of the Text : Work out your own Salva^ 
 tio7i with Fear and 'Trembling ; for it is 
 God that worketh in you both to will and 
 to do, of his good pleafure. He does not 
 fay, Work out your own Salvation your- 
 felves, as having no Need of the Grace 
 of God : Neither does he fay on the con- 
 trary, The Grace of God worketh All i^z 
 you, and therefore ye need not do any thing 
 yourfelves : But, afcribing to each pare 
 its proper Office, he fays, Work ye out 
 your own Salvation, becaufe the Grace 
 of God (the Motives and Affiftances 
 of the Gofpel) gives you Power fo to 
 do. 
 
 The principal Argument alleged by 
 Thofe, who think the Influence of the 
 Divine Grace to be/o efficacious as to ne- 
 
 VoL, I, U a cejitate 
 
292 Of the Grace of G D, 
 
 s 
 
 E R M. cejfifate Men's Adions, is, that it feems 
 XIII. j-Q xhem unworthy of the Supreme Pow- 
 er, Sovereignty and Majefly of God to do 
 any thing ineffectually, or to permit Any 
 A(5t of His to be refijled and frufirated 
 by the Power of frail and mortal Men. 
 And, were the Power of God the matter 
 in queftion, This Argument would in- 
 deed be undoubtedly good. But in Moral 
 matters, where whatever is not done njo- 
 luntarily and without Compuljion, is not 
 done at all, the cafe is very different. 
 For in thefe matters, to influence a Mo- 
 ral Agent with fuch an EfHcacy as cannot 
 be refijled, is entirely to deflroy the Mo- 
 rality of the Action, to take away the 
 whole Nature of Virtue and Vice, and 
 to make all Reward or Punifhment im- 
 pofTible or unjuft. So far therefore is it 
 from being unworthy of God, to forbear 
 exerting his irrefiftible Power in thefe 
 Cafes ; that, on the contrary, it would 
 be altogether unworthy of him to exer^ 
 cife That Power; becaufe it would be a 
 fubverting of his whole Defign, in crea- 
 ting rational and intelligent Beings at ail. 
 Moral Agents, muil be influenced only 
 
 by 
 
Of the Grace of GOD, 293 
 
 hy Moral Motives ; by Reafon and Argu- S e r w. 
 ment, by Perfwafion and Convidiion, by ^^^^' 
 Hopes and Fears. The Efficacy therefore ^ ^ ^ 
 of the Grace of God, can confift onh in 
 laying before men firong Arguments for 
 their CoJividiion^ and giving them fuffi- 
 cient Helps and Affijlances to overcome 
 whatever would hinder them from ading 
 according to fuch convidion. Any other 
 influence than what is of this jnoral na- 
 ture ; any Influence that amounted to 
 Force^ and could not be refifled 5 far from 
 being truly effcacious to make Men good 
 and njirfuouSy would on the contrary 
 make it as impojjible for them to have any 
 Virtue or Goodnefs at all, as it is that a 
 Clock or a Watch fhould be virtuous and 
 praife-worthy. 
 
 The Sum is This: In order to give 
 God his due Honour and Glory, and to 
 keep up in Men's Minds a jufl Senfe of 
 their continual Dependance upon him ; 
 'tis neceffary that we at all times acknow- 
 ledge, that all our Powers and 7iatiiral 
 Faculties themf elves are entirely at iirfl 
 derived to us from God's free Goodnefs, 
 and continually preferved to us merely by 
 U 3 the 
 
294 ^f ^^^ Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. the fame good pleafure ; and that neither 
 ^^^I* our Being, nor any Power we have, is 
 
 ^^"^^^'in any wife owing to Ourfelves: That, 
 much more, tvtry fupernatiiral Sufficien- 
 cy, every extraordinary Degree of Affill- 
 ance, every r^'u^^/^'^Means of Knowledge, 
 every New Motive to Virtue or Deter- 
 ment from Vice, every DireSliott or Gui- 
 dance in the way of Life which we re- 
 ceive from the Knowledge of things /«- 
 'vifible, and from the kind Influence of the 
 Divine Spirit ; is wholly the G//?, or Grace 
 of God : That the Promife of Heaven and 
 of eternal Happinefs zx all, as the Reward of 
 our befl Endeavours and moft perfedl Ser- 
 vices, if fuch were pojjible to be performed 
 by us J that even ^his alfo is merely God's 
 free Bou?ity, and undeferved Gift, to un- 
 profitable Servants : All This, I fay, is of 
 ncceffity to be acknowledged, in order to 
 give God his due Honour and juft Glory. 
 
 A T the fame time, that the Nature of 
 Virtue and Vice may not be taken away ; 
 'tis alfo of no lefs neceffity to be acknow- 
 ledged , that as the natural Faculties 
 wherewith God hath originally endowed 
 Men, are in their own Power either to 
 
 make 
 
Of the Grace of G OD. 295 
 
 mcike life of or to negledi ; fo the fuper- S e r m. 
 natural Afjijiances afforded Men by the •^^^^' 
 Revelation of the Gofpel, and by the In- 
 fluence of the Divine Grace, are ftill but 
 in the Nature of Afjiflances^ which may 
 either be complied with or rejeBed : And 
 the Gift of eternal Life, as 'tis theyr^^Gift 
 of God , which Men could not poffibly 
 deferve, or claim, by virtue of any Work 
 or Duty which they were capable of per- 
 forming ; fo it is not 2i forced Gift, impo- 
 fed upon them whether they will or no ; 
 but Juch a free Gift, as requires the co?i^ 
 ciirrence of their own Endeavours ^ in 
 applying and making Ufe of the Divine 
 Affiftance which inables them to obtain 
 it. For this reafon, the Apoflle St Peter 
 exhorts men to grow in Grace^ as a Duty 
 depending upon their own Endeavours ^ 
 2 Pet. iii. 18 J and St Paul admonifhes 
 Men , not to quench or grieve the Holy 
 Spirit of God, who will not forcibly 
 flrive with Thofe which refift his good 
 Motions J And Men are frequently bla^ 
 med in Scripture for receiving the 
 Grace of God in vain j for reflating the 
 U 4 Holy 
 
296 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. Holy Ghojly and for rejeding the Coiinfel 
 
 ^^^^- of God againjl themfehes. 
 ^"^''^^^^^ The Catife of erroneous Opinions, in 
 This and moft other queftions about 
 which there have at any time been raifed 
 any controverlies, is generally This; 
 that Men attending to 0?2e point only, 
 and being follicitous to oppofe ftrongly 
 fome particular Errour, have been apt to 
 do it in fuch a manner, as has carried 
 them out beyond the Truth of the Argu- 
 ment, and prevented them from guarding 
 againfl: being expofed to Errour in fome 
 contrary Extreme. Thus in difputing 
 againfl the Errours of the Church of 
 Rome, incautious perfons have frequent- 
 ly been betrayed by an unwife Zeal to 
 make ufe of fuch Arguments, as they 
 were not aware might at the fame time 
 be alleged by Others of an oppofite Per- 
 fwafion, with the fame Force againfl 
 themfelves. And nothing is more com- 
 mon, than for Others on the contrary, 
 in the heat of Controverfy with fome of 
 their Brethren who differ from them, to 
 draw fuch Arguments from Church-Au- 
 thority, and General Councils, and the 
 
 like: 
 
Of the Grace of G OD. ^97 
 
 like ; as they are not enough fenfible S e r m, 
 may on any other occafion be ufed a- XI^I- 
 gainft Themfelves by Thofe of the '^''^^'^ 
 Church of Rome, with at leaft as Great 
 and perhaps Greater Force. Thus in 
 like manner in the prefent cafe j If Any 
 perfons, foUicitous to maintain the Liber- 
 ty of Man's Will, have at any time af- 
 ferted fuch a Power in Men's Ufe of their 
 natural Faculties, as to make them not 
 dependent upon God ; or fuch as may of 
 Right claim the Reward of Heaven, and 
 not of Free Grace and iindeferved Pro^ 
 mife J Thefe indeed, (if any Such have 
 been, and they have not rather been mi^ 
 Jiaken by their Adverfaries,) Thefe, I fay, 
 going about to eftablijh their own righte- 
 oufnefs, ( in the Senfe St Faul blames, 
 Rom. X. 3.) and not fubmitting themfelves 
 unto the righteoufnefs of God, have in- 
 deed fruftrated the Grace of God, (as the 
 fame Apoftle fpeaks again, Gal. ii. 2 1 ; ) 
 For if righteoufnefs comes by This way, 
 then undoubtedly Chrift is dead in vain. 
 But then Others on the contrary part^ 
 foUicitous (as they conceived) to main- 
 tain God's abfolute Sovereignty in all 
 I things, 
 
zgS Of the Grace of G OD. 
 
 S E R M, things, and the Efficacy of Divine Grace; 
 ^^^^- to magnify the work of God in Men, 
 
 ^"^^^^ and to deprefs and humble the Vanity of 
 Thofe who affume Any thing to them- 
 felves as of the mf elves j have almoft per- 
 petually urged fuch Arguments againft 
 their Adverfaries, as they were not aware 
 might by the Enemies of all Religion, 
 the Aflerters of Neceffity and Fate, be 
 with equal Strength alleged againft T^hetn- 
 felves. And by exalting, (as They thought) 
 the Grace of God into an irrefijlible EJi- 
 cacy, they have confequently made it, in 
 truth and reality, to be of No Efficacy 
 at all. For, in matters of morality and 
 religion. That only is of any Effed:, which 
 makes men, in the moral fenfe, better 
 than they would otherwife be : And then 
 only are they morally Better, when by 
 vioral Motives, by conviiflion of T^rnth 
 and Rcafon, by well grounded Hopes and 
 juft Fears, they are perfwaded and pre- 
 vailed upon to love and to chufe freely 
 what is Right and Good. If by any /r- 
 rejlflible Influence they are compelled to 
 do it, the bell Adion in the World has 
 no longer any Goodnefs in it ; being not 
 
 done 
 
Of the Grace of GOD. 599 
 
 done by T^hem^ any more than by any S e r m. 
 material or un'mtelligent Injlrument, to XIII. 
 which no man ever afcribes either Good "^'^"^'^^ 
 or Evil. The 'Truth therefore is plainly 
 This : If we will frame to ourfelves right 
 Notions of Religion, Notions which truly 
 tend to the Glory of God^ and to pro- 
 mote Virtue and Obedience in Men ; the 
 Power afcribed to Men, mufb neither on 
 the one fide be fuppofed to be fuch, that 
 thereby men can Merit any thing, as of 
 them/elves ; neither on the other fide muft 
 the Influence of the Power or Grace of 
 God be imagined to be fuch, as will make 
 vain and needlefs our own Endeavours. 
 But the Grace of Gody manifefted in the 
 merciful Terms of the Gojpel^ in the clear 
 Revelation of a Future State, and of a 
 Judgment to come, in God's declared Ac- 
 ceptance of Repentance through Chrijlj and 
 in the promifed Affifiance of the Holy Spi- 
 rit ; This Grace of God, I fay, efl^ediu- 
 ally enables men to perform their Duty. 
 And the Power and Will of Man, apply- 
 ing and making Vfe of that Afliflance to 
 an adlual Improvement in Virtue, brings 
 forth on its part, thofe acceptable Fruits 
 
 of 
 
306 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. of the Spirit, which wicked men are 
 •^^^^' therefore juftly condemned for not bring- 
 ing forth, becaufe They alfo had the means 
 of Grace offered and propofed to them, 
 but wilfully and obftinately refufed to be 
 amended thereby. God hath, of his good 
 pleafure, or of his free Grace, given them 
 both to will and to do ; and yet, through 
 their own perverfenefs and obftinate dif- 
 obedience, they work not out their own 
 Salvation, 
 
 When therefore the Scripture tells 
 us that hy Grace we are faved^ and yet 
 that at the fame time we work out our 
 own Salvation ; 'tis plain that thefe dif- 
 ferent Phrafes are only different reprefen- 
 tatiom of one and the fame thitig, under 
 different refpeBs : Juft as Heighth and 
 Depth are one and the fame things confi- 
 dered only in diff'ere?jt Pofitiom, Men 
 are faved by Grace^ becaufe without God's 
 gracious Affiftance and Acceptance of 
 their imperfed: Endeavours, they could 
 not of themfelves attain unto Salvation ; 
 -^ and at the fame time 'tis no lefs true, 
 
 that they work out their own Salvation, 
 becaufe without their leading a Life of 
 
 Virtue 
 
Of tJje Grace of GOD. 301 
 
 Virtue and Obedience through a dihgent S e r m. 
 Ufe of thofe means which the Grace of XIII. 
 God affords them, the Grace of God a- ^^"^^^^^^ 
 lone will in no wife force them to be 
 faved. Thus God's working in or with 
 Us, and our working together with Gody 
 are promifcuouily expreffed in Scripture, 
 as Caufes concurrently producing the 
 fame Effedt. And mens being hardened^ 
 or wicked ; hardened of God, or harden- 
 ing themfelves, are phrafes ufed in like 
 manner to fignify one and the fame thing 
 under different Refpeds. They harden 
 themfeives ; becaufe 'tis by their own Ob- 
 ftinacy and Perverfenefs only that they 
 become obdurate. And they are hardened 
 of God, not by any proper Ad: or Effi- 
 ciency of his, (except perhaps in fome 
 extraordinary judicial Cafes ;) but by his 
 juftly ceafmg to flrive with them any 
 longer, giving them up unto their own 
 hearts lufts, (as the Scripture expreffes it,) 
 letting them follow their own imaginations^ 
 and giving them over to a reprobate fjiind, 
 to work all unrighteoufnefs with greedinefs, 
 Laftly j 'Tis very remarkable to This pur- 
 pofe, that the yQry fame A(^s and Habits, 
 
 which 
 
302 Of the Grace of G OD. 
 
 S E R M. which are known by the Name of Moral 
 XIII. virtues, are alfo in Scripture ftiled Graces 
 
 ^^^^ or Gifts of the Spirit : Moral Virtues, as 
 they are feated in the Mind of Man, di- 
 recting his Intentions, and appearing in 
 his Pradice: And, at the fame time. 
 Gifts or Fruits of the Spirit -, as they are 
 promoted by the Arguments of revealed 
 Religion, by the Afiftance of the Spirit 
 of God, and by being pra5lifed in exprefs 
 Obedience to the Divine Commands. 'The 
 Fruit of the Spirit, (faith St Paul, Eph. 
 V. 9.) is in all Goodnefs and Righteouf- 
 nefs and Truth. And Gal. v. 22. The 
 Fruit of the Spirit, is Love, Joy, Peace^ 
 Long-fuffering, Gentlenefs, Goodnefs, Faith, 
 Meeknefs, Temper atice -, againjl Such, there 
 is Nfi Law. 
 
 And Now, having premifed a large 
 explication of the general Dodtrine, up- 
 on which the exhortation in the Text is 
 founded ; I fliould in the next place have 
 proceeded to coniider diftijiBly, the feve- 
 ral particular exprellions made ufe of in 
 the Text : What is meant, by working 
 out our Salvation ; what it is, to work ic 
 out with Fear and Trembling ; and why^ 
 
 in 
 
" Of the Grace of G OD, 303 
 
 in That manner : What is meant by God's S e r m. 
 giving lis both to will and to do, of his XIIL 
 good pie afure 'j and how 'This confideration ^■'^'^^^^ 
 is a Motive to Us, to endeavour to work 
 out our own Salvation. But the diftindt 
 Confideration of Thefe particulars, muft 
 be referred to a following opportunity. 
 
 SERMON 
 
[ 3^5 ] 
 
 SERMON XIV. 
 
 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 Phil. iL latter part of the 12th, 
 and the 13th verfe. 
 
 JVork out your own Salvation with 
 Fear and Tremblings For it is 
 God which worketh in you ^ both 
 to will and to do^ of his good 
 pleafure. 
 
 ( .-.-A---. 
 
 is founded. 
 Vol. IL 
 
 N a foregoing Difcourfe upon S e r m; 
 thefe words, I premifed a XIV, 
 large Explication of the ge^ '^y^Tsi 
 neral Dodtrine, upon which 
 the Exhortation in the Text 
 I fhali now proceed to con- 
 X fider 
 
3o6 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. fider difti?iSlI)\ the feveral particular Ex- 
 ^^^* preffions made ufe of in the Text : What 
 IS meant by working out our Salvation-, 
 what it is, to work it out with Fear and 
 trembling; and why^ in That manner; 
 what is meant by God's worki?ig in us both 
 to will and to do, of his good pleafure j 
 and How T'his confideration is a Motive 
 to l/>, to endeavour to work out our own 
 Salvation. 
 
 I. 1 N the Jirjl place I am to confider 
 what is meant, by working out our Salva- 
 tion. The word. Salvation, originally 
 and in its general Notion, fignlfies Deli- 
 verance from any great and imminent 
 Danger j efpecially fuch Deliverance or 
 Efcape as is accomplifhed not without 
 labour and hazard. And from hence it 
 comes in Scripture to be applied in the 
 Spiritual fenfe, to fignify particularly 
 and by way of eminence, the Great and 
 Final Deliverance of virtuous and good 
 men from that ge?ieral Deflru6:ion, which, 
 in the nature of Things, and by the 
 righteous, appointment of God, muft at 
 lall overwhehn a wicked and incorrigible 
 world. T'he whole World, faith St Jolm^ 
 
 lietb 
 
Of the Grace of G OD. 307 
 
 iieth in Wickednefs, or, as the Original S e r m, 
 has it, under the Power of the wicked One. ^^^ 
 3 ep, V. 19; that IS, The greater part of 
 Mankind, through their eafinefs in yield- 
 ing to the Temptations of UnrighteouA 
 nefs, their negligence in not correding the. 
 Corruptions of their Nature, and their 
 Perverfcnefs in chufing wilfully the Ways 
 of Wickednefs and Debauchery; are al- 
 together incapable of that State of Hap« 
 pinefs, which is in Scripture fiiiled The 
 Kingdom of God, For, what St Paul 
 affirms in the literal Senfe, that Flejh and 
 Bloody mortal and corruptible Bodies , 
 cannot inherit the Kingdom of God, is in 
 the fpiritual Senfe flill ?7iore necefTarily 
 true, that wicked and corrupt Minds fhall 
 in no cafe enter therein. The new Hea^ 
 vens and new Earth, which we look for 
 according to his Promife, are fuch where- - 
 in dwelleth only Right eotf?jefs -, that is, 
 Meeknefs and Juftice, Purity and Ho- 
 linefs, Faithfulnefs and Truth. And there- 
 fore our Saviour, fpeaking of the refur- 
 redion of the Saints unto eternal Life, 
 elegantly ililes it The RefiirreBion of the 
 JujT:, Luk. xiv. 14. God is of ^urer eyes^ 
 Vol. II, X a . than 
 
30 8 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. than to behold iniquity ; and therefore in-^ 
 ^^^' to the heavenly Jerufalem there JJjall in 
 
 ^^'^ no wife enter any thing that dejileth^ nei- 
 ther whatfoever worketh abomination or 
 maketh a Lie: There fliall be admitted 
 DO Fraud or Violence, no Arbitrarinefs 
 or Injuflice, nor Debauchery or Impurity 
 whatfooever ; but the Spirits of Juft men 
 only, made perfeB by the Praftice of Vir- 
 tue, and by the influences of the good 
 Spirit of God. Now the Bulk of the 
 wicked and corrupt World, being (in 
 the nature of Things) incapable of in- 
 heriting This Kingdom of Righteoufnefs, 
 muft o-f neceflity, not by any Cruel and 
 Severe Decree of God, but of neceffity in 
 point of Wifdom and Good Government, 
 they muft be excluded out of Heaven, 
 and, by the righteous and impartial Sen- 
 tence of the unerring Judge, be in fuch 
 a manner, as ftiall be exadly fuitable to 
 each of their refpedlive Demerits, fent 
 into Deftrudtion. From which Deftrufti- 
 on, T^hcy who (as our Lord exprefles it,) 
 Jhall be thought worthy to obtain That 
 Life^ and the Refurreciion from the Dead, 
 iliall be Saved. Not that all Others alfo 
 
 fliali 
 
Of the Grace of G OD, 309 
 
 fhall not equally rife from the Dead j S e r m. 
 but that That only deferves to be truly '^^^* 
 and emphatically ftiled the HefurreSlion ^^^^^"^ 
 from the Dead^ which is a RefurreBion 
 unto Life and Glory. This Deliverance 
 therefore of all juft and good men, by 
 the Mercy of God, and through the In- 
 terpofition of Chrifl, from that final De- 
 ftru<5lion which muft naturally and of 
 neceffity, under the Government of a 
 Wife and Righteous Judge, fall upon a 
 wicked and corrupt World; this, I fay, 
 is what the Scripture calls Salvation^ 
 The Confequence of which Salvation is 
 indeed moreover mens being admitted 
 into That incorruptible Inheritance, that 
 unfpeakable and never-fading HappinefSy 
 which is the Free Gift of God through 
 Chrift, to Thofe whom in his unerring 
 Judgment he fhall think fit to advance 
 beyond their natural and original capaci- 
 ties, to be Heirs of God, and Joint-Heirs 
 with Chriji, in his eternal Kingdom of 
 Glory. 
 
 But the Primary Notion of Salvation, 
 according to the proper fignification of 
 the word, is Deliverance frojn DeJiruBion, . 
 X 3 And 
 
3 TO Of the Grace of G OD. 
 
 S,ERM.And the Greatnefs of this Deliverance 
 -^^ • is, in the New T'eftamenf, lively repre- 
 fented unto us by feveral remarkable 
 Types. 'Tis. reprefented firji, by the 
 Salvation of Lot out of Sodom ', -whtn. 
 God with Fire from Heaven overthrew 
 thofe wicked Cities, fetting them forth 
 for an example^ having deftroyed them 
 with an irreparable Deftrud:ion, which 
 St Jude calls the Vengeance of eternal 
 Fire, ver. 7. 'Tis reprefented in the next 
 place, by the Salvation of the children of 
 Ifrael out of Egypt; when God over- 
 verthrew Pharaoh and his whole Army in 
 the Sea, but led his own people fafely 
 through the Sea and through the WiU 
 dernefs, into the promifed Canaan. 'Tis 
 reprefented again^ by the Salvation of 
 thofe who efcapcd at the final deflrufli- 
 on of feriifalem ; concerning which our 
 Saviour foretold, Matt. xxiv. 40. that 
 then fiould two men be together in the 
 field 'j the one JJjould be taken^ and the 
 other left ; And that two women Jhould 
 be grindi?ig together at the 7nill\ the one 
 pKuld be taken J and the other left, Lajl^ 
 iy^ 'Tis reprefented by the Salvation of 
 
 Noah 
 
Of the Grace of G OD. 3 1 1 
 
 Noah and his Family in the Ark; whenSERM, 
 God deftroyed at once the whole impe- ^*^' 
 nitenc World with a Deluge of Water. 
 For fo St Pefer exprefsly applies the fi- 
 militude, i ep. iii. 20. 'The like figure 
 whereunto^ even Baptifm (faith he) doth 
 alfo Now fave Us. Only, leaft by Bap- 
 tiftn any man fhould be fo weak as to 
 think he meant the bare outward Form 
 Of Ceremony, the mere Name or Profef- 
 iion of a Chriflian ; he adds in the very 
 fame verfe this moft important caution, 
 that thereby he underftands, not the put- 
 ting away of the Filth of the Fief 3^ (not 
 the mere Wafloing or the Ceremony of Bap- 
 tifm,) but the Anfwer of a good Confidence 
 towards God in the courfe of a virtuous 
 and a Chriftian Life. 
 
 Now This being the true Notion of 
 the word Salvation^ the Duty of work- 
 ing out this Salvation^ which is what we 
 are fo earneftly exhorted to in the Text, 
 mufl confequently fignify the making 
 ufe of thofe Means which are proper 
 and fufficient to obtain This End: That 
 is, it mufl fignify the whole Progrefis of 
 our Deliverance, by a Life of Virtue and 
 X 4 true 
 
312 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. true Religion, from the Power and T'yran- 
 «y of the Devil, from the Dominion 
 
 ^^^^^ and Slavery of Sin, and from the Punijh- 
 menf of Death, 
 
 Men in the State of Heathen igno- 
 rance and wickednefs , being as it were 
 habitually fubjedt to a Spirit of Delullon, 
 of Impiety, and of all kinds of Debau- 
 chery, are in Scripture reprefented as be- 
 ing in Slavery to Satan y who is there- 
 fore filled the Prince of This World t 
 and the God of T'his World, the Prince 
 cf the Power of the Air, the Spirit that 
 worketh in the children of difobedience. 
 From This T'yranny of the Devil men 
 are faved, by forfaking the Idolatry of 
 the Nations, and returning to the worjhip 
 ef the true God of the TJniverfe, as taught 
 in the Gofpel of Chriji : Being deliver edy 
 as St Paul expreffes it, from the Power 
 cf Darknefs, and tranjlated into the King- 
 dom of God's dear Son, Col. i. 13. 
 
 Likewise thofe, who having em- 
 braced the Gofpel of Chriji, yet live un- 
 worthy of their Holy Profeflion by 
 means of Any Habit of Unrighteoufnefs or 
 Debauchery, are reprefented in Scripture 
 
 as 
 
Of the Grace of GOD, 313 
 
 as being Slaves to Sin, and ftill in the Sep. m. 
 Snare of the Devil. The expreffions of ^'^^^^ • 
 This kind are very frequent and elegant -, 
 that fuch perfons are Servajits of Sin-, 
 that Sin has the Dominion over them ; 
 that they are overcome by it -, and brought 
 in bondage to it j that they are tlie Ser- 
 vants of Corruption, and the like. And 
 becaufe the Devil is the Head of this 
 Corruption, who T'empts men into it, 
 and delights in it; therefore, whofoever 
 lives in Sin, notwithftanding his profef- 
 fing himfelf a Difciple of Chrijl, is ilill 
 in reality the Servant of Satan : i Joh. 
 iii. 8. He that commit teth Sin, is of flje 
 Devil', for the Devil fmieth from the 
 Beginning. Whofoever is fo falfe to 
 himfelf, as not to be able to refift tiic 
 Temptation? of Unrighteoufnefs, imi- 
 tates, and is fubjed to, the Great Enemy 
 of God and Goodnefs ; is in the Snare 
 of the Devil, and taken captive by hint 
 at his Will. Now the Defign of Chrift's 
 coming into the World was to dejlroy 
 thefe works of the Devil-, to favc ?nen 
 from their Sins, Matt. i. 21. to pcrfwade 
 them, and to cfiable them^ to fave ihem^ 
 
 fives 
 
314 Of the Grace of G OD. 
 
 S E R u./ehes from amongft a wicked and cor- 
 -^^^* rupt generation -, to deliver them from the 
 bondage of corruptio?i i?tto the glorious 
 Liberty of the children of God. Working 
 out our own Sahatiofi therefore, (confi- 
 dered as an Exhortation given to fuch as 
 are already Chriflians,) fignifies tfiaking a 
 diligent ufe of the Means and Encou- 
 ragements which God has afforded us in 
 the Gofpel, to affift and enable us ejfeBu- 
 ally to reform every evil Habit, and to 
 improve in the Pradlice of every Virtue, 
 perfecfing Holinefs in the Fear of God, 
 The Ccnfequence of which Salvation from 
 Sin, is Salvation alfo from the Punifh- 
 ment which God has denounced againft 
 Sinners. And not only fo, but upon them 
 who Jha II be thought worthy to efcape all 
 thefe things that foall come to pafsy and to 
 (land before the Son of Man, fhall be con* 
 ferred moreover God's free Gift of Eter- 
 nal Life and Happinefs. 
 
 The Exhortation therefore in the 
 Text, to work out our own Salvation, is 
 of the fame import with That of St. Pe- 
 ter, 2 ep. i. 10. Brethren, give diligejice 
 to make your Calling and Ekdiion fure ; 
 
 for 
 
Of the Grace ^ G OD. 315 
 
 for if ye do thefe things, ye JJ:ali never S e r m. 
 fall: forfo an Entrance jh all he mimjlred ^I^* 
 unto you abundantly into the everlafiing ^-^^^^^ 
 Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus 
 Chriji. From which Admonition of 
 St Peter, compared with This in the 
 Text, it follows plainly and undeniably, 
 that Men (by God's Affiflance) have a 
 Power, as well as an Obligation, to work 
 mt their own Salvation-, and that their 
 eleBion, that is, their being chofen and 
 approved of God, depends upon That di- 
 ligence ^Vid, fine ere indeavour of their own, 
 v/hich the Apoftle exprefsly exhorts them 
 to make ufe of to this purpofe, that there- 
 by they may fecure their being eledled of 
 Cod. 
 
 11. Jam to conlider in the fecond 
 place, what is meant by working out our 
 Salvation with Fear and trembling \ and 
 why it muft be done in That manner. 
 
 Now the words Fear and T'rembling, 
 are not put here to exprefs a Pajjion, but 
 to denote Care and diligence in our ABi^ 
 QtiSy in oppofition to Prefumpiion, Re- 
 mifsnefs, or negligent Confidence. Accord- 
 ing to thofe other Admonitions in Scrip- 
 
 ture 
 
3i6 Of the Grace of G OD. 
 
 S E R M. ture ; be not high-minded y but fear ; and, 
 XIV. igf fjiffi that thinketh he Jlandethy take 
 
 ^'^"^^'^ Joeed left he fall. The wife man obferves, 
 Prov. xxviii. 14. Happy is the man that 
 feareth, that is, who is cautious, always , 
 but he that hardeneth his Heart , that is, 
 who is carelefs and negHgent, Jh all fall 
 into Mifchief And, I'd this man will I 
 look, faith God himfelf by the Prophet, 
 If Ixvi. 2. even to Him that is poor and 
 of a contrite Spirit, and tremhleth at my 
 word. St Faul, though fo eminent an 
 Apoftle, yet fpeaks thus concerning his 
 own PraBice upon This Head: I keep un- 
 der my Body, fays he, and bring it into 
 fubjeBion, i Cor. ix. 27. left by any meanSy 
 when I have preached to Others, I my f elf 
 Jhould become a caft-away. And, Phil. iii. 
 II. If by ^?/zy means, fays he, I might at^ 
 tain unto the RefurreBion of the dead'. Not 
 as though I had already attained, or were 
 
 already perfeB ; But this One thi?2g I 
 
 do J forgetting thofe things which are be- 
 hind, and reaching forth unto thofe things 
 which are before, I prefs towards the 
 Mark for the prize of the high calling of 
 God in Chrift fcfus^ 
 
 T H E 
 
Of the Grace of G OD* 3x7. 
 
 The Reafons why we are exhorted to S e r m. 
 work out our Salvation after this manner, XIV. 
 with Fear and T^retnbling -, that is, with ^^^VNi 
 Caution and Diligence, with Care and 
 Earneji Application ; are, 
 
 I/?, Because 'tis of all others the 
 thing of the greatejl importance to us. 
 *Tis the One thing necejfary ; the Prefer- 
 vation of ourfehes, of our Souls, of our 
 Life, of our Happinefs for ever. What 
 Naaman'% Servant faid to his Mailer up- 
 on another occalion, is much more appli- 
 cable here-. My Father, if be had bid 
 thee do fome Great thing, wouldji thou 
 not have done it ? how much rather then^ 
 when he faith unto thee, wajh and be clean f 
 Skin for Skin, and all that a man has, 
 will he give for his Lifej for the prefer- 
 vation of this fiort, this tranfitory life : 
 What then Jhal I he give in Exchange for 
 his Soul, in Exchange for his portion in 
 Eternity ? If therefore no wife Man, ac- 
 cording to our Saviour's Argument in 
 the Parable, attempts to build a T'ower, 
 without frji ft ting down and counting the 
 Coji of it ; how much more does it be- 
 hove every reafonable perfon to be folli- 
 
 citous 
 
31 8 Of theGr2iQQofGOD. 
 
 S E R M. citous before all things, that he be well 
 ^^^- afTured in his own Underflanding, and nor 
 
 ^^^'"'^^ by mere hap-hazard rely blindly upon 
 Others, in order to find ivhich is the True 
 Way of Salvation ; and that he be accord- 
 ingly diligetif, in walking in That Way 1 
 
 2^/y, Another reafon why we are 
 required to work out our Salvation with 
 Fear, is becaufe of the Difficulties we 
 muft expedl to meet with in the Work. 
 Difficulties, not in the Nature of the 
 thing itfelf: For Chrift's Toke is eafy, and 
 his Burden light. Virtue is of all things 
 the mojl natural and the ?7iqft reafonable -, 
 and the Commandmejits of God, in them- 
 felves 720 way grievous. But great Diffi^ 
 culties often arife by the perverfe oppo- 
 fition of wicked men from without, and 
 the corrupt inclination of unreafonahle 
 and ungoverned Appetites from within^ 
 Infomuch that even the righteous, faith 
 St Peter, fcarcely are faved : And St Pau/ 
 fpeaks of Men being fived, Jo as by fire ^ 
 that is, efcaping with difficulty, as out 
 of a Houfe v/hich is in Flames : J'aved 
 with Fear, pulled out of the Fire, fo 
 St fude expreires it, ver. 23. The Flop 
 
 lufletk 
 
Of the Grace of GOD, 319 
 
 lufteth againfl the Spirit j warring againft S e r m. 
 the reafon and law of our Minds j fo XIV. 
 that we cannot, without feme Pains and ^^^^*^ 
 Care, do the things that are moft reafo- 
 nable. And when we have perfectly con- 
 quered ourfelves; yet ftiil, through the 
 Difficulties brought upon us by Others^ 
 by the Profane Perfecutor^ or the Super- 
 Jiitious Bigot ; by the Blenders of humane 
 Authority with Divine % and thofe who 
 mingle and confound together the Pow- 
 ers of This World and the DoBrines of 
 Men, with the Commands of God ; by 
 Thefe is the Gate often made fir ait, and 
 the Way narrow^ fo that through tribu- 
 lation only can we pofTibly enter into the 
 Kingdom of God. 
 
 '^dly, A third reafon, why we are dI-» 
 red:ed to work out our Salvation with 
 Fear, is, becaufe it is a Work that can be 
 done but Once-, and if we Once mifcarry, 
 we have loft ourfelves for ever. // is ap- 
 pointed for Men Once to die, and after 
 'That, the Judgment : And when Once the 
 majler of the Hoife is rifen up and hath fit-it 
 to the door, there is no more Admiffion, 
 This Argument is reprefented to us under a 
 
 ^ very 
 
3 20 Of the Grace of G OD, 
 
 S E R NT . very elegant Similitude by one of the 
 ■^^^ • moft ant lent Writers next to the Apoflles 
 ^ times : As a Fatter^ fays he, while the Clay 
 is moiji and j oft ^ moulds it over and over 
 again ^^ if it pleafes hi?n not at frft-, but 
 after it has been once hardened in the Fire, 
 itsjhape can be mended no more : So in the 
 prefent life, God affords Men from time to 
 time Space and Means of Repentance , but 
 after Death and fudgment has ojice paffed 
 upon them, and they be caji into the Fire^ 
 there is no more Re?nedy for ever. 
 
 \thly. We are exhorted to work out 
 our Salvation with Fear, and to be perpe^ 
 tually upon our guard, becaufe we are 
 continually in danger of New 'Temptations, 
 and at no ti?ne fecure from their Aflaults. 
 Temptations of one fort or other, perpe- 
 tually iurround us; and the Negligent, or 
 Prefumptuous, cannot fail of being fre- 
 quently betrayed into Sin. From hence 
 are thofe repeated Admonitions of our 
 Saviour and his Apoftles, to watch and to 
 be ready always, x.o Jiand fajl in the Faith^ 
 to quit our (elves like men, to be firong, to 
 befober and vigilant, to take heed left there 
 he in any of us an evil heart of unbelief-, 
 
 and 
 
Of the Grace of GOD, 321 
 
 and to exhort one another daily ^ awhile It /i S e r m- 
 called to day, left, a promife being left us '. 
 
 of entring into his Reft, any of us ftoould 
 feem to come ftoort of it. 
 
 Laftly : Another reafon why we 
 are required to work out our Salvation 
 with Fear, is, becaufe whatever progrefs 
 in Virtue we have already made, yet if 
 hereafter we fall back into unrighteous 
 Praftices, we lofe our reward. I'he fuft, 
 faith God, fhall live by Faith-, but if ajiy 
 Man draws back, 7ny Soul ftoall have 710 
 pleafure in him : For 720 Man putti7ig his 
 hand to the plough, and looki7ig back, is 
 7neet for the Kingdom of God. As in a 
 Race, All run, but he only that perfeveres, 
 obtains the Prize ; and in a warfare. All 
 fight, but he only that overcomes gains 
 the Crown of Victory j fo, in ihsfpiritual 
 Combat, he that endures to the End, faith 
 ou;- Lord, the fame ftmll be faved. For 
 to them who by patient Conti7iuance in 
 well-doing feek for glory and honour and 
 immortality, to '^he7n only is made the 
 Promife of eternal Life. Wherefore, as 
 St Raul admonifhes, we ought to give the 
 more ear?7cft Heed to the things which we 
 
 Vol. IL Y have 
 
322 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. have heard^ lefi at any time we jhould let 
 ^^^' them flip, Heb. ii. i. 
 
 III. The Third thing I propofed to 
 conlider in the Text, was, what is meant 
 by God's working in in both to will and 
 to do of his good pleafure. Now the plain 
 and full meaning of This, is ; 
 
 I/?, That God is to us the only Au- 
 thor of all thofe Powers and Faculties^ 
 which we vulgarly call Natural. In Him 
 we Live, Move, and have our Being, 
 From Him we are indued wixhReafon and 
 Vnderjlanding, with the Facidty of dif- 
 cerning between Good and Evil, with the 
 Power of Willing and Choofing what is 
 Right. We are not fufficient of ourfelves 
 to think any thing as of ourfelves j but our 
 Sufficiency is of God, 2 Cor. iii. 5. Weak 
 therefore is That diftincSion fo often 
 found in the Writings of Divines, be- 
 tween Nature and Grace j as if One was 
 not equally the Gift of God, as the 
 Other. 
 
 idly, G o d's giving us both to will and 
 to do, fignifies his affording us moreover 
 Supernatural Helps. Such is, the Reve^ 
 Igtion of the Gofpel -, which is therefore 
 
 frequently 
 
Of the Grace of GOD. 323 
 
 frequently in Scripture called, 'T'he Grace S e r m. 
 of God; Tit. ii. 1 1. ^e Grace of God XIV. 
 wy^/f^ bringeth Salvation^ hath appeared q^^^ j ^^ 
 
 Under which general Grace, are in- 
 cluded more particularly^ the following 
 Supernatural Helps. A clear and diJlinSl 
 Knowledge of our Duty^ more diftindl 
 than could be difcovered by the Light of 
 Nature alone. A more plain and exprefs 
 bringing of Life and Immortality to Light , 
 by the particular Revelation of a judg- 
 ment to come. Exceeding Great and pre- 
 cious Pro?nifes ; by the Faith and expeda- 
 tion of which, we are enabled to over- 
 come the Worlds to quench all the Fiery 
 darts of the Devil^ and to become parta- 
 kers of the Divine Nature by perfed:ing 
 righteoufnefs and true Holinefs. An ^f- 
 furance of the Forgivenefs of pafl Sins up- 
 on Repentance; wliich is what the Scrip- 
 ture emphatically calls Grace; The Law 
 came by Mofes, but Grace and Truth came 
 by fefus Chrijl, The Afjifiance of the Di- 
 vine Spirit in the confiant and ordinary 
 practice of our Duty ; by which we are 
 renewed^ jujiifed y fanBified^ and have 
 Vol. ii, Y 2 the- 
 
324 Of the Grace of GOD, 
 
 S E R M. the Love of God Jhed abroad in our 
 
 ^tXLj ^^^^^^' ^°^ ^^^^ ^^^ Spirit of God ads 
 upon us by way of neceffary compuljion^ 
 forcibly and irrefiftibly ; (for the exhorta- 
 tions given us, not to quench and grieve 
 and drive him from us, evidently ihow 
 the contrary;) But he helps our Injirmi- 
 tiesy in the way of Moral AJJijlance^ Per- 
 fwafion^ Dire Si ion and Concurrence-, but 
 will not always Jlrive with men who ob- 
 ftinately reilft his good Motions. Wifd, 
 i. 4. Into a malicious Soul Wijdom Jhall 
 •not enter, nor dwell in the body that is fub- 
 je£l unto Sin ; For the Holy Spirit of Dif- 
 cipline will fee deceit^ and remove from 
 "Thoughts that are without JJnderfianding^ 
 and will not abide when unrighteoifnefs 
 Cometh in, 
 
 Lajlly, Under Extraordinary Trials, 
 the Gofpel aflures us of flill more parti- 
 cular and extraordinary Supports: that 
 God will never leave us, nor forfake us ; 
 but will with the Temptation always make 
 a way to efcape, that we may be able to bear 
 it', and particularly, that in time of great 
 Pcrfecution, if jhall be given us in that 
 
 fame 
 
Of the Grace of GOD. 325 
 
 fame Hour what we Jhall fpeak and what S e r m. 
 
 we JJjall do. \r^ 
 
 These are, over and above our natu-- 
 ral Powers and Faculties, the SupernatU" 
 ral Helps and AfTiflances afforded us by 
 the Gofpel : Both of vv^hich are included 
 in the Alfertion in the Text, that 'tis 
 Cod which worketh in us both to will and 
 to do. 
 
 The laj^ words added in the Text, 
 vVeg ryis Iv^qtcm^, of his good pleafure^ do 
 not fignify, as Some have imagined, that 
 God works all thefe things arbitrarily^ 
 without any regard to the Difpofitions and 
 Qualifications of Men. But the True 
 meaning of the words is, that he does all 
 thefe things through his Goodnefs j That is 
 the Senfe, of the word which we render 
 good pleafure. 'Tis God's Goodnefs which 
 moves him to work in us both to will 
 and to do ; to give us both the Faculties of 
 NaturCy and the Supernatural AJfiflances 
 of the Gofpely to lead us unto Life and 
 Happinefs. 
 
 IV. T H E Fourth 2indiLafl thing Ipropo- 
 
 fed from the Text, was, to fhow How This 
 
 confideration of God's working in us both to 
 
 y 3 will 
 
326 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. will and to do^ is an Argument or Motive 
 ■^^ * to IJi to ivork out our own Salvation. 
 Work out your own Salvation^ For // is 
 God that worketh in you both to Will and 
 to Do of his good pleajure. The Meaning 
 plainly is 5 not, that God does All for us ; 
 For then the Cojitrary confequence muft 
 needs have been true, that we could do 
 nothing for ourfelves : But God, of his 
 great Goodnefs gives us Power j therefore 
 We may and ought to AB. And we may 
 depend alfo, that if we be lincere in the 
 Ufe of the Powers he has given us, our 
 Endeavours Ihall not be in vain. For, 
 Greater is He that is in Us, than He that 
 is in the World -, and if God be for us-, 
 who can be again ft Us^ The Exhortation 
 therefore in the Text, is of the fame Im- 
 port with that in Eph. vi. 10. Finally, 
 my Brethren, be ftrong in the Lord, and 
 in the Power of his might. 
 
 The Inferences proper to be drawn 
 from the whole of what has been faid, 
 are: 
 
 I. From hence we may obferve, 
 how little Foundation there is in Scrip- 
 ture for thofe Men's Opinion, who un- 
 
 derftanding 
 
Of the Grace of GOD. 327 
 
 derftanding figurative Expreflions llte-SERM. 
 rally and abfurdly, contend that wick- XIV. 
 ed Men have no Power to do any thing 
 towards their own Converfion ; and con- 
 fequently afcribe the Caufe of Men's 
 Impenitency, to God\ not giving them 
 (as they call it) the Grace to Repeiit. 
 Which is a very great Abufe of a Scrip- 
 ture-expreffion. For, God's giving or 
 granting Men Repentajice^ fignifies (in 
 Scripture) his granting them the Fa- 
 vour to have their Repentance accepted 
 to the Forgivenefs of pad Sins, or al- 
 lowed inftead of Innocence j and not 
 his conferring Repentance upon them , 
 as an external Donation : Which is al- 
 together unintelligible. Nor is it lefs 
 abfurd, from thofe pafiages where very 
 bad Men are faid to be dead in trejpajj}s 
 and Jim ; and that when they amend, 
 God creates in them a neiv Heart \ to 
 conclude literally, tliat wicked Men 
 have no more Power to amend their 
 manners than to raife themfehes from 
 the dead., or to create thenfehes ajiew. 
 Which Dodrine, mufl of neceiTity make 
 Men very Jlothfu I Stvv3.ni% 
 
 Y 4 2^7;', The 
 
32 8 Of the Grace of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. 2dl)\ The fecond Ufe proper to be 
 ^^^' made of the explication now given 
 
 ^^'^ of the words of the Text, is to Ex- 
 hort Men to be diligent in working 
 out their own Salvation by the Uie 
 of thofe Means which God has worked 
 or implanted in them. Which exhor- 
 tation cannot be better exprefled, than 
 in the words of the Author of the Book 
 of Wifdom, ch. i. 12. Seek not Death 
 in the Errour of your life ; and pull 
 not upon yourfehes deJirudJion with the 
 works of your own hand. For God 
 made not Death, neither has he pleafure 
 in the defiruBion of the living. But un- 
 godly Men with their works and words 
 called it unto them. And Eccluf. xv. i r. 
 Say 7iot thou, the Lord has caufed me to 
 err-y for he hath ?io need of the finful 
 man. T!he Lord hateth all abotnination -, 
 and they that fear God, love it 7iot. He 
 himfelf made Men from the beginning, 
 , and left them in the hands of his coun- 
 J'el ', if thou wilt, to keep the Command- 
 ments, and to perform acceptable Faith- 
 fulncfs. He hath fct fire and water be- 
 fore^ thee ; fir etch forth thy hand imto 
 
 whether 
 
Of the Grace of GOD. 329 
 
 ■whether thou wilt. Before man is Life S e r m. 
 and Death ; and whether him liketh Jhall ^^^• 
 be given him. For the Wifdom of the ^■^^'^^ 
 Lord is great ; and he is mighty in 
 Power, and beholdeth all things. And 
 his Eyes are upon them that fear him, 
 and he knoweth every work of Man. He 
 bath commanded no man to do wickedly^ 
 neither has he given any man licence to 
 fin. 
 
 SERMON 
 
t 33^ ] 
 
 SERMON XV. 
 
 Of the K I N G D o M of GOD. 
 
 ^ V V^'V'^ V*^^^ V^^ A^V V^ V v^ v^ vv 
 
 M A T T. Vi. I O. 
 
 7^ Kingdom come. 
 
 HOUGH e'uery Chrijiian ac- S e r m. 
 knowledges this Prayer of our ^^' 
 Lord's compofing to be a ^^ 
 complete Pattern and Direc- 
 tion, as to the SubjeB-mat- 
 ter of the things we are to pray for ; 
 yet Many, very Many, 'tis to be feared, 
 perpetually repeat the Words, with very 
 little Attention to the Senfe exprelTed by 
 them : Not confidering, that All Devo- 
 tion 
 
33 2 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. votlon confifts entirely in the Appllca" 
 
 -^^* tion of the Mind to God with an Un- 
 
 derfianding of what it defires ', and not 
 
 at all in the mere repeating with the 
 
 Lips certain cuftomary Forms of Words. 
 
 Our Lord in the former part of this 
 Prayer, after having taught us that the 
 True and Proper Objed of Worfhip, to 
 whom our Petitions ought conftantly 
 (through His Mediation) to be direcfled, 
 is the Father which is in Heaven j ( that 
 is, the Moft High ; he who, not in Flace 
 or Situation^ but in Dignity and Domi- 
 nion^ is Supreme over All : ) Our Lord, I 
 fay, in the former part of this Prayer, 
 after directing us to the True Obje(ft of 
 Worfhip, our Heavenly Father^ inflrudts 
 us to pray in the firfl place for Bleffings 
 fpiritiial and eternal-, and then, in the 
 
 following part of the Prayer, to ask for 
 the Comforts and Necejfaries of this pre- 
 
 fent Life. In the former part, among 
 the Petitions for Bleffings of a Spiritual 
 
 . nature, and one of the Prificipal of 
 
 Thofe Petitions, are the Words of the 
 
 T'cxt : Words of a very large and exten- 
 
 five fignification \ comprehending in brief, 
 
 I almoft 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. '^'}^'i 
 
 almoft the Whole Nofmi of True Religi- S e r m. 
 
 on 5 and, therefore, particularly worthy -^ 
 
 to be the Subjed of our Meditations : 7hy 
 Kingdom come. 
 
 GOD IS by Nature King over All ; and 
 his Kijigdom is the Uni'verfe. His Domi- 
 nion is infinite and everlafling, his Power 
 abfolute and irrefiftible, his Glory inex- 
 preflible and inconceivable. Of him, and 
 through hijn, and T'o him, are all things^ 
 Rom. xi. 3 6. That is, For his Pleafure, 
 all things were created ; By his Provi- 
 dence, all things are preferved 3 To his 
 Glory, all things terminate. The Hea- 
 vens declare the Glory of God, and the 
 Firmament fieweth his Handy-work. The 
 whole Frame of Nature obeys his Com- 
 mands ; and all the Powers of the Uni- 
 verfe depend entirely upon the Word of 
 his Mouth. 
 
 But becaufe the T-rue Greatnefs and 
 Dignity of a Governour confifts chiefly 
 in the Obedience of them that can difo- 
 bey : Becaufe 'tis more excellent to be 
 obeyed by Reafon and Underfa72ding, by 
 JVill and Choice, than by mere ?iece[/ity of 
 Nature': Becaufe 'tis more noble to go- 
 vern 
 
334 ^f ^'^^ Kingdom of GO D, 
 
 Serm. vcrn Free Agents by moral confiderations^ 
 X^* by the Knowledge of what is intrinfically 
 ^^^^ Good or Evil, by a Senfe of the Excel- 
 lency of T'ruth and Virtue, by the Wijdom 
 of reafonable and ufeful Laws, and by 
 the Views of proper Rewards and Punijh" 
 ments, than to have Power over infinite 
 Syftems of inanifnate Matter which has 
 no Senfe of the Regularity of his own 
 Motions, nor capacity to perceive the 
 Wifdom and Glory of its Creator : There- 
 fore the Kingdom of God principally con- 
 fifts, in his Government of reafonable and 
 intelligent Creatures ; in his being ferved 
 and obeyed by thofe, who at the fame 
 time are capable of difobeying, who by 
 their own Anions fet forth his Glory, and 
 not merely in their being Avled upon by 
 Him ; who in their feveral Stations and 
 Degrees, according to the Light that is 
 afforded them, difcern what is Right, and 
 approve what is Good, and a5l by their 
 Free Power, and are confcious of the Ex- 
 cellency of Virtue, and Love him whom 
 they Obey, and are made Happy by the 
 participation of his Perfections. This is 
 That, wherein principally confifts the 
 
 King- 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD* 33^ 
 
 Kingdom of God : A Kingdom, wherein S e r m. 
 fhines forth the Goodnefs, and Jufiice^ and ^'^• 
 Wifdom, and Holinefs, of the Supreme ^""^^^^ 
 Governour, as clearly as his Power and 
 Dominion does in his ruling the whole 
 material Univerfe. 
 
 B Y aS/?/, This Kingdom of God, This 
 his Government over the Hearts and Wills 
 of the rational part of the Creation, is 
 oppofed and withjiood. For his natural 
 Kingdom^ the Kingdom of his Power^ 
 cannot be reiifled, In T'his refpeft, the 
 whole World is in his Hand as a DufI: of 
 the Ballance ; He can withdraw from all 
 things their very Being itfelf, and, with 
 a Blaft of his mouth, whenever he pleafes^ 
 reduce them all into Nothing in a Mo- 
 ment. So that 'tis a very ahfurd Notion, 
 which fome have entertained, from cer- 
 tain figurative expreffions of Scripture 
 very much mifunderftood ; as if the De- 
 vil had attempted to oppofe the Almigh- 
 ty with Force^ and had contended with 
 him for the Dominion of the Univerfe. 
 No : Such reprefentations as Thefe are 
 only the Fidions of Poets. But indeed 
 the Devil rebelled againfl God, in the 
 
 fame 
 
336 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. iame Senfe wherein wicked men rebel a« 
 ^^- gainft him. Not by thinking to refift 
 his Power, but by prefumptuoufly ven- 
 turing to difobey his fFil/, in thofe things 
 wherein the Nature of Virtue and Vice, 
 and the very Effence of Moral Govern- 
 ment, necelTarily requires that they fhould 
 not be over-ruled and compelled by Force. 
 For here, the Thing that God requires 
 is the Free Confent of the Will ; which, 
 in the nature of things is not fubjedt to 
 Compullion ; Obedience it/elf being No 
 obedience, where there was no poffibility 
 of having difobeyed. By Sin therefore 
 this Moral Kingdom of God began to be 
 oppofed ; by the Sins of Evil Angels, and 
 by the Sifis of Wicked men : Among 
 whom, as they corrupted themfelves by 
 degrees, in departing from the Living 
 God ; the Devil fet up a Kingdom of 
 Idolatry and Great Wickednefs, in oppo- 
 fition to the Righteous Kingdom of God. 
 In order to dejiroy which Works of the 
 Devil', {io deJlroy them, not by the ex- 
 ercife of Om7iipotencc, but by the efta- 
 blifhment of Virtue and 'T'rue Religion, 
 which is the Proper and the Only proper 
 
 Deftruclion 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. ^iZl 
 
 Deftrudion of Immorality and Vice;)SERM. 
 God was pleafed to give affiftance and -^^' 
 ftrength to the Light of Nature and Rea- 
 fon, by making Revelations of himfelf 
 from time to time to the degenerate 
 world, and of the true manner of v/or- 
 fhipping him -, firfl by the Patriarchs, 
 whom he appointed to be Preachers of 
 Righteoufnefs both before and after the 
 Flood ', and then by Mofes and the PrO'- 
 phets ; and at laft by his Own Son ; who 
 came into the World, and was manifejied 
 (as St 'John affures us) for This Caufe, 
 that he might deftroy the Works of the 
 Devil 'y that is, that he might root out 
 Idolatry and Superftitious Worfliip, and 
 reform men from Debauchery and all 
 Unrighteous Practices j that by the Know- 
 ledge, Worfhip, and Love of the One 
 True God and Maker of all things, in 
 Purity and Holinefs of Life, in Juftice, 
 Meeknefs, and univerfal Charity and 
 Good-will towards each Other, he might 
 bring them back from a ftate of general 
 corruption, to become Worthy and Obe- 
 dient Subjedis of his Father's Kingdom of 
 Righteoufnefs. 
 
 Vol. IL 2 For 
 
338 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 Serm. For This reafon, the State of the 
 ■^^- Gofpel, the Rdigioii of Chrifi^ the Obe- 
 dience of Faith^ is in Scripture perpe- 
 tually failed the Kingdom of God : That 
 Kingdom of God, which we are com- 
 manded to feck in the righteoufnefi there- 
 of : That Kingdom, which our Saviour 
 told the yews, when he began to preach, 
 was Then come unto them : Which he 
 elfewhere declared to the Pharifees^ Com- 
 eth not with obfervation ; neither fiall they 
 fa\\ Lo here, or lo there; for behold, the 
 Kingdom of God is within you : Which, 
 he affured his Difciples, whofoever did not 
 receive with the Meeknefs and Inoifen- 
 fivenefs of a little child fdould not enter 
 thereinto at all : and which, he threatens, 
 in cafe of mens unworthinefs, fliould be 
 taken from One Nation, and given to 
 Another that would brijtg forth the Fruits 
 thereof: That Kingdom, which, in his 
 Parables, our Lord reprefents under va- 
 rious fimilitudes of a moral fignification ; 
 fetting forth, by apt and proper Compa- 
 rifons, its different States in the prefent 
 World; and out of which, he tells us, 
 fliall finally be gathered All Offences, and 
 
 they 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 339 
 
 they which do iniquity : That Kingdom, S e r m. 
 which God Thus defcribed of old to Mo- -^^• 
 fes, Exod. xix. 6. Te JJjall be imto me a ^^'^^'^'^ 
 Kingdom ofPrleJis, a?td an Holy Nation : 
 And the Prophet Thus, Pf. xlv. 6. A Scep^ 
 tre of R'ighteoujnefs is the Sceptre of thy 
 Kingdom : And the heavenly Hoji in the 
 Revelation Thus, ch. xii. 9, 10. Now is 
 come Salvation and Strength, and the 
 Kingdom of our God-, for That old Ser- 
 
 pent which deceiveth the whole Worlds 
 
 (that is, the Devil, the Spirit of Errour, 
 the Spirit of Idolatry and Debauchery in 
 All Nations,) was cafl into the Earthy 
 (that is, was thrown down low, and de- 
 jftroyed,) and his Angels were caji out 
 with him : Laflly, That^Kingdom, which 
 the Apojile St Paul tells us, is not in 
 Wordy but in Power; is not Meat -and 
 Drink, (Forms and Ceremonies,) but 
 Right eoufnefs, and Peace, afid fay in the 
 Holy Ghoft. 
 
 This, in the New Tejlamenf, is the 
 frequent and ufiial acceptation of this 
 Phrafe, The Kingdom of God-, It fignifies 
 the State of the Gofpel, or the eftablilh- 
 ment of true Religion in the World. 
 
 Vol. II. Z 2 From 
 
34^ Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 Ser M.From which Ufe of the Phrafe in Scri- 
 ^^' pture, we may by the way obferve, how 
 
 ^^^^ greatly all fuch Enthujiajlick perfons err, 
 who under the Notion of the Kingdom 
 of God reprefent to themfelves either the 
 Saints exercifing 'temporal Authority and 
 Dominion in l!his Worlds or God himfelf 
 influencing the Minds of Men by his ab- 
 folute and irrejijiible Power. As to the 
 former Notion, That of the Saints ex- 
 ercifing T'emporal Authority and Domi- 
 tiion in T^his World-, in T^his Senfe, our 
 Saviour has exprefsly declared, that his 
 Kingdom is not of T^his World-, And the 
 True Profperity of the Church of God, 
 'tis plain, does not at all confift in the 
 Increafe of 'T'emporal Grandeur, which 
 tends always to corruption -, but in the 
 Increafe of 'True Holinefs and Virtue only, 
 in the Hearts and Lives of Men. And 
 as to the Other Notion, That of God's 
 influencing the Minds of Men by his ab- 
 folute and irrejijiible Power -, This alfo is 
 a very erroneous apprehenflon concern- 
 ing the manner of God's ruling over Mo- 
 ral Agents : For the True Greatnefs and 
 Glory of a Prince reigning in his King- 
 dom, 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 341 
 
 dom, is the Willins; Obedience of his Sub- S -e r m. 
 jedts, not their Weaknefs and Incapacity ' 
 
 of refifiing him : And in all things re- 
 lating to Religion and Morality^ 'tis not 
 magnifying the Glory and Majefty of 
 God, to fuppofe Him adling upon and 
 over-ruling mens Wills by his Power^ but 
 to fuppofe Them (like reafonable creatures) 
 chiifmg to obey his Commands by their 
 JVilh^ and loviftg the Practice of Virtue 
 and Goodnefs, 
 
 This therefore is the tifual Meaning of 
 the Kingdom of God in Scripture : It de-' 
 notes the State of the Gofpel, or the Pre- 
 valency of 'True Religion among Men. 
 
 Nevertheless, Since, at the Befl:, 
 all that can here be done in this i?nperfe6t 
 State towards ellablifhing God's King- 
 dom of Virtue and Righteoufnefs, and 
 confequently of True Happinefs among 
 his Creatures : Since, I fiy, All that can 
 be done tov^^ards thefe great Ends in this 
 prefent frail and imperfeSt State, "is ojily 
 in order to a more complete and perfeSi 
 State hereafter, when God fhall have 
 put down all Rule and all Authority and 
 Power-, and when All Enemies, Satan, 
 and Sin, and Death, (hall be entirely de- 
 7j 3 Jlroyed; 
 
342 Of the Kingdom of GOD, 
 
 S^AM.Jlroyed', and his Saints fliall reign with 
 ^^' him in Glory for ever : Therefore to That 
 
 ^^'^'"''^'^ future and perfect State it is, that This 
 phrafe, T^he Kingdom of God, always has 
 reference, even when 'tis applied to the 
 fiate of the Gofpel Here : And T^hat Hea^ 
 venly State it is, which ultimately and 
 properly is filled the Kingdom of God; 
 Wherein the Righteous fiall /bi?2e forth as 
 the Sun, in the Kingdom of their Father ; 
 Into which Kingdom, there fl>all in no 
 cafe enter a?iy thing that defileth, ?icither 
 whatfoever loveth or maketh a Lye-, but 
 they who overcome, (that is, they who 
 fo refifl: the Temptations of Covetouf- 
 nefs, Ambition, and Senfual Pleafure, as 
 in the midft of a degenerate and de- 
 bauched World, to follow Truth, and 
 Right, and Charity, fearing God, and 
 keeping his Commandments i) Thefe (hall 
 receive the Kingdom prepared for them 
 from the beginning of the World, and (ac- 
 cording to the gracious Promife of their 
 Father) ihall inherit it for ever. This 
 Heavenly State, I fay, it is, to which 
 That phrafe, The Kingdom of God, always 
 has reference, even when 'tis exprefsly 
 applied to the Stiite of the Gofpel here. 
 
 And 
 
Of the Kingdom of G OD. 343 
 
 And 'tis with Great Propriety of expref- S e r m. 
 fion, that Both thefe States are, as well -^^• 
 feparately as jointly^ included under this 
 One Denomination : They being indeed, 
 not T^wo dijiindi States, but One the con- 
 tinuation only of the Other; differing 
 from each other no otherwife, than as 
 Seed-time from Harveft, or as Childhood 
 from the perfed:ion of Man's eftate : 
 Virtue^ and Goodnefs, and the Ld*ve of 
 Godj and Obedience to him at prefent^ 
 being the Beginnings of Happinefs here ; 
 and the Glories of Heaven hereafter being 
 nothing elfe but the fame Virtue^ and 
 GoodnefSj and Love of God^ and ObedieiKS 
 to him, completed and made perfed: 
 'There, by an aflurance of his uninter- 
 rupted Favour and Prefence for ever. 
 And This Notion, by the way, fliows 
 the extreme Folly and Abfurdity of All 
 Thofe, who (fundamentally erring from 
 the Truth and Nature of Things,) found 
 their Religion here, and their expeBations 
 of Happinefs hereafter, in any thing elfe 
 (whatfoever it be) diJlinSf from Virtue, 
 and Right eoufnefs, and Charity, and True 
 Holinefs', which things are, not only the 
 CharaBers and Marks of, but they are 
 Z 4 them- 
 
344 Of the Kingdom of GOD, 
 
 S E R M. themfelves neceflarily and immutably the 
 ^^' Very Ejj'ence of the Kingdom of God. 
 
 From what has been hitherto faid ia 
 explication of this phrafe fo very fre- 
 quently met with in the New Tejiamenfj 
 it appears therefore, that there are T'hree 
 Senfes, to which the full Notion of the 
 Khigdom of God extends. There is his 
 K'mgdom of Nature^ by which he ruleth 
 with irrefiftible Power, abfolutely over 
 All : There is his Kmgdom of Grace or 
 Virtue ; by which he reigneth in the 
 Hearts of Moral Agents^ who obey him 
 ivilUfigly or of Free Choice : And there is 
 his Kingdom of Glory ; wherein he fliall 
 finally be for ever adored by Thofe, who, 
 through a Life of Virtue and True Ho- 
 linefs, fliAll be found meet to be Parta^ 
 kers of T'hat Inheritance of the Saints in 
 Light. 
 
 And according to theCc feveral fenfes 
 of the Phrafe, muft the Petition in the 
 Text, ^hy Kingdom come^ be in like man- 
 ner underflood, to extend to different Sig- 
 nifications. 
 
 I. In the fir ft place, as to the Natural 
 Kingdom of God-, 'This indeed we cannot 
 with Afty Propriety pray that it may come, 
 
 becaufe. 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 34^ 
 
 becaufe, by NeceJJity of Nature, it always S e r m. 
 ?i, and cannot but be, adiually prefent. ^^ ' 
 'Tis necejjarily, from everlafting to eiieV" 
 lafting J a Kingdom of abfolute and irre- 
 fiftible Power ; without Limits, and with- 
 out Interruption-, In all Places alike, 
 without diftindion ; and that cannot come 
 at one Time more than at another. Ne- 
 verthelefs, though the Kingdom of God, 
 in T'his fenfe, is what we cannot pray 
 may come ; yet we may and ought to re- 
 joice in the Thoughts of its being always 
 Prefent: P/.' xcvii. i. T'he Lord reigneth, 
 let the Earth rejoice ; let the multitude of 
 the Ifles be glad thereof, 'Tis matter of 
 great and juft fatisfacStion to reafonable 
 Minds, to confider that the Government 
 and Sovereignty of the Univerfe, the A- 
 lone Truly abfolute and uncontroulable 
 Power, is in the hands of unerring Wif- 
 dom and of perfed: Goodnefsj and that 
 things are not under the uncomfortable 
 Dominion of Blind Chance, or of inexo- 
 rable and unrelenting Fate. But 
 
 idly, T H AT therefore which our Sa- 
 viour principally direds us to defire and 
 pray for in This Petition, is the efta- 
 
 blifhment 
 
346 Of the Kingdom of GOD» 
 
 S E R M. blifliment of God's Kingdom of Gract 
 ^^' or Virtue, That as his Kingdom of Na- 
 
 ^'^''^^ ture ruleth Always abfolutely over All 
 things^ fo his Kingdom of Grace or Vir- 
 tue may in due Ttime be univerfally efta- 
 blifhed over its proper Subje5is : As his 
 natural Power is abfolute and u7icontroula- 
 ble^ fo his fpiritual Dominion over the 
 Hearts and Wills of rational Creatures, 
 may prevail finally againfl: all the Oppo- 
 fition of Sin and Satan : As his Glory ef- 
 fentially is infinite and immutable; fo re- 
 latively alfo, it may in due time be pro- 
 moted and acknowledged by all reafonablc 
 Creatures. T^his is the principal {tvi^Q of 
 our praying for the Kingdom of God to 
 come. 'Tis expreffing our earneft Defire, 
 that the Gofpel of Chrift, the true Reli- 
 gion of God, in its native and uncorrupt- 
 ed Simplicity, may fpread and prevail o- 
 ver the whole Earth, as the Waters cover 
 the Sea ; and that all the Kingdoms of the 
 World may become the Kingdoms of our 
 Lord and of his Chrifi ; May become his 
 Kingdoms^ not by conqueft of Temporal 
 Power, but by Perfwafion and Force of 
 Truth, by the Powg? and Demonflration 
 
 of 
 
()f the Kingdom of GOD, 347 
 
 of the Spirit. And that all they who have S e r m. 
 embraced the Gofpel in Profeffion, may * 
 
 let the Kingdofn of God rule in their^^^^ 
 Hearts^ by living as worthy Subjects of 
 it. For 'tis in the willing Subjepion of 
 the Mind to I'ruth and Right, ahd in the 
 regulating confequently all ABions, Paf- 
 Jions, Appetites, and Affe5iiom, accord- 
 ing to the Divine Laws ; in 'This it is, 
 that this Kingdom of God principally 
 confifts. By his Power, he can at all 
 times fubdue all things unto himfelf ; and 
 by This irrefiftible Dominion, the whole 
 material unintelligent World is perpe- 
 tually governed , and obeys it necejfa^ 
 rily , without any pqffibility of difobey- 
 ing : But 'tis the Will of God, that /«- 
 telligent and Rational Beings fhould not 
 obey his Will, but by their own j fhould 
 not obey by fiecejfity of nature, but by 
 the free Choice and unconf rained Compli- 
 ance of the Will. The material Univerfe 
 therefore , the whole Frame of Nature 
 is fubjedt to the Power of God j but 
 reafonable Creatures only are fubjedl to 
 his Laws. By This they become account^ 
 abUy and capable of being judged : By 
 
 This, 
 
34B Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. This, they are rendred either acceptable 
 ^^' to him, and capable of Reward; or ob- 
 
 ^^^^ noxious, and liable to be punijhed. This 
 Trial, This Probation he puts upon them 
 fuitable to their rational Nature : And 
 'tis the Ferfedlion of their Nature, and 
 the higheji Improvement of their Virtue, 
 to chuje to obey him cheerfully and rea- 
 dily. The more excellent the Nature, 
 and the more perfeSi the Virtue of any 
 reafonable Creature is, the more does it 
 delight in obeying the moH perfed: Will 
 of God, who is PerfeBion and Goodnefs 
 itfelf. For this reafon , the Angels in 
 Heaven are fliled in Scripture, by way of 
 eminence, thofe Servants of His that do 
 his Pleafure. And our Saviour, as it 
 were by way of explication of this Peti- 
 tion, Ty6y Kingdofn come, dired:s us to 
 proceed in the following words, ^hy Will 
 be done in Earth as it is in Heaven : And 
 elfewhere fets before us , to the fame 
 End, his Own ftill more per feSi Example, 
 foh. iv. 3.4. My Meat is to do the Will of 
 Hi?n that Jent me, and to finifi his Work, 
 But 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD, 349 
 
 ^dly and Lajlly, There is ftill another S e r m. 
 fenfe of this Petition, which was very XV, 
 much inlifled on in the Primitive Church : ^-/"VXI 
 And That is, that God's Kingdom 0/" Glo- 
 ry might come Jpeedily j and that being 
 quickly delivered from the Miferies of 
 this fmful and corrupt World, they might 
 foon attain to That Blejfed Hope of the 
 KefiirreBion from the Dead. It was an 
 Opinion which prevailed generally in 
 thofe early Ages, that at the Refurredion 
 every man lliould arife iji Order accord- 
 ing to the degree of his Goodnefsj and 
 that they who were raifed and judged 
 Jirft , fhould themfelves have a part in 
 judging thofe which followed. Whether 
 there was jufi ground for this opinion, or 
 not, I fhall not here take upon me to de- 
 termine : But the T^ext^ on which they 
 built it were thefe which follow -, 1 Cor. 
 XV. 23. Every man in his own order ; 
 Chrijl, the Firjl-fruits 'y afterward they 
 that are Chrifs^ at his coming : and Then 
 Cometh the end. i Thef. iv. 16. The dead 
 in Chriji pall rife firji. Rev. xx. 6. Blef- 
 fed and holy is He that has part in the 
 Jirfi RefurreBion, i Pet. iv. 17. Judg- 
 ^ ment 
 
350 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. menf mujl begin at the Houfe of God. 
 XV. I Cor. vi. 2. Do ye not know that the 
 
 ^■^^"^^ Saints Jhall judge the World ? and 
 
 that we Jh all judge Angels? Jude 14. The 
 Lord Cometh with ten thoufand of his 
 Saints to execute judgment. Matt. xix. 28. 
 fefus faid unto them^ Verily I fay unto 
 you , that ye which have followed me in 
 the Regeneration^ when the Son of Man 
 Jhall fit in the Throne of his Glory, ye aU 
 fo Jhall ft upon twelve thrones , judging the 
 twelve tribes of IJrael : And every one 
 that hath forfaken houfes, or brethren, or 
 fjiers, or father, or mother, or wife, or 
 children, or lands, for my Names fake, 
 Jhall receive an hundred-fold , and f mil 
 inherit everlafting Life : In St Luke it 
 is, fjall receive manifold more in This 
 Prefent time, and, in the World to co?ne. 
 Life everlajiitig, ch. xviii. 30. Laflly, 
 Kev, XX. 4. I Jaw Thrones, and they J at 
 upon them, and fudgment was given un- 
 to them ; a7id I Jaw the Souls of thejn that 
 were beheaded for the teftimony of Jefus, 
 
 and for the word of God, and they lived 
 
 and reigned with Chriji a thoujand years, 
 'Tis remarkable, the Text does not fay, 
 
 that 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 351 
 
 that Chriji came down and reigned upon S e r m. 
 Earth a thoufand years s as Many have ■^'^• 
 imagined without Any ground : But on- ^-^^^^^ 
 ly that the Martyrs reigned with Chriji 
 2l thoufand years ; whatever be the mean- 
 ing of that Prophetical, and perhaps fi- 
 gurative , period of Time. Thefe are 
 the Texts upon which in the Primi- 
 tive times was built That general Opi- 
 nion, that at the Refurredtion every man 
 fhould arife in Order according to the de^ 
 gree of his Goodnefs; and which made 
 them therefore in their Prayers petition 
 for an early Refurredlion. Whether 
 there was in the Texts fufficient foun- 
 dation for the Opinion in 'this particular 
 or no, (which 'tis not at all needful for 
 Me here to determine,) yet in the gene^ 
 ral 'tis certain, that they who lived in 
 fuch continual State of Perfecution as 
 the Primitive Chriflians did, and had 
 fuch a lively fenfe as they always had up- 
 on their Minds of the Glory and Hap- 
 pinefs of Heaven, had very good rea- 
 fon to pray earneftly and conftantly, 
 that the Kingdom of God (in this Laft 
 and mofl perfe<fl Senfe of the phrafe) 
 
 might 
 
352 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. might fpeedily cof}ie j that it would 
 XV. pleafe God jhortly to accomplijh the 
 
 ^^'^'^^^^^ Number of his EleSt, and to hafien hh 
 Kingdom : According to that pathetick 
 conclufion of the book of the Revelation^ 
 ch. xxii. 20. He which tefiifieth thefe 
 things , faith , Surely I come quickly : 
 Amen ; even fo come Lord Jefus. And 
 though (God be Thanked) We are not 
 Now under fuch continual and fuch fe- 
 'vere Perfecution, as the Primitive a?zd 
 Better Chriftians were ; yet whofoever 
 has a juft fenfe of the Vanity and Dif- 
 orders of this prefent World, and the 
 Glory of the World to come-, whofoever 
 obferves what St Paul foretels, 2 ^im, 
 iii. 12. Teay and AW that will live godly 
 in Chriji fefus fhall fuff'er perfecution ; 
 and confiders the Difficulties continually 
 ariiing to upright and fncere men in 
 "Every Station of Life, from the nume- 
 rous Errors and Corruptions, evil Cuf- 
 toms and debauched Prad:ices , of an 
 ignorant , fuperftitious , and tyrannical 
 World J will fee reafon to think it 
 fill and ever^ a mofl natural and pro- 
 per part of the Prayer of every Good 
 
 Chrifbian, 
 
lyVNJ 
 
 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 353 
 
 Chriftian, that the Kingdom of God may S e r m. 
 come; even That New Heavens and New ^ ^^ 
 Earthy wherein dwelleth righteoufnefs. 
 
 To which, that we may All at length 
 arrive, God of his infinite Mercy grant ^ 
 &c. 
 
 OL. II. 
 
 A a 
 
 SER- 
 
[ 355 ] 
 
 SERMON XVI. 
 
 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 mmmmmmmmmwMmmmmmmmmm 
 
 St Matt. vi. 33. 
 
 Bu^ feek ye Jirji the Kingdom of 
 God J and his Right eoufnefs^^ and 
 all thefe things Jhall be added 
 
 unto you » 
 
 UR Saviour in the 24^^Serm. 
 verfe of this chapter, warns XVI. 
 his Difciples of the abfolute '•^'^V^^ 
 Impoffibility of their being 
 at the fame time fervants of 
 God, and flaves to the pleafures of this 
 V o L. II. A a 2 prefent 
 
356 Of the kingdom of GOD, 
 
 S E R M. prefent corrupt World. 2Vo man^ fays he, 
 ^' r^;/ ferve two Majlers; No man can at 
 one and the fame time obey two Perfons 
 of a contrary difpofition j The Judg- 
 ment and Affedlions of his Heart and 
 Soul cannot at once be fixt and fettled 
 upon things of a different and incon- 
 fiftent nature : For either he will hate 
 the one^ and love the other-, or elfe he 
 will hold to the o?ie, and dejpife the other. 
 He muft of necelTity, by obeying the 
 one, difobey and negled: the other j and 
 then, his Servant only he is to whom 
 he obeys. Te cannot ferve God and 
 Mammon ; ye cannot be truly religious 
 and fincere fervants of God, while your 
 Hearts and Affections are too intently 
 and infeparably fixt upon the vanities of 
 the prefent finful World 5 For in all pro- 
 bability there will fometime or other a- 
 rife a competition between them ; and 
 then he that cannot part with thofe injoy- 
 ments of the World which are inconfifl- 
 ent with his Religion, miijl negledt his 
 duty towards God ; and he that will 
 upon no Account negled: his Duty to- 
 wards God, muil be content to part with 
 
 all 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 357 
 
 all the contrary Interefls in the prefent S 5 r m. 
 World. ^^^' 
 
 This therefore being the cafe, that 
 we cannot attend wholly to two contrary 
 things at once ; and that it cannot be ima- 
 gined, but that one or the other of them 
 muft in many circumllances and upon 
 many occafions be poftponed ; our Savi- 
 our proceeds to advife us, ver. 25. which 
 of the two oppofite Interefts 'tis of the 
 greatefl importance for us to fecure. He 
 admonifhes us, that our main and prin- 
 cipal Intentions ought always to be fixed 
 upon our Chief, that is, our future Hap- 
 pinefs J without being unreafonably and 
 anxioully foUicitous concerning the tran- 
 iitory Injoyments of this prefent life ; 
 Therefore I fay unto you, 'T'ake no thought 
 for your life, what ye fhall eat, or what 
 ye fiall drink ; nor yet for the body, what 
 ye fi all put on. With refped: to the Apo- 
 Jiles, to whom thefe words were more 
 immediately directed, they are to be un- 
 derftood in the JlriB and literal Senfe 5 
 that being in a perpetual Progrefs from 
 one place to another to preach the Gofpel, 
 they were not to make any provifion at 
 A a 3 all 
 
358 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. all for their own maintenance, but to re- 
 ■^^^' ly entirely upon the Providence of God, 
 by whofe appointment they were em- 
 ployed in that fpiritual work. But as the 
 words exprefs the duty of Chrijiians at all 
 times and in all places^ they muft be un- 
 derftood in a larger and lefs ftridl Senfe j 
 to fignify, that, after we have ufed a rea- 
 fonable induftry to obtain the necelTaries 
 of this prefent life, we ought not to be 
 any further anxious and foUicitous about 
 them ; but to rely on the Providence 
 of God for a continual fupply of thefe 
 things by his bleffings upon our jujl In- 
 deavours, and to be content with what 
 proportion of them he is pleafed to be- 
 flow upon us in the ways of Righte- 
 oufnefs. 
 
 The Reafons or Arguments, ivhy we 
 ought thus contentedly to rely upon the 
 Providence of God, our Saviour adds in 
 the 25/^3 and following verfes : Is not 
 the Life more than meat^ and the Body 
 than rai7nent? He that firft gave you 
 Life and Being, without your contribu- 
 ting any thing towards it yourfclves ; will 
 he not much more beflow upon you, in 
 
 the 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 359 
 
 the ways of Virtue and Integrity, things S e r m. 
 necefTary for the fupport and prefervation XVI. 
 of that Life ? Behold the fowls of the Air-, ^^^^^"^ 
 for they fow ?iot^ neither do they reap, nor 
 gather into barns ; they forefee not their 
 own Wants, nor are able to make any 
 provifion againll them ; yet your heavenly 
 Father feedeth them ; Are ye not much bet^ 
 ter than they ? And why take ye Thought 
 for raiment 'y Conjider the Lillies of the 
 Field how they grow ; they toil not, neither 
 do they fpin ; and yet God gives them a 
 continual increafe, and clothes them with 
 inimitable Beauty; fo that even Solomon 
 himfelf in all his glory, was not arrayed 
 like one of thefe : Wherefore if God fo 
 clothe the grafs of the Field, which to day 
 is, and to inorrow is caji ihto the oven, 
 Jhall he not much more clothe you, O ye of 
 little Faith ? 
 
 After which Reafonings he repeats 
 
 again the admonition itfelf, ver. 3 1. 
 
 Therefore take no Thought, faying. What 
 
 fall we eat, or what Jhall we drink ? or 
 
 wherewithal Jhall we be clothed? (for 
 
 after thefe thijigs do the Gejitiles fiek-,) 
 
 for your heavenly Father knoweth ^hat ye 
 
 A a 4 have 
 
360 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. have need of all thefe things j (Which ad- 
 -^^* monition, if it be applied, not to the then 
 prefent circumftances of the Apoflle's on- 
 ly, but to all Chriftians in general ; it 
 muil be underflood with fome limitations 
 in the fenfe before explained ; ) And then 
 he adds, in the Words of the Text, But 
 feek ye Jirji the Kingdom of God, and bis 
 right eotfnefs, and all thefe things Jhall be 
 added unto you. 
 
 The Kingdom of God, in Scripture- 
 phrafe, fignifies, fometimes the Glory 
 and Happinefs of Heaven-, fometimes the 
 ilate of the Gofpel, the eftablifhment of 
 the Religion of Chriil: upon Earth j and 
 very frequently Both of them together; 
 they being in reality one and the fame 
 thing, differing only in time and in de- 
 gree. For God carries on one uniform 
 and regular defign of bringing all his Crea- 
 tures to Righteoufnefs and Happinefs ; 
 and thefe are infeparable the one from the 
 other. Righteoufnefs is the only poflible 
 foundation of true Happinefs ; and Hap- 
 pinefs is, both in the nature of things and 
 by the appointment of God, the Fruit 
 and the EfFed of Righteoufnefs. They 
 
 differ 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD, 361 
 
 differ only, as Seed-time and Harveft, as S e r m. 
 Childhood and the State of a Man j XVI. 
 Grace or Virtue , being the beginning , ^-'^"^'^ 
 the ground and principle of Happinefs^ 
 growing up and improving towards the 
 Perfedion of Glory. The Kingdom of 
 God therefore, when it fignifies Both, is 
 not ufed in different Senfes, but in its 
 mofl proper and natural figniiication : On 
 the contrary, when it feems reftrained to 
 One iignification, it is then rather taken 
 figuratively, and put only as a Part for 
 the Whole. In the Text, it is of little 
 importance in which of the two Senfes^ 
 we underftand it : For, if by the King^ 
 dom of Gody be meant the ftate of the 
 Gofpel or the Religion of Chrifl here; 
 yet without doubt 'tis principally with 
 regard to its final ifiue and perfedion in 
 Heaven: And if thereby be meant the 
 Glory and Happinefs of Heaven, yet this 
 always prefuppofes the foregoing efta- 
 blifhment of true Righteoufnefs and Ho- 
 linefs upon Earth. Or, they may feem 
 Both to be exprefied in thefe words of our 
 Saviour, The Kingdom of God and his 
 Righteoifnefs \ the Glory of Heaven, and 
 
 the 
 
362 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. the Way that leads to it j the End to be 
 -^^^' ultimately aimed at, and the neceflary 
 and indifpenfable Me am of attaining 
 it. 
 
 T o ^eek thefe things, is to value and 
 efleem them ; to fix our Thoughts and 
 Meditations upon them ; to propofe them 
 to ourfelves as the mod valuable End, to- 
 wards v^hich all our Actions ought to be 
 direded j to be diligent in inquiring and 
 iludying the Means by which they may 
 bell: be attained ; and to be as zealous and 
 hearty, as fincere and fteddy in our indea- 
 vours after them, as the Gentiles^ i. e. as 
 worldly men, are, in feeking after the 
 Pleafures and Profits, in purfuing the In- 
 terefi;s and Injoyments of the prefent 
 Life. This is tofeek the Kingdom of God ^ 
 and his Kightcoufnefs : Ufing our utmoft 
 indeavours, imploying all our Powers 
 and Faculties, to promote the Interefi: of 
 true Religion and the Pradice of Virtue 
 among Men, which is the beginning of 
 the Kingdom of God on Earth j in order 
 to fecure to Ourfelves and Others a porti- 
 on in that eternal fiate of Happincfs, which 
 
 is 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 363 
 
 is the final eftablifhment of his Kingdom S e r m. 
 in Heaven. XVI. 
 
 Seek ye Jirjl ; i. e. feek thefe things ^^^"^^^"^^ 
 before , and in preference to all other 
 things J feek them with greater diligence 
 and more earneft labour, with fteddier 
 zeal and with a warmer affedtion, with 
 greater care and deeper concern, with a 
 more conftant and unwearied applicati- 
 on : Seek them as things of greater mo- 
 ment, even of infinite importance; fo as 
 in competition always to prefer them 
 clearly before all other Interefts and De- 
 ligns whatfoever : Conlidering that there 
 is no proportion between things finite and 
 infinite, no comparifon between things 
 temporal and eternal : that it will be un- 
 fpeakably a greater Happinefs to be judg- 
 ed worthy of the meaneft portion of that 
 eternal inheritance , where neither 7710th 
 nor rujl doth corrupt^ and where thieves 
 do not break through and fteal^ than to be 
 put in pofifeffion of all the fhort-lived 
 empires of this World, and of all thofe 
 tranfitory Riches , which of themfelves 
 moulder away in few years into that dull 
 from whence they were originally taken : 
 
 that 
 
364 Of the Kingdom of GOD, 
 
 S E R M . that 'tis e-ve7i here infinitely a greater plea- 
 ^^^' fure to lave a Soul fro?n Death bv con- 
 verting a Sinner from the Error of his 
 WaySy than Senfual and Voluptuous Per- 
 fons ever find in the higheft gratificati- 
 ons of Senfe , or worldly minds in the 
 pofiefiion and injoyment of the largeft 
 Treafures. 
 
 Seek ye firjt the Kingdom of God ; 
 ?. e. not fo as wholly to exclude the care 
 of other things; For That is impolh- 
 ble in this prefent Life, and to pretend 
 to it, is but Enthufiafm, and hinders the 
 fpreading of true Religion: But feek this 
 chiefly and in the firfl place j Make this 
 your principal and main care 3 Suffer no- 
 thing to interfere or come in competition 
 with it : Do this above and before all o- 
 ther things, and yet other things need 
 hot to be left undone. The very Com- 
 mand itfeif of feeking this frft^ implies 
 that other things alfo may be fought af- 
 terwards -y that other things likewife may 
 be taken care for, in their proper place 
 and fiihordlnate Rank ; with a due 
 and moderate degree of affedion , fuch 
 as may always be confiilent with this 
 
 ultimate 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 365 
 
 ultimate and great defign. And with IthU S e r m. 
 Limitation^ if not to the Apojiles them- XVI. 
 fehes^ yet at leaft fo far as they can be ^''^^^ 
 a general precept to all Chrijiians at all 
 times, muft the Words (as I before hint- 
 ed) of neceffity be underftood. 
 
 The Words being thus explained , 
 we may obferve in them thefe three 
 things : 
 
 I. A Precept, or the Duty command- 
 ed, Seek ye the Kingdom of God and his 
 Righteoiijhefs. 
 
 II. The manner and degree of the Ob- 
 ligation, Seekitjirji. 
 
 III. The Pro?nifes even of a temporal 
 Reward annexed. And all thefe things 
 
 Jhall be added unto you. 
 
 I. T H E R E is in the Words a Precept, 
 or the Duty commanded, Seek ye the 
 Ki?igdom of God, and his right eoufnefs. 
 And here without doubt, there is no Man 
 who with any the leaft degree of Sincerity 
 calls himfelf by the Name of Chriftian, 
 but profejfes and thi?iks that he feeks the 
 Kingdom of God. The very title and 
 profeffion of a Chriftian , implies as 
 much as his being a Candidate for Hea- 
 ven 5 
 
-66 Of the Kingdom of G OD. 
 
 S E R M. ven J And fo long as he continues a mem- 
 X^I- ber of the Church of Chrift here^ he is 
 
 ^^^^^^ apt to believe that he retains his title , 
 and is going forwards towards his inhe- 
 ritance in the glory that fhall be revealed 
 hereafter ; efpecially if he be conftant 
 in his outward Profeffion; if he be zea- 
 lous for Notions which perhaps he un- 
 derflands not, and which tend not much 
 to influence pradice ; and if he be dili- 
 gent in attending the external rites and 
 fervices of Religion. But 'tis obfervable 
 that our Saviour tells us, St huk. xiii. 24. 
 that there are maJiy that feek to enter in, 
 who JJjall not be able j And in the ex- 
 preflion of the Text itfelf he plainly e- 
 nough intimates , that Men may in vain 
 feek the Kingdom of God, if they feek 
 it not according to the righteoufnefs there- 
 of. Since therefore there ii fuch a thing 
 as Seeking without Effect-, and to fall 
 finally fhort of what we profefs to Seek 
 for is at leafl an equal, perhaps a greater 
 Mifery, than never to have fought after it 
 at iill J it cannot but be a Subjedl wor- 
 thy our moft ferious Confideration, to 
 inquire into the full meaning and e?^- 
 
 tent 
 I 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 2>^j 
 
 tent of this precept of our Saviour ; S e r m. 
 which unqueftionably is not obeyed in its XVI. 
 true Senfe, unlefs we Jo Seek as to be able ^^"^^^^ 
 to Find. St Paul, i Cor. ix. 24. com- 
 pares the life of a Chriftian to a Race, 
 wherein they that run, run all, but one 
 receiveth the prize ; and thereupon he ex- 
 horts his Corinthians Jo to run, that they 
 might obtain. In like manner our Savi- 
 our in the Text, when he commands us 
 to feek the Kingdom of God, and direds 
 us to feek it in the way of righteoufnefs, 
 and el fe where warns us that many who 
 feek it fliall not be able to find it; he 
 cannot but be underftood as exhorting us 
 to feek it earneftly and effedually and in 
 Juch a manner, as that we may not fi- 
 nally fail to attain it. 
 
 For our clearer diredion therefore in 
 obeying this precept, 'tis to be obferved, 
 that feeking any thing fincerely and ef- 
 fedtually, implies in it the following par- 
 ticulars. 
 
 I. Having a juft value and true 
 ejleem for the thing we profefs to feek 
 after. For the defires and indeavours af- 
 ter any obje(5l, mufl of neceflity always 
 
 be 
 
368 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. be proportionable , not to the real and 
 •^^^* intrinfick value of the thing itfelf, but to 
 the degree of the imprejjion it makes up- 
 on our mind , and of the afFeilion it 
 confequently excites in it. There are 
 great numbers of thofe who call them- 
 felves Chriflians, who though they are 
 afraid indeed of the punifhment of Hell, 
 and cannot bear the terror of eternal 
 torments ; (which makes them therefore 
 not dare to be openly profane ; ) yet they 
 have no real Efteem for the ftate of Hea- 
 ven, no earnefl defire after that Happi- 
 nefs , which confifts in the likenefs of 
 God and in the Perfedion of Virtue* 
 To prevent the ill Effeds of which Re- 
 mifsnefs, the Scripture ufes great variety 
 of Arguments to excite in us a juft Re- 
 gard and true Value for the greatnefs of 
 that Happinefs , which God has vouch- 
 fafed to prepare for them that love and 
 obey him; reprefenting it to us under 
 the Notion of a Fearl of fuch s;reat 
 price , that that Perfon is fpoken of as 
 acting very wifely, who immediately fold 
 all that be had to purchafe it -, under the 
 fimilitudc of a Croivn that never fades ; 
 
 of 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD, 369 
 
 of a Kingdom that will continue for ever ; S e r m. 
 of a Prize which no Labour can be too -^^^• 
 much In contending for ; of a Glory flii- 
 ning forth as the Sun, as the Brightnefs 
 ®f the Firmament, and as the Stars for 
 ever and ever ; of a Treafure that can 
 never wafte, nor be diminifhed either by 
 violence or frauds oi fulnefs of joy with- 
 out intermiflion, and pleafiires that will 
 laft for evermore j of feeing the Face of 
 God, and being made like uuto him, and 
 being aflured of his Love and Favour 
 for ever. And yet all thefe are but figu- 
 rative exprefTions, Comparifons, and ve- 
 ry imperfe6t reprefentations j For, after 
 all that is or can be faid, yet Eye hath 
 not feen, ?wr Ear heard, neither hath 
 entered ijito the Heart of man to concei'^oe^ 
 the things that God hath prepared for 
 them that love him. In which One ele- 
 gant Image there is contained Jituch Va- 
 riety under a moft beautiful Gradation. 
 Great is the Diverfity of glorious Ob- 
 jecfts which entertain the Eye in con- 
 templating the beautiful Order and ex- 
 quifite proportion of the Works of God ; 
 and yet this is far exceeded by the hearing 
 Vol, IL B b of 
 
3 70 Of the Kingdom of GOD, 
 
 S E R M. of the Ear, and by the larger compafs of 
 A . 1. Q(;};iei- nien's obfervations iovned with 
 our own. Many are the Glories which 
 the Ear hath heard of, in the defcrip- 
 tion of all parts of the World at prefent, 
 and in the Hiftories of the Ages that 
 have paft before us ; and yet thefe like- 
 wife are flill far excelled, by what the 
 Heart of man is able to conceive, and 
 the Mind can reprefent to itfelf in the 
 Imaginations of the Thoughts. Vaftly 
 great, and even unlimited are the Glo- 
 ries, which a vigorous and comprehen- 
 five Imagination can frame to itfelf as 
 poffible ; and yet even thefe likewife (fays 
 the Apoftle) are as far excelled by the glo- 
 ry that fhall be revealed in the Kingdom 
 of God, as the Seeing of the Eye is by 
 the Hearing of the Ear, or the Hearing of 
 the Ear by the Imagination of the Heart. 
 But becaufe thefe things after all are in 
 their own nature fpiritual, and can only 
 be fpiritually dtfcerned-j 'tis ftill a matter 
 of confiderable Difficulty, and requires 
 frequent and ferious Meditation, to pof- 
 fefs our minds with a juft value and due 
 efteom of them \ which is abfolutely ne- 
 ^ celTary, 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 371 
 
 ceflarv , in order to our feekino; them S e r m. 
 worthily, and with that earneftnefs and ^^ ■ 
 diligence they deferve. Thfe Affedions 
 mufl be drawn off from vain Imaginati- 
 ons, and the Mind reconciled to the Love 
 of Truth and Goodnefs : We muft hun- 
 ger and thirjl after right eon fnefs^ as our 
 Saviour exprefTes it j or, in the Pfalmift's 
 Phrafe, thirji after it, even a^ the Hart 
 fanteth after the Water-brooh. Other- 
 wife, what wonder is it that men fall 
 fliort of the Kingdom of God, both here 
 and hereafter} that they attain not to 
 its Righteoufnefs here, and to the Glory 
 of it hereafter j if their Defires after it 
 be weak, their indeavours carelefs, and 
 they feek it as if they fought it not ? 
 
 2. Seeking any thing heartily and 
 effectually, implies that we fix our Atten- 
 tion continually, /. e, habitually upon it. 
 *Tis not fufficient that our judgment be 
 convinced of the importance and necef- 
 fity of Religion, unlefs our Paffions and 
 Affedions likewife be in fom.e meafure 
 interefted. Nor is it enough that our Af- 
 fedtions be moved once or feldom, but 
 our zeal muff be renew'd by frequent me- 
 
 V o L. II. B b 2 ditation. 
 
n^'ji Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. ditation. We mufi give earneji heed to 
 •^^^- the thi?7gs which we ha've heard, leaji at 
 any time we jhouldlet them Jlip, Heb. ii. i. 
 For, as in matters of Senfe, Objedts 
 at a diftance appear fmall and imperfeft ; 
 and nothing but reafoning and judgment 
 can corred: the errors and deceptions of 
 the Sight J fo in matters of Religion and 
 of fpiritual concern, nothing but fre- 
 quent condderation and earneil and feri- 
 ous meditation can reprefent thofe things 
 as prefeJit to us, fo as to caufe them to 
 make vigorous and lafting impreffions up- 
 on our Minds, which yet we all know 
 cannot be very far dijiaftt from Us : For 
 Death is not remote from the longefl Li- 
 ver in this tranfitory World; and T^hat 
 conveys us if not immediately, yet with- 
 out any farther Change of our State, it 
 conveys us unto Judgment. To prevent 
 our Attention being diverted from thefe 
 things, the Apoftles are perpetually ex- 
 horting us, to raife our thoughts from 
 the Vanities of this tranfitory and uncer- 
 tain World, to the Glories of that Heaven- 
 
 -.^ ly and eternal Kingdom which we pro- 
 fefs to feek as our ultimate End: to fet 
 
 our 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD, 373 
 
 our affeSlions on things above ^ not on things S e r m, 
 in the Earth. And our Saviour in his ^^I- 
 Parable of the Sower warns us, how the 
 Word of the Kingdom, notwithftaoding 
 the unfpeakable Weight and Importance 
 of it, may yet very poffibly make no 
 more impreflion on the Minds of carelefs 
 and inconfiderate Perfons, than Seed caft 
 upon the hard high- way can enter into 
 the Earth and grow ; or if the Word 
 preached does make fome impreflion at 
 firfl:, yet that it may eaiily be drowned 
 by the Cares and Buflnefs and Plea- 
 fures of a corrupt World, as Corn is 
 choked and over-run, by a multitude of 
 Weeds. And This without quefl:ion is 
 the true Reafon, why in {o great a num- 
 ber of Christians who feem in fpeculation 
 to believe the great dodirines of Religion, 
 and profefs zealoufly to feek the King- 
 dom of God i yet in reality thefe things 
 have little more influence upon their 
 Lives and Practice, than a Demonflration 
 of any Truth laid afide and negled:ed 
 after it has once been underfl:ood j or 
 than a paflage of a Hiflory, forgotten af- 
 ter it has been once read ; than a Dream, 
 B b 3 when 
 
374 Of the Kingdom of GO D, 
 
 S E R M. when one awaketh ; or than a pafl 
 XVL Xhouffht that is never recolleded. This 
 fort of Perfons, are excellently defcribed 
 by Ezekiel^ ch. xxxiii. 3 i. T'bey come un- 
 to thee^ as my people cometh^ and they Jit 
 before thee as my people^ and they hear thy 
 njoords, but they ivill not do them ; for with 
 their mouth they J]:ew much loi^ey but their 
 heart goeth after their Covetoufnefs. And 
 lo^ thou art to them as a very lovely fong^ 
 of one that has a pleafant voice^ and can 
 play well on an injirwment j for they bear 
 thy wordSj but they do thefn not. 
 
 3. Seeking any thing heartily and 
 effedtually, implies, that we be diligent 
 and impartial in inquiring after the beji 
 and moji certain means of attaining it. 
 He that in earnefl feeks the Kingdom of 
 God, miift not be bent upon chooUng his 
 own ways and doing his own pleafure, 
 upon gratifying his own inclinations and 
 indulging his own Paffions ; but on the 
 contrary muft refolve to fubmit entirely 
 to the Will of God, to embrace Truth 
 where-evcr he finds it, and to be always 
 fincere in the Search after it. ^ruf in the 
 Lord with all thine Hearty and lean not to 
 
 thine 
 
Of the Kingdom of GO D. 375 
 
 thine own Underftandi?ig, Prov. iii. 5- S e r m. 
 Zeal without Knowledge, Heat in the XVI. 
 PaiTions without Light in the Under- ^-^"''^^^ 
 {landing, is like travelling in a wrong 
 road ; which the fafter a man goes, and 
 the further he proceeds in it, the farther 
 he is from his journey's End, and with 
 the greater difficulty will he return intQ 
 the Way that truly leads to it. The firft 
 Difpofition necefTary in him that with 
 Effed: would feek the Kingdom of God, 
 is, that with a Meek and Unprejudiced 
 Mind he confider and ftudy the Means 
 by which God has dire(5led him to ob- 
 tain it, and with fimplicity and purity 
 of Intention receive the tng?'afted Word^ 
 'which is able to fave his Soul : following 
 the Example of Holy David, v/hofe ftu- 
 dy all the day long was in the Law of 
 God, and in the night-feafon alfo he me- 
 ditated on the fame. For Want of this 
 defire of true inftrudion it is, that fo 
 many blind Superflitions, fo many abfurd 
 unintelligible Dodrines, and fo many 
 unreafonable Pradlices, have in feveral 
 Ages of the World crept in under pre- 
 tenfe and in the room of Religion ; ma- 
 B b 4 kino; 
 
376 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S F R M. king void the plaineil: Reafon of thing's 
 ^^^'^' and the moil exprefs Commandment of 
 God, through the Coiruptions and Dif- 
 putes of Men ; and fulfilHng that Pro- 
 phecy of our Saviour, that many {hould 
 feek to enter in^ (feeking in vain and 
 wrong w^ays, in ways of their own in- 
 ventine and ao;reeable to their own cor- 
 rupt affedicns,) many fliould in this 
 manner feek to enter in, and fiould not 
 be able. The only fafe, certain, and ge- 
 neral dirediion, by which perfons of all 
 capacities may guide themfelves in this 
 matter, in the midft of a divided and 
 contentious World, is to adhere fledfaft- 
 iy to the two great Rules which God has 
 given us to walk by ; viz. never allowing 
 ourfelves in any Adlion contrary to our 
 Reafon and Confcience, which (as the 
 Wife man elegantly exprefles it) is the 
 Candle of the Lord ; or contrary to Scrip- 
 ture^ which is the brighter and clearer 
 Lieht of Revelation. And herein we 
 muft firft take care, not to fail in the 
 foundation ; in thofe plai?i and certain 
 things, wherein no man can innocently 
 millake, but he that rum ma] read them ; 
 
 in 
 
Of the Kingdom of GO D, 377 
 
 in thofe great commandments , thofe S e r m. 
 weightier matters of the Law, the Love ^vi\ 
 of God and of our Neighbour : and then 
 we may with more fafety proceed to con- . 
 lider the SuperJlriiBure^ of do(5trines 
 Jtiore fpeculative and lefs certain, of rites 
 more difficult and of lefs importance. But 
 for any man who is profane and a blaf- 
 phemer of the Name of God, who is 
 unjufl and unrighteous towards his 
 Neighbour, or who Hves in the Habitual 
 Practice of Intemperance and Debauche- 
 ry ; for fuch an One to pretend to feek 
 zealoufly the Kingdom of God, in mat- 
 ters of external form, or in contending for 
 Laws and Dodrines of Men, is like la- 
 bouring to fet in order the garments up- 
 on a dead Body ; or like watering a Plant, 
 whofe very roots are dead. 'Tis contend- 
 ing about the Name of Religion, where 
 the Thitig is not ; and for the Shadow^ 
 where there is no Subjiance. And here 
 comes in that great and never-failing 
 Rule of our Saviour, By their Fruits ye 
 Jhall know them. Whoever is more con- 
 cerned for particular Forms and Ceremo- 
 nies, for Dodrines of a Sed or Party, for 
 
 Dominion 
 
378 Of the Kingdom of GOD, 
 
 S E R M. Dominion over other men's Confciences, 
 ^^^- for any thing that depends on temporal 
 Authority, than for the Difcovery of 
 Truth and the Practice of Virtue ; very 
 fure v^^e may be, that That Man's reli- 
 gion is Vain. 
 
 /\.thly and lajih\ Seeking any thing 
 heartily, fincerely, and effectually, im- 
 plies, that we immediately PraBife and 
 -put in Execution^ what we are once la- 
 tisfied is the true Means to obtain it. 
 Refting in the fpeculative part of Religi- 
 on is as if a man fliould hope to ar- 
 rive at his journey's end, merely by in- 
 ilrud:ing himfelf in the knowledge of 
 the Way. No : He that in earneft feeks 
 the Kingdom of God muft not only know 
 and underftand, but mufl in the courfe 
 of his Life put in Praciice alfo the Rigbt- 
 eoufnefs thereof. Though I [peak (faith 
 ^tPaiil) ivith the Tojigues of Men and of 
 Angels^ and have not Charity, 1 am be- 
 come as founding brafs or a tinkling cym- 
 ■ hal : and though I have the gift of Pro- 
 phecy and iinderftand all niyfleries, and all 
 knowledge j and though J have all Faithy 
 fo that I could remove mount aim ^ and have 
 
 not 
 
Of the Kingdom of GO D, 379 
 
 not Charity^ it profit eth me nothing. The S e b m. 
 Pharifees underftood, the Scribes difpu- h. 
 ted well about the Law ; and ?nany at 
 the day of judgment fhall fay, Lord, 
 have we not taught in thy fireets, and in 
 thy 7iame done many wonderful works ; 
 and yet he will fay unto them, / know 
 ye not ; depart from me all ye workers of 
 Iniquity : For, not he that knows, but 
 he only that does righteoufnefs, is righte^ 
 ous. And this is evidently the Work, not 
 of a few hours, but of a whole life : So 
 that they who put off their Repentance 
 to their Death-bed, far from feeking firft, 
 do plainly feek only in the lafi place the 
 Kingdo?n of God and his righteoufnefs : 
 i. e. they are the greateft negledters and 
 defpifers of it : And confequently they 
 fhall be leaft in the Kingdom of Heaven ; 
 i. €. in Scripture-Phrafe, far fhall they be 
 from ever arriving there. Which brings 
 me to the lid thing I propofed to fpeak 
 to, viz. the manner and degree of the 
 Obligation ; Seek ye firft the Kingdom of 
 God, and his right eoifnefs, and all thefe 
 things Jhall be added unto you, 
 
 SERMON 
 
[ 38i ] 
 
 SERMON XVIL 
 
 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 •Se S> ' Sy A ^ S} Sh ^ •«* ^ Sy 3^ Sy Sj S> S? '• Sr ^ ^ S^" 
 
 Matt. vi. ^3' 
 
 But feek ye Jirjl the Kingdom of 
 God-i and his Righteoufnefs^ a7td 
 all thefe things Jhall be added 
 unto you, 
 
 I S a very lively and aff^cft- s e r w* 
 ing defcription of Provi- XVII, 
 dence, v^^hich our Saviour gives ^"^V^^ 
 us in his excellent difcourfe 
 to his Difciples in this chapter : That 
 our heavenly Father knoweth what things 
 
 • we 
 
382 Of the Kingdom of GOD, 
 
 S E R M. ive have need of before we ask him \ 
 ^^^^- and is at all times able and willino; to 
 fupply us with what his infinite Wif- 
 dom knows to be needful and conveni- 
 ent for us ; that not only men who are 
 endued with reafon and forecaft, and 
 have the advantage of their own labour 
 and induftry j but even the Ravens and 
 Fowls of the Air, which neither fow ?ior 
 reap, which neither have florehoufe ?ior 
 barn, have yet a plentiful provifion made 
 for them, and are continually fed by his 
 bountiful Providence : Yet not a Spar^ 
 row, one of the meaneft of Birds, falls 
 to the ground without him, /. e. without 
 his diredlion or pcrmiflion ; not one of 
 them, as St Luke exprelTes it, is forgotten 
 before God: That not only Creatures en- 
 dued with Life and Senfe, but flill fur- 
 ther, even the Grafs and Flowers of the 
 Field, which can contribute nothing to- 
 wards their own fupport, nor are at all 
 fenfible of what is done for them, have 
 yet in them more and greater marks of 
 the inimitable workmanfliip of the great 
 Creator of all things, than ever the 
 Courts of the greatefl Princes, even that 
 
 of 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 383 
 
 of Solomon himfelf, had of humane arti- S e r m. 
 fice and earthly glory : Nay, further, XVII. 
 that even things of a ftill lower degree 
 than either Plants or Animals, thofe very 
 things which of all others feem to us 
 the leafl valuable and leafl to be re- 
 garded, even thefe are not beneath the 
 care and infpeftion of Providence, but 
 the very hairs of our heads are all num- 
 bred before God. 
 
 The Ufe our Saviour makes of this 
 lively Defcription of Providence, is to 
 teach us to rely at all times upon the 
 Care and Prote(ftion of God, without 
 unreafonable anxiety, diffidence, and dif- 
 trufl. And indeed, were not the noble 
 Subjedl carelefly and inconfiderately paf- 
 fed over in mens thoughts, without at- 
 tention and ferious meditation ; or were 
 there not fecretly in the breafts of men 
 an evil Heart of Unbelief it is not pof- 
 iible but this excellent Argument would 
 generally produce in the Minds and 
 Lives of men its jufl: and natural effed:. 
 Men who ftudy and contemplate the 
 Fhanomena of Nature^ which are the 
 Works of God, the further they carry 
 
 their 
 
3 84 Of the Kingdom of G OD. 
 
 S E R M. their inquiries, and the deeper difcovc- 
 ^^ ries they make, the More, and the more 
 undeniable Evidences they perpetually 
 find, that the Works of Nature are not 
 the Blunders of Chance, or the blind 
 EfFedt of Unintelligent Fate j but the 
 continual Operations of God who go- 
 verns all things, by the uninterrupted 
 care and interpofition of an All-wife 
 Providence which neither Jlumheri nor 
 fleeps^ and from whofe direction nothing 
 is exempted, at any time or in any place. 
 Christians, who according to their Pro- 
 feliion, believe the Scriptures, find our 
 Saviour in the palTages now recited, de- 
 claring fully and in few words this great 
 Truth, confirming it by his Divine Au- 
 thority to thofe who- have not capaci- 
 ties or opportunities of obferving it in 
 the nature of the things themfelves ; and 
 making infinitely a better improvement 
 of it, to caufe us to put our TruH wor- 
 thily in God who governs all things, 
 than ever was made by any of the Phi- 
 lofophers in any Age of the World : If 
 God^ faith he, Jo feeds the Birds of the 
 Air^ and clothes the Grafs of the Field ; 
 
 ho'w 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 38 5 
 
 how much more will he take care of you, S e r m, 
 
 XVII. 
 
 O ye of little Faith .? ' ^^^^• 
 
 But our Saviour's Argument does not 
 end here : The confideration of the Care 
 of Providence over us teaches us to 
 truft in God for a fupply of all things 
 neceffary here ; and This our Trufl: in 
 him for things necelTary here, is in order 
 to enable us with greater earneftnefs and 
 lefs dillradion of Thought, to attend 
 upon the one thing neceflary, the fecu- 
 ring our portion in the eternal Happi- 
 nefs of the Kingdom of God hereafter : 
 That our Hearts being weaned fronx an 
 over-fond Love and Affection for the 
 tranfitory enjoyments of this prefent 
 World, may be there more furely and 
 fleddily fixed, where is laid up our true 
 and lading treafure ; even that treafure 
 in thi Heavens that faileth not, where 
 no thief approaches, neither moth corrupt- 
 eth. '\take jio thought therefore, fays our 
 Lord J i.e. be not eager and follicitous, 
 anxioufly and unreafonably careful, for 
 thefe things which the Natio?is of the World 
 feek after, even the Gentiles which know 
 not God : But rather feek ye the Kingdom 
 
 Vol. II C c of 
 
386 Of the Kingdom of GOD, 
 
 Serm. of God ; fo it is exprelTcd in St Luke ; 
 XVII. Qj. in the words of the Text, Seek ye 
 ^^*^ iirfl the Kingdom of God and his Right- 
 eoifnefi : Tou, faith ye, who have the 
 Happinefs to know God^ and to whom 
 his Glory has been particularly revealed ; 
 you who are blelTed with the knowledge 
 of his true Religion, of the Purity and 
 Excellency of his divine Laws, and the 
 great and eternal Reward which will at- 
 tend the Pradlice of them j Live ye fuit- 
 ably to fo excellent a Belief, and an- 
 fwerably to- fo great a degree of Know- 
 ledge : Let your affedlions be raifed a- 
 bove things earthly and temporal, to 
 thofe which are fpiritual, heavenly, and 
 eternal ; Seek ye firil the Kingdom of God 
 and his Righteoufnefs ; and all thefe things, 
 thefe earthly and temporal bleffings, fo 
 far as the Wifdom of God fees necelTary 
 for your prefent comfortable fubfiftence, 
 Jhall be added unto you, 
 
 I N a foregoing Difcourfe upon thefe 
 Words, I obferved in them thefe three 
 things ; 
 
 J. A 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 387 
 
 I. A Precept or Duty commanded j S e r m. 
 
 XVII. 
 
 Seek ye the Kingdom of God and his -^^^^• 
 
 Right eoufnej). 
 
 XL The manner and degree of the 
 Obligation ; 5t"^^ it firft. 
 
 III. The Promife even of a temporal 
 Reward annexed ; And all thefe things 
 Jhall be added unto you. 
 
 I. In difcourfing upon the Precept or 
 Duty commanded Seek ye the Ki?igdom 
 of God and his Right eoifnefs j I obferved, 
 that Seeking any thing heartily and ef- 
 fed:ually, implies thefe four things : 
 
 ly?, That we have a jufl value and 
 ejieem for the thing we pretend 
 to feek aften 
 2dly, That v/cfix our Attention con- 
 tinually, / e. habitually upon 
 it. 
 3^/y, That we be diligent and im- 
 partial in inquiring after the 
 beft and cer'taineji means of at- 
 taining it. And 
 /^thly. That we immediately pra5iife 
 thofe Means, and heartily put 
 them in Execution, And thefe 
 I have already enlarged upon. 
 Vol. II. C c 2 I pro- 
 
3^^ Of the Kingdom of GOD, 
 
 Serm. I proceed now in the Wd place, to 
 ^^^.^^ confider the particular jnanner and de- 
 gree of our Obligation to this Duty j 
 contained in the comparative expreffion, 
 Seek ye firfi^ or (as 'tis expreffed in 
 St Luke,) Seek ye rather the Kingdom 
 of God. And here (as I before took 
 notice in the Explication of the Text,) 
 it is reafonable to obferve, that the Word 
 JirJ}, or rather, as in the cofnparative 
 Senfe it heightem the Obligation of the 
 Duty, and fignifies that we are bound to 
 feek the Kingdom of God more hearti- 
 ly, more earneftly, more zealoujly, with 
 greater conJla?2cy, with greater diligence^ 
 with Jironger and more intenfe affeBions, 
 than can reafonably be employed about 
 any temporal concern ; fo, on the con- 
 trary, in the abjblute Senfe, 'tis a relax- 
 ation or diminution of the fIricSnefs and 
 rigour of the Duty j fignifying, that we 
 are not obliged to feek the Kingdom of 
 God wholly and only^ in a total and ab- 
 folute exclufion of all other defires, (as 
 fome melancholy well-difpofed perfons 
 may be apt to imagine ;) but only that 
 we are to feek it chiejiy and in xh.Q Jirji 
 
 place i 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 389 
 
 place ; as belns: infinitely of more value S e r m. 
 ^ ^ -^ XVII. 
 
 * 1 r ^- ' A XVII 
 
 and of greater importance to us, and 
 
 conitquently infinitely worthier of our 
 highefl care and concern than any tem- 
 poral and worldly affairs. But the very 
 Word itfelf, Seek this Jirfiy implies in the 
 proper notion of it, that other things al- 
 fo may be defired afterward, i. e. in 
 their due place, and with a fubordinate 
 affe6lion. The Words immediately fore- 
 going, "Take no thought, frying, what jh all 
 we eat, or tvha.t fhall we drink, or where- 
 withal jhall we be clothed, feem indeed 
 to be fpoken abfolutely and without re- 
 ftriftion : And perhaps to the Apoftles 
 themfelves, the immediate Hearers of 
 this Difcourfe of our Lord, who were 
 to have no fettled habitation or abode, 
 but were to preach the Gofpel from one 
 Nation and Kingdom to another ; to them 
 poffibly this infi:ru(5lion was intended fo 
 to be underftood, in the abfolute and 
 unreftrained Senfe. But as the Circum- 
 ftances of Chriftians in following times 
 neceffarily made the ftrivSl and literal 
 Senfe of thofe words altogether impra(5li- 
 cable J fo the Words of the Text im- 
 C c 3 mediately 
 
390 Of the Kingdom of GO D. 
 
 S E R M. mediately following them, evidently give 
 •^^^^- us room to interpret them in fuch a man- 
 ner, as to be a prohibition only of im- 
 moderate and excejfive Cares ; of fuch 
 Cares and Sollicitude for the things of 
 the World, as is unworthy of the Cha- 
 rad:er, and inconliftent with the Zeal 
 and Diligence of thofe whofe Heart and 
 whofe Treafure is in Heaven. 'Tis not 
 forbidden us to defire and to ufe mode- 
 rately the things of the World j but we 
 muft with our jlrfl and greateji care 
 feek the Kingdom of God and his Righ- 
 ^ teoufnefs. 
 ' The Limitations therefore of this Du- 
 ty, or the particular Degree and Manner 
 of the Obligation expreffed in the Text, 
 may be fet forth in the following parti- 
 culars. 
 
 jy?, Seeking in ih^ Jirji place the 
 Kingdom of ^ God fignifies, in the leaft 
 and lowed fenfe, that we mull: not delay 
 and put off to the future our defigns and 
 intentions of living religioufly. The A- 
 poilies were obliged, when they were 
 firfl called by our Saviour, to leave all 
 that they had and follow him ; and we 
 
 find 
 
Of the Kingdom of GO D. 391 
 
 find that fome who defired only to take S e r m. 
 leave of their Friends, or to have time ^''■^^• 
 but for the burial of a nearcfl Relation, ^^'^^ 
 were not allowed the indulgence even of 
 fo fliort a delay. The Perfon who when 
 he was commanded by our Saviour to 
 follow hm, anfwered readily^ Lord, I 
 will follow thee , but let me firji go bid 
 them farewell which are at hofne at my 
 houfe, St LiiL ix. 6 1, was told, that 7to ?nan 
 having put his hand to the plough^ and 
 looking back^ is meet for the Kingdom of 
 God : The expreffion 'tis plain is figura- 
 tive J but the Senfe is, He who, when 
 he is convinced of the Truth of Reli- 
 gion, is not willing immediately to com- 
 ply with the Obligations thereof, but 
 deiires flill a longer and a little longer 
 delay, is not worthy to be admitted to 
 injoy the benefit of it at all. And this 
 refufal to allow of any delay, was at a 
 time when our Lord himfelf had not 
 where to lay his Head ; and when the 
 Circumftances of things were fuch, that 
 no man could become a Difciple of 
 Chrift, but he mufi: neceflarily part with 
 not only the finfiil^ but even all the 
 C c 4 innocent 
 
392 Of the Kingdom of GOD, 
 
 S E R M. innocent alfo and moft allowable eniov- 
 XVIT 
 ^^\^^ ments and comforts of Life ; at a Time 
 
 when a man that had kept all the com- 
 mandments from his Youth, according 
 to the ufual extent and interpretation of 
 the Law, was difmill'ed by our Saviour 
 with a very fevere intimation of the 
 danger even of not-ill-gotten poffeffions ; 
 becaufe he was not willing to fell all 
 that he had, and give to the poor : In a 
 word, when no man could embrace the 
 Chriftian Religion, but he muft at the 
 fame time refolve to lofe all that he had, 
 and very probably even his life itfelf alfo 
 for the fake of the Gofpel. Hov/ much 
 more Now^ when God is pleafed to re- 
 quire of us a much eafier Obedience ; 
 when we are required, not to part with 
 all that we have, but only to retrench 
 our vain and finful expences -, not to 
 fell all and give to the Poor, but to be 
 charitable out of the Superfluities of our 
 plenty and abundance j not to lay down 
 our lives^ or leave even the comfortable 
 Enjoyments of life, but only to forfake 
 the unreafonable and unfruitful Pleafures 
 of Sin, the Madnefs and Follies of Pro- 
 
 fufenefSj 
 
Of the Kingdom of GO D. 393 
 
 fufenefs, the unprofitable Gains of Un- S e r m. 
 riehteoufiiefs, the hurtful and mifchie- ■^^^^' 
 vous extravagancies of Intemperance, the 
 malicious and unmanly pleafures of Pride 
 and Arbitrarinefs, of Oppreffion, Uncha- 
 ritablenefs, and Revenge : How much 
 more^ I fay, in thefe days, when God is 
 pleafed to exaft of us only fo eafy an 
 Obedience ; how much more unreafonable 
 is it, that men fhould delay complying 
 with fo good, fo gentle, fo necelfary an 
 Obligation ? How much more unreafonable 
 is it that men fhould Jirji defire to fatif- 
 fy themfelves with the enjoyments of Sin, 
 and then hope to mock God by at laft 
 defiring to enter into his Kingdom ? And 
 how unworthy muft they needs be at the 
 Krid of their lives to be admitted into his 
 Kingdom, who would not be perfwaded 
 to employ the begin?ii?ig aiid befi of their 
 days in feeking the Righteoufnefs there- 
 of? 'Tis no advantage to God if we are 
 righteous and obedient to him, nor is 
 there any acceffion made to his Self-fuf- 
 ficient Happinefs, by our becoming Sub- 
 jects of his Kingdom : 'Tis for our own 
 benefit only, that he commands us to do 
 
 Righte- 
 4 
 
39^ Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 S E R M. Righteoufnefs ; and therefore, if we fliglit 
 -^^ ^^- and neffled: and eareleily let flip the op- 
 portunities or preparing and qualirying 
 ourfelves to be members of his Kingdom, 
 'tis very juft in hi?n to exclude us there- 
 from. Not that any man, when he 
 firft comes to a true fenfe of Religion, 
 how late foever it be, hath reafon abfo- 
 lutely to defpair; but that thofe who 
 are better inilrudted in their early days, 
 iliould have no incouragement to defer 
 their Obedience. 
 
 2di)\ Seeking firji the Kingdom of 
 God figniiies, that though our actual in- 
 tention may often lawfully be imployed 
 upon the things of the World, yet our 
 habitual^ principal^ and greatefi regard 
 mufb aiways be fixt upon the Life that, 
 is to come. I have before fhown, that 
 feeking any thmg heartily ajid eff'eB'ually, 
 necelTarily implies among other things, 
 that vftjix our attention continually, i. e. 
 frequently and habitually upon it. And 
 now to apply this, in the comparative 
 Senfe, to the Precept in the Text : 'Tis 
 manifeft, that feeking the Kingdom of 
 God/r/?, or before the things of the 
 
 World, 
 
Of the Kingdom of GO D. 395 
 
 World, necelTarily implies, that even S e r m. 
 'while we are imployed in worldly affairs, ^^^^- 
 in providing for the prefent neceffaries 
 of life i yet our prefent and main In- 
 tention muft always habitually be di- 
 rected towards our Ultimate and Great 
 End. Whatfoever thou takeft in hand^ 
 ( as the wife Son of Sirach excellently 
 expreffes it, ) remember the End^ and 
 thou JJoalt nevtr do amifs, Ecclus. vii. 36. 
 Thus a Traveller may imploy his imme^ 
 diate and prefent Thoughts upon the 
 conveniencies of his journey and the ac- 
 commodations at his Inn ; but yet at the^ 
 fame time, his principal and chief View 
 will continually be upon the End of his 
 Journey, and his fafe arrival at home j 
 and all other things will in courfe be 
 directed with a fubordination to That 
 chief Defign. And in thii Senfe, a man 
 may be at all times feeking the Kingdom 
 of God ; without any way negleding, 
 or at all withdrawing himfelf from fe- 
 cular Bufinefs : Which was the original 
 Error of thofe who firfl: ran into the 
 Superllition of a Monkifh retirement ; 
 and, in order (as they weakly thought) 
 
 to 
 4 / 
 
396 Of the Kingdom of GOD. 
 
 Serm. to become more religious towards God, 
 ^^ put themfelves out of all capacity of 
 doing any good amongft Men. There is 
 no imployment wherein a man may not 
 perpetually be doing fomething for the 
 Honour of God, for the Good of Men, 
 or for the Improvement of the Virtues 
 of his own Mind : There is no Bufinefs, 
 nay, there is no innocent Diverfion, 
 wherein he may not make it his chief 
 and conftant care to ad: always like a 
 reafonable man and a good Chrillian. 
 There is no flate of life wherein he may 
 not keep a conftant Eye upon a future 
 jftate, and fo ufe the things of the pre- 
 fent World, as that the great and ulti- 
 mate fcope of all his Actions may al- 
 ways refpedt that which is to come : 
 He may ftedfaftly propofe to himfelf one 
 great defign of his life, and endeavour 
 to adt always regularly upon that De- 
 lign : He may conftantly fix his main 
 Intention upon his chief and ultimate 
 End ; and in every thing he does, be 
 careful always to maintain a juft regard 
 to That. Every thing he undertakes may 
 be either diredly conducive to that End, 
 
 Qr 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 397 
 
 or at leaft not contrary to and inconfiftent S e r m. 
 with it. Which Method of adino;, fan- ^^^i^- 
 Bijies all the Biifinefs^ nay, even all the 
 Pleajures and Dherjmis of life. And 
 this is the 
 
 3<^ T H I N G, which the Phrafe, (Seek- 
 ing ^r/? the Kingdom of God,) neceffa- 
 rily implies, namely, that wheneiver there 
 arifes a competition between the Intereft 
 of Religion and that of the World, we 
 always prefer the more im.portant fpiri- 
 tual and eternal Intereft, before any tem- 
 poral and worldly concern. If any man 
 come to Me^ faith our Saviour, Luk. xiv. 
 2 6. ajid hate not his Father^ and Mother^ 
 and Wife^ and Children, and Brethren^ 
 and Sifters, yea, and his own Life alfo^ 
 he cannot be my Difciple. If he hate not 
 Father and Mother, is, in modern lan- 
 guage, a very harfh expreffion : But the 
 meaning is, (according to the well-known 
 Ufe of fuch ways of fpeaking among the 
 yews,) if he be not willing to part with 
 them, when there is a Neceffity fo to 
 do, rather than with his Religion. So 
 our Saviour himfelf explains it, St. Matt, 
 X. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother 
 
 more 
 
398 Of the Kingdom of GOD, 
 
 S E R M. more than Me, is not worthy of me ; 
 
 XVII. ^;;^ fjg ffj^f- taketh not his crofs, and foU 
 loweth after me^ ts not worthy of me. We 
 have reafon to blefs God we are not now 
 called to- fo fevere a trial ; neither are 
 we required to part with all things for 
 his fake, as the Difciples in the primi- 
 tive times were obliged to do: But we 
 are at all times under the fame Obliga- 
 tion to be in Readinefs to lofe all, to 
 have an indifferency for the things of the 
 World comparatively to our Religion . 
 and to be habitually in fuch a Dif- 
 pofition of Mind, as to be ahvays wil- 
 ling to part with whatfoever {hall at any 
 time come in competition with "our Du- 
 ■ ty. And of this there are Trials, even 
 in our prefent circumftances, by which 
 Men jnay judge, in great meafure, of 
 their own Sincerity or Infmcerity in this 
 particular. For inftance ; If a man, ra- 
 ther than deny himfelf the unlawful and 
 unreafonable pleafure of a Debauch ; if, 
 rather than part with the unjuft gains of 
 Fraud and Deceit, of OpprefTion and 
 unrighteous Judgment 5 if, rather than 
 rellrain the foolilh and unfruitful Vanity 
 
 of 
 
Of t^e Kingdom of G D» 399 
 
 of a profane Jeft, of mockery and fcof- S e r m. 
 fing at Religion ; he is willing Now to -^^I^« 
 lay afide all his hopes of Heaven (as 
 every vicious man plainly does, notv^ith- 
 ftanding his profeffion of Chriftianity j) 
 fuch a perfon may very eafily judge, bow 
 ready he w^ould be to leave all, even the 
 innocent injoyments of life, and even 
 life iffeify for the fake of that Religion 
 w^hich he now fo (lightly and upon every 
 trivial an occafion openly diihonours. 
 lie indeed who now plucks out a rig.b^ 
 eye^ or cuts off a right hand, who relifts 
 great temptations of unrighteoufnefs, and, 
 by the fpirit of Religion, mortifies vio- 
 lent Paffions and flrong corrupt inclina- 
 tions J fuch a one may reafonably pre- 
 tend, and has good evidence, has juft 
 ground of hope within himfelf, that if 
 it fliould pleafe God to call him to fo 
 fevere a trial, he JJdould be able to lay 
 down even his life for his Religion. 
 But if a man be not faithful in that 
 which is leaji, if he cannot prevail with 
 himfelf to go through tho, J malhji diffi- 1 
 culty, what ground has he to pretend, ' 
 that he would be faithful in that which 
 
 is 
 
400 Of the Kingdom of GOD^ 
 
 S E R M. is much, and undergo the feverejl and 
 X^I^- moft difficult trial ? 
 
 I N thefe particulars feem to be contain- 
 ed the full meaning and intention of the 
 Precept, Seek ye firfi the Kingdom of 
 God, and his righteoufnefs. 
 
 I T remains that I proceed briefly in 
 the 
 
 Hid and laft place j To confider the 
 Promife annexed even of a temporal re- 
 ward ; and all thefe things JJoall be added 
 unto you. Now 
 
 From this Promife we may feem 
 reafonably to infer thefe three things. 
 
 I. That, generally fpeaking, God 
 bleffes the endeavours of the righteous, 
 and of thofe who truft in him ; at leaft fo 
 t Kings far, as to fupply them with the neceflary 
 "■'^" fupports and conveniencies of Life. / 
 have been young, and now am eld, faith 
 the Pfalmift, and yet Jaw I never the 
 righteous forfaken, nor his feed begging 
 their bread. Which Obfervation, though 
 it was indeed more univerfally true un- 
 der the Jewijh difpenfation, than in the 
 Gofpel-ftate ; yet even fill for the more 
 part, Godlinefs^ as St Paul declares, has the 
 
 promife 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD, 40 1 
 
 promt fe even of the Life that now is : And S e r m. 
 our Saviour, through his whole Ars:u- -^^**' 
 ment in the Context, feerns to fuppofe, 
 that Providence, which fecretly diredls 
 and over-rules all Events, is particularly 
 concerned to make provifion for thofe, 
 who in the faithful difcharge of their 
 duty rely upon him. 
 
 2. When this happens otherwife^ (as 
 in the cafe of Perfecution it necelTarily 
 muftj) then from the Promife here an^ 
 nexed we may reafonably conclude, that, 
 what a righteous man lofes upon account 
 of his Religion, {hall by the Care of Provi- 
 dence be, Some other way, made good to 
 him. I'here is no man^ faith our Saviour^ 
 that has left hoiife^ or brethren or Jijlers^or fa- 
 ther or mother^ or wife or chiUren^ or landsy 
 for my fake and the gofpel\ but he f: all re^ 
 ceive an hundred fold now in this time, 
 
 iioith Perfecutions 3 i. e. he Ihall 
 
 either in the courfe of Providence be re- 
 ilored, to more than he has loft ; or he 
 ihall receive more than an equivalent in 
 that peace and comfort and fatisfacflion of 
 mind, that joy in the Holy Ghoft, which 
 arifes from a Senfe of a good Confcience 
 and of the Favour of God, 
 
 V OL, IL D d 3. Wheji 
 
402 Of the Kingdom of GO D. 
 
 Serm. 3. When neither of thefe are fecured 
 •^^^^* to a man, (as they can only be affirmed 
 ^^"^^^ for the mofi part;) then it may certainly 
 be depended upon, that his reward here- 
 after^ fhall be fo much the greater. Vfu- 
 ally he fhall in the prefent time receive 
 an hundred fold, together with F erf edi- 
 tions', but in the End infallibly eternal 
 life. It was a noble Anfwer to this pur- 
 pofe, (wherewith I fliall conclude,) which 
 the three children of the fews gave to 
 Nebuchadnezzar King of Babylon, when 
 they were commanded to fall down and 
 worftiip the graven Image which he had 
 let up, under pain of being caft alive in- 
 to a burning fiery furnace; Dan, iii. 17. 
 It was propofed to them to forfake the 
 religion of their God for the Law of the 
 King and the Religion of the country; 
 and their Anfwer was ; If it be fo ; our 
 God whom we fcrve, is able to deliver us 
 from the burning fery furnace ; and he 
 will deliver us out oj thine hand, O King : 
 But if not J (if he does not think fit to 
 deliver us ; yet) be it hiown unto thee^ 
 O Kingy that we will not ferve thy Gods, 
 nor worftjip the graven Image which thou 
 
 baji 
 
Of the Kingdom of GOD. 403 
 
 hafi Jet up. They depended upon God, S e r m. 
 if he did not think fit to deliver them 
 from temporal Death, that he would re- 
 compence it to them with Life and Hap- 
 pinefs eternal. 
 
 XVII. 
 
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