Srom f^e £,i6tari? of , (profeeBor ^amuef (BftifPer in (^[lemori? of 3ubge ^amuef (ttliffer (grecftinribge ^reeenfe^ 6)? ' ^amuef (gtiffer (grecfttnribge £ong fo f^e &i6rarB of (Princeton C^eofo^caf ^eminarj^ THE MYSTERY O F GODLINESS, CONSIDERED IN fi^^^^^^^^ SIXTY-Ox\£ SERMONS. WHEREIN The Deity of Christ is proved upon no other Evidence than the Word of GOD, and with no ether View than for the Salvation of Men, IN TWO VOLUMES. ^tv\ BY THE JkKVEREND THOMAS BRADBURY. Know that for thy sake I have fuffered rebuke. Thy Words were found, and I did eat them, and thy Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of ray heart; for I am called by tht name, O Lord Ood of Hofts. Jer. XV. 15, 16. Vol. II. \^ f^l^^ EDINBURGH : PRINTED BY ADAM NEILL AND COMPANT, AND SOLD BY JOHN OGLE, PARLIAMENT-SQUARE. M.DCC.XCV. CONTENTS O F THE SECOND VOLUME, SERM. XXXII. XXXIII, XXXIV, XXXV, XXXVI, XXXVII, XXXVIII, XXXIX. Believed on in the World. Pag. i To BELIEVE 0« C/6r//?, ZJ 3 To receive his teJii?nony^ 4 To look on him as the 07ily Saviour^ o To rely upon his righte^ntjhefs, 12 To derive a new life from bim^ 14 To grow up in him, je . To depend on him as a Comforter ^ 16 To obey him univerfa/ly, ig To worJJjip him in our religion, it To trujl him for proteBion^ 2^ To own him as the Finijher of faith. 27 If he is not GoD, 28 The New Tejlatnent only proclaims a creature, 32 We cannot take him for the only Saviour, ^S Or rely on his merit as our righteoufnejs, . 40 Or expeB a derivation of grace from bint^ 44 Or draw down daily fupplies to it, 45 Or depend upon him as a Conforter^ co Or obey him in all ccnver/ation, 53 Much Icfs give him religious worfhip, j4 Or trujl him for a future proteEiion, 58 • Or think that he willfinifh our faith, 59 This is a Mystery : 67 That there Jhould he any believing at all, 68 It IS aBiTig without the direBionof reafon, ib. Nay, fometimes againfl it, ib. And in oppofition to example, 71 It is purely perfonal. 72 That this Jhould be in the world, 73 In this world, and not in heavent 74 In ♦ IV THE CONTENTS. In a world where he had leen refufed, Pag. 77 Where th^greaiejl evidence feemed ineffeBual^ 80 In a world where he appears no longer ^ 82 In a world full of prejudice^ 83 And under the power^sf Satan, 85 And where nothing is got hy it. 85 It is a myjiery o/" Godliness : as thatfignifles 87 Our fuhjeBion and conformity to Chrijl, 88 As God he is the ohjeB of this duty, %n As God the author of this change : go Our compliance with the rule of his word^ 93 As God he demands a duty to himfelf 04 As God he direBs a duty to men : ■ g c Our p'-ofefjion of faith ; His deity g5 Makes us aB upon a certainty, H, Grow up to a confidence : 100 OurjoysandfatisfuBioninhimiasGod , loi He pardons our fins, ' 10% This is the aB ofChrifi, and yet ib. It is the peculiar of God, 1 07 He gives the hopes of glory. 1 09 Hence fee the 7iecejfity of preaching Chrifl., ' m The oppoftion of Satan, , jj^ The wiciedne/s of tho/e who hinder faith, 113 The need of prayer, . 2j^ The neceffity of our lelieving in Chrijl, . n^ A/id regarding all his perfeBions. ib, SERM. XL, XLI, XLII, XLIII, XLTV, XLV, XLVI. XLVII, XLVIIl, XLIX, L, LI. Received up into glory. jjg ^w Glory may be conjidered three ways : Hs As he is Man, he has j ^^ The imperfeBion of our nature, 121 Complete rejif-om all his labours, 125 A glory and reputation in his Per/on ; ' 128 Hii foul isfatisfied with joys, -_ j 2 9 His body is independent on all fupplies, ' 134 . Becaufe it is a glorious body, ^ jo^ It is received i?ito an immortal life y * 139 And an eternal Jettlement, * ' j . j He has the office of Judge i but the great efl glory is 143 The union of the human nature to the Divine, 147 A THE CONTENTS. jis he is Mediator, his glory appears in Pag. i ri The jiupendious union of the two natures^ ' ir* His feparaiion to the work of a Saviour, 1 1 r His dijcburge of toe truji, j ^5 His acquittance from the Father ; 161 Ihe union betueen the two natures is confirmed^ 165 In this uniun he receives the praifes of heaven, 16S He-continues the mediation betwem God and man. 168 \jis he is God, he has the glories of the Deity, 169 Spirituality, j.,yj Omnifcicnce, 282 Omnipotence, jgj ^ruth, j^8 Hohnefs and goodnefs, 204 Eternity, 209 Chief agfTicy in nature and grace, 21^ Right to univerful homage, 1 221 Being RECEIVED into this glory, may he confidered 223 with reference to His human nature : A cloud received him, 23 5 Angeh attended him, 220 He abides in heave?i, 250 He has received the reward. 2^a His mediarorial office : in the union of natures, 234 He is owned by the Father, 23 c Recognifed by Saints and Angels, 237 Declares his refolution to continue fh, 24Z Proceeds in this charaBer through all his works, 243 Of nature, ^^ Of grace, 245 Of providence, 246 He rules the Church, /^^ He will judge the world. 248 His Divine Nature : the glory of this appears in 249 Throwing off the vail that was upon it, 255 ^nd laying that afidefr ever, 250 Afrejh expofmg him/elf to the xoorfloip of Angels, 261 Speaking the language of a God in heaven, 263 And thus revealing hi mf elf on earth. 26S therefore, he will keep his glory, 2^1 In his authority over the Church, 27-' /// his full and proper Deity, 274 And expensive Jhould keep it^ 276 SERM. VI THE CONTENTS. SERM. LII, LIII, LIV, LV, LVI, LVII. ^he oppojition made to this doctrine is various, Pag. 25 o Bj/ Samofatenus, the Aetians, Eunomians, Arians Ebi- ' onites, Macedonians, Noetians, Praxeans, Sabel- lians, Socinians, and the new fch erne, 283 None of them delivered in Scripture-wordsy ib. Never was charity more limited, 284 The queflion in delate fairly fluted; 290 They own Chriji is called God; but ib. They deny that he is underived, 291 V^hey are divided about his worjhip, 292 Their diftinBion from Arianifm is vile andfoolijh, 293 Their arguments againjl the Deity of Chriji anfwered, 295 His inferiority to the Father, ib. That his Deity makes him the fapie perfon with the Father, l^c. anfweredi 297 The nature of God is incomprehenfible, ib. We always ajfert a diJiinBion ofperfons, 299 They allow no medium between Sabellianifm and Tritheifm, oQp Chriji did give JatisfaBion to himfelf ' 301 That their fcheme. is philofophical, anfwered, ihi Never the better for that, if it xverej'o, but ib. It is rather irrational, ^0 2 It ru?is into the Egyptian foPy, 304 Makes a wrong dijiribution to the Son and Spirit, 307 It is vain deceit. ' jog That Chriji is the begotten of the Father, anfwered, 310 Infinite Natjire is not to be meafured by finite, 311 The word need not Jignify derivation of nature, 312 But rather expreffes an identity, -^i^ In many places it cannot fignify derivation. 3 1 4 TZiaV methods ^0 oppoje the truth : 315 They difguife the qtiefiion in the following wcvys, 317 Trifiing with the word God, ■ ^ 318 Lijiingui/hing betWi.cn fupveme and fubordinate worjhip, - 320 Bret ending that the matter is all /peculation, 32a They pretend that we have only human creeds, anfwered, 325 This was profejfed at the Reformation, . 326 THE CONTENTS. yji And re-n/ferted hy the Divines at Weflminjler, Pag. 527 i:hey did all this upon Scripture authority, 329 Andfo have I done quite through this ivorh. 330 i:hey make a hoajl oflt^^ -thinking, anfwered, . . I This vanity is an ill mark upon the caufe, ^ % 'The charge of Enthufiafm may he retorted, ,, I This very argument is a downright Jlander. i\r They impofe upon us with falTe quotations, 2,^ This praBice will be fatal to them, iv^ It IS an inflance of their i?7ipudence, {^ This injury on the memories of good mm ought to be refented, ^ -342 They zvould confine us to Scripture-words, ij, Which was never their own praBice, ,h' It IS what a Papift may do, , * They kno w we plead nothing but Scripture, ''t^'. They ghry in their charity ; This fjjould 7iot be oppofed to faith, ^^^ Rut is always founded on an union in faith, \'l C hardy is to go by Scripture rule. Theydefpife myjieries and church-communion. The opinion is had that makes people worfe, t r t Beware of trifling with the Lord's day i-r. Arguments fhould be anfwered, not bantered % \ . 7 he laugh will be turned upo.i them, ' i^l Our caufe abhors fuch methods. \ ^^^ SERM. LVIII, LIX, LX, LXI. Great is the Mjftery, God received into Glorv, An account of myferies in general. Of this in particular : 359 He who ^asdejiitute below, has ..Ufulncfs above, .6. The objea of God's wrath lives in his favour, ' ^66 '^'"htd '^'^''' '"'^ ^"^'^'^ ""'"^ " «^^ '^^"- A fuffering nature is united with an eternal. A vindication of this myjlery, nenyingofmyfleria is univerfally exploded, ... ^^pl^^ining of myferies is nonfcnfe, ^]^ This 368 371 Till THE CONTENTS. Tlu is a'do&rine o/'GoDLiNESS : it promotes Pag. 373 Faith, ly which 375 We reji on the hare word of God, 376 We make an honeji proftjjion of him f 379 We live with duty to him, 383 Hope., hy owning his Deity, 385 We reJi tiDon his righteoujnejsy iB, We trujl him for proteBion^ 386 We rejign to him at death. 387 Charity, the fcuernl fmfes of the word^ 388 ^ belief of Chriji's Divinity teaches Forbearance of one another, 398 Union in the faith the foundation of charity j 40 1 jddvice to thofe who do not believe the truths 403 Do not deride it, 404 Shun profane babblings, viz. • 407 Denying a certainty in faith, 408 Deriding the work of the Spirit^ 409 Curtailing revelation, ib, DefpiJtT/g good men, ib, Negle6fing praBical religion, 410 Be open to conviflion, ■ ib. Beg the Divine teachings. 411 Exhortation to fuch are convinced. 41a Feel what you believe, 413 Owii what you have felt. 414 SomQ account of my engaging in tbisfubje&f 41^ SE R» SERMON XXXII. M- ■*■*•*••*•*■*■*■****•*•***•*"**•***•*• •^'^*-*' I Tim. iii. i6. 'Believed on in the World, THESE words carry our thoughts into the skrm. 32. ^/■/j branch of the Chrillian religion, or, as ' the Apoftle calls it, the record that God has given 1 John v. of his Son. And it is like all the reft, a Myftery *°- of Godlinefs : That God ftiould be manifejl in the jieJJj ; and after all the fcandal that he met with X\\^^t^ jujiijied In the Spirit: That when he was re- fufed of men, he fliould ho. feen of Angels ; and up- on the contradiction of the Jews, preached unto the Gentiles ; and this fo very effedlual to their ad- vantage, and his reputation, that he is believed on in the world. I fhall here proceed by that method which 1 have obferved all along in the other paits of this glorious fubjed ; that is, I. Shew you the fenfe of the phrafe, or what it is for the world to believe on Lhiijl. V-oL, II. A 2. Open 2 Believed on in the World, SERM. 32. 2. Open this as an argument of his true Divini- ' ty ; that He who is fo believed on can be no other than the Mott High God. 3. Confider it as a myjlery., that bears a place among thore many things that Ve too wonderful for us ; fuch as are high, and we cannot attain unto. 4. Let you fee the benefit of fuch a dodtrine : it is a Myitery of Godlinefs, and helps on the reli- gion that ought to be our concern and pradice. I. We muft enquire what is farther faid of Hira^ concerning whom we have heard fo much already 'o- Luke ii. and the branch that I am now upon gives us glad ^*' tidings in^^tdk. Th^y l^Vi \x% oi 'a. glory to God in the high eft ; they introduce are of your father the devil, J!| Jj| and the lujls of your father ye will do : -^hecaufe 47- / tell you the truth, ye believe me not : none of you convinces me of Jin, a?id if I fay the truth, why do not ye believe vie P He that is of God, hears God's ivords : ye therefore hear them not, becaufe ye are not of God. I am apt to think it is with revealed religion as it is with natural. There are thoufands who cannot get over the arguments they meet with for the being of a God, and yet are fools enough pr. zivo. I to fay in their hearts. There is no God. Their lit.^i. 15, jjiinds and confciences are defiled : they prof if s that they know God, but in works they deny him j being- abominable, difobedient, ajid to every good work re- probate. When thefe people are converted, their Relieving Believed on in the World. ^ believing is to quite another purpofe ; which (hews serm. st. it to be from quite another principle. Juft fo it is with the authority of Chrift in the things that he has faid of himfelf ; Though a perfon may not know how to difpute iigaind them, yet there is a great deal more goes to a thorough convidion. When our Saviour had fent the difciples of John back to their mafter, with that which would con- firm him, and might perfuade r/j^w, ih-dl the dead },ux^x\.i, are raifed, the deaf hear, the blind fee, the lanic ^^ 'walk, and the lepers are cleanfed, he adds, Bleffed is he ivhofcever JJjall 7iot be offended in me j q. d. notwithftanding all the evidence that makes you converts, yet the work mull be afcribed to a Di- vine power as well as a moving argument ; for that wliich abundantly fatishes you, will be of no weight to millions of other people. We may com- plain, after all our pains to eftablilb a dodrine that is called the wifdom of God, Who has believed owr ifa. liii. a report! people rather take the Chriilian Religion for granted, than look into it ; and the confequence of this is, that they wall be carried away with every wind of dodrine. Though the miniilratiou of the Spirit is glorious, though they who are em- ployed in it ufe ^reat plainnefs of fpccch, though th-ey renounce the hidden things of diQioneily, not 2Cor.iv.i walking in craftinefs, nor handling the word of the ^' ** Lord deceitfully, hut by manifcflation of the truth, cortimend themfelves to every man's conicience in the fight of God ; yet after all this, our Gofpel is hid, and many are lofl. We have need therefore not only to look into the book of God, but at the time of doing it, to waft up the fame delire with David, Lord, open thou mine eyes, that I may behold (wonders out of thy law. And there is the more occaiiou for this, wheii the god of this world has blinded the eyes of them that believe ?iot, lejl the light of the glorious Gofpel of Chf ijl, who is the image of the ini-ifibk God,fhould jhine into their hearts. What 8 Believed on in the World, SERM. 32. What is it that makes a believer, and gives him a right perfuafion, that the teftimony we have of Jefus Chrift is true ? I anfwer, there is a great deal of what we call 7nqral evidence. We have a con- fillence in the parts, a harmony^in the whole, a drain of piety running through, and a demonftra- tion of miracles bearing witnefs. But all this will aCor.iv.e.not do, till He who caufed the light tojhine out of darknefSf Jhines into our hearts, to gives us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God^ in the face of Jefus Chrijl. Peter told our Lord what men faid of him : fome that he was Elias, fome John the Baptift, others that one of the old Prophets was rifen again. All the opinions proclaimed him to be a wonderful perfon: and had he been any of thefe, no manner of doubly ' fnigbty works would have [hewn themfelves in him. I cannot fay, but that one raifed from the dead might have been able to do as many miracles. But this was not belie- ving him to be what he really was. Though in thefe imaginations they fuppofed- a great deal, yet not enough. Now the queftion is, upon what' grounds any could fay, he was more than a prophet returned in- to the world, and no lefs than the Chrift of God ? Our Saviour faith to him, Blejfed art thou Simon Barjona, flejh and blood has not revealed this to thee, but my Father who is in heaven. Flefh and blood, i. e. human reafon, employed upon thefe obfefva- tions, might prove him to be more than a man ; but here is another evidence given to him, that can proceed from none but God. — ^Well, thus he was believed on in the world ; his Gofpelwas appro- ved of. The word that they heard of.the Apoftles, iThef. ii. was not received as the word of man, hut 'as it is in » »3- triith the word of the living God, that works effec- tually in thofe that believe. He takes notice of this to the Thelfalonians : Our tejlimony among you was believed. This is the ground of all : we do well to n take Believed on in the World. 9 take heed to the fun word of prophecy : if we ceafe J™J^' to take heed to that, no dodrines of the Chrftiiin ii^et.i. ly. revelation will ever imprefs us. They are recom- ^^' ^^• mended to us, a« not coming by the will of mariy but that holy men of God f pake as they were moved by the. Holy Ghoft. (2.) They that believe on Chrift, look upon hifti as the only Saviour of a loft world. This was the great matter of his teftimony, when the Tews alked, Whai Jhall we do, that we may work the work of God? The meaning of the queftion feems to be this: What is that particular duty which above all others God expeds from us ? What is the obedi- ence that may be called working the work of God '? He anfwers, This is the vuork of God, that ye be- lieve on Him whom he has fent. Here the matter ftuck. His enemies could not deny him to be rich- ly furnillied ; but his being the Chrift, the anoint- ed of God, the Mefliah, the Interpreter, who is one among a thouland, the feed of the woman, the Son of Abraham, is what they could not imagine : They Rom. is. flumbled at that Jlumhling-ftone ; as it is written^ y~* ^^■ Behold, I lay in Sion a ftumbling-flone, and a rock of offence, and whoever believes on him Jhall not he ajhamed. . Therefore it is faid, that he was in the world, joh. i, lo, and the world was made by him, and the world knew "' ^*' him not ; that is, they knew not what they were chiefly to have known. He came to his own, and his own received him not : not but that they follow- ed him with efteem and wonder, but they did not receive him as the gift of God, as the great appoint- joh.iv. ic. raent of infinite wildom, as the hope of Jfrael, and the fubftance of thofe promifes that were made to the fathers : to them that thus received him, gave he power to become the fons of God : it was a fort of Divine acl, even to them that believe on his name. Their believing is not put upon the clearnefs of the evidence, and their own ftudious impartial Vol. n. B fearches, lo "^ Believed on hi the World, SERM. 32. fearclies, but upon a higher nature : they were horn not of bloody nor of the will of man, tior of the will of the fle/h, hut of God. This is what he all along infifted on : to this joh. 1. 15. John hare witnefs, faying, Behold the Lamb of God who takes azvay the fins of the world. And John's difciples who were Tent to him, gave this confef- ▼er. 49, fion, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of If r ad. Thus the woman of Samaria fpeaks, Joh. iv. 2p. Qqjjic^ jce a man that told me all things that ^ver I did, is not this the Chrifi ? And fo fay the men of rei-. 42. the city to her again. Now we believe, not becaufe of thy faying, for we have heard him ourfelves, and know that this is indeed the Chrijl, the Saviour of jch, i, 45. the world. Thus chey fpeak of him to others, We have found Imn, of whom Mofcs in the law and the prophets did write. By which way of arguing, you. fee how they Underftood the Scriptures of truth. They were, delivered at fundry times, and in divers manners ; they had laws, promifes, types, and hi-, (lories ; but, like fo many lines, they were all tend- ing to one point. Thus our Saviour fpeaks of him- Joh.vii. 37. felf, in fuch language as no prophet ever ufed : He flood in the lafl and great day of the Jeafl, and cried, If any man thirfl, let him come unto me and drink. It would have been in vam for any to plead then as feme do now, that this was merely a fpeculation. Let but people mind their duty, live honeflly, and carefully, and they fliall never be condemned for not believing what they cannot underftand. This vain talking is what the Scripture has left us no room for. Our Lord tells them plainly. If ye be- lieve not that I am he, yejhall die in your fins. He "*— x-5,9- faith again, yill that came before me are thieves and robbers : I am the door ; by me if any man .enter in, heJJmllfind pafiure. And it was a proper queftion that John's difciples came with, Art thou he that Jhould come, or do tve look for another .^ Several had appeared in diff^^rent ages, to make known the ■ • ¥il}.' BEffiEVED ON in the World, il will of God, and in particular their own great ma- skrm. 32. fler, but there u-as no more than One that fhould come us Mediator between God and man : It was joh.xvii.3, life eternal to know the only true God, and Jefus Chrijl whom behadfent. Cornelius was a perfon who gave alms, and had a good report of all men, and prayed always; that is, devotion was his habit and his pradice; and yet God bids him fend to Joppa for Peter, who would tdl hini words whereby he Jhouid he faved. AndAdlsx. 6, what are thefe words, but a report of Jefus Chrill? for, as he had obferved to the Jews before, %bere is falvation in no other, neither any other name gi- ven under heaven among men. So he does the fame again: The word, faith he, which God fent to the ''^'- ^^'n> children of Ifrael, preaching peace by Jefus Chrifl, ^^' that word which was puhlijled through all Judea, and begun from Galilee, how God anointed Jefus Chrijt with the Holy Ghof. To Him give all the ver. 43. prophets witncfs, that through his name, whoever believes in him pj all receive remijfion of Ji?is, Thus it was foretold he Ihould be preached, agreeable to what he faith hirafelf. Look unto we, and be ye fa- ■ved all the ends of the earth ; for I am the Lord, and there is none elfe. The Apoftle gives it as a maxim, that other foundation can no mati lay, be- i Cor. ii;. fides that which is laid, who is Jefus Chrifi. "• So" that believing in him is coUeding and cen- tring all our hopes here, rejeding all other media- tors as phyficians of no value ; lookir.g upon hnn as the way, the truth, and the life, that no man can jc-h. iiv. ;;. come unto the Father but by him. He i% as the very devils confeded him to be, The Holy Ore op God, The New Teftament has made lo great an account of this, that certainly it muft be of the h.ft impor- tance to our falvation. If mere doing juftice, lo- ving mercy, and walking humbly with God, which fome people fet in oppofition to faith, if thefe Would have done, there was no need to have puz- zled 12 Believed on in the World, sERM. 32. ^led the world with the claims of a perfon who Luke ii. 54. was fet for the fall and the riflng again of many in IfraeU and afign thatJJjould be fpoken againjh taid touching the righteoiifntfs of the law was blamelefs, and yet at that time the chief of fim^rs. He there- fore- defires to be found in none of that righteouf- nefs, but only in one that came from God by faith. But this leads me to fliew, (3.) Believing in Chrift is relying upon the righ- teoufnefs, that he has brought in for our acceptance with God. This is eafily talked of, but the foul that ever knew what it meant, finds it the hardeft thing in the world. It is eafier to perform a hun- dred duties than to de?iv one of them. It is what every good man is raofi jealous of himfelf about. He may hope that he loves Chrift, there are feve- ral arguments of this, but he is afraid that fome- thing eite is ftealing into his foul as the^r.atter of his rejoicing. The pleafures that tlov/ into a duty, and the refieclion that afterwards he makes upon it, are not fo eafiiy kept out of his hopes of julli- iication. It is a very hard thing, after we have done all, to fit down with patience and fay, We are unprofitable fervants. This was the mifery of the e-.oin. X. 3, je^yg . they i^^d a zeal of God, they went about to '^' ejlablifj a righteoufnefs of their own, and would not fubmit theinfelves to the righteoufnefs of God. Now Cbrift is the end of the law for righteoufnefs to every one that believes. And this is believing, not negleding our duty, but looking beyond it to fomething elfe as the iv'. 4, great atonement. To him that works is the reward ^' reckoned not of grace, but of debt ; bni to him that works not, that is, not with any expedation of be- ing pardoned for it, but believes on him that jujlifes the ungodly, to him his fakh is iwputofi for righteouf- nefs. This is believing, and before a foul is brought to it, the Holy Spirit has been thoroughly at work .with him. It may be fuppofed of every one who relies Believed on in the World. 13 relies on the merits of Chrift, that he owns, he ^^^^- ''^: feels the pollution of his nature, according to that cry of the Church, Our righteoufnejps are as filthy rags, and our/elves as an unclean thing. He fees the terrors of the law, When the connnandment comes, Rom.viJ. 9. Jins revrjes, and he dies. He beholds the juftice of God, who will by no means clear the guilty, and in ivhofejight no fieJJj living can he jufiified. He con- fefles the vanity of all his own endeavours, to an- fwer the demands of a righteous Creator. How Jhall man he jujl with God, or how pall he he pure who is born of a woman ? And oh 1 how delirable to fuch a one will Jefus the Mediator of the new Heb. xv. covenant be, and the blood of fprinkUng, thai f peaks ^■^• better things than the blood of Abel I The more you value the death of Chrift, the greater evidence do you give of believing. The Apolile wanted to k?iow the fellowjhip of his fuffer- Phil Jii.rc ings, and to be conformed to his death. Him has God Rom. Ui. fet forth as a propitiation for our fins through faith *^' in his blood. He in his owm perfon is the great Propitiation, the Pafchal Lamb, Chrijl our pajfover i Cor. v. 7. is facrificed for us. . But the particular notice that our faith takes, is of his blood. He was delivered ^.QmXv.is- for our offences, and rofe again for our jufiijication. Thofe people that deny the infinite evil of fm, (by which we mean its being direded againft an infinite Majclly, and deferving an eternal punilh- ment), thefe are enemies to the crofs of Chrift ; they make it a needlefs thing, and what the wdrld might have done without : But whatever arguments per- fons may have againft the fatisfadion made to di- vine juftice, one ihake of an uneafy confcience will fet them to rights ; they will then fee, that with- out JJjcdding of blood, there could be no remiffion. This is believing ; our perfons, our duties, or as they are called, our garments, are %vajljed in the blood of the Lamb. It is here that taith takes a faft hold^ that Chrift has loved us^ and given him- Kev. i ^, 14 Believed on in the World, SER^i. 22 . y^l^ f^^ j^^^ jj^^ifj^ ru^cified us from our fins in ins own blood. A poor convinced foul finds he is un- rf.cxis.3 done, and that thtTt \s uo ftanding in God' s fght when once he is angry j and it is only owing to him from whom we hiwe received the mtonement, that Rom. V. z. we have accefs by faith into the grace wherein we fland. (4.) Believing in Chrift is deriving from his ful- nefs the principles of a new life. The fatisfadion Eph. V. C15, that he has made, was with a view to this. He loved the churchy and gave himfelf for it, that he might fanclify it with the wajhing of water by the iieb.xii. 2. r^Qrd. Converfion is a looking to him as the Au- Gal. iv. ro. thor of our faith. Then is Chrift formed in its ; from that time we are his people, and feel his power. He fends out his fervants io open our eyesy to turn us from durknefs to light ; not that they can do it, for 'Wbo is fufjicient for thefs things ? But the Johnv. 21. ^0/2 quickens whom he will. Thus he fpeaks to Adisxviii. Paul in a vilion at Corinth, I have much people in this city. He fees us in our bondage as well as in our guilt, and if from both thefe the Son makes us Johnviii. free, then are we free indeed. In which words he ^''' ^ is to be underftood of fpiritual liberty, having Itated the oppofite condition in thefe terms : He that commits fin is thefervant of Jin. This is believing, then we begin to live, or ra- Gai, li. 20. ther Chrifi lives in us, and the life we live in the JleJJj is by faith in the Son of God ; fo that when it is faid, that he is preached among the Gentiles, and believed on in the world, the meaning is, he has Zph. i. 23. made them alive. He is the Head over all things unto the church, and has the fulncfs of him' who fills ii. 1- all in all. And you has he qmckned ^jo were dead in trefpajjes and sins. The fcripture has re- joJm sii, prefentcd him as an agent in our conver-fion. When ^^" . / am lifted up, faith he, / ivill draw all men unto ira.ii. 2,3. me. The mountain of this Lord's houfe is exalted above Believed on //; the World, 15 ahove the tops of the mountains ; He will teach us ser m- 3^- of his law, and we will walk in his way. The ' believer has not only a new Hate, having pafTed from death to life, but a new nature, he is brought from the power of Satan to the living God. Chrift who pleads /or him, does ahb plead with him, his own cauie ; and he does it in Tuch a way, as to make all oppolition flee. The ftrong man armed, has kept his goods in peace ; hut here is a flrongcr than hCy who takes from him his armour wherein be trufled'. This is the Apoflle's account of his own converHon. It pleafcd God to call him by his grace, Gal. i. 15, and reveal his Son in him, and with that begun ^^' his hopes of glory. This faith is of the operation of God. (5.) Believing in Chrift, 1% growing m the fpi- ritual life. We are preferved in Chrifl Jfefus, l"^^^^- arid called : As ye have received Chriji Jefus the Coi. ii. ^, Lord,fo walk ye in him ; Rooted and built up in him, '* ejlablijhed in the faith, as ye have been taught, and abounding therein with thankfgiving. I am come, Joh- x- lo. faith be, that ye might have life, and that ye might have it more abundantly. To this purpofe we read of his dwelling in our hearts by faith. This agrees Eph "i. 17- to the language of his own prayer to the Father, / in them, and thou in me, that they may be made J°^" ^^"• perfect in one. This will be thoroughly underllood ^^' in the vifions of another ftate, In that day ye /hall — ^i^- know, that I am in the Father, and the Father in ^°' me, and I in you. He told his difciples, I go away ver. 19. and come again, becaufe 1 live, ye p.mll live alfo. He that has begun a good %vork is to perform it to i''"'* i- 6. the day jj/' ChriJI Jefus. So that believing i*; a continued reft of foul upon him. Your faith muft be often looking thitiier. Who is this that comes up out of the wildernefs lean- Canr. viii. Ing on her beloved? Thus he advifes, Abide m me, j„ii'xv. 4, cind I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of s- itfelf, except it abide in the vine ; no more can ye, except 1 6 Believed on in the World, SERM. 32. except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the ■' ^'"^ branches : He that abides in me, and I in him, the fame brings forth much fruit , for without me yecan do nothing. Auguft a. 1719. SERMON XXXm. (^0 TTST'^^^ ^^ believe in Chrift, we regard VV ^^"^ ^s o^'^ S*^^^^ Comforter in every time of need. There is a. diftindion that you. ought to obferve in this cafe, which will keep you out of a miftake that many people run into. I do not affert that faith always takes into it the joys of the Holy Ghod, for we know there are perfons ffa 1 10 who/^ in darknefs and fee no light, and yet fsar the Lord and hearken to the voice of his- fervant. Pf.xxxiv.5 But you mufl'own, that even thefe are /oo/^f«^ to Jefus that they may be lightened. They have no ~ ki. ^. other friend to trua to. This is a rock that is higher than themfelves, where they feek a ihelter when their fouls are overwhelmed within them; and therefore they are exhorted to trujl in the Lord^ and flay themfelves upon their God. I 'do not mean that the believer always has thefe comforts from a Saviour, but that he flies to him for them, and is encouraged by that^racious pro- ^lat xi clamation, Come unto me, all ye that are weaty and ' liXi, heavy laden, and I will give you refl. It is he that ^°' faith, "take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, and ye Believed on in the World. I7 ^e Jhall find reft unto your fouls : for my yoke is eafy^ serm. 33. and MY burden is light. And thus he was pro- mifed : He is the rootofjeffe^whojljallftandfor^^^-^^--^''' an enfign of the people^ to which the Gentiles Jhall feek ; and his reft Jhall he glorious. Our lot is call into a rolling world, which like the troubled fea cannot rell, \i\xX. fends up mire and dirt. Here we are floating, tofling, heaving, and cannot exj[>ect a full relt till we come to that which reruaii'sfor the ueb. ir. <;. people of God, when a fea of waters Ihall be changed into one ofglafs, and inftead of being unfcttkd any Rev.xv. 2. longer, we ihall have crowns on our heads, and harps in our hands, to fing the fong of Mofes and J°''J '"^" the fong of the Lamb. But even in this life our Redeemer does not leave us comfortlefs, or, as the word lignifies, he does not leave us orphans. We are not fatherlefs, though our Head is gone up to heaven, and we fee him no more ; or if we are fo, yet our hope is in Him with whom the father lefs find mercy. I will fee you a- •'''''• gain, faith he to his difciples, and your heart Jhall rejoice, and your joy Jhall no inan take away from you. And that he told them in maintenance of a kind promife. Verily, verily, 1 fay ujito you, ye jTjali ^''^- '^'■^•'^^• lueep and lament, and the zvorld Jhall rejoice, and ye, Jhall be forroxtful, but your forrow foall be turn- ed into joy. This he iliuilrates by a (imiiitude that is very common, and yet very powerful. He takes the chief inftance of nature to fnevv the efficacy of grace, A woman whenJJje is in travail, has for row, hecaufe her hour is come ; but as foon as Jhe is de- livered of a child, ftje remembers no more the ar.guijh, for joy that a man is born into the world. And that unaccountable tranfition, from a fadnefs to a ferenity of mind, was to be brought about by / :> coming again. The meaning of that I take to be twofold. Both thefe fenfes are included in it : Fitfi, It immedi- ately re.fers to his converfation with the difciples Vol. II. C Ltter i8 Believed on in the World. SERM. 33. af^-gj. jjis paflion, by which he gave infallible proofs of his rifing again ; this was a delightful interview to thofe who ran from his crofs and wept over his John XX. grave. He Jhewed them his hands and his feet y and then were the difciples glad when thes^faw the Lord : , '&ut,fecondly, Surely the promife is more extend- ed, and reaches farther than to the bleffings of thofe /or/)' days. It belongs to all thofe upon whom — x^^- he has beftowed the other Comforter, The Spirit \o- ' ^f tf'^^h who Jh all abide with us for ever. And he mentions this as a myftery, that this Spirit is one whom the world cannot receive^ hecaufe it fees him not^ neither knows him; but ye know him, for he dwells with you, andjhall be in you. And by thofe words he has prepared you to underftand what follows, / will not leave you comfortkfs, I will come unto you ; yet a little while and the zvorld fees me- no more, but ye fee me, i. e. by a faith that others have not ; becaufe I live, yejhall live alfo. There is a connexion in the parts of that promife, that Ihall reach through all the ages of time, whilll there is a believer upon earth, and from it he de- vcr. 21. duces another gracious '^xw?AST Jhould be magnified in his body whether by life or deatlj ; as if he had no other -end above or beyond the magnifying of Chrift ; ^and this he grounds upon a principle that is of the grcateft ex- VCT.1U tent, For to me to live is CbriJL. Jn preaching ^oi. i. 28, CiiiiiST, they warned every man, and. taught every ^^' man, that they 7night prefnt every man pcrfedl in Qbrijljirivlng according to his working, who wrought in Believed on in the IVorld, 21 in them mightily. In the iiame of Jefus every k-.iee skr m. -,3. is to boiVy of things in heaven, earth, and under //^^phii. ii. tg. earth. (8.) In particular, they that believe in Chrift, live in the ads of religious worjfjip to him. They en- deavour to walk worthy of him : He is the King of Saints. It is he who loved us, and wajhed us Wtv.i $,6. from our fins in his own blaod, and has ??iade us to be ki?igs and pritjls to God and his Father. We are to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our 2 Pet. iH. Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrijt ; to whom be glory ^^' both now and for ever. Amen. They come to his footilool, they bow before his throne, and worihip towards the place where his honour dwells. To this did the providence of God give an ear- ly teftimony. Wife men came from the eaft to Jcrufalem, laying, Where is He who is born King of Mm. a i, the Jews, for we have feen uisflar, and are come ^• to worjhip HIM. It is making very little of that word to fuppofe that it means no more than the prefents they brought him ; for when they f aw the Jiar, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. Was this only for an opportunity to pay him a civil compliment? When they came into the houfe, they f aw the young child and his mother, and fell yer.n. doivn and worjijipped him; and when they had opened their treaj'ures, they prefented unto rim gifts, gold, frankincenfe and myrrh. Thefe I take for granted were the methods of adoration in their country. It was foretold of Chrift, that the kings pf^i ijj,ti;. of Tar/Jjijh and of the ijles fluill bring prefents : The 1°. ^^• kings of Sheba and SebdJJjall offer gifts. Tea, all kings JJjall fall down before him, and all nations Jljallferve him. They meant by what they did, a great deal more than homage to a temporal prince, becaufe fuch a carriage was all a fuperfluity to an Infant who could not receive it. If it is faid that thefe were heathens and idola- ters, and therefore nothing ought to be concluded from 22 Believed on in the World, SERM. 33. fifc-m their pradice as a rule to ours : the anfwer is * very eafy ; they were now under a particular con- dud from the great God ; Providence brought Hag. ii. 7. (hem in as witnetFes to Him who was to be the de- Jire of all nations ; there was a ftai^to guide them thither, an extraordinary dream to dired them back again ; and can we think he would fuffer them to pollute the firll honours that were paid to our Saviour with rank idolatry ? Is it not natural to fuppofe, that thefe men were brought from afar with greater thoughts than merely becaufe a child ivas born, and a Son was given ? They do not fpeak of his miraculous conception, that he was the Son of a Virgin, but regard him in a quality of which there was no vifible appearance, as one born King of the Jews, and, as fuch *a one they came to worQiip him. A king of the Jews had no- relation to them, they were in no fubjedion to a prince of that country ; but under this name they enquire for a Saviour, who being the objed of tlieir worfhip, muft be conceived to have another PfaLxxii. nature befides the human. All the ends of the 27- 29, r^jQfld Jljall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the kindreds of the iiations Jhall worjhip before THEE. All they that be fat upon earthy pall eat and worJJnp : All they that go down to the dufl flmll bow down before him ; A feedfiallferve him, it ^^^'^' Jhall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. He ^^' ''''' Jfjall live, and to him pj all be given of the gold of She- ba; prayer alfo Jhall he made for him continually, uJid daily Jljall he be praifed. His name frj all endure for ever :, his name Jhall be continued as long as the fun: Men Jhall be blefed in mm, and all nations Jfjall call him blejfed. To this agrees the pradice of his own follow- ers, whom he would no more fuffer to call him good, and fall down before him, than he would the young man in the Gofpel, if they had not been pcrfuaded of another nature belides what came in- to Believed on in the World. 23 to the imaginations of that perfon. But when the^ERM. 33. Word was made JJeJb and dwelt among themy ^^O'Mnl 14.* beheld his glory as the glory of the only begotten of the Father. What a ftrange acknowledgment does he receive from Nathanael, upon his telling him, Before Philip called thee, whilfl thou waft under the fig-tree Ifaw thee. Upon which he cries out, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God, thou art the King of''"'49' Ifrael. A Prophet might have faid as much as this. Eliftia told the king of Ifrael what the king of Syria faid in his bed-chamber, and therefore the conclufion from his feeing Narhanael under the fig-tree, could be no more than that of the Sama- ritan woman, Sir, I perceive thou art a Prophet : But as foon as ever he receives the knowledge cif the truth, he profefTes another fort of regard. Though Chrift did no more in that cafe than Ionic Prophets had done, yet he was much more than any prophet had been. The confeilion goes out in fuch language as was never ufed to any other. Thou art the Son of God, thou art the^ing of Ifrael. And our Lord is fo fai from correding or holding in the zeal of the man, that he opens out the ar- gument there was for it, Tefhallfee heaven opened,^v.s^- and the Angels of God afcending and dcfcending on the Son of man. We find that as the Apoftles were better intrud- ed, they went to greater examples of adoration. Peter fell at his teet, and cried out. Depart from vie, for I am a ftnful man, Lord. This he was led into by a furprife at the draught of fifiies. It is a ftrange way of addreffing one who had both given him a miracle and a favour. Why fhould he upon that talk of his departing from him, aiid why muft that lead him into a confeffion of his being ^finful man ? I take it for an impreflion of the fame nature with that upon Ifaiah, when life ~faw his glory in perfon as Peter did in fad, JVo ism. vi. ,-. 24 Believed on in the World, &ERM. 2z- me, for I a?n undone^ a fimn of unclean lips, for mine ' V eyes have fe en the King, the Lord of Hosts. It was a very proper motion made by the Pha- rifees, when the children and the multitude were finging Hofannab before him, Mmjfer, rebuke thy difciples : That he ought to have done, if he had not looked upon himfelf as the great objedt of worfliip. For we find of whom thele things were Pf. cxviii. to be faid, BJeJjhd is he that comes in the name of '^ ' *^" the Lord: God is the Lord ivho has /hewn us light. After his refurredion he gave way to the fame pradice, and that in a higher degree. We read Matxxviii. that ivhen they faw him, they worfiipped him ; hut ^^' fome doubted. That the term of worfliip does not always fignify a religious adoration, is certain -/but that it fometimes does fo, is as certain.; and there- fore the queftion is not what fenfe it may bear in other places, but what is more likely in this : Here v/e read of fome that worfliipped him, and of o- thers that doubted. Doubted what ? whether they fhould pay him an external civilixy ) If he was not their Saviour, there could be no harm in bowing to him. If that' was all that the others meant by their worihip, there need be no great difpute be- tween them : But it is plain thefe doubts were a- bout the truth of his refurreclion. They who were fatisfied of that, fhew it in a way that the reft durft not, and that is, by acts of religious vvorfhip. Nay more than that, vve read of his taking them as far Luke xxiv. as to Bethany, atid blejfing them, and whilji he blef- . ^^' ^^' fed them, he was parted from them, a?id taken up to heaven j and yet then it is faid they worjfjipped him. Was this only an external compliment too ? We pay fuch things to a creature, but never to an ab- fent one. What can worlhipping him; when he was gone, include lefs than their baJief, that he is the Lord who fills heaven and earth F Had they re-, garded no more than his body, all. refpc<5ls to thnt were over- but we read their thoughts in their carriage;. Believed on iu the World, 25 carriage, and it muft not be faid of them, that they serm. 33. worJJjippc'd they knew wA what. ' ' Nay, tlie great badge of the Chriftian Religion, that which his difciples wear, is the name of the Mzx.xxvm. Father, Son, and Holy Ghojf. Into this they are ^^' baptifed ; and what an odd charader would it be to fay, that we are refigned to one fuprerae and two fubordinate Gods ? that we are as much de- voted to a higher and a lower creature, as we are to the Father of Spirits P The notion that baptifm is not in act of worlhip, is fuch a degrading of that folemnity, that it only fhews the people will fay any thing to maintain their fcheme. Is it not wor- lliip for me to give up myfelf to be the Lord's ? To have his name called upon by me ? To enter into his covenant, and proclaim this to the world ? Ought not ray foul to go along with that furren- der ? Do I not then avouch the Lord to be my God, and depend upon the bleffings that he has promifed, and is not this worfl-jipping ? One Jhall ifa. xiiv. c, Jay, I am the Lord's, — and another JJjall fubfcribe with his hand to the Lord. What Lord is this? He gives the anfwer himfelf, Thus faith the Lord the King of Ifrael, and his Redeemer the Lord of hojis, I am the firjl, and I am the lajl, and bejides me there is no god. .(9.) Believing in Chrift is truOing him for pro- teclion to the end of life. Our inheritance is refer- ve.d, our principles are imperfed:. It does not ap- pear either what we fliall be, or what we lliall have. Our great life is not revealed, but hid with Chrifi Coi. iii. 3, in God ; and he who is cw life is hid too. We are 4- waiting for the day when he Jljall appear^ and we appear with him in glory. The grace that is to be brought to us, comes at the revelation of J'efus iVcti.iz* Chrift. No fecurity of the covenant, no flanch- nefs of the promifes, can fet the Chriftian above his fears ; and thercfoie he muft look to One who can fecure him till he gets home. Vol. IL D And 26 Believed on in the World. SER M. 33. ^j^^ f(^j, ^]^jg^ ^g l^gg jjjg gygg upon that Saviour, jude 24. who is abh: fo k('€p Mm from falling, and to prefent Inm fnuttle/s before ms glory ^ with exceeding jcy. We arc pfcferved in Cbrifl Jfus, and called. The peifeverance of the faints is as trup as it is com- fortable ; but it has been much oppofed. Now, if the difpute is upon man's ability to fave hirnfelf, and the sufficiency of thofe principles that are put into a believer to work through, and work out a falvation, we muft give it up. There is no jiijl man upon earth that docs goody and fins not : a jufl man falls fcven times a day. And if we had no other fecurity than this, we muft never affirm any thing of that nature. But you know the truth hinges upon fomethihg elfe ; and that is, whether Chrift can fave to the uttermoft thofe that come to him, and whether he Phil. i. 6. has not faid that he ivill. Our confidence is in this very thing, that he who has begun a good worky will perform it till the day of Chrijt. So that, believing is depending upon him for what is behind. Every Chriftian finds hirnfelf engaged in an un- equal war : there is no fair match between the confedeiate powers of darknefs, and the poor frail refolutions of a man. But the battle is the Lord's, Heb. V. 9. and fo our confidence is in One, who being made pcjfecl from his fufferings^ is become the author of eternal falvation to as many as obey him. This Rom. i. 17. makes it needful that the juff fliould live by his faith ; the righteoufnefs of God is revealed from faith to\faith. Believing is a continual reft of foul upon Chrift: We in this wildernefs are leaning on Heb.vi. 18, our beloved. Here is a hope fet before us ; dnd to ^^' that wf fee for a refuge, to lay hold uppn it. This hope we have as an anchor fure and fedfafl, and it enters into that within the vail. The -anchor takes its hold above, we have ours belovy, and keep pull- ing, and drawing, and bringing ourfelves to. Thus we are pleading his righteoufnefs afrefli, that our God Believed on in the World. 27 God may multiply to pardon. The life ive live in serm.-33. the flejh, is by faith in the Son of God. Living in lu. iv. 7. iiolinefs is a renewed or a continued believing. Cai. u. ao. We have never done with that taith till our life is at an end in the flelh, and we gone up to the world of Spirits. (jo.) Believing in Chrift is looking to him as the fimjher of our faith ; as one that is to give the completing ftroke to his own work. His ^rtw^j- 2ech, iv. 5. laid the foundation, as it was faid of Zerubbabel, in the building of the temple, and his bands jh all lay the top-Jlone with Jhouting. And what are they to fliout ? but Grace, grace unto it ? that is the grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift. We are to be complete Col. ii. le. in HIM. It is he that faves i»j to TravrtAtj to the iaft perfedion, to the end of the work, to the giving in all that is meant by it. Our proficiency is by degrees, and God knows, very flow ones. 27^\.fore the face of the Lord, to prepare the way before him. Now this is called by the Prophet preparing the way for our God, for the God of Ifrael, who was known by his relation to that people ; for the Lord alone did lead him, and there wa\noJtravge god with him. Thus it is farther faid of John, that he was the Prophet of the Higheft, of the Moft High : which is a name fit for none but Him, who TC. cxivi. is over all blejfed for evermore. The Lord Jfmll 10- reign for ever, even thy God, Zion, unto all gene- Heb. xiii. rations. Jefus is the fame yefterday, to-day, and ^' for ever. 2. In believing we look upon him as the only Saviour of the world ; and this cannot be affirmed I John V. of one that is not God : We know that the Son of ^°' God is come, and has given us an underjlanding that , we may know him that is true ; and we are in bim' that is true, even in his Son Jefus Chriji. fhis is the triie God, and eternal life;. You will find a great deal of difference between Him and other ' ' ; good men, who have ferved their generation ac- cording to the will of God. I take Mofes to be the firft in thit charader ; a perfori honoured with the f)jllelt commiffion, and *Deut. the cleared credentials : There arofi not a Frophet xsxiv. ^°'ji)ic^ in Ifrael. like to Mofes, whom the Lord knew face to face. It was needful thatthe people fliould believe his being fent from God, that he did not thofe. things of his own mind. Of him we have lHeb.iii.2. this characler in the New Teftament, that he was faithful to him that appointed him in all his houfe. But then, it is there cbferved, that he was only fo faithful as afervant, and in tefiimony of things that were to he fpoken after. There wa§ no fear of raifiaking him for a God ; the diflindiort was al- ways plain and full between himfelf and the Di- vine Majefly whom he reprefehted. He was made a god to Pharaoh ; but that fentence does not de- ferve a place in the objedion.> The man mull be very God believed oji in the World, 37 very ignorant indeed, who concludes his deity serm. 34. from that. He all along told them, that their mur- ' " ' murings were not agaiTiJl him, but the Lord. He did every thing according to the pattern Ihewed him in the mount ; and therefore faith himfelf in that fong: He {i.e. God) loved the people; all i>«ut. his Saints are in thine hand ; they fat down at thy ^*''"'' ^' feet ; every one Jhall receive of thy words : Mofes commanded us a law : he always diredled them to a greater than himfelf. The people once made choice of him for z Me- diator : Go thou neary and hear all that the Lord our God Jhall fay, and fpeak thou unto us all that the Lord our God Jhall fpeak unto thee, and we will hear it and do it. But did he take this honour, to himfelf? No ; he makes an advantage of the peo- ples defire to have a middle perfon between God and them, and upon that tells them of our blelTed Saviour. You find the prophecy connected to that vecy caf(?. 'The Lord thy God will raife up to thee xviu. ,a Prophet from the viidjt of thee, of thy brethren, J^;*^' like unto me ; unto niM Jhall ye hearken : According to all that thou dejiredjl of the Lord thy God in Ho- reb, in the' day of the ajfembly, faying. Let me not bear the voice of the Lord my God, neither let me fee this great fire any more, left I die. And the Lord faid unto me, They have well fpoken, in that they have fpoken, I will raife them up a Prophet from a- ■ mong th'eir brethren, like unto thee. This is a paf- fage that the New Teftament makes great ufe of. The Apoftle Peter pleads from it, that God /b^^ Arts Hi. fent Jefus, who before was preached unto you ; whom the heavens mufl receive till the times of the rejli- tution of all things, which God has fpoken of by the mouth of all his holy Prophets Jince the world began : For Mofes truly faid unto the fathers, A Prophet Jhall the Lord your God raife up unto you, of your brethren, like unto me ; him Jhall ye hear in all things, whatever he Jhall fay unto you. So the Mar- tyr 20, 21. zz. 38 God Relieved on in the World. SERM. 34. tyr Stephen, when he had given an account of the ^ great things that Mofes had done, by how many- changes, and through how jnany contradidlions he was formed to the deliverance of the people out of Ads vii.] £gypt^ he fixes on that one point, Tbis4s that Mo- fes who f aid unto the children of Ifrael, A Prophet jhall the Lord your God raife up unto you. • So that upon the whole you find though Mofes had fuclj a commiffion as was never equalled, and thofe credentials that were never exceeded, yet ftill he referred the people to one above "and be- yond himfelf, one that was their God, and who in the fulnefs of time would be their Prophet. Now you will obferve, though the Apoltle gives it as a Heb, iii.'a. noble character of Chrift, that he was faithful to him that appointed him, even as Mofes was faithful " 3- in all his houfe ; yet he adds. This man was counted worthy of more glory than Mofes ; not upon ac- count of faithfulnefs, for that an inferior may have equally with a fuperior. A man whom you trull' with tweaiy ftiillings is as honeft -as one that ma- nages a concern of ten thoufand pounds ; as Moles is' faid to be faithful in all things,' fo in that he could not be exceeded. ' But Chrift is worthy of more glory upon another account, from the dignity of his perfon, inafmuch as he that huilded the houfe has more honour than the houfe. By his houfe is meant his people, his Church, the whole family, both in heaven and earth. Mofes was only a fervant to thefe, and therefore could have no more than his particular Ihare with them ; but Chrift having built the whole houfe, has more honour than all of it put together, than the whole aflembly of Saints -and Angels, whofe names are written in heaven. ' And can this — 4. be conceived of a creature ? No; Every houfe is built by fome man, hut . he timt built all things is God. Chrift is faid to be this builder in the for- mer verfe j and to iliew us of lahat nature that is to God hel'woed on in the World, 39r to be underftood, he calls him a God in this. Mo- serm. 34^ Jes was very faithful in all his hovfe as a fervant, Heb. iii. 5, /. e. he fulfilled his orders ; he 'did every thing ac- cording to the pattern IhcWcd him in the mount, but this was for a tejliinony of thofe things that were to he fpoken after. Now Chrijt is a Son over his 6. OWN houfe, whofe houfe we are. It could not be faid of Mofes that the Ifraelites were his. When God tells him, 'Thy people whom thou broughteft out of Egypt have rebelled, he returned the rela- tive term back again, Lord^ they are thy people and thy inheritance whom thou h a jl pur chafed for thy- felf: and fo he faith in another place, Have I con- ceived all this people at once ? But Chrift calls the houfe his own, and who muft this be ? Well, the Apollle applies to him that paflage out of the 95th Pfalm, Harden not your hearts in ver.s, the Jjrovocation, and the day of temptation in the wil- deraefsy as they did who are faid to tempt Chrift ; and then concludes thus, Take heed, brethren, lefi 12. there he in any of you an evil heart of wihelief in de- parting from the living God. I take thefe charac- ters to be joined, or otherwife I can fee no force in his argument, and no propriety in his quotation. He who is faid to be the builder of all things, the builder of his houfe, the Son over his own hovfe, is. at laft. called the living God, not by obfcure and un- certain confcquences, but in the plain and natural language of Scripture. • #.vit none fay that we affirm this without the au- thority of the 'Bible, or that it comes in among the things that man's vyifdom teaches. It is as plainly a doctrine that the Holy Ghofl teaches as any can be, and appears fo to every one who will compare fpiritual things with fpiritual. Do we call him your only Saviour who is not your God ? No, we dare not. The work that he has done for you, and muft do in you, is too gveat and good fey any thing but Divinity, and therefore the titles are ■ - joined; 4© God believed on in the World, SERM. 34. joined ; he is ajujl God, an(,i a Saviour, >and there ' is none bejides him. David^s defence u'^r of God^ which may be underllood of a temporal deliver- ance ; and is our greateft happinefs from a crea- ture ? No ; we have very noble notions of a Deity Pfal. ixviii. from our intereft iahim; for our God^is the God of falvation, and to God the Lord belong the ijfues from death. Compare fuch titles as thefe with what is faid of Chrift, that there is falvation in no other ; upon which account he goes by that name, for all the ifa. In. 10. ends of the earth fliall fee the falvation of our God! Lukeii. 29, Sq good old Simcon faith, Now lettefi thou thy fer- ^*^'^^' vant depart in peace ; for mine eyes have feen thy falvation ; which thou hafl prepared before the face of all people : A light to ligjiten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Ifraeh Your falvation is oif that Lord who made heaven and earth ; and who is this, but the fame, who being made perfed from his fufferings, became the author of eternal falvation^ to as many as obey him F Thus he is placed as the falvation in Zionfor Ifrael his glory. What is got by talking of a Saviour who is not -a God ? We lofe our hope, and He his praife : But I Xxw^ you have not fo learned Chrijl. You may fay of him in PfaixivliJ. whom your confidence is placed, T^his is our God ^'*' for ever and ever, atid he Jhall be our guide even until death, 3. Believing in Chrift Jefus, is relying upon the righteoufnefs ih^t he has brought in. Ws find ?^.at none can ftand in God's fight when once he is an- gry, and marks iniquity, and this we are fure he PM. xc, 8. cioes. Thou fettejl our iniquities before thee, our fe~ cret fins in the light of thy countenance. Here we have nothing to flee to but the blood of fprinkling. It is called ^o from that which was typical of it under the Old Teftament, Heb. ix. 19. 21. You there* fee how far the virtue of it was extended ; When he had fpoken every precept, he took the blood of God believed on in the World, 41 of calves and goatSy and fprinkled both the book and sRRM- 34- all the people. He fprinkled the book to bring the law within the covenant of grace, to take away the curfe that was in it, and continues upon all thofe that are under it. He fprinkled the. people to take ,off their guilt, that they might be purified from an evil coufcience. Nay, it is laid, he fprinkled with blood the tabernacle and all the vejjels of the minijlry ; and in particular we read, that he threw fome of this blood upon the mercy-feat^ which was fuppofed to be the throne of God, and upon the tabernacle^ which was his houfe, and upon the vef- fels of the minijlry^ which were his furniture, — to ihew that heaven itfelf muft be rendered propitious by an atonement or fatisfadion ; and thefe, as the Apoftle tells us, were patterns of things in the hea- vens : But faith he, The hcaveiily things themfelves, the real happinefs, and alL the grace that leads to it, were io be purified with better facrifices than thefe. And what are they ? Chriit has by his own blood gone into the holiefl of ally to appear in the prefence of God for us. Thaf he who died was a man, a partaker of flefh and blood, is true enough ; for that reafon he was in all things made like unto his brethren, that by death he might fubd\Le him who had the power of death, thai is, the devil. Our nature was needful to make his dying a reality, but whence did it derive the merit to miike it a fatisfadion P This fuppofes andther nature that is without any robbery equal to God. And his obedience to death, even the death of the crofs, could be only valid to his own glory, and our happinefs, from the antecedent dig- nity of his perfon. Being the brightnefs of his glory, Heb i. 3- and the exprefs image of his perfon, and upholding all things by the word of bis power, he did by him- f elf purge azvny our fins. So that when we read of his fufferings in the molt pathetic terms, that he was broken, grieved, Vol.. n. F taken 42 God believed on in the World. SERM, 34. taken from priforiy and from judgment ^ there is this liCuiTT' thrown in, Who Jh all declare his generation? It was^ an eafy matter to trace his family, that he was of the feed of David, aecording to the flefh ; and therefore that is not the generation whicj^ the Pro- phet fpeaks of as a matter not to be declared. For he would fay himfelf, Te know who 1 am^ and ' whence I camCy but He 'who fent me is true, whom ye Pro. XXX. 4- know not. Who has afcended up into heaven, or de- fcended? who has gathered the wind in his fijls ? who has hound the waters in a garment ? who has eJlabliJJjed all the ends of the earth ? what is his name, and what is- his fon''s name, declare if thou canfl tell? What would the fmiting of the Ihepherd have lignified, if the fword had not been directed by God againft the man that was his fellow? and why fhould he be called God's righteous fen^t at the time that \t pleafed the Father to bruife him, arid put - him to grief? Why fliould it be faid, By his know- ledge Jhall he juflify many, when the way of his do- ing it, is bearing their iniquity? His death was foon over, and how came he in that to bring in an ever- lafling righteoufnefs ? The virtue was not in his fufferings, but ifi his perfon, and therefore it is jer. xxiii. fai1fione but the Moft High. Angels are called gods, and fo are magiftrates, There are lords iCoT.viii. many, and gods many ; but thou whofe name alone is ?■• ... '^E\iOTfAii art the Mojl High over all the earth. If "jg"*"'* this is%iven to a creature, we cannot fay that his name alone is Jehovah. And the Scripture by throwing about titles wkh fo much confulion, has left us no dittinclion between God and a creature. But you may be fure, as God will not hold him guiltltfs who takes his name in vain, fo the Holy Spirit would not be guilty 4Df that crime. Though in bringing in a righteoufnefs, Chrift, fubraitted to death, yet he did it in the quality of Jehovah, the great original, the fundamental life and being. There is an anfwer, fuch a one as it is, to this argument. That the church is called the Lord our righteoufnefs. She is fo indeed, and I need do no more than read you the paflage, and leavo you to judge with what propriety it is pleaded. In thofe jer.xxxHw days, and at that time, I will caufe the Branch of '5. i*- righteoujkefs to grow up unto David, and hefhall execute 44 God believed on in the World, SERM.^. execute judgment avd righteoufnefs in the land^ In thofe days Judah Jhall befaved, and Jerufalem dwell fofely J and this is the name wherewith /he /bail be called^ The Lord our righteoufnefs. I ought to make an apology for giving an anfwer tb this argument. It is obvious to every one, that the tifle muft be underftood of Chrift, and can only be applied to his people on the account of their relation to him. 'I'tx'x'ivi'" ^^ ^^ ^^ called Ifrael, and God is called Jacob, fo they are called the Lord our righteoufnefs. But there' is one thing more that I (hall obferve from thefe words, arid that is, the New Teftament Church is here defcribed by the profeflion they were to make of their faith in one who is Jehovah, and one who is their righteoufnefs ', and therefore when people fhufHe with his divinity, and deny his fatis- fadlion, they are not that Judah and Jerufalem. who are called by the name. 4. Believing is deriving from him a principle of Eph.iii. 17. grace: Ch.v\\k. dwells in our hearts by faith. He, -. — ii. r. quickens thofe who isjere dead in irefpajfes andjins, and how fhould he do this, if he had not the fuU fiefs of him who fills all in all ?■ This is all along reprefented as the chief creation, compared to the exceeding greatnefs of God's power in raifing Chrift ' fro?n the dead, and would never be attributed to ' any agent but one who does according to his plea- fure. And the Apoftle, who writes to a people that had this experience, lets them know, that their friend is no lefs than the Mod High. They xPet.i. 23. are born of the uncorruptible feed, the word of God, "who lvt)es and abides for ever. Whether you un- derftand this of Chrift the perfonal Word, or of the everlafting Gofpel, it is all one to the argu- ment ; That which he puts the advantage upon, is — "ii- > their having tafied that the LoRp is gracious. This you know is an Old Teftament phrafe, a way of fpeaking that God's people have always Pf. xxxiv. yfed. tafle, and fee that the Lord is good ^ Da-. ^- ' vid God believed on in the World, 4^; vid cannot be fuppofed to delign by this Lord ^^^^^ 34- any other than Him whom he had in heaven alone, andbcfides whom he could defire none upon earth. And what Lord is that whom the Apoftle faith they had tailed to be gracious ? One whom they were flill to come to as a Uvijig Jlone^ difillowed o/* i Pet. ii. 4. men, but chofen of God and precious. Thefe latter . words make it evident, that it can be unclerftood of none but Chrift, as the former make it equally evident, it can be underllood of none but God. Now why are thefe fcriptures laid fo near, and the connedtion made fo Ifrong, if one fentence refers to the Supreme Being, and the other to a perfon that is derived and dependent ? Thefe arguments have fvvelled beyond my firft defign, but I could not baulk them : I blefs God my foul is in this caufe, which is fo dear, that I hope no reproaches will ever move me ; and if I fliould///^r the lofs of all things, divine grace can teach me to defpife them, for the excellency ^of the knowledge of Chrift Jefus my Lord. SERMON XXXV. *"4t° 5. 'VT'OU have alfo heard, that believing in X Chrift ]s drawing down farther fupplies of grace and holinefs from him. I am come^ faith John x. r». he, that ye might have life, and that ye might have it more abundantly ; fo that your advance in re- ligion fometimes goes by the name of converfion ; 3 it 46 God believed on in the World* SERM. 35. \^ is called CRrift's h€\ng formed in.fou. For this ' the Apoftle travailed in birth over thofe who were his children beforci The thing that he defired with fo many throws and wiihes was, that Chriji night he formed in them j which would not be un- derftood of their firft religion, for thatfwas hegua already ; but he fpeaks of the improvements they were to make in it as if it was a new converfion. When David begs to be reftored to the ufe of his graces, he does it by a word that might fignify the Pf. li 10 firft implanting of them, Create ifi me a clean hearty OGod. Thus was Chrift to be formed in thefe people. Every communication that he made of himfelf to them was like beginning the work over again. Rom. xii. We are ftill to be transformed by the renewing t?/ ^- our mi?ids ; we ought daily to put off the eld man, Eph. iv.22, (ifid }jg renewed in the fpirit of our 7ninds, Now it ^^' (hews us the neceffity of a dependence upon him, that we do not only receive from him the princi- ples of a divine life, but it is he that gives it all Fiai. iv. 2. the enlargement that it can have: • Unto thofe that fear his name does the Sun of right eoufjiefs arife with healing in his wings, that they may go forth and grow up as calves of thejlall. From him we have the perfeding of the faints and the edifying of the body. And what can this proclaim him to be, but a God ? We can fay it of none belides an infinite Pf.xxxvi. nature, With thee is the fountain of life. This was ^' one of the nobleft appreheniions that could be con- veyed into the minds of men, and what the Apo- ftle opens as fuperior to all the docliiaes of idola- try, that in God we live, and move^ and have, our- *asxvu. being ; that it was He \yho 7nade of one. blood all nations of men that dwell ttpon[the face of the earth ; that we are his offspring. Now there is a greater life than this derived from our Saviour, that which is more glorious in itfeU", and more important to thofe »0.. I^« God believed on in the World, 47 thdfe that have it, as we are told by the Evangelift, serm. 35. In him was Jife, and that life was the light of men. John i. 4. It led them to the knowledge of the truth, it breathed into them the principles of an heavenly joy ; and this life is (aid to be in him as the foun- tain where it fprurg and from whence it came. It is not enough to fay, that this W^q was by him as a friend who took care to give it, in purluance of a commiflion ; no, he is infinitely more than a truftee, for it is in him. Thus the fame writer tells \i% in his epiftle, This is the record, that God ^1^]"^ has given to us eterfial Ufe; and this life is in his Son : He that has the Son has: life. Let us compare thefe accounts of a' Redeemer with the lermon to the Athenians about the great God. The Apoftle Paul took it for granted, that he had no better argument for the worfliip of a Beity than this, that ^(f^f^^j- ///J?, flw^ breathy and all things. By doing that, he was diflinguiihed from all creatures both in heaven and earth. This could never be affirmed of any but the Supreme Being. And can a natural life have no other au- thor than a God, and fhall that which is fpiritual be produced by a deputy deity ? No, This is the t John r, true God, and this is eternal life. When Chriil ^°' tells us that we muft abide in him, and that with- >''" x^- 4» out him we can do nothing, he mentions greater ^" obligations and a more intimate dependence than we can have for the life that we live in the flefh. He is the head of the body, and from him all the members, deriving the nourithment that is miniftred to, them increafe with the increafe of God. ThisCoi. ii. 19.. phrafe tells us the author of the increafe as well awho died for all, that they who livefiould not live unto themfelveS, but to mu that died for the7n and rofe again. What Da- vid may be fuppofed' to fay to the Father, thefe Pfai. cxvi. Apoftles fay to the Son: Truly I am thy fervant, ^^' I am thy fervant. Andean the profeffion be di- Ifa.iiiv. 5, reded to any but the fame infinite Nature? One ^' Jhall fay I am the Lord's^ and another fhall fub- fcribe zvith his hand to the Lord. Thus faith the- Lord the King of Ifrael, and his Redeemer the Lord of Hofls, I am the firft, and J am^ the laft, and be-, fides me there is no God. 8. They that believe in Chrift give him a reli- gious w or/hip : and as that is the greateft thing we can do in this world, io let it not be faid that we Mat. V. 18. worjhip we know not what. Heaven dnd earth Jhall pafs away before one tittle of the law -does, and tfpccially that in the firft and fecond command- Zxod. xK. ment : Thoujbalt have no other gods lyefore me ; — it 3' 4' is no matter for a creature's having the name of a ' god : Thou Jh'alt not make to thyfelf the Ukenefs of ^ any God believed on in the WorlcL S5 any thing in heaven aboWy as well as in the earth serm. 3S; beneath ; thoujhalt not bow down thyjelf unto them : not only to the likencfs that thou niakelt of them, for that mull be a rtupid idolatry indeed ; but . there is none in heaven above, before whom thou muft bow down and worlhip ; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God. If the Gofpcl had not reprefented Chrift as a God, I fliould never have dared to get over the prohibition of this law. He himfelf gives no an- fwer but this to Satan, It is written, Thoujhalt wor- Mat. iv. le. Jbip the Lord thy God, and him on/yjhalt thou ferve. So that he refufes to fall down before him, not merely becaufe he is a devil, but becaufe he is a creature. And what he faith to him, would have been as proper to the brighteft Angel in heaven. The Angel forbid John to do it upon this very ground, H^orJJjip thou God, No excellency of na- i^ev. sxiu lure, no engagement of kindnefs, can make any ^" .perfon the objed of our devotion. When we are . called X.0 fall down and worJJnp, it is before the Lord ^(-^c^. 6. • cur Maker. . And Upon no other confideration could we read of worlhiping the Son : the Angels of God are char- ged to worjhip him ; and the reafon is plain, be- Heb. i. c. rifes into that life that was its pattern, and will be its end. And is not this too much for a creature to do ? Can a believer have his laft confidence in one who is not God, and go out of the world under the hazard and appearance of idolatry ? David durft trurt himfelf with none but an infinite Being, In- pf. xxxi. $. to t/jy hands do I commit my fpirit. Lord God of truth, for thou hajl redeemed it. This is the em- ployment of faith, in which every good man is to follow him. They are to die in that way, who cfzV in the Lord ; for they all die in faith. And I can never think that a true believer will flop at any thing fliort of what they depended on ; our faith and hope are to be in a God, as well as David's. We have none in heaven but God ; it is He who Pf. ixxiii. made with the fweet Pfalmift pf Ifrael a new and '^ everlafiing covenant, which was all his fahation. iUm.xxnl. Stephen's faith was thus employed : he called on .^^^-^^ God, faying. Lord Jefas receive my fpirit. 55. There are two anlwers given to the argument that arifes out of this fcripture. Firfl, That the word God is not in the original, but fupplied by our tranflaiors; and their doing lo has been infult- ed as a trick or a fraud*. But the perfons, who can be triumphant upon that obfervation, (hew they * See a difcourfe of Free- thinking. €2 Great is the Mystery, stRM 3(;. they are Very ready for it ; and I muft tell them it is a little too foon for people to boaft at the gird- Ifa. ivii.4. ing on of the harnefs ; Sporting a7id making a wide mouth, arid drawing out the tongue, are given as a mark to know the children of tranfgrejjion, and the feed of falfehood. That the word was "thrown in by our tranflators, is plain enough ; but apparently without any defign to fteal upon us the dodlriiie, ofChrifl's divinity; for this truth receives no ad-'' vantage at all from that reading, but (lands in ful- ler force, and in a better light without it. Be- caufe it is evident, that Stephen, who faw heaven opened, and the glory of God, and Jefus at the right hand of God, found it was now his duty- to com- mend a departing foul to One who could take care . of it ; and whoever this was, he called upon Him. His laft prayer and recumbence was on Him ; for. the word (ignifies both thefe. He has nothing far- ther to fay about himfelf, than to beg that the' Perfon he fpoke to would receive his fpirit. Now the queftion is, whether his faith was at this time dealing with the fame that David's did ? or whether the Jewifh religion taught, people to think that none but the Supreme God was fit to be their friend in a dying hour, but thatChrifti- anity has made us dependent on one who is de- pendent himfelf? It is but a forry compliment to the Gofpel, to fuppofe that it makes that to be the work of a creature, of which none but God is capable. They of old ufed to deal with the prin- cipal Agent, and are we to believe in a deputy ? The accufation had been true, that Stephen fpake blafphemous words againfl Mofes and againjl God, if he taught people fuch a dependence upon Chrift, as all good men ufed to have upon a faithful Crea- tor. — Strike the word God from this text, and read it thus, that they floned Stephen, calling upon, and faying, Lord Jefus receive my fpirit, and does it not appear that the Perfon he called upon was Jefus, and God BELIEVED on in the World. 65. and the petition that he made to him was, that he serm. 3^. . would receive his fpirit ? the beft thing that he could do, and the laft relignation that he could make. This agrees to the promife that our Saviour left with his'dilbiples, I %vill come again, and receive Joh. xlv.j. you to myfelf, that where I am, there ye may be al~ fo. Can we think that He who laid this was any lefs than the benefador upon whom the Pfalmift had his whole dependence ? Thou wilt guide me by pf. ixxUl thy counfel, and afterwards receive vie to thy glory. **• Are there two of thefe friends ; and is one of them not a God ? Thus he revealed himfelf to his peo- ple, and thus they received him: The Lord God Rev. xxii. of the holy Prophets fent his Angel to fiew to his ^' fervants the things that mujl fiortly be done. And who is he ? / Jefus have Jj^nt my Angel to tejlify to ver. i5. . yoUr- He that tejiijies ^thefe things fays, Surely I 'o* cojne quickly. We fee of whom they underftood it by their anfwer, Amen, even Jo, come, Lord Jefus. When God i'pake at fundry times, and in divers manners, by types, prophecies, vifions, voices, mi- racles, and iigns, he ftill led up the people through thofe things to himfelf: The faith of men did not centre in the figure or the prophet, but in Him that appointed them. And does he fpeak in thefe lafl: -days by his Son, to drop his own name, that we fliould have .lefs concern with a God now, than they had formerly? and yet this -is plainly the cafe, if Chriit and the Father are not one. But that is a doclrine which he has proclaimed : Jfys had k/iown me, ye fbould have hiown ~ my Fa- Johmtiv, ther ; and henceforth ye know him, and have fe en 7''''"- bim. Believefl thou not that I am in the Father^ and the Father in me. The words that I fpeak unto you, I fpeak not of myfelf, but the Father that dwells in me does the works. Believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me^ or elfB believe me for the very works fake. Mofes ^^ 'Great is the Mystery, SERM. 36. Mofes was a faithful fervant to the Moft High : ' V ' j^^ neyei- ftood as a fkreen between the people and their God, but ftill direded them higher and fur- ther ; and it is very unhappy tliat Ciirift was more furnifhed than he, and that by hiscomi?ig into the world, our faith has lefs to do with a God than theirs had ; which it certainly muft have, if we do , not fee the light of the glory of God in the face of Jefus Chrijl. David had a great opinion of Mofes ; but he durft not fay to him, Into thy hands do I comtnit my fpirit. No ; there are two reafons for this furrender to God, that can never be applied to a creature, i/?. That he had redeemed it ; and certainly Stephen meant no lefs, when he faid. Lord Jefus receive my fpirit y he ,looked upon him to be the holy One of Ifrael, and his Redeemer, idly, David calls him the God of truth, which may either be underftood of his nature, that he is the true God, in oppofition to idols, or of his co- venant, that this is ordered in all things, and pure. Now, both thefe reafoiis are equally good in the petition of Stephen : In calling upon Jefus, he had joha 1. 14. to do with Him who is full of grace and truth, ._-xiv.6. the way, the truth and the life; the Amen, the faithful and true witnefs : He that is holy, and Rev. i. 5- he that is true ; that holy and jufl One, as he is called, and by whom grace and truth came to the world, who came to bear witnefs to the truth, and - — XV. 3. to whom' it is faid in the praifes of heaven, Jufl and true are all thy ways, thou King of Saints. Thus we are built on the foundation of the Apo- Eph. a. ae. fties and Prophets, Jefus Chrift himfelf being the chief corner-ftone. - ■ Secondly, Another anfwer to this expreflion of the Martyr's faith, is what I have met with in a late book, where the author is verylbll of a pro- feffion, that he is Chriflianus, but not Chrijlicola ; a Chriftian, but not a worihipper of Chrift. He fays, the cafe of Stephen was extraordinary ; that he God believed on in the World* ^6^ he had fuch a vifion as none can expedl, and that serm. 3«- therefore he is no more an example to us, than ' Paul was in his being caught up to the third hea- vens. This is a mighty thought indeed, and may be numbered rather among the />tfr'i;^'r/<' than the cunning difputings of men of corrupt minds, who are deftitute of the truth. That his difcoveries were unufual I grant, but his fentcnce is no other than the bft profeffion of every believer. They are all looking to Jejxu, as the Finilher of their faith. What he laid was either right or wrong: If it was right for him to put his foul into the hands of Jefus, I mull tell you, it is impoflible he (hould do any more to the great God, who has faid fo plainly. My Son, give me thy heart : If it was wrong, and llands not for your example, but your caution, I think the fa- vour of God to his Martyrs has rather proved a fnare than a benefit to the church. If the firft man who ever fuffered for the Chriftian religion made fuch an unhappy ufe of the teftimony that was given him from above, as to bequeath that to a creature, which is the moft noble prefent that can be made to a God, we muft not lay that the blood of the ^artyrs is the feed, but rather the ftain and tlie fcandal of the church. But when he faid it, he was full of the Holy Ka%\\u Gbojlf whofe office it was not to delude, but to ^s^ guide them into all truth. Now, here is the choice Jo^" ^^'• that is left us, either to condemn Stephen for an ^^' idolater, or this author for an ififidel ; either the one made a proftitute of his confcience, or the other has done it of his reafon. And though I hope I Ihall ever admire charity as the glory of my religion, yet 1 mull profefs I have a greater efleem for that Martyr,' than I have for fuch writers, who confefs themfelves to be out of the number of thofe that in every place call on the name of the Lord Je- , cor. i. a. fus Chriji. Well, my brethren, this is like to be Vol. II. I the 66 Great is the Mystery, SERM. 36. the cafe of every one of us in a little time. Bi^ '' we muft ; and as long as nature and grace are ca- pable of ading, we fliall be putting ourfelves. into fonie hands or other. The Scripture has directed us by many a precept, as well as this noble ex- ample, thus to look unto Jefus ; which is more ., than I fhall dare' to do, ^f I do not think him to be rf. xxY. I. a God. * Unto thee, Lord, do I lift up my foul * Whenever my foul ufed this language, 1 knew in * whom I have believed, and was perfuaded that * He is able to keep what I have comfnitted to him * again ft that day. I always underftood it of Chrift. « It is to him the confignments have been made * many a time ; and therefore, as foon as ever I « * conie to find that he is no God, my religion- will * be all a draw- back, a fetching of things out of * his hand.' Whatever value I may have for him, (as I owe a great deal to the Angels who are be- , low him) ' yet my faith and hope muft> be in a * God ; and more efpecially in the laft and greateft * concern that I can have.' I cannot difmifs this head, though I have been a long while upon it, without telling you a ftory that has fome relation to it. A very good friend ^ and moft intimate acquaintance, tpld me feveral years ago what fcruples he had about the Divinity of Chnft. I could not butobferve in the frequent converfation I had with him, that he was far from the length that fome have arrived at, to have no pleafure in the truth, but a pleafure in unrighte- pufnefs. I could fee the objediions gave him a; great deal of pain, and he ftrove to reconcile the Arian and Socinian dodrine with what is oppofite to thern. 1 remember I once plied bim with this particular inftancepf the Martyr Stephen, and told him how dreadful it woiild be in a dying hour for a man not to know where to look, or upon whorr^ to have a dependence as the laft friend of his foul : and that if the Scripture direds my faith only to , • 3 Jefus^ God believed on in the World. 6y Jefus, and reafon tells me he is not God, I (hall serm. 35. take believing in that cafe to be a difconlblate ven- '"'^ ture. I defircd him not to llrive againll inward evidence, or treat the mylleries of religion as if he was fure they were either a falfehood, or the crafc of deligning men. And 1 the rather did this, be- caufe he had been for fome time in a languilhing ftate of health. After thefe things, he more than once told me, how earnelUy he had defired, that God would not let him go out of the world uncor- tain about that matter. And though he had con- tinued long ill, yet his death was fo far fudden, that a few moments before, he declared himfelf fomething better than he had been for feveral weeks, and fo had juft time and ftrength enough to fay no more than thefe words. Lord Jcfus re- ceive myfpirit. — Thus have I gone through both the explication of the text, and the argument that it gives us, that He who is believed on in the world, is no other than the Moft High God. I am now to take this dodlrine in another view. . III. As it is a Mystery. Indeed we have lived to fee and hear this very name treated as if it was. "only a jeft \ and that by myftery you are to under- ftand either a contradiction or an impofture. Thus are high thoughts exalting themfehes againjl the x Cor. %. 5. knowledge of the Son of God. I am fure in ufing the phrafe we do not depart from the words of Scripture. T/^^^r^ we often have it ; and certainly the Holy Spirit did not fcatter it about in his book, to have it bantered and expofed in ours. Such profanenefs will end in univerl'al trembling : it makeb thofe tremble now who are ferious ; -and it will do the fame in thofe that are not lb : Hbere- ifa xxviif. fore he not mockers, left your bands he ina.ifjirong. «*• For my part, I fliall confider it in 'he way that my text has prpfented it. And you will find that be- lieving on Chrift in the world is a Myftery, if you do but attend to thefe two things. I. The 68 Great is the Mystery, sERM. 3«. I. The nature of the work. . ' ^ ' 2. The nature of the place : that there fhould be any believing at all, and that it ftiould be in the world. I. Believing itfelf is a myftery ; as it is ading without the diredlion of fenfe and r^afon, and very ofteo againft them ; and therefore in oppofi- tion to the example and pradice of others. So that it mull proceed frmu fomething that we feel only in ourfelves. (i.) Believing is ading without the direftion of fenfe and reafon : it is depending upon what we do not fee, and admiring what we cannot underftand : John ui. 6, ^jj^i ^}jich is horn of the Jiejb is Jlejh, and that which is born of the Spirit is fpirit. We look at a Cor. iv. fijg things that are not feen, which are eternah xPet. i. 8. fVhom having not feen^ ye love ; and in whom, though now ye fee him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with a joy unfpeakable, and full of glory. And is not this wonderful to thofe whole fouls get no far- f hii. lii. ther than their bodies, who mind earthly things ? . ^9- Their great enquiry is, Who wiWJhew us any good ? Eccief. xi. They walk in the Jight of their eyes ; their por- ^ tion, bufinefs, and hearts, are in this life ; they know nothing what believing is ;. and perfons wh& are thus diftinguilhed from them, make an unac- Ka.viii. countable figure in their opinion: Th^ Lord of 13. M- Hojls, whom believers fandify in their hearts, is for a flone of Jlumbling^ and rock of c^ence ; and ser. 18. both he and the children whom God has given bim are for J^gnSy and for wonders in Ifrael. (2.) Believing is oftentimes a(B:ing againjl thefe two principles, by whicbwe are to be eonduded in other tbings. We ase called to believe wh.at reafon cannot explain, and to perform what ferife iCor.vi. 8, will abhor : By honour and (i'l/honour, by evil report ^' and good report ; as dying, chaJlened,fqrrowful, poor, and having nothing, I know that this very defcrip- tion of faith makes it the contempt of the world ; bu.;i God believed on in the World, 69 but it is never the worfe for that : a minifter is to s'^R'^- 3*?; be patient to all men ; but it is carrying the com- plaifance a great deal too tar, if they who are enemies to the Gofpel of Chrift can perfuade him .. either to give it up, or to keep it in. The Apoftle begged that utterance might be given bimy that heEph.^ii^f might open his mouth boldly, to make known the my- '^^• Jlery of the Gofpel ^ for which be was an ambaffador in bonds, that therein be might fpeak boldly as he ought to fpeak. I look upon human reafon to be no more a judge of dodrine than it is of pradice. It is' employed indeed about the rule, it receives the evidence up- on which I believe. This is revelation ; but it has nothing to do 10 determine about the matters revealed: We have received, not the fpirit of the^cor.ii, world, but the Spirit which, is of God, that we may "• know the things that are freely given to us of God. The natural man receives not the things of the Spi- ver. 14. rit -of God, for they are foolijhnefs to him ; neither can he know them, becaufe they are fpiritually dif cerned. . ^ ' I will give you an inftance of this in duty. A- braham's reafon told him, that the command to offer his fon Ifaac came from God ; that it was truly the Lord who tempted him, and faid thofe cutting things that led him into an unheard of prac- tice ; but he never enquired of reafon whether he ftiould obey or no. He never meafured this com- mand by the law of nature, which obliged him to Ihed no blood, and to take care of his child ; or even by the promife of the covenant, that in Ifaac Pall thy feed be called. I am fure that precept. Go take thy fon, thy only fon Ifaac whom thou lovefl, Cen. wit and offer him for a burnt-offering, is as unintelligi- »• ble, and liable to as many objedions, as that text can be : Inhere are three that bear record in heaven, , joh.v.z. the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghofl, and thefe three are one. Our reafon may with equal juftice call 70 Great is the IV^ystery, sERiVf . 35 . ^all this nonfenfe, and endeavour to prove it fpuri- ous, and go about hunting into copies with as much fpeed as a wild afs runs in the wildernefs ; for in- deed both thefe works are hMifnuffing up the wind atpleafure. ^ Let not any fay, God cannot be fuppofed to tell me, that three are one by revelation, be^aufe he has before-hand told me, that three cannot be one in nature ; and I muft not imagine that he gives me a new light to contradift the old one. Abraham's love to his fon, and his abflaining from (bedding innocent blood, was as much rooted in nature, and eftablifhed by all the principles of religion, as that one cannot be three. He was as fure of thofe prac- tical maxims, as we are of this myfterious notion. Had all t|ie Angels in heaven given him that com- mand about Ifaac, and fent him to Moriah upon fo dreadful an errand, you may be fure he would have- ftuck by the principles that God had implanted already, of juftice to human nature, and affedion to his child, and efpecially a regard to the promife,! In Ifaac Jhall thy feed he called, and not a hair of his head mult have perifhed. I pet. iii. No more fliould we ever fay that three are one, I Cor. XV. or that the jufl dies for the unjufi, or that the body Ife vii I -^^^^ '^-^ incorruptible, or that a Virgin fhall con- '""'^'^'ceive and bring forth a Son, or that God could be manifefl in the fejh ; thefe things cannot be ex- 1 Cor. ii. plained by reafon : they are fpiritually difcemedy and therefore not to be received but upon report ; and upon no report but that of a God, who cannot lie. If he has faid them they muft be, though we are at a lofs to conceive how they can be. . So it was with Abraham : he had no more to do, than to en- , quire whether this command came from.God or no ; and when that difficulty is over, his reafon is under a bar. The objedions that would have pre- vailed, had the exhortation been given by a crea- ture, God believed on in the World, yi ture, are not allowed to ftir, or move a tongue. He^ERM. 35. knew the promile would hold, he knew the com- ' ^^^ inand muft be anfwered, he knew the one was de- ftruaive of the other ; but he leaves that to God. His faith was to alk no queftions, but to believe the good old way, in hope and againjl hope, becaufe it depended upon him who raifes the dead, ^w^Rom.iv. calls the things that are not, as though they were. ^'* .Now, we go no greater lengths in receiving a dodrine that we cannot underftand, than in doing a duty that we cannot account for. Do not fay that God will not put you upon believing againft realon ; you fee he may put you upon ~a£ling againft it. What principle of nature is more early, more internal and perpetual with us, than that of felf- prefervation ? and therefore what can be more a- bominabie than a religion that deftroys it ? and yet it is notorious that this is the great demand of Chri- ftianity : If any man, faith our Lord, hate not his own life, he cannot be my difciple. It is obferved of fome of his people, that they loved not their lives R^y.xii, unto the death. He has hung a dreadful punifh- "* ment over the contrary difpofition, He that faves hts life Jhall lofe it. It is as reafonable to embrace a myftery as a martyrdom ; they are both unac- countable. Human reafon is laid afide, or plainly over-ruled in each of them, and fhe'ws that Gorf'jifa. iv. 8, ways are not our ways, nor his thoughts our thoughts. Therefore, (3.) Believing is ading in oppofition to the prac- tice and example of others ; and it is no eafy mat- ter to get thus high. Nay, perhaps your difcou- ragement will arifc from men of great names, from particular friends, from fuch as call themf elves of ih.xWui. the holy city. Your faith will be loaded with all «• the fcandalous infmuations of enthufiafm, perfecu- tion, conceit and folly. Arguments againft you will be faid to rife from a zeal for liberty, the ho- nour 72 Great is ibe Mystery, J^^M^- nour of the Chriftian religion, and a profpedl of making it go down vvitli infidels. Some profefs to believe the dodrine of the Gof- pel, and take a Chriftian name only as they took a civil one, becaufe they found it where they were born ; thefe will not endure the trial, j^n a day of temptation mere forms of fpcaking are what they may be driven from ; and if they make a Creed, which is but the language of faith, to be the ground of it, it will never do. Thefe, rather than be the jeil of an adverfary, will be their captives, and , prove treacherous to the caufe which they cannot maintain ; and when they leave you, it will be with the dettrudlion of all modefty, humility, and ten- dernefs. Though they cannot lift up their heads, they will lift up their heels againft you. Now, is it not a wonder, when the roads are fo lined and guarded, that there is any believing in the world ? and y el faith is of the operation of Qod ; as men do not plant it, fo men ihall not root it up. -Chrift has always raifed up fome who have a con- cern for thofe dodrines which the world reckon a trifle, and many profeflbrs have dropped as an error. There is a principle that carries us through all the fnares of friendfliip, and all the terrors of fhame;- Jam. iv. 4. that makes us know the friendjbip of the world to be emnity zvith Cod, and fets things out to our choice in this fair diftindion, that the friend of the world is the enemy of God. (4.) This proceeds from fomething within our- felves. We have feveral arguments for the dodrine, that may be pleaded with others ; as a clear reve- lation, the comparing fpiritual things wkh fpiri- tual, the known fenfe of words, the frequent tefti- mony of Scripture ; and fome of a lower nature, the concurrence of God's people in all ages ; I do not only mean thofe who' were witnjefles in a coun- €il, but thofe who were fo at a flake. Thefe, I fay, are God believed on in the World, 73 are confiderations that will have their weight with sf.rm. 2,(>. fuch as are feekiqg after the truth, Butthe principle of believing is incommunicable, and cannot be conveyed in an argument. No vian ' Cor. xH. can fay that Jefus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghoji, ^* Peter and the reft of the Apoflles had much evi- dence .of our Lord*s being the Son of God from his dodlrine, his miracles, and his conformity to all the prophetical charadlers; and yet ilefh and blood did not reveal this to them, but our Father who is in heaven. Saul had heard great reafonings for the Chriftian Religion at the trial and the death of Ste- phen ; but that faith and love which he foun^i at iaft came along with the exceeding abundant grace ' Tim. i. of God in Cbrz/l Jefus our Lord, 14. SERMON XXXVIL -^,:r 1719. 2. IT^O what is faid of believing in general, we j^ may add the circumilance of place where men are to look for it, which leads us farther into the myftery. It is a wonder there Ihould be any fuch principle as faith, but it is more fo that Chrift is believed on in the world : In this world, and not in heaven ; in a world where he had been re- fufed ; where the greateft evidence had proved in vain ; where he was no longer to appear ; where people were poffefled with prejudice againft him ; under the power of his moft obftinate enemy, and , where nothing was to be got by it. Vol.11. K (i.) You 74 Great is the MvsterV, SERM. 37. (i^') You will obferve the mVftery of believing in Chrift, if you regard it as a thing to be met with in this wor/dySLnd not in heaven. Had it been faid of him now, that he is received up with glory, that the vail multitudes who hear his voice admire his perfon, we could eafily come into*the report, becaufe there he is revealed with a brightnefs un- confined : There is no vail upon his face, no limi- T Cor. xiii. tation to their eyes. Now we fee through a glafs '^* darkly, but then face to face ; now we know -in part, but the,n we Jhall know e'uen as ourfelves are known^ And this is To much above all our experience here, that he is fuppofed to be in a fort of obfcurity till *^^*- '• ^3- that time comes. That is the revelation of jfef us Goi.iii. 4. Chrifl. He who is our life Jhall appear. He is now our life, we have a life that is hid^vith Chrift in. God ; but in all the prefent manifeftations of him,. there IS the. hiding of his power ^ His appearing is always^fpoken of as a thring that is future, and belongs to the felicities of another ftate. It isfaidof them that are before the throne. Rev. xxii. Qf God, that they fee his face, and hii nanie is in their foreheads. The will of Chrift was, that his Joh. xvii, people ftiould be with him whfre they are to beholds his glory. There the difguife is off both from him. and them, and no wonder that in broad day-light they fliouldye-i? the King in his beamy, becaufe they are got into the land which to us is afar off. There is no danger that any of thofe above fliould be of- fended in him. The Angels that proclaim his per- fedions, and the faints that live upon his rperit, h^ve not one unbeliever to lay any thing againft. them ; bi*: , the whole aftembly and church of the lirft-l?orn, vvhofe names are wri-tten in heaven, nf- crihe honour, and glory, and falvation, and power, to him that fits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever. They are got up to the fountmn of life, to the fpring-head where life runs clean, and full, and W.ucwi. 9. eternal^ and fo in his .light they fee light. Thev / 3 • - feV. . God dff/ieved on IN THE World. 75 fee him as he is. He appears, to them, as he ap- serm. 37. pears to hirafelf, in the brightnefs of his perfoii, and the exprefs declaration of his glury. They are Rev. vU. before the throne of God, and fei ve him day and ^^' night in his temple, and He that Jits upon the throne dwells among them. But the myftery is, that he is believed on in a world where all this is hid ; that he ha3 a people, who having not feen him, do love him, and though » ^^t >. i. now they fee him not, believing in him, do rejoice with a joy unfpeakable. and fuH of glory. This is more than Thomas would do. He infifted iipon external evidence as the condition and guide of his faith, Except L fee in his hands the print of the-nails,Joh.xx.is- and put my finger into the, print of the nails, and thrufl my hand into his fide, I will not believe j and . perhaps this is what he was led into by the account that the other difciples gave of an interview in his abfence, that hejhewed them hi/ hands and hlsjide. All this advantage they have in heaven, for %e is r^v. v. c. > the midfl of the throne as a Lamb that has been Jlain. He is clothed with a vejlure dipt in blood, six. Our Saviour, who pitied their frame, condefcended ^^' to one who was fo weak in the faith, and therefore faith to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and be- hold my hands, and reach hither thy band, and thrujl it into, my fide, and be not faithlefs, but believing. But he clofes the converfatipn with that remark, Thomas, becaufe thou hafl feen me thou hajl believed, but blejfed are they that have not feen and yet believe. Now what is it for them to believe ? What is that ad of the foul which goes by this title ? You -will be able to anfwer the queftion by comparing the two parts of this ftory. Ihcfe things are ivrit- joh.xx.31. ten,, that ye might believe, that Jefus is the Chrijl the Son cj God, and that beUeving ye might have life in his name. 1 take the faith that is here defcri- bed to be of the fame nature and extent with that which Thomas had before profelTed iii thofe words, ' My ' ^6 Great is the Mysteky, f 7.RM. 37. My Lord and my God. Believing him to be the '"''~^' ' Ghrift the Son of God, and "believing that you may have life in his name, is believing him to be your Lord and your God. As your Lord he is the Chrift, and as your God he is the author of that life that you are to have in his name. J)o not jput it, as fome people ftrive to do, upon the confufion that Thomas was in, and that the words lignify not his fentiments but his furprife ; for fuch ex- clamations and profane interjedions are what the Scripture would teach ys rather to abhor than to imitate. This was the language of a believer, and not of an affrighted man, and it is in vain to di- vert the force of the argument by another inter- pretation, viz. that Thomas declared Chrijl to be his Lord, and the Father to be his God. This is againft all the laws of reading ; it is making any thing of every thing ; and at that rate there is not' a fentence in the Bible that comes within a deter- minate meaning. It is plain our Saviour calls this the language of Thomas's faith, and of a faith in him: He had been faithlefs before, not in the Fa- ther, for that was not the queftion, but in the rea- lity of Chriil's refurredion ; and wha;t he calls be- lieving, was the root of that good profeffion, My Lord and my God. And fuch a faith was to obtain, through the preaching of the Gofpel, among thofe that had ne- ver feen what Thomas did. For it is remarkable, that his faith went beyond the evidence. All tha^ he could fee in his fingers and his fide, proved no more than that he was that very man who had fuffered upon the crofs, and that the fame body was rifen indeed, that had bee'n crucified and flain. But when he is fure of that, he fpeaks of ,him not merely as one dead and alive a^ain, but as the fame that he always took him for, his Lord and his God. The wounds in his fide, the prints pf na^s and fpears, are no marks of a God ; it had beer^ God believed o/; in the World. 77 been blafphemy to give him the title upon that ac- serm. 37. count ; thefe proved no more than a human na- ture ; but you fee the office of a true faith : . If thou Rom. x. 9. believejl that Jefus died, and that God raifed him from the dead, thoujhalt be faved. This is not to be ftruck off from a regard to his Deity ; for Tho- mas, wJio queftioned his refurredlion, is no fooner convinced of that, but he declares his opinion of the other, that he was his Lord and his God. Thus the kingdoms of this world are to become the king- R«v. xi. is. doms of our Lord and of his Chriji, and he Jhall reign for ever and ever. The earth is this Lord^Sf ^f- *»i^- *• and thefulnefs thereof. C2.) It is myfterious that he is believed on in a world. where he had been refufed. When the Son of man came, he found little or no faith in the earth. He was in the world, and the world was made by John i. io» hint, and the world knew him not. He came to his own, and his own received him not. This was need- ful on feveral accounts, and an honour to God's juftice, that the Jews, who had killed the Prophets and ftoned thofe who were fent unto them, ihould fill up the meafure of their iniquity ; upon this account their houfe was left unto them defolate. Nor is this proceeding void of a regard to his mer- cy ; for by their fall falvation is come unto the Gen- R»m-xi. tiles ; the middle wall of partition, which had con- tinued fo long between the one and the other, was to be broken down at his death, as the veil of the Eph. ii. 14. temple was at that time rent afunder. And in- deed the projedt of God's wifdom, the defign of his mercy to mankind in general, made it needful that a Saviour Ihould not be known: For had the princes^ ^^^-v^^' of this world known him, they would not have cru- cified the Lord of glory ; and without the fhedding of his blood there could be no remiffion. The A- poftle gave that foft account of it to the Jews, / wot that through ignorance ye did it, andfodid^^^^^-^h your rulers^ but thofe things which God before bad *^' Jhewn 78 Great is the Mystery, SERM. 3T //j^r.^,„ ]jy the mo^i^J of all his Prophets that Chrijl Jbould fuffery he has fo fuljilled. We might, from a flood of Scripture arguments, prove, that Chrift Luke xxiv. mujl needs have fuffered and enter into his glory, **• But, I am now to confider the wonder th^ arifes out of the cafe, that after fuch an ufage he (hould ever have a people to receive him. Hovv- ftrangeiy are the parts of the xxiid Pfalm put together I At the Ff. sxii. I, beginning he complains o^ God.\ forfaking him, and being fo far from' the words of his roaring ; that his enemies had aded like ^rJow, we are faid to be made holy by Chrift Jefus in each of thefe refpeds. You find them, in one yti^Q^' Both he that faiiciifics, and they that are^th.iuiu fandifted^ are both of one, and therefore he is not afljamed to call them brethren. It is plain this is not faid of the Father, but of Him who was made perfect from his fufferings ; and we here read of this Pevfon as one that fanciifies ; he is the author of all that purity that his people receive. Their religion is given, as well as conduded by him. This cannot be affirmed of him as a man ; for though in that refped he is a noble example of fandification, yet he cannot be the aiithor of it. As a man, he is of the fame original with belie- vers ; they are both of one, and therefore he is not afliamed to call them brethren. This fuppofes ' him to be fandified himfelf ; but as a fandifier, he cannot be laid to call them brethren. They are his creation, the work of his hands, the effed of his holinefs and love. And he cannot be conceived of as doing this for them, unlefs he is God ; the Sandifier muft be the Creator : He that has wrought us for the f elf- fume thing, is God, and he can be no other. David begs for it under a proper title, and from a proper hand: Create in me a clean heart, Q God. I will^^-"''^- ^°- Jprinkle clean water upon you ^ and youj7jallbe clean, xxxvL 25. faith he in the Old Teflament/ It is God that nu\.iin. works in us both to will and to do, faith the Apoftle in the New. Of his own will has he begotten z/j-Jam. 1 1£. again 92 The Myjlery of Godliness, SERM. 38. again hy the ward of truth, that ive might he the fi'f^-f^^^^^ "'^^'^ ^-"•*" creatures. Can we think, after fo many claims of the Divine Nature to the work of landtification, that it fhould ever be attributed to a creature ? Mull it be laid of one who is not God, that it h He who J'anHifies ^ Is he not only the objed, but the author of your faith? Well, if he has made you believers, as he certainly has, then there is in you the exceeding greatnefs of an Al- mighty power j no lefs than that which raifed him- felf from the dead, and fet him on the right hand of the Majefty on high. And befides, how can any a6l of faith produce fuch a turn within us, that whilft we fee him, we c Cor. iii. ^rg changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord, unlefs the object on which it fixes be God ? Eph. i. 12, We are to the praife of his glory, '^ho have trifled ^^" in Chrijf, after we have heard the word of truth, the- Gofpel of our fahation j in whom, after we have believed, we are fealed with the Holy Spirit of pro- mife. The refembling virtue is not in the princi- ple, but in the objed. We fee a thoufand things and believe them, that do not make us like them- felves : and how comes it to pafs, that when we fee Chrift as he is, we Jhall he like him, but only that he has a power of creation in himfelf ? To this purpofe he is propofed to our faith. For this end we are to believe in him i not only believe him, that he is the Meffiah, the Perfon appointed by God to treat with men, but we believe in him^ that hy him we may have the life begun, in him we may -have it continued, and with him we may have it perfedled. It is a very poor and low notion of Chriftianity, to think that it requires no more than an affent that Chiift is the Mefliah, the anointed-of God, and that they that thus believe flialljbe faved ; as ijit was enough, that a man's fentimcnts kept him from being either a Jew or a Mahometan. I dare fay God believed on in the World, 93 fay the devils believe in this fenfe, and they tremble serm. 38. at it. But if we are to talk of faith as the Scrip- jam.ii. 1$. lure does, we mud make a great deal more of it. It is a principle that does not only pay an homage, but draw a life and virtue from him with whom it correfponds ; and fuch a one can be no lefs than God. In him was life, and that life was the light J°^^ '- 4- of men, is an expreffion that imports a Deity, as full as any words can do: The life was 7na?iifefl, ijoh. 12. and we have feen it, and hear witnefs, andjhew to you the eternal life that was with the Father, and was manifejled unto us. But now, if people do not look upon him as God, who is thus believed on in the world, as 1 do not fee how they can pay a proper veneration to him, fo thcFe is no refemblance that they can de- lire to have of him. It is in vain to hope that looking to him will make you like him, unlefs there is a creating virtue either in the ad or the objedt. Either faith itfelf mufl have the power of changing you, or it mufl be in Him whonxyou thus contemplate. He will at laft change your vile bodies, phii. iu. ar. like unto his glorious body ; and for that he muft have a power that fub dues all things to himfelf And does he fpeak of any lefs when he tells Paul, That acIs xxvj. He will open their eyes, and turn them from dark- ^^^ fiefs to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgivenefs of fins, and an in- heritance among them who are fanEiified by the faith that is in him ? Their fandification is begun by him in opening their eyes, and it is always confi- dered in him. This then is the firft account that you may take of godlinefs, that it is a principle of fubjedion and conformity to Chrift ; and it could not be either of thefe, if he was not God. 2. This godlinefs does alfo take into it the duty ♦ that we have fo good a rule for in the word of God. He that has this efteem for Chrift, and this refemblance of him, mufl himfelf walk as he alfo walked. 22. p4 Ji?'^ M)y?^/j ^Godliness, SERM. 38. walked. He that believes in Chrijl muji be careful to maintain good works, which are good and profit- Tit. iii. 8. able to men. This is a faithful faying ; and thefe things I will, faith the Apoftle, that thou affirm con- ftantly. What 1 now mean takes into it the whole Aftsxxiv. corapafs of duty. Herein are we to exercife our- ^^' felves, to have always a confcie\ic'e void of offence to- wards God and man. But I do not fee how either we are capable of regarding Chrift in fucb an au- thority as to obey him, or be thus ureful to others upon that ground, if we dQ not believe his Deity. (i.) Without this there mult be an end of all our duty to him. As a Prophet he might declare it; but if he is not God, it is wrong for him to receive it. It involves him in the guilt of ufurpa- ifa. xxxiii. tion, and us in the danger of idolatry. The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Law-giver, the Lord is our King, and he 'will fave us, was the free pro.- feffion of the Church in the Old Teltament ; and I can never be of opinion that we ought to talk jara.iv. la. anv lowcr language in the New : There is but one ifa. xxvi. law-giver, who is able to fave and to dejtroy. Lord, ^*' '^" - fay they, thou wilt ordain peace for us ^ for thou haji wrought all our works in us. Lord .our God, other lords bejldes thee have had do7ninion over us, but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. Are not thefe declarations too great a tribute for any crea- ture ? and yet in an equal ftrain are we taught by the New Teftament, to fpeak both o/'Chriit, and to him. He willordain peace for us, ni him we mufc have peace. He has wrought our works in us, jahnxvii. every branch in him hears fruit: I in them, faith "*3- he to the Father, and thou in me. l¥e name the name of Chrifi, we are called by it, we look upon him as Lord of all. It is he that Iws ordained a religion for the world, and having all power both Matxiviii. in heaven and earth, has appointed^ us to teach all '°- things that he hath commanded, (2.) That Cod believed en in (he World, 95 3». (2.) That part of duty which has a regard to '^^^^'^ others fuppofes that he by whofe authority we do it can be no lefs than God. Thus faith the A- poftle, IVe preach not ourfelves^ hut Cbrijl jejiis the 2 Cor. Iv. Lord, ami our Jtlves your ferv ants for J ejus^ fake, 5- He was ready to be fpent among them ; but the end of. all this was for. advancing the glory of a Redeemer. - And can we think he intends any low- er Perfon in that fcntence than Nehemiah did, who 'profelfes that he durft not ad as other rulers had done, hecaufe of the fear of God? Was he under Neh.v. 15. an awe from his Maker? and has a Chriltian all his motive and reftroint from a creature ? Se^rvants are dire61ed to keep up the duty of their relation with a decency that will recommend a good profeffion, that they may adorn the dodrineT\\..\\. 10. of God our Saviour in all things. What God and Saviour is this who claims a -propriety in the doc- trine they are to adorn ? It is eafy to fee he un- derftands it of a dodlrine peculiar to Chriitians. They lived among thofe of a contrary part, as you read a few verfes before. There were among them unruly and vain talkers and deceivers^ efpe- chap. i. 10, daily they of the circumcifion, il^ho fubverted whole "" houfes, teacbi7ig things that they ought not, for filthy lucre'' s fake. They are bid not to give heed to Jew 14. ijh fables, and commandments of men. This oppo- fitlon was all againtl the Chriftian dodrine. The Jews were no enemies to the revelation of the Old Teilamenl. But befides, he fpeaks of a word 7nani' ftfled in due time, through preaching committed to him according to the commandment of God our Saviour, This is the title under which he declares him ; for he has made us fufficiently acquainted what this commandment of God our Saviour was, by telling us that the Gofpel he preached was not taught of man, hut by the revelation of Jefus Cbrifl. This is the dodrine of God our Saviour, which fervants are to adorn in all. things. And g6 1'be Myjlery of Godliness, SERM. 38 . And we may carry the fame interpretation ' through the next words, that the grace of God (of this God who was manifeft in the flefli) that brings falvation, has appeared unto all men^ and in looking for the hlejfed hope^ we alfo expect the glorious ap- pearing of the GREAT God and our Sav^pur Jefus Chrifl; or, as the words maybe read, of our Great God and Saviour Jefus Chrift. This agrees to the diredions he gives about relative duties in £ph. vi. 5, other places : Servants he obedient to them that are ' ^' ' your majlers according to the fiejhy with fear and tremblings in finglenefs of heart, as unto Christ : Not with eye-fervice, as men-pleafers, but as the fervants oj Christ, doing the will ofQoTtfrom the heart j with good will doing fervice as to the Lord, and not to men : Knowing that whatfoever good thing any man does, the fame Jh all he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. So we read,* Mat. xxiii. that One is our Mafler, even Christ. *°* 3. This godlinefs demands from us a profeffion Tit. i. I. of what we believe. There mult be an acknow- ledgment of the truth which is after godlinefs, Chrifl: A(5tsix. 15. tells Ananias concerning Saul. He is a chofen vejjel to ME, to bear my name before 'the Gentiles, and kings, and the children oflfrael. Our light is to Phil. ii. 13. Ihine before men ; we are every way to hold forth iPct.ii.5, the word of life, and Jljew the praifes of him that hath called us. And I do not fee there is any doing this, unlefs we are perfuaded of his Divinity, be- caufe it is thus we come firft to a certainty, and then to a confidefice in our profeffion. (i.) In believing Chrift to be God, we a