) ) T^^^^^ ■ • 4 T2* 53 £S Z^> *£± O^. ^2* OF THK AT PRINCETON, N. J. x> o :v at i o »r c» v SAMUEL AGNEW, OF PHILADELPHIA, PA. J^eftez... ? rt j r> G4Z |j case, Division. . -^^f'W li Boo*,^, F J, . ' , / t l 7 , Printed at the Theatre for the Author, and are to be had of him on the Payment of Five Shillings, of whom alfo may be had fome few of the Firft Volume at Five Shil- lings, the whole Subfcription Price. 174.1. Imprimatur, GUALT. BODGES Mar. 9. 1741. Vice-Canc. Oxon. 1. 1. r. Heathens, p. $ 1. 1. 9. r. then, p. $6. 1. 16, f: art. p. 100. J. 3. Attribute. To the Right Honourable M ONTAG VE EARL of ABINGDON AND Baron NORRIS of RTCOT in OX FORT) 'SMIRK THSOLOGIC My LORD, '^hMUmK "•-- \ ^ BY dedicating this Volume of Sermons to You, I do great Honour to myfelf, and your great Condefcenfion in grant- ing me your Patronage will engage all thofe, who are true Lovers of Vertue and Honour to read over thefe Difcourfes withou^Ereju- dice, andmo pracWe "the Duties thqfl i de- fer i bed, which are fo powerfully recommend- ed by your Lordfhip's eminent Example. Your Defcent from a generous Race of Worthy, Loyal, and Noble Anceftors, chal- lenges our Efteem ; but, what raifes our Ve- neration, You have adorned your high Rank a 2 and The DEDICATION. and Quality, by untainted Vertue, and a firm Adherence to the Religion of Chrift. As it hath been your Lordfhip's conftant Opinion, that the Profeffion and Practice of aChriftian is moft confiltent (whatever fbme may think ) with the Politenefs and Greatnefs of a Nobleman ; fo You have in every Sta- tion and Office of Life , conducted yourfelf by fuch true Principles of Honour, as have juftly gained You the Love and Efteem of your Country, and rendred the illuftrious Name of Bertie dear to all, to whom our Conftitution, in Church and State, is dear. I am your Lordfhip's March 10.1741- nioft hujnble, obedient, and obliged Servant, John Wilder. C i] Of the Exiftence and Nature of God. SERMON I. Heb. IX. 41. He that cometh to God muft believe that He is, and that He is a Re- warder of all them that diligently feek him. TH E Belief a God is the fole Foun- dation of all Religion, and the ftrongeft Obligation to the Practice of all Vertues, which relate eithet to a private or focial Life; either this, or that which is to come. Human Laws, without the Belief of a God, are but faint Encouragements to Vertue and Goodnefs ; and weak Fences againft Immo- rality and Profanenefs : For what will all their promifed Rewards, or threatned Punifh- A ments % Sermon the Fir ft. ments avail, to the Support of the One, or Difcountenancing of the Other, when the furious Lufts and Paflions of Men, who are, or do but think themfelves, fure of Secrefy, and therefore of Impunity, fhall hurry them on to the Commiffion of Evil ? But where the Belief of an Omnifcient, Al- mighty, and juft God prevails, (as it doth wherever good Senfe, or right Reafon main- tains its Empire) it immediately affecSts and alarms all the Faculties of the Soul, and in- clines it, from Motives infinitely more power- ful, to the Purfuit of Virtue, and Abhorrence of Vice, than it is poffible for human Policy, or any finite Wifdom, upon its own Strength, to contrive or urge : for what can excite our Defire, inflame our Love, and animate our Hopes of the higheft Degrees of the mod exalted Vertue, if the endlefs Joys, and un- fpeakable Pleafures which are at God's right Hand for evermore, and with which he hath promifed to reward and crown our Chriftian Labours, be infufEcient to move, and ftir us up to the Attainment of it ? or what can ef- fectually difcourage or prevent the indulging ourfelves in Sin, the Commiffion of which may here perhaps through Privacy, Riches, or Greatnefs efcape unpunifhed, if the Ter- rors of God's wrath > and the Storms of his Ven- geance, denounced againft it, will not be able to deterr us from it. If Sermon the Fir ft. 3 If then the Belief of a God be an Article fo necefTary, that without it, no vertue, no Religion can fubfift : we muft, if we have any Regard to our prefent or future Happi- nefs; any Love for Vertue and Truth, not only believe that there is a God, but alfo that He will honour Thofe, that honour Him, and make thofe Partakers of his Glory, who fliall endeavour to refemble him in Righteouf- nefs and true Holi?iefs : for He that cometh to God muft believe that He is, and that He is a fywarder of them that diligently feek him. In fpeaking to which Words I mail endea- vour, I. Firft, to prove the Exiftence of God, that we may be induced to believe that He is. II. Secondly , to defcribe his Nature, that we may be induced to love and obey him. III. Thirdly, to fhew that the true Foun- dation of religious Worfhip is a firm Be- lief not only that God is , but alfo that He is a i\ewarder of all them, that dili- gently feek him, and IV. Laftly, conclude with fome few Refle- ctions relating to our Faith and Pra&ice. Firft then I am to prove the Exiftence of God, that we may be induced to believe that He is. A z The 4 Sermon the Fir ft. The Name of God is attributed to many*, but that there is one who by way of Excellen- cy and Eminency, who above all others bears that facred Name, and therefore is (tiled the moft high God, and God over or above all, is a Truth confirmd by fuch Reafbns, fo clear and cogent, as are fufficient to convince, and fa- tisfy every unprejudiced Man, unlefs he be re- folved X.oJhut his Eyes againft their Light. Von fir ft, that there is a God, we thus ar- gue, that there are fome Things which be- gan to be, is obvious to our Senfe and Expe- rience ; and that thofe Things could not be the Caufe of their own Exiftence, is no lefs obvious to our Reafon ; for nothing can be the efficient caufe of itfelf j for if it could, it would then be poffible for the fame Thing to be, and not to be, at the fame Time ; it would be, becaufe it produceth itfelf, and it would not be, becaufe not yet produced: But this being abfurd, it is necefTary that thofe Things which are made, muft be made by Something elfe ; and that fomething by fome other Being ; till at length we arrive at fome firft Caufe, which had no Begin- ning, which we exprefs by the awful Name of God. Or elfe we mull either admit of a conti- nual Circle of Caufes and effects, but this Sup- pofition is inconfiftent and ridiculous j for * i Cor. 8. thence Sermon the Fir ft. y thence it would follow that the Caufe muft produce its Effect, and the Effect its Caufe : and confequently that the fame Thing mult be prior and pofterior to itfelf. Or elfe we muft grant a Progreflion of Ef- ficient Caufes to all Infinity; and confequent- ly as there is by this Suppofition no firft Caufe, no Beginning; (o neither will there be by any laft ErTecl:, any Ending. And yet fince all material Beings (of which they who maintain this idle Opinion, if any fuch Fools there be, fay the Univerfe doth confift ) are compofed of corruptible Principles, or fuch as may be feparated from each other, every individual muft confift of corruptible Prin- ciples, and confequently the whole World, which confifts of Individuals, could never have hitherto fubfifted, but muft have been long fince, innumerable Ages paft, difTolved. Wherefore it is much more confbnant to Reafon to acknowledge fome firft Caufe, who by his infinite Power and Wifdom created the Univerfe ; and by the fame Power and Wifdom continually fuftains and prefervesit; and confequently we muft own and confefs the Exiftence of God. Secondly, The excellent Form and Figure of Things natural, whether we confider their innate Elegancy and Beauty, or the regular Habitude and refpecl: which they mutually bear to each other, demonstrate the Exiftence of 6 Sermon the Fir ft. of God. For as the Roman Orator faith, the Beauty of the World, and the Regularity and Order of the heavenly Bodies, force us to acknowledge and confefs that there is fbme Excellent and Eternal, fome Stupendous and Adorable Nature, the firft Caufe, and Mover of all Things : according to what the Pfal- mift had faid long before, The Heavens de- clare the Glory of God y and the Firmament Jheweth his handy work *. For who can look up to, and furvey the immenfe Length and Breadth, the amazing Extent and Expanfe of the Heavens, beauti- fully garnifhed and magnificently adorned with a graceful variety of Stars, but muft fee and acknowledge them to be fo many Marks of the moft confummate Perfection, and evi- dent Teftimonies of the glorious Majefty of him that made them ? For as their radiant Brightnefs dazzles our Eyes ; fo do their awful Beauty ; their pro- digious Magnitude : their conttant and Har- monious Order ; their certain Courfes and Revolutions ; and their ufeful and benign Influences to all Nature in her Operations, affect our Minds with pleafing Wonder and Amazement. And if we confider that thefe heavenly Bo- dies, for a long feries of fome Thoufand Years, have neither changed their Courfes t * Pfalm. igu nor Sermon the Fir ft. 7 nor Appearances ; nor have fuffered with re- fpeil to their Bulk, Figure, Scituation and Di- ftance, fo far as we can difcern, any confi- derable Variation or Change, we cannot but believe, that there is, and muft be, fbme in- finite Being , by whofe Power and Wifdom, they are governed and fuftained. We cannot but be per/waded that at his Tleafure, as Job exprefTes it, He bindeth or loofeth the five et Influences of the Pleiades, and the Bonds of Orion ; that He bringeth forth Ma- ^aroth in his Seafon, £? guideth ArUurus with his Sons : that He knoweth the Ordinances of Heaven , £? fetteth the Dominion thereof upon the Earth*. And if we defcend from Things heavenly, to Things terreftrial, we (hall find the beauti- ful Traces and Signs of an All Powerful and Intelligent Being no lefs evident : For doth Hot every Flower, Herb, Plant, and Tree of the Field proclaim this Truth ? For if we confider the Number, Figure, Order, Tex- ture, and Difpofition of all their Parts, we fhall perceive that they are moft wonderfully made, and moft excellently contrived either for their own beautiful Proportion, the Pre- fervation of themfelves, or the Propagation of their Kind. For are not their feveral Roots curioufly fafhioned and adapted to attract, receive, * Job 38. 3T,&c. and 8 Sermon the Fir ft. and convey the Juices of the Earth for their Nourifhment ? Are not their Stalks, their Trunks or Bodies, covered with a proper Rind or Bark as may bed defend them from the fatal Extremities of Heat and Cold ? And do they not produce, at convenient Seafons, fuch lively Principles or Seeds, by which the fame Kinds of Flowers, Herbs, and Plants , are raifed, and propagated ? And if we pafs from the vegetable to the animal Species, we mall find the Fabrick of each Individual moft curious and delicate in the whole, and in all its parts diftin&ly con- fidered, and their great variety and ufe no lefs wonderful. For every animal both out- wardly and inwardly is fo form'd, in regard to the compleatnefs of each in its Kind, their Diftindtion and Difference from each other v and the Frame and Fitnefs of the Body and Parts of each, for the feveral refpedtive Pla- ces, whether Air, Earth, or Water, they are appointed to live in, as cannot but raife our Admiration of his Power,Wifdom, and Good- nefs, who fo marvelloufly contrived and fa- fhioned them. And what further confirms this Truth, every Veflel, or Part within the animal Body, is fo made and placed that nothing feems fuperfluous, nothing but what is neceflary for the Prefervation , and Benefit of Life. And fhall we think, or aflfert, that all thefe Things Sermon the Fir ft, 9 Things were thus contrived and form'd by any Subtlety or Power of lumpifh Matter, which is in itfelf indifferent either to Mo- tion or Reft? in itfelf immoveable when once fixed ; and utterly incapable of moving out of its Place, unlefs moved by fome other Being endued with a motive Principle ? And if it were endued therewith, is it any- wife credible, that the beautiful Order and Elegancy vifible in Things natural, mould be thereby produced ? And yet is it not much lefs credible, that it mould give Life, Senfe, and Reafon, to fome of them, fince in itfelf it has neither Life, nor Senfe, nor Reafon ? But if thefe Things could not have been effected by Matter with or without Motion ; might they not have been the Effects of Chance? No, by no means, for can any One be fo fenfelefs as to believe that Things fb accurate could have been the Effects of Chance? For if Things heretofore fo admi- rably formed, and fome of them endued with Life, Senfe, and Reafon , were the Produces of Chance , whence is it that Chance does not ftill continue to produce the fame, or fiich like wonderfull Effects ? Whence is it that blind Chance, for fo many Ages paft has been idle or impotent ? has it not the fame Inftruments, and the fame Materials to work upon as it once or ever had ? or has it lefs Power now, than heretofore ? B Doubt- io Sermon the Fir ft. Doubtlefs the Cafe is the fame, but the Truth of it is, as Chance never does, nor ever did, fo neither will or can it ever pro- duce fuch wonderful Effects. Wherefore Things which are made in Number, Weight, and Meafure, can never be attributed to fuch a blind Agent, as Chance. For we have much more Reafbn to believe that the moft beauti- ful City was built by a cafual Concourfe of Timber and Stones; or the moft elegant Poem was compofed by hufsling together the Letters of the Alphabet, than that the Works of Nature were formed out of a fortuitous Combination of Atoms, becaufe the moft exquifite Produces of Art are vaftly rude and unpolifhed, when compared to the Works of Nature. But if it be incredible that thefe Things were made by Chance : May not a neceflary Caufality be affigned as the Caufe thereof? No j for this is not to change the Thing, but the Name only : becaufe a neceflfarily Caufa- lity, without Wifdom or Reafon, fuch as is here fuppofed, is but another Word for Chance : and therefore each of them fignifys no more than a cafual Determination of Caufes , without any Regard to Meafure or Defign : and confequently to afcribe the Fa- brick of this World, wherein fo many evi- dent Marks of Wifdom and Power appear, to fuch a blind and fenfelefs Agent, is a Por- tion Sermon the Fir ft, u tion that deferves rather to be laugh'd at, and held in dirifion, than ferioufly refuted by Reafon. Thirdly , The Exiftence of God may be proved from the univerfal Confent of Man- kind : For that Men do generally believe that there is a God, and have done fo in all Ages, we are allured of by the Records of Times paft, and the prefent Experience of the World. Now , if there was no fuch a Being as God, how came the Belief of his Exiftence to have gain'd fo univerfal a Pof. feffion of the Mind of Man, and to have found fuch general Entertainment in all Na- tions, not only the moft civilized and polite, but alfo the moft ignorant and barbarous? Were there no God, whence is it that we are fo perpetually encountred with the Thoughts of a Deity ? and attended with them, where- ever we go ? If this Belief of a God be not natural to the Mind of Man, but proceeds from fome accidental Diftemper of our Un- derftandings , how comes it to be fo Epide- mical , that no Differences of Age , or Tem- per, of Education or Climate can wear it out? and fet any considerable Part of Mankind free from it? Nay, I may fay, fet any Per- fon of Senfe or Reafon free from it ? For tho' the Number of practical Atheifts, of fuch as live without God in 4 he World, is fhamefully great, to the Reproach of Mankind, yet I B 2 dare i ^ Sermon the Fir ft. dare fay there never was, nor can be, any fpeculatiye Atheift of tolerable Parts and Un- derstanding to be found : becaufe the J>oui of Man hath the Notion of God, born as it were with, and ftampt upon it ; or which is all one, is of fuch a Nature that in the free life and exercife of its Reafon it will find out God ; and that he is not hard to be found we learn from thefe Words of the Apoftle, Qod is not far from every one of us ; and from our own Confcience^ which whether it be good or bad, attefts hisExiftence. Which is a Fourth Argument to prove the fame Truth. For while our A&ions are govern'd by the Light of Reafon, or of God's Word, our Confcience applauds our Conduct, and fills our Hearts with Joy : But if we a6t knowing- ly and wilfully againft the Light of Reafon, or of Gods Word, our Confcience will be fure to write bitter things againft us; and tor- ment us with great Horror and Remorie : Now whence can arife this inexpreflible Peace and Pleafure to the innocent and juft Man, but from a natural Senfe of an Almigh- ty Judge, whom tho' He cannot difcern by his bodily Eye, yet with the Eye of his Mind, he perceives and feels him approving and commending the fincerity and uprightnefs of his Soul ? And on the other hand , whence proceed thofe amazing Agonies of Confcience upon the Cpmmiffipn of fbme heinous Sin , which Sermon the Fir ft. 1 3 which are infupportable, {for a wounded Con- Jcicnce who can bear}) but from a quick and lively Senfe of the fame Holy and Almighty Judge, whofe Wrath and Vengeance hang- ing over our guilty Heads ftrike us with fuch Terror and Confufion as cannot be exprefs'd. Whence is it that the moft potent as well as weak TranfgrefTor, tho' no one beiide him- felf is confcious of his Sin, through the Force of Confcienee, like profane BelJIoa^ar, bath bis Countenance changed, his Thoughts troubling him, fo that the Joints of his Loins are loo fed, and his IQices fmite one againfi another ? This perhaps fome may impute to ground- lefs and imaginary Fears, but if thefe are groundless and vain, how come they to take fuch ftrong hold of the Sinner, as not to be fhaken off, nor removed ? For tho' we fup- pofe him to have committed his Sin in fecret, having no other Witnefs of his Actions, than his own guilty Soul ; and therefore he can have no Fear of human Vengeance ; and yet he grows pale, he makes, and trembles : is he affraid of himfelf ? furely he loves himfelf too well to be his own Tormentor: is he affraid of other Men? no, for they know not the troubled Thoughts of his guilty Heart : what then is he affraid of? why, of that eternal Judge, who fearcheth and trieth the Hearts and ileitis, who feeth in fecret, and will with- out Repentance chaftife him openly. Hence i^ Sermon the Fir ft. Hence it appears that the Exiftence of God muft either be granted from the Light of Reafon, or the Belief of it will be extorted by the Force of Confcience. Whoever there- fore difhonours God by denying his Being, may aflure himfelf that his Denial of him, neither is, nor can be the Refult of his Rea- fon, but of his own Wickednefs; becaufe fince it is the Intereft of all wicked Men, it muft needs be their Wifh, that there fhould be none. Thefe Arguments which have been pro- duced, I hope are fufficient to convince any reafbnable Man of the Exiftence of God: they are indeed obvious and common but not therefore to be defpifed : for if fo, the Warmth and Light of the Sun which evident- ly demonftrate the Exiftence and Nature of that heavenly Body, might be reje&ed as a trifling Proof. Whence we may infer that there is no oc- cafion for that Argument a Priori, fo much boafted of, of late, becaufe it looks much more like awhimfical Novelty, the iffue of Imagination, and Self-conceit, than a folid Proof of the Exiftence of a Deity : becaufe all Arguments of that Kind muft proceed from a real Caufe to demonftrate the Effect; fo that unlefs we can fuppofe that he that made all Things, was himfelf made by fome Caufe, or that there is fomething by Nature ante- Sermon the Fir ft. i y antecedent to that infinite Being, which of all Beings is abfolutely the firft: to alledge an Argument a priori for the Exiftence of God, will certainly (hew our own Weaknefs, and fooner fubvert, than eftablifh the Truth of the Conclufion. Having proved the Exiftence of God that we may be induced to believe that He is, I proceed now Secondly, to defcribe his Nature, that we may be induced to love and obey him. To pretend indeed to form any Idea of God wor- thy of his glorious Majefty , would be the Height of Vanity and Preemption, juftly deferving Zophar's Cenfure and Reproof of Job, Canft thou by feaching find out God P canft thou find out the Almighty to PerfeBio?i ? it is M high as Heaven, what canfl thou do ? deeper than Hell, what canfl thou know ? the Meafure thereof is longer than the Earth, and broader than the Sea*. But tho'we cannot fearch out and comprehend him as He is, yet our Rea- fon ftrengthned and enlightned by the Word of God, can trace out and difcover fbme Rays of his efTential Glory : and be able tho' not to define, yet faintly to defcribe and exprefs fome of the Properties and Attributes of his Nature, fome of which are fumm'd up in the firft Article of our Church, (viz.) There is • Job ch ir. one 1 6 Sermon the Fir ft. one living and true God, Eternal , Incorporeal) without Parts, and Paffiofis, of infinite Porpef, Wifdom, and Goodnefs, the Maker and Preferver of all Things. That there is a God hath been already proved, and that there is but one is a necefc fary Confequence from the infinite Plenitude of his Nature ; for fince God is a Being in- finitely perfect, He muft have all poflible Perfection, and confequently there can be no more Gods than one, becaufe if there were, each of them would, and would not have all poffible Perfection : each would have all Per- fection, becaufe by the Suppoiition, each of them is properly God ; and each of them , would not have all, becaufe each could not have what the other had. He is called the living and true God, not only becaufe it would be abfurd to afcribe the Formation and Prefervation of all Things to an inanimate Deity ; but alfo becaufe our God is emphatically ftiled the living God, to diftinguifh him from Idols and falfe Gods ; thus faith the Pfalmift. their Idols are Stiver and Gold) the work of Men's hands ; they that make them are like unto them-, andfo is every one that trujleth in them ; but our God is the living God: He is our Help y and our Shield*. And thus faith Jeremiah, Our Lord is the true Gody He is the living God y and an ever- * PfaL n*. lajling Sermon the Firft. 17 la fling King , at rphofe wrath the Earth Jball tremble *. And this living God muft be Eternal, be- caufe, (as hath been proved ) He is the firft Caufe of all Things, and therefore it is im- poflible that He mould arife from Nothing, or from fome antecedent Caufe : and confe- quently He muft be neceflarily of himfelf, and what is fo of itfelf, muft have been for ever, and can never ceafe to be : according to the Defcription which God gives of him- felf. / am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Firji and the lafi-f. And this eternal Being muft be incorpo- real, that is a Spirit, according to our Sa- viour's Aflertion, God is a Spirit *. For a Spi- rit being allow'd to be more excellent than Matter, if God were a corporeal Being, He would be inferior to fome of his Creatures, ( viz.) to Angels and the Souls of Men, be- caufe they are Spirits. Befides this, fince God is the firft Caufe and Mover of all Things, if He were corporeal , He himfelf would be incapable of giving Motion, becaufe Matter as fuch is incapable of Motion, unlefs moved by fomething eife endued with the Power thereof It hence follows that God muft be without Parts, becaufe what hath parts properly (b called is extended, and confequently corpo- * Chap. 10. 10 + Revel. 22. 15 * John 4. C real; 1 8 Sermon the Fir ft. real j but this is utterly inconfiftent with God's Omniprefence, becaufe no corporeal Being can exift in the fame Place, at the fame Time, where other corporeal Beings are. And as God is without Parts, fo is He with- out Paffions. For tho' Anger, Grief, Mercy &c. are in Scripture attributed to him, yet they are not properly Affections inherent in God, like the Paffions inherent in us Men. Becaufe all Paffions denote a Want or Ab- fcence of fome Good, or a Complacency up- on the Fruition of it when acquird; Uneafi- nefs for the Lofs of it, or pleafure for the avoiding fome Evil which might have been hurtful to us j and therefore they imply fome Imperfection ; and confequently are unwor- thy of, and far to be removed from, that Be- ing which is abfolutely perfect : Befides this, all Paffions arife from fome fuperior Power, and therefore if God could admit of Paffions, there would be fome Power fuperior to Omni- potence. His Goodnefs, Wifdom and Power are di£ played in the Formation and Prefervation of all Things, and are confpicuous in the Or- der, Beauty, and ufe of the Creatures in ge- neral ; and more efpecially in the various Operations of his Providence; but above all in the wife and gracious Oeconomy of our Redemption. And finally that the whole World was the Work Sermon the Fir ft, 19 Work of his Hands, and not eternal, is prov'd from the late Invention of Arts and Sciences ; from the Difcovery of Countrys fome of them even yet unpeopled and uncultivated j and from the Atteftation of the moft antient Hi- ftories ; becaufe they give us no farther Ac- count backwards, than a few thoufand Years that are paft. Whence we infer that the World was made, by fome all-wife and power- ful Being, (viz.) the great God whom we adore. The preceding Defcription of the Divine Nature may be confirmed by thefe Words of the Pfalmift, Great is the Lord) and greatly to be praifed, and his Greatnefs is unsearchable *; which is yet more fully exprefs'd by the Son ofSirach, We may Jpeak of God much, and yet come Jbort ; Wherefore He is all. How Jhall 7ve be able to magnifie him ? For He is great above all his Works. The Lord is terrible and very great, and marvellous in his Power. When you glorify the Lord, exalt him as much as you. can, for even yet will He far exceed. And when you exalt him, put forth all your Strength, and be not weary, for you can never $% far enough. Who hath feen him that He might tell us ? and who can magnifie him as He is ? there are yet hid greater Things than thefe be, for we have Jeen but a few of his Works -f. * Pfal. 145. 3. j Ch. 43- *7> &<• Qz If ao Sermon the Fir ft. If then the Divine Nature is fo great and glorious, far above all that we can conceive or exprefs ; if He is the inexhauftible Centre and Foundation of all that is beautiful and good, from whence all our Joys, and all our Bleffings are continually derived, we cannot but be induced to love and obey him : for if we love ourfelves, if we defire to be happy, wemoft love him, becaufe He alone is wor- thy of ail our Love , He alone can make us happy. How wretchedly then are we miftaken in our Purfuit of Happinefs ! when we Jet our AffeUions on 'Things helovp^ and not on things above. When we place them on the uncer- tain Honours, the momentary Pleafures, and deceitful Riches of this World - 3 the Love of which is Enmity againft God: when we catch at Shadows, and lofe the Subftance ; when we fondly adore the Beauty and Splendor of fome created Beings, which are but reflected Rays of the Wifdom and Brightnefs of the Creator. Wherefore let the Love of ourfelves, and the Love of;the World die in us: but let the Love of God revive, and live in us; let it begin here, if we hope to have it perfected for ever hereafter. If the Love of God lives and dwells in our Hearts, we neither fhall nor can admit of any Rival to him in our Affections, but fhall Sermon the Fir ft. %i fhall be able with the Pfalmift to fay, like as the Hart defireth the Water - brooks, Jo longeth my Soul after Thee, God: my Soul is a-thirft for God-) yea, even for the living God*. For whom have I in Heaven but Thee ? and there is nothing upon Earth that I defire in compa- rifon of Thee f. And if our Love of God be thus warm and fervent, we fhall eagerly de- fire to be united with him; and deteft and avoid all thofe Things that may obftrucT; our Union and Communion with him: and con- fequently a fincere and conftant Obedience will be the Fruit of our Love; for if we love God, we Jball keep his Commandments * : and hi keeping of them there is great Reward f . Which leads me to my Third Particular, which is to fhew that the true Foundation of all religious Worfhip is a firm Belief, that God is a Rewarder of all them that diligently feek him. That the Belief of a God is the true Foun- dation of all religious Worfhip, is evident, becaufe our Hopes and Fears, which are the great Principles of Action in us, are moft powerfully affected and ftrongly influenced, by the Sanction of Rewards and Punifh- ments : and in Proportion to the Certainty and Greatnefs of each of them, we fhall be animated to keep the Commands of God, •Pfal, 4*. i. tPf. 73.25. *Joh.i4. 11. tP£i9-»!< that %z Sermon the Firji. that we may engage the Love, and be de- terred from breaking Them, that we may efcape the Difpleafure of the fupream Legis- lator and Judge of the World. And that the promifed Rewards are not mean and merce- nary Motives to Obedience, as fome may im- pioufly fuggeft, but fuch as are no lefs wor- thy of us to be influenced thereby, than wor- thy of God who hath propofed them to us, is evident, becaufe He hath appointed them ; and becaufe they are Incitements to us only to a6t fuitably to our Reafon, and to the ho- ly Will of God, by which we pleafe him, and repair and adorn the Image of God, defaced by Sin, with Righteoufnefs and true Hoiinefs after which we were created. Tis then only that Rewards become mean and mercenary, when they are given and re- ceived, as Inducements, to defert or betray the Caufe of Vertue, and to give into all the filthinefs of Wickednefs and Vice. But how do we know that God will be a J^ewarder of all them that diligently feek him .-* Why, this is a comfortable Truth, which we Chriftians are infallibly allured of, by the Word of that God, who cannot lie. For there- in we read, that Life and Immortality is brought to light by thz Gojpel ; that God is not unrigh- teous to forget our IVork, and labour of Love; but that He will make us Partakers of the In- heritance of the Saints in Light, But Sermon the Fir ft. 13 But what is required on our Part to qua- lify us for this Inheritance, incorruptible , un- de filed, and that fadeth not away, referved for us in Heaven * ? Why, Faith and Obedience, a lively Faith in Chrift, which works by Love f : and a fincere, conftant, and univerfal, inftead of perfect, Obedience $ for this is not to be attained, whatever our modern Enthufiafts may fay and pretend to, till we arrive at that happy Place, where the Souls of jufi Men are made perfeB. But to this Reward exprefs'd fometimes by a Crown of Life, and a Crown of Glory, we can by no means lay Claim to, on account of any intrinfick Merit of our own Righteouf- nefs • becaufe our Righteoufnefs is of no more Worth, as the Prophet expreffes it, than a filthy Rag, and when we have done all, our Saviour bids us fay, we are unprofitable Ser- vants : and confequently there can be no manner of Proportion between the beft of our Works, and the glorious Reward which God will give us, and therefore we can have no Right or Title to it, but in and through the Promife of God, made to us through hit rich Mercy, for the Sake and Merits of Chrift, who by his Blood hath purchafed and fealed to us eternal Redemption. Hence the Scripture, which abfolutely ex- cludes all Merit in us linful Creatures, ftiles » i Pet i. 4. f Gal.f.fr eternal a^ Sermon the Firjl. eternal Life, which is the prom ifed Reward of our Obedience, Tlie Gift of God*, and at the fame lime acquaints us, that fuch is the Demerit of Sin, that the proper Wages of it is Death. And the more to encourage our Obedience, and excite us to have an Eye like Mofes to the J^ecompence of leeward \ : God aflures us that we fliall obtain it, on this eafy Condition, if we feek it diligently, viz. if we feek it by pray- ing unto and praifing him ; by a regular and conftant Attendance on his Ordinances, lead- ing our Lives according to, and per fevering in, that holy Vocation, wherewith we are called, un>- to the End. Happy then is the State and Condition of all the adopted Sons of God through Chrift. For He hath changed the Throne of God's ft net Juftice into a Throne of Grace: fo that if we have offended him ( and who is there that hath not offended him ? and doth not fbme time or other offend him, through the Frailty and Corruption of Nature ? ) yet if with humble and contrite Hearts, we fue for Mercy, in the Name, and for the Sake of Chrift, we fliall obtain it, in our Time of Need: becaufe in him we have Redemption through his Bloody the Forgwenefs of Sins, according to the Inches of his Grace *. * Rom. 6. ij. i Hebr.u. * Ephef. 1.7. On Sermon the Fir ft. 15- On the other hand, how wretched is the State of Man by Nature, depraved and dark as it is, he has Light enough, from Reafbn and Confcience to difcover the Exiftence of God, and the Wickednefs of his own Heart ! he has Light enough, to make him daily ien- fible, that he is more and more polluted with Sin : and the Horrors of his wounded Spirit will make him fenfible, that he muft one Day give a fevere Account, to that juft and holy Being, who is of purer Eyes than to behold Ini- quity^ without Abhorrence and Deteftation : In this fad Condition what fliall he do to al- lay his Fears, and procure Eafe and Quiet to his wounded Spirit? Shall he fly to the Philo- fophers for Aid > Alafs! they are in the fame Condition, and how fhould they cure his Evils, who are not able to cure their own ? fliall he give himfelf up to an eager Purfuit of the Profits, Pleafures, and Honours of this World ? Thefe perhaps inftead of alleviating, will only aggravate his Trouble and Anxiety; for tho' a while they may poffibly compofe, or ftupify, the reftlefs Fears, and tormenting Apprehenfions of Divine Vengeance, which corrode and diftracl his guilty Mind; yet the pleafing Dream will loon be ended, and the Pomps and Vanities will appear, as they are, but trifling Amufements, and very probably criminal Enjoyments, which how fweet foever they may be in the Fruition, leave behind D them %6 Sermon the Fir ft. them a bitter farewell, with which Confcience, ftung and awakned, will be fure to vex him with all its Storms. But if neither the Precepts of the Philofo- phers, nor the Vanities of the World, can long relieve or allay the Troubles of a wound- ed Spirit, a Spirit wounded by the poifonous Arrows of Sin ; where then fhall the Sinner go ? or to whom fhall he apply himfelf for Eafe and Comfort > fhall he flie unto his of- fended God for Succour, and implore his Aid > This, his own Reafon will tell him, is what he ought to do, for none but God is able to relieve him : but fuch is our refera- ble State by Nature, that his Reafon alone cannot aflure him, that the offended Majefty of Heaven will be reconciled to, and forgive him, thd he feek it carefully with Tears : In- deed while he confiders the Mercy and Good- nefs of God, he may flatter himfelf with the Hopes of Pardon : but when he reflects on his infinite Juftice, his Fears of Punifhment, according to the Proportion of his Sins, will arife and increafe ; fo that under this great Uncertainty, he finds the Prophet's AfTertion, there is no Peace, faith my God, to the wicked, he is like a troubled Sea, verified by his own Experience. I fhall conclude, what has been faid, with the following Reflections, relating to our Faith and Practice. If Sermon the Fir ft. ^7 If we believe that God is , and that he is a J^ewarder of all them that diligently feek him, let us then diligently feek him ; and we mall never want Support and Comfort, under the various Conditions and Circumftances of Life: for are we in Profperity, we know then to whom we are obliged, and ought to return our Thanks? and if we are in Diftrefs, we are affined that God is our prefent Help in Trouble : fo that we need not fear, tho the Earth itfelfbe moved, and the Hills be carried into the midfi of the Sea ; tho' the Waters there- of rage and /well, and the Mountains JJjake at the Tempeft of the fame *, becaufe we know that at God's Command, the tottering Foun- dations of the one are fixed, and the roaring Noife of the other is ftilled : and much lefs need we fear what Alan can do unto us, who is but a Shadow, a thing of Nought ; for fine- ly our Almighty Friend can flop the Overflow- ing ofUngodlinefs, as well as the proud Waves of the Sea 9 with hitherto Jhalt thou come, but no farther. » Since there is an All-powerful God, who doeth in Heaven, and Earth, whatfoever pleafetb him, let an awful Senfe of his Majefty, in whofe Sight even the Angels themfelves are not pure, mortify all Pride, and felf-conceit, in our Hearts : for what is Man at beft but finful * Pfel.46. j, 1,3. D z Duft a8 Sermon the Fir ft. Duft and Afhes : who walketh in a vain Sha- dow , and difquieteth him J elf in vain; ivhoje Tlreath is in his Nojtrils, and wherein is he to be accounted of? Since we are allured that there is a God, and that He is a fywarder, through the Me- rits of Chrift, of all them that diligently feek him: Let us then believe in God, and let us believe in our Lord jefus Chrift : for 'tis not fufficient to believe in one, without we alfo believe in the other: For thus faith our Lord to his Difciples, let not your Heart he troubled, ye believe in God-, believe alfo in me *. But if we are fuch Fools as to fay in our Hearts, there is no God; if we are fuch Mad- men, as contrary to all Senfe and Reafon, and the univerfal Voice of Mankind, to deny his Being; if we are fuch ingrateful Unbe- lievers, as to deny andfyeak evil of the Dignity of the Lord that bought us - y through whom Our God, who is a consuming Fire f to incor- rigible Offenders, is become a God of Mercy and Love to all penitent Sinners, we (hall deprive ourfelves of all the fweeteft Comforts of this Life, and the joyous Expectations of a better. If there be a God , the T^ewarder of them that diligently feek him, and an Avenger of all that oppofe his Will ; mall we not then, with all readinefs, fubmit to his Dominion, * Tohn 14. i. i. Hcbr. iz. 19. now Sermon the Fir ft. 19 now given to Chrift, who gave himfelf for us? For if God's Goodnefs,promifed through Chrift, will not incline us to pay that Ho- mage and Obedience that are due to him ; let the Terrors of his Majefty perfwade and inforce us to it : For we may allure ourfelves, that his fiery indignation will wax the more hot againft us, in Proportion to our ungrate- ful Contempt of the Riches of his Love, Let us unfeignedly thank God for the My- flery hid for Ages , viz. the Incarnation of his eternal Son, God blejfed fir ever : Let us believe the true natural Divinity of our Lord, as clearly aflerted in Scripture, as any other Article of Faith : for upon this Faith alone depend our Aflurance of God*s prefent Re- conciliation with us, and all our Expectations of his future Favour. Let us believe this fundamental Article of our Religion, infpite of all the falfe Com- ments of critical Unbelievers, how much (6- ever they may be otherwife renowned for their Parts and Learning. For tis not their bold Comments, which pervert the Word of God, that can give us Eafe now, or Comfort in our dying Moments. No, it is only a lively Faith in God, through Chrift, that God incar- nate , can give us Satisfaction about what moft of all concerns us, the Forgivenefs of our Sins, and a pleafing Hope of a blifsful Immortality, For go Sermon the Fir ft. For it is through this Faith alone, that we have aftrong Confolation y who have fled for 7^- fuge to lay hold of the Hope that is fet before us : which Hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul) both fure and [iedfafl ; and which entretb into that within the Vail ; whither the Fore- runner is for us entred, even Jefus y made an High-Priejl for ever after the Order of Mel- chi^edech *. * Hebr. But if the Inability to form an Idea of any Thing, be a Proof that it doth not exift, than many Things, which we are fure do exift, for the afore (aid Reafon, would not exift. Thus Light and Colours, which are Reali- ties, would be nothing, becaufe blind Men can frame no Ideas of them, and if the Inabi- lity of blind Men to form Ideas of Light and Colours, be no Argument againft their Exi- gence j why fhould the Inability of any Man to form Ideas of immaterial Subftances, be an Argument to prove their Impoffibility ? And tho' we are no more able to form Ideas of immaterial Subftances, than blind Men are to form Ideas of Light and Colours, yet we have this Advantage to prove the Exi- ftence of the one, more than blind Men have to prove the Exiftence of the other, viz. that we can fee fuch Operations and Effects, which we are fure, cannot proceed from Matter, nor from any Combinations of Matter, and there- E ? fore 36 Sermon the Second. fore muft proceed from immaterial Subftances; whereas blind Men can no more perceive the Effects or Operations of Light and Colours, than they can perceive Light or Colours them- felves ; and therefore we have Reafon to believe the Exiftence of the one, from our own Obfervation ; whereas blind Men have only the Teftimony of other Men, to induce them to believe the Exiftence of the other. Having fhewn what we are to underftand by a Spirit, I proceed now Secondly to prove that God is a Spirit ; and this will appear from the Light of Na- ture, as well as Revelation. lhat it appears, from the Light of Reve- lation, is evident from my Text, tho' it is no where elfe exprefsly afferted, but only con- fequentially proved from all thofe Expreflions which we meet with, in Scripture, fuch as are the Spirit of the Lord, and the Spirit of God, which frequently occur therein. And that it appears from the Light of Na- ture, as well as Revelation, will be no lefs evident, if we confider ourfelves, and reflect upon our own Souls, for we may thereby per- ceive, and be convinced, that in each of us there is a Principle of thought and Reafon, moft widely diftant from, and more noble, than Matter : for as Tully exprefles it, there is Nothi?ir in our Souls y that can feem mixed ot Sermon the Second. 37 or compounded of Earth , or of the other Ele- ments of Water , Air> or Fire, which hath the Power of Exerting the Acl, or Habit, of Memo- ry ^ Under flanding, or J^ejieBion ; which can re- tain Things pajt", fore fee Things future, or ap- prehend even Things prefent ; for all thefe Powers are above the Capacity of meer Mat- ter} nor can be any otherwife conceived to be derived or given to Man, but from God, the great Father of Spirits, who at Man's Crea- tion , breathed into his Nofirils the Breath of Life, or that fpiritual Principle the Soul, which being made after the Image of God, exerts the Ads of Underftanding, and Will, and all other intelligent Powers of Life. Now this being a Truth allowd even by thofe who are Strangers to Chriftianity, as well as by thofe who are Profeflbrs of it ; we muft therefore conclude, that the Nature of God muft be like unto it; for if the mod ex- cellent Part of ourfelves, which makes us to be what we are, and which diftinguifheth us from the reft of the World, be a fpiritual Being; unlefs we are difpofed to think worfe of the great Author of our Being, than we do of ourfelves, which would be blafphemouf- ly abfurd, we muft think and believe God to be a Spirit; nay, we muft acknowledge him, as being the Source of all Things, to be fuch a Spirit, as is infinitely fuperior to the Soul, or Spirit of Man. This 3 8 Sermon the Second. This Notion of God, the wifer Heathen were able to form by the Strength of their own Reafon ; for fbme of them call him a pure, Ample, and impaffible Effence, incor- poreal, and feparated from all Matter : and others of them ftile him the me Kovpnoim the great Mind, which form'd the World, accord- ing to the Laws of his own unerring Wif- dom. A fecond Argument to prove that God is a Spirit^ may be taken from the lnconfiften- cy there is, between a corporeal Subftance, and the efTential Perfections of the divine Nature. For to fuppofe God to be a corporeal Sub- ftance, is inconfiftent with his abfolute Unity and Independency ; for fince every corporeal Being confifts of Parts, which are either of a different Nature, fuch as are the Parts of Plants, or Trees, or Animals ; or of a like Nature, fuch as are the Parts of Water, Air, or Fire : therefore God, if he were corpo- real, would alfo confift of feveral Parts of a different or fimilar Nature, which would be utterly inconfiftent with his abfolute Unity ; becaufe each of thofe Parts, fince God is a Being infinitely perfect, would be an infinite Being, and therefore there would be fo ma- ny infinite Beings, and confequently fo ma- ny Gods, as there are Parts ; to affirm which is a Contradiction to Reafon, for how can there Sermon the Second. 39 there be more Beings, than one, that have all Perfection ? and to Scripture. For thus faith the God of Truth , / am the Lord, and there is none elje , there is no God bejides me f . And as the Suppofition of a corporeal God is inconfiftent with his Unity, fo is it alfo no lefs inconfiftent with his abfolute Indepen- dency: for the Parts of all corporeal Beings are ufeful & fubfervient to each other, and confequently fo far dependent upon each other, and therefore muft be inconfiftent with an abfolute Independency. But farther, if God were not a Spirit, but a corporeal Being, He could neither be infi- nite, nor omniprefent j not infinite, becaufe a corporeal Being, let it be ever fo wide and extenfive, muft needs have fome Shape or Figure ; and if fo, it muft be contain'd with- in the Limits of that Shape or Figure. And befides this, there muft alfo be, beyond the Limits of the moft extenfive Body, fome Space, wherein it doth exift : wherefore the moft extenfive Body cannot be infinite, be- caufe what is fo can admit of no Bounds, ei- ther of Figure or Space : and therefore God cannot be a corporeal Being, for his EfTence diffufeth itfelf in and through all Spaces what- foever; the Heaven of Heavens are not able t9 contain him. * Ifaiah *j. j. And 4-o Sermon the Second. And as the Suppofition of a corporeal Dei- ty is inconfiftent with his Infinity, fo is it likewife inconfiftent with his Omniprefence ; this is a Confequence of the preceding Argu- ment ; for if all corporeal Beings are con- fin'd within fome certain Limits and Space, they confequently cannot exceed all Limits, nor fill all Space. Befides this, it is an allow'd Principle among Philofophers, that two coporeal Beings can- not, at the fame Time, be in the fame Place ; therefore if God be a corporeal Being, he muft, at the fame Time, be excluded out of thofe Places, which other Bodies actually pof- fefs ; and confequently a corporeal God can- not be omniprefent. Neither can he be infinite in Knowledge and Wifdom, for it is abfurd to believe that meer Matter, which hath not fo much as the Power of Motion , ihould yet have a much more excellent Power, viz. that of Thinking and Reafoning, belonging to it. And fince both Reafon and Experience af- fure us, that the Laws of Matter are necef- fary, having no arbitrary Principle to excite or ftop its Motion, if God were a corporeal Being, He would be a neceflary Agent, with- out Freedom or Liberty of Will : for the So- lution of which Difficulty, Lucretius's Clina- men Prificipiorum is too trifling, and ridicu- lous, to require any Confutation. And Sermon the Second. 41 And if to fuppofe God to be a corporeal Being, be inconfiftent with Knowledge, and Freedom of Will; how can it be confident with his Goodnefs, Mercy, and Love? For he that knows not what he does, nor adts with Freedom of Will, neither is nor can be good, merciful, or loving. From all which it appears, that to affirm God to be a material Being, is Deftrudtive to all the eflential Perfections of his Nature : God therefore cannot be a material, but a far different Kind of Being, to wit, an imma- terial or fpiritual Subftance; wherefore God muft be, what I have endeavoured to demcm- ftrate, that He is, and what my Text affirms him to be, viz. a Spirit. But if God be a Spirit, why is He fo often reprefented in Scripture to have the Parts, and Figure, of human Bodies belonging to him ? We reply, that thefe bodily Reprefen- tations are exhibited to us, in Condefcenfion to the Weaknefs of our Capacities ; and that we are thereby to underftand, not that fuch bodily Parts do really belong to God, but that fuch A&s of his are thereby fignified, as bear fbme likenefs to thofe which we perform by thofe Parts. Thus, by the Face of God, and the Light of his Countenance, we are to underftand theMa- nifeftation of his Favour; by his Eyes, his Omnifcience, that looks through all Things ; F by 4-x Sermon the Second. by his Ears, his Readinefs to hear our Prayers ; by his Mouth, the Revelation of his Will ; by his Bowels , the Tendernefs of his Compaf- fion • by his Hearty the Sincerity of his Affe- ctions ; and by his Hand, and Arm, the in- vincible Strength of his Power : it being our Duty to form our Conceptions of God, not according to the Letter of fuch Expreffions, but according to the true Intent or Meaning of them ; becaufe it is the Defign, and not the Letter, of thofe Metaphors, that we are chiefly to take Notice of, and attend to. For if we judge according to the Letter, and not according to the Defign of them, we fhould form unworthy Notions of God, and think wickedly , that He is even fuch an one as our/elves, and confequently we fhould be no lefs erroneous and injurious , as to the Na- ture and Way of that true Worfhip, which is due unto him j and this reminds me of my Third Particular, which is to fhew what is meant by worjlripping God in Spirit and in Truth. To make this Point as clear as I can, and free from all Objection, it may not be im- proper to premife, that to worfhip God is an Ad: of the Underftanding and Will, and therefore an AcT: of the Soul of Man, which is a Spirit ; and is attended with a decent, and humble Gefture of Body $ by which Pro- bation Sermon the Second. 43 fixation both of Soul and Body, we teftify and declare, as much as in us lies, our aw- ful and grateful Senfe of God's Majefty, and his Goodnefs towards us, our great Efteem of, and Veneration for, God's unfpeakable Perfections, and our moft ardent Defire of his Favour and Bleffing, and of holding and enjoying Union and Communion with him. But fince we are required by Chrift in my Text to rvorjhip God in Spirit and in Truth -, why, or to what Purpofe, in the Notion of fpiritual Worfhip, are humble and decent Ge- ftures of the Body infertedj for do not thefe feem, if not unlawful, yet at lead not expe- dient ? Indeed , was there no other PafTage in Scripture, befide this of my Text, relating to the Worfhip of God, one would be in- duced to think, that bodily Worfhip was need- lefs, and excluded from the fpiritual Wor- fhip of God ; but fince there are many other Paflages of Scripture of equal Authority with that in my Text, wherein bodily Worfhip is injoined, and alfo recommended to our Pra- ctice, by the Example of the beft Saints of God, we are doubtlefs required to glorify God in our Body , as well as in our Spirits , becaufe they are God's. For this is a Precept delivered by St Paul * f and we find his own Example conformable thereto, for faith he, f for this Caufe, namely, * J Cor. 6 to, i Ephef. 3. 14, F % that 44 Sermon the Second. that the Ephefians might be rich and confirm V, in the Knowledge, and Love, and Grace ofChrijl y I boive my Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jefus Chriffl : who himfelf like wife a little be- fore his Crucifixion, kneel 'd down-, and prayed to his Father , that , if it were pojfible, that bitter Cup, of Pain, Grief, and Anguifh, He was then about to drink of, might pafs from him. Whence we may juftly infer, that God re- quires of thofe that worfhip him , not only the inward Purity, and Affection of the Soul, but alfo a fuitable Gefture of the Body, as an outward Teftimony of that Reverence, which is due unto him. Wherefore tho' we are com- manded to worjhip God in Spirit-, and in Truth, or as the Apoltle exprefTes it , to ferve him with the Spirit of our Mind, which is our holy 7 reafonable, and acceptable Service, yet we are not thereby forbidden, but required, by Pre- cept and Example, to worjhip-, or glorify God, in our Bodies, as well as in our Souls. It muft indeed be own'd, that God chiefly regards and requires the Purity, Love, and Veneration of our Souls ; and that where thefe are wanting, the moil humble Geftures of the Body are odious in his Sight: for to approach his Prefence, with our bended Knees, and draw near to him with our Mouth, and honour him with our Lips, while our Hearts are lifted up with Pride and Vanity, or as the Pro- Sermon the Second. 4,5- Prophet exprefles it, are far from God, is not to worfhip, but to affront him; a Piece of Hyppocrify, which Reafon, as well as Reli- gion, condemns and detefts. This being premifed concerning Worfhip in General, it will be more eafy to fhew, what it is to worfljip God in Spirit, and in 'Truth : or wherein fpiritual Worfhip doth confift. Now, this muft be fuch as proceeds from a fpiritual Principle, to wit, the Soul of Man; fuch as is directed and perfected by the In- fluence of the Spirit of God; fuch as is ani- mated by a lively Faith ; and performed with Joy, Humility, Reverence, Truth, and the ut- moft Sincerity of Heart, in the Name ofjefus Chriji our Lord. It muft proceed from a fpiritual Principle, and that not only in a Natural, but in a mo- ral and evangelical Senfe : for tho' our firft Parents, during their State of Innocence, had a fufficient Guide, as well as Strength, by their own Reafon , to perform , in a due Manner, this fpiritual Worfhip to Almighty God ; yet, by their Fall, having, in a great Meafure, extinguifh'd the Light of Reafon, and put all their Pailions, as well as their Will, into a rebellious Tumult and Confu- fion, they were not only difabled to know and ferve God aright, but derived and en- tailed their own Blindnefs, Impotence, and Shame, upon all their wretched Pofterity; of 46 Sermon the Second. of which we can have no greater Proof or ftronger Evidence, than what the late Advo- cates for Reafon have alledged, to prove, in its degenerate State, that it is a fufficient Guide in Matters of Religion. For had not God out of his great Mercy given us, by his Prophets in Times paft, a new Tranfcript of his Will, and in thefe laft Days by his Son, a moft perfect Edition of his Law, once lively engraven in our Hearts, we fhould have been for ever at a Lofs, to have known how to worfhip God in Spirit, and in Truth. This is evident in Fa<5t, for where ever hu- man Reafon has been, or is, the fole Guide of Religion, we find that even Religion has there been, and is, a Syftem of Inconfiftency, Immorality, and Impiety, which renders its Votaries fo much the more ridiculous and culpable, the more they have been devout. So that by Nature, infpight of our boafted Reafon, we mould have been utter Strangers to the true Way of God's fpiritual Worfhip, unlefs we had been regenerated and born again, by Chrift, our fecond Adam, unto fpi- ritual Life : and therefore we have Reafon to praife God for the fitches of his Mercy, in that, even when we were dead in Sins, he hath quicltned us together with Chrift : and by the Light of his Word and Example, hath deli- vered us from the Bondage of Superftition, the Sermon the Second. 4/7 the Powers of Satan, into the glorious Liberty of the Children of God, that being thus refcued out of the Hands of our Enemies, roe may ferve him without Fear, in Holinefs and Jfyghteouf- nefs before him, all the Days of our Life. And this we are enabled to do through the Love of God, which by the Holy Ghoft , that is given unto us, is Jhed abroad in our Hearts : For, as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the Sons of God ; for we have not re- ceived the Spirit of Bondage again to fear, but we have received the Spirit of Adoption, where- by we cry, Abba, Father. And it is this Holy Spirit, that giveth us Accefs to the Father , that helpeth our Infirmities, that inlightneth our Underjlanding, and re&ifys our Wills ; that awakens our Confcience, and fubdues our inordinate Paffions; that fan&ifies our Sorrows, and refines our Joys; that foftens our Hearts, and humbles our Spirits: in a Word, that teacheth and affifteth us to pray to, and worjhip God, as we ought, in Spirit , and in Truth. And as fpiritual Worfhip proceeds from a fpiritual Principle, fo muft it be animated with a lively Faith : for he that cometh to God, muft believe that He is ; and that He is a Re- warder of all thofe, that diligently feek him. We muft believe that there is a God, other- wife all our Worfhip of a God will be vain and ridiculous j and we muft alfo believe, that He 4-8 Sermon the Second. He will reward thofe that diligently feek him; for if He were regardlefs of his Creatures, and cared not whether we did, or did not, worfhip him, we iliould have no Motive to our Devotion. And as fpiritual Worfhip muft be done in Faith, fo muft it alfo be done with Joy and Love: it muft be performd with Joy, for fince we are delivered from the Curje of the Law by the Death of'Chrifiy no groundlefs Doubts, no fervile Fears, no abjecl: Difpofi- tions of the Mind, can be confiftent with that Chriftian Liberty our Saviour hath purchafed for us : for who can meditate on his glorious Triumphs over Sin, Death, and the Devil j and the gracious Priviledges obtain'd, and feal'd to us by his Blood, but muft alfo with the bleffed Virgin, fay, My Soul doth magnify the Lordy and my Spirit doth rejoyce in God my Saviour ? Who, as He delights in Charity, when it proceeds from a cheerful Heart, fo is He pleafed with our Devotion, when it is attended with fpiritual Joy : for thus faith the Pfalmift, be joyful in the Lord-, all ye Lands-, fervc the Lord with Gladnefs, and come before his Pre fence with a Song. &go your Way into his Gates with Tbankfgiving, and into his Courts with Pra'ife. And to this Joy, which mould attend our Devotion , the Love of God is infeparably joined : for that Joy, which the A&s of di- vine Sermon the Second. 49 vine Worfhip excite in the Soul, and the Love of God's infinite Perfection, do mutually che- rifh and compleat each other. For we can- not chufe but rejoice in that which we love, nor chufe to love that which creates our Joy : and furely nothing can fo juftly claim our Love, and excite our Joy, as God, who in himfelf is the moft lovely and excellent of all Beings ; and the great Fountain of allHap- pinefs to his Creatures. But thefe Paflions of Joy and Love muft be tempered with the utmoft Reverence and Humility ; with the utmoft Reverence, for al- tho'God be reprefented to us, under the Gof- pel, as lefs dreadful, than under the Law, it is neverthelefs our Duty, to revere and Hand in awe of him fo much the more, in pro- portion to the greater Degrees of Light, by which his adorable Perfections are made more confpicuous ; we muft ftand in awe, but not approach his Prefence with a fervile Fear, as Slaves do their tyrannical Mafters, but draw near to him with a filial Fear, as dutiful Children do to their indulgent Fa- ther. If we would revere God, we mould think of the Preacher's Advice, J^eep thy Foot, when thou goeft to the Houfe of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the Sacrifice of Fools ; be not rajh with thy Mouth, and let not thine Heart be hafiy to utter any thing before God; G for fo Sermon the Second. for God is in Heaven , and thou upon Earth; therefore let thy Words be ferv. And let us, with the Pfalmift, fall down and kneel before the Lord our Maker* But if we would pleafe God, and be ac- cepted of him, we muft not only bend our Knees, but alfo bowe and humble our Hearts, when we approach his Throne; for what can be more abfurd, than for us, who are but {in- fill Duft andAjbes; to be puft up with Pride, before whofe Pre fence even the holy Angels vail their Faces with their Wings. Pride was not made for Man , it is incon- fiftent with the Spirit of Devotion, 'tis that curfed Leaven of the Pharifees, that will turn all our Prayers into an Abomination. Where- fore the Scripture tells us, that God rejifieth the proud) and feeth them afar off; but that the bumble and contrite Spirit, God will not dejpife : Nay, it allures us, that the High and lofty One y that inhabit eth Eternity, whofe name is Holy y dwelleth in the high and holy Place, with him alfo that is of a contrite and humble Spirit. And as fpintual Worlhip muft be attended with all thefe Fruits of the Spirit, fo muft it alfo be done in Truth and Sincerity : in Trutb y in Opposition to all falfe Worlhip, fuch as was that of the Samaritans, for they worjhip- ped they knew not what ; and in Opposition to the Shadows of the Law ; for thus faith St John, the Law was given by Mofes, but Grace Sermon the Second. 5*1 Grace and "Truth came by Jefus Cbrijl : it muft alfo be done in Sincerity, with all our Hearty and with all our Soul ; for if the Love of the World polTefs our Hearts, our Worfhip will be in vain, for the Love of the World is Enmity with God; and therefore inconfiftent with his Service, for we cannot ferve God and Mam- mon. Let all Pharifaical Saints than know, that God defpifeth both them and their Devo- tion, and that, altho' in his Mercy He may bear with a while, and fpare fuch Offerers, yet He will furely difdain their Oblations. Finally to make our fpiritual Worfhip com- pleat, and acceptable to God, we muft offer up our Prayers, and Praifes, in the prevailing Name, and through the all fufficient Merits, of our Lord Jefus Chrift. For He himfelf hath told us, that without Him we can do no* thing, and that thofe, who Jljall come to the Father through him, God will in no wife caft out.- Chrift crucified is the great fundamental Article of our Religion, for Chrift bought us with a Price, not with Silver and Gold, but with his own moft pretious Blood, hence, we read, he is called our Propitiation, our Advocate, Me- diator and Interceffor ; and that there is no other Name under Heaven given to Man , in whom, and through whom, we may hope fur Sal- vation, but only the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, And therefore, if we would have free G 7. Accefs ^z Sermon the Second. Accefs to the Father, and be accepted of him, we muft go unto God through him. How unfafe therefore is it for any one, to perfwade himfelf or others, that Sincerity, as fuch, is enough to recommend us to, and af- tfure us of God's Favour ! For if fo, the Gof- pel would feem to be a needlefs Inftitution, and Chrift to have been born, lived, and died, and to intercede in vain ! And how dangerous is # likewife for us, to relie on our own Merits, or that of others, in the important Bufinefs of our Salvation ! And we may further obferve, fince there is but one Mediator between God and Man, the Man Chrift Jefus, how impious it is to offer up in the Name of Saints, or Angels, our Prayers to God in Heaven ! for we thereby difparage and reject the Merits and Inter- ceffion of Chrift, which alone can make us acceptable at the Throne of Grace. Having thus (hewn that God is a Spirit, and what it is to worfhip him in Spirit, and in Truth, \ fhall conclude with two or three Inferences, with relation to God, and to our- felves. And Fir ft, with relation to God, fince God is a Spirit, therefore He is invifihle, and tho' He cannot be the Object of our bodily Eye ; yet He may be the Object of our fpiritual Eye, here He may be feen indeed, but through a Glajs Sermon the Second. si Glafs darkly, by the Eye of Reafon, and by the Eye of Faith , in his Word , and in his Works ; but Time will come when our Rea- fon fiiall be illuminated, and united to the great Author of Reafon, and when Faith fiiall be fwallowed up in Vifion, when wejhallfee God Face to Face, and know him as we are known. In the mean Time, by Vertue of this im- perfect Vifion of God through Faith, let us with Mofes, choofe rather to fi-jfer Affliction with the People of God, than to enjoy the Plsa- fures of Sin for a Seafon ; let us efteem the Reproach of Chrijl greater Riches than all the Treafures of this World, and endure any Af- flictions rather than abandon our Duty, as feeing him who u invifible. Secondly, fince God is a Spirit, He is in- corporeal, and therefore it is highly unrea- fonable and impious to frame any Image or Picture of him, not only becaufe we are ex- prefsly forbidden to do fo by the fecond Commandment ; but becaufe it is treating the Majefty of Heaven with contempt. For thus faith the Prophet, to whom will ye liken God} or what hkenefs will ye compare unto him ? If therefore, with the Church of Rome, we fhall prefume to reprefent the infinite Ma- jefty of the Creator, under the fcanty Form and Figure of any Creature ; if we dare to change 5^ Sermon the Second. chanve the Glory of the incorruptible God, into an Ima?e made like to corruptible Man, to Birds, or four footed Beafls, or creeping Things , we /hall, as the Apoftle expreflfes it, tho' we pro- fefs ourfelves wife, or infallible, become Fools. Finally, fince God is a Spirit, We mull rporjhip him in Spirit and in Truth. As under the Mofaick Law, God would accept of no Sacrifice, but what was young and perfect, without Spot or Blemijh ; (b under the Gofpel, He requires a clean Hearty and a right Spirit, renew'd by the Holy Spirit in all his Votarys. Let us then rvajh our Hearts, and Hands in Innocency, and fo let us compafs Gods Al- tar ; or in other Words, when we call upon him in his Houfe of Prayer, let us prefent unto him our Bodies and Souls, a living Sa- crifice, holy, and acceptable unto God, which is our reafonable Service. So fhall our Bodies be made living Temples unto the Holy Ghoft, and our Spirits united to his. SER- [ JJ] The Omniprefence of God. SERMON III. Psalm CXXXIX. 7,8,9,10. Whether Jhall I go from thy Spirit} or whether Jhall 1 flee from thy Pre fence ? If I ajcend up into Heaven Thou art the> e ; if I make my Bed in Hell, he hold, Thou art there \ if 1 take the IVings of the Morning, and dwell in the utter- mo ft Tarts of the Sea, even there Jhall thy Hand lead me, and thy right Hand Jhall hold me. T HE Pfalmift here reprefenteth to our Conceptions the Divine Omni- prefence, in a Manner molt elegant and fublime, and left our Appre- henlion S6 Sermon the Third. henfion of that infinite Majefty being alway near us, mould difquiet and terrify us, and give us Occafion to fay of every Place, what Jacob heretofore faid of Padan-Aram, how dreadful is this Place ! He foftens and tem- pers the Notion of this tremendous Attribute with a moft agreeable Sweetnefs of Expref- fion , Whether Jhall I go from thy Spirit ?. or whether JJjall I flee from thy Prefence ? Not that he imagined, that there was, or could be, any place fo fecret, or obfcure, as to hide, or conceal him, from God's all -piercing Eye; for he was fully perfwaded, that God was in- timately prefent to all Things, and in all Places whatfoever. For, faith he, iflafcend up into Heaven, thou are there (encircled with the Rays of eternal Glory, and plenteoufly communicating the refrefhing Streams of thy everflowing Love to all thy Saints and An- gels, which wait around thy Throne) if 1 make my Bed in Hell, mould be covered with Mountains, entombed in the Bowels of the Earth ; or enclofed with thick Darknefs , and Clouds of Smoke, in the Regions of the Damned : yet, behold, TIjou, God, art there, there by thy EfTence, Knowledge, Power, and Juftice, executing thy Vengeance, and pouring out the full Vials of thy fierce and intolerable Wrath, on thofe obdurate and unrelenting Wretches, whom their own incorrigible Folly (infpite of thy Grace and Mercy often tender'd to Sermon the Third. yj to them, but in vain) hath plunged into that dreadful Gulf of everlafting Woe ; much \e[s therefore is there any Place in this World to be found , where we may hope to lie unob- ferved by him : If I take the Wings of the Morning, (i.e. if my Motion were as fwift as that of Light) and dwell in the uttermolt Parts of the Sea, in fome folitary Place, where fcarce any living Creature hath made its. A- bode , even there Jhall thy hand lead me , and thy right handfioall hold me. By thefe different Expreffions, the Immen- fity of God is varioufly and beautifully fet forth, fhewing that there is no Place in Earth or Sea, in Heaven or Hell; but what, at all Times, the divine Nature is intimately prefent to : the Words of my Text being thus paraphrafed, I fhall endeavour I. Fir ft, to prove the Reality of Gods Omniprefence. II. Secondly, to fhew in what Manner, He is faid to be omniprefent. And III. Thirdly , what great Benefits we may reap from a due Confideration of this Attribute. As to the Fir ft of thefe, (viz.) to prove the Reality of God's Omniprefence. By it, we are to underftand, that his Be- ing hath no Bounds or Limits, but doth every H way y8 Sermon the Third. way fpread and diffufe itfelf, in and thro' all Spaces whatfoeverj that the prefence of no other Being, tho" of the grofleft Subftance, is able to exclude him, nor the whole World to confine him. This may be proved, Firft, from the infinite Perfections of God, for if the divine EfTence had any Bounds of Place, it would be no lefs imperfect, than if it had Bounds of Time; for fo far as any Thing admits of Limitation, either in Dura- tion or Space, fo far it hath Defed: in Being. Wherefore if God were limited, in either re- fpecl:, He would be nothing in comparifon to what is infinite. But whence fhould any fuch Limitation 00 Reftraint arife > there is no fuperior Power to reftrain him, for if there were, God would not be God, but that Being would be fo, which was able to limit him. Neither can any fuch Reftraint arife from the Nature of God, for to exift every where implies no Con- tradiction to it. Nor can it be fuppofed, that God mould limit his own Nature j for that would be to deny himfelf a Perfection, which He might enjoy ; but where then would be his Wif- dom ? If God then hath not this Perfection, it muft be, becaufe He cannot, or will not, have it • but where then is his almighty Power, and his Love to his own Nature and Glory ? But Sermon the Third. $9 But further, Gods Omniprefence may be proved from his Eternity, for it is altoge- ther as reafonable to allow, that his EiTence is every where, as to allow, that it doth exift for ever : the fame indivifible EiTence, which reaches through all Times, may furely reach as well through all Spaces; becaufe all Spaces are but a Point to his infinite EiTence, as all Times are but a Moment to his Eternity. The Nations of the World to him (as the Prophet exprefTes it ) are as the D/ift of the Ballance, or the Drop of a Bucket ; and therefore the Eflence of God muft be allow'd to diffufe itfelf every where through that, which is no more than a Grain of Duft to him: yea, counted to him lefs than Nothing, and Vanity. This Attribute may likewife be proved from Gods univerfal Providence, and the im- mutability of his Nature, but waving this ab- ftra&ed way of Reafoning, I chufe to prove it by two or three exprefs Texts of Scripture, which to us, who profefs to believe it to be the Word of God, muft be moft efficacious, to convince our Underftandings of the Truth of this, as well as of all other Doctrines there- in delivered ; thus Jeremiah, Am I a God at band-, faith the Lord, and not a God afar off ; do not I fill Heaven and Earth * ? Thus faith the Wife- man, The Eyes of the Lord are in every Place, beholding the evil and the good\» * Ch. 13. »3.Z &c « t Jerem. 17. 10. To 64^ Sermon the Third. To the fame Purpofe are thofe Words which follow my Text, If I fay furely the Darknefs Jhall cover me , even the Night Jhall be Light about me • yea , the Darknefs hideth not from thee , but the Night jhineth as the Day-, the Darknefs and the Light are both alike to thee. But altho' God in refpect of his Eflence, Power, Goodnefs, and Knowledge, doth eve- ry where actually exift, yet there are fome Places , wherein He may be faid to be, in a more efpecial and peculiar manner, than in others : thus is He faid to be in Heaven, not as if He were there exclufively of all other Places, for at the fame Time that we are told, that Heaven is his Throne, we are likewife at fured, that the Earth is his Footftool*-, but be- caufe He is pleafed to make a more eminent Difcovery, of his moft excellent Glory, to his beloved Saints and Angels, in Heaven, than he doth to his moft faithful Servants here on Earth : in like manner, as the Soul of Man (if we may be allowed to make the Comparifon ) tho' eflentially prefent, in all the Parts of the human Body, yet, in a more efpecial manner, is faid to be, or refide, in the Head or Heart, in regard to the more noble Operations, which it doth exert in them. » Afts 7 . 49. Secondly* Sermon the Third. 6$ Secondly , God is faid to be, in a peculiar and gracious Manner, prefent with the faith- ful in their publick Aflemblies: indeed, where- fbever his Servants meet to call upon his holy Name, tho' driven together into Dens or Caves of the Earth, thro' the Malice and cruelty of blood-thirfty Men , there will the Almighty be in the midft of them, to impart the Effufions of his Grace, and faving In- fluences of his Spirit. But it feems as it were his peculiar De- light to refide among his Saints, when they are afiembled and met together, in Places confecrated to his Honour, and folemnly fet apart for his Service, by publick Authority, where He is worfhipp'd in the Beauty of Holt- nefsy with that external Order and Decency of the Body, and with that internal Purity of the Soul, as beft becometh thofe, who would efficacioufly invoke the God of all Or- der, Decency, and Purity : thus the Lord, in his Anfwer to Solomon's Prayer made at the Dedication of the Temple, which he had built, declares unto him, that bis Eyes Jhould be open, and bis Ears attent, unto the Prayer in that Place ; for notv had He chofen and fan- ftified that Houfe , that bis Name might be there for ever , and that his Eyes and Heart might be there perpetually * . * iChron. 7. iy, \6. I What 66 Sermon the Third. What Comfort then and Encouragement have we frequently to afTemble ourfelves to- gether, in this facred Houfe, this Houfe of Prayer^ to call upon the great God of Hea- ven, to forgive us our Sins, to affift us by his Grace, to deliver us out of our Diftrefles, to comfort us under them by his Spirit, and to fhower down his manifold Bleffings, tem- poral and fpiritual, upon our Bodies and Souls ! How much therefore are fome of thofe to be blamed, and others of them to be pitied, who thro' Pride of Heart, or Weaknefs of Mind, ( not regarding, either the lawful Au- thority of the fupream Magiftrate which en- joins, or the Peace and Unity of the Church, which requires Uniformity as to Time and Place for Worfhip, as well as Agreement in Judgment) divide and feparate themfelves, out of pretence of greater Purity, from thefe true Sanctuaries of undefiled Religion ; as if thofe Temples , which heretofore were hal- lowed, were now defiled by the folemn Acl: of Confecration, and as if they were allured, that God would accept their perverfe way of Will- worfhip, before that which He himfelf hath (hewn, and appointed to be obferved. Tlnrdly, God doth, in a peculiar manner, manifeft his Prefence in the Hearts, or Con- fidences, of all Men: To the Conscience of the Sermon the Third. 67 the wicked Man, let him be never fo great and powerful, He manifefteth himfelf, as re- proving, and condemning him for his impie- ties, and fills it with fuch dreadful Appre- henfions of his fiery Indignation, as cannot be endured, for a wounded Cunfcience who can bear? A Confcience wounded by the enve- nomed Arrows of Sin, and awak'ned by the infupportable Terrors of God's Wrath ? But to the Confcience of the juft Man, God manifefteth himfelf, as approving, and applauding him for his vertuousConducl:, and fpeaks fuch Comfort, Peace, and Joy, as pafs all Underftanding. The good Man is (tiled the Temple ofGod 9 that Holy of Holies, in which the bleiTed Tri- nity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, are pleafed to make their Abode : how much then are we all concerned, to purify ourHearts from all filthinefs of Flejh and Spirit , that we may comfortably enjoy, and not be altoge- ther unworthy of fo divine a Gueft! I proceed now to my laft Particular, which was to fhew what great Benefits, we may reap from a due Confideration of God's Omni- prefence. And, Ftrfiy A due Confideration of God's Omni- prefence, will be of great Ufe, to prevent us from falling into Sin, or living in any known I 2 Sin 68 Sermon the Third, Sin whatever, for were we throughly perfwad- ed, that the juft and almighty Governour of the World, is every where, juft by us, with us, and in usj beholding every Thing we do, hearing every Word we fpeak, and obferving every Motion of our Heart, the Senfe of the divine Majefty, muft needs be more effe&ual to deter us from Sin, than all the Tempta- tions of the World can be to allure us into it. For he muft be the molt ftupid and infolent Offender, who fliall dare to tranfgrefs, at the fame time, that he believes himfelf to be in the Prefence of that eternal Judge, whofe Eyes are inoft penetrating, whofe Power is irrefiftible, whole Sentence is irreverfible, and whole Vengeance is intolerable. It was to this Perfwafion, that God's faith- ful Servants of old imputed their Preferva- tion from Sin, and their Recovery out of it, when they had unhappily tranfgrefs'd : thus, faith David, I have Jet God always before me y for He is on my right. Hand, therefore IJhall not fall*. And thus Job after he had fain, I have heard of thee, by the hearing of the Ear ; but now mine Eye feeth thee, wherefore I abhor my felf and repent in Duft and JJhes f . And therefore did we likewife fet the Lord always before us, or believe him prefent with * Pfal, 16. 9. \ Ch. 44. j, 6. us> Sermon the Third. 69 us, we fhould be able, infpite of all the fofc Allurements, or menacing Frowns, of a fin- ful World, to baffle, and difcard, every Tem- ptation, by faying within ourfelves, as Jo- feph did , how can I do this great JVickednefs, and fin againjt God? And if we fhould be overcome by the Surprize or Violence of a Temptation, as St Peter was, yet, if with him, we look up to God and our Lord Je- fus, we fhould be as truly concern'd for, and repent of our Sin, as he did. Secondly , a due Confideration of God's Omniprefence, would have a moft prevailing Influence, not only towards a good Life in general, but would in an efpecial manner animate and regulate our Devotion j for fhould we retire into our Clofets to offer up our Prayers to our heavenly Father, the Be- lief that He is with us, and feetb in Jeer et^ would make us fervent, but humble ; ferious without Preemption ; fincere without Hyp- pocrify; conftant without Wavering or Di- ftra&ion ; in a word it would make us be- have in fuch a manner, as fuiteth beft with our Neceffity, and his Glory. And when we draw nigh to God in his Houje of Prayer^ in our publick AfTemblies, were we convinced, that God was then, in a peculiar manner, prefent with us, with what Humi- lity and Reverence, with what Affection and De- 70 Sermon the Third. Devotion, fhould we ivorjhlp and fall down , and kneel before the Lord our Maker ! In offering up our united Prayers and Thanks to God, for his dayly Mercies, our Hearts would be full of Joy, in that we are here below indulged the Priviledge, which the bleffed Choir of Saints and Angels have above, of jinging Halleluiahs to the King of JQngs, and Lord of Lords. And while the facred Scriptures are read or preach'd unto us, with what an attentive Ear, and well difpofed Heart, fhould we liften to, and receive them, not as the Word of Man, but as the Word of God, which alone is able to make us wife unto Salvation f Under this Head we may obferve, that al- tho' God is every where prefent, on Earth as well as in Heaven, yet we are obliged to diredt our Prayers, and other Adits of Devo- tion, to him only as in Heaven j thus Solo- mon, Hear "Thou from thy dwelling Place, even from Heaven * ; and thus in that admirable Form of Prayer, which our Lord taught his Difciples, He bids them fay, Our Father, which art in Heaven : Ana that becaufe in Heaven God hath fixt his Throne of Grace, on which He fits to hear our Petitions, and anfwer our Defires, as feemeth beft to his own Goodnefs and Wifdom : and becaufe * z Chron. 6. i r. our Sermon the Third. 71 our Prayers, and other Adts of Devotion, on account of their own and our Imperfections are only acceptable to him, as they are of- fered in the Name, and through the Me- diation of his well beloved Son, who long fince hath afcended into Heaven, where He fits at the right Hand of the Majefty on high, with whom He ever lives to make InterceJJion for w. And from the Confideration of God's Om- niprefence, we may likewife obferve, how impious it is to direct our Prayers to any other Being, befides the true God. For if, with the Church of Rome, we pray to Saints or Angels, we refleti: on the all-fufficient Me- rits of Chrift, who is the only Mediator be- tvoeen God and Man, becaufe we unwarranta- bly apply to other Mediators in our behalf: and we facrilegioufly rob God of his Honour^ which He will not give to another, but will pu- nifh thofe who give it to another with the irrejifiible Fire of his Jealoufy. Nor is this Practice lefs abfurd than im- pious, becaufe we muft either fuppofe thofe Saints or Angels, to whom we pray, to be omniprefent, and fo deify them ; or elfe we muft own, that our worfliipping them is very fenfelefs ; becaufe by the neceffary Finitude of their Nature, they muft be always, or for the moft part, abfent from, or altogether igno- 71 Sermon the Third. ignorant of us, and our neceffities, and there- fore unable to anfwer our Requefts. But laftljy a due Confederation of God's Omniprefence will teach us to behave well, in every State or Condition of Life: For, are we pofiefs'd of Riches, or advan- ced to Honour, the Thoughts of God's Pre- fence, will mortify Pride and Ill-nature, the ufual Effects of Riches and Honour, & plant in their Room a grateful Senfe of God's Fa- vours, ( the fble Author of all good Things ) and an univerfal Charity towards our Neigh- bour. On the other hand, are we in Trouble, Sorrow, Need, Sicknefs, or any other Adver- fity, if thefe are brought upon us through our own Wickednefs, they are but a due Recompence of our Folly : but if they are brought upon us, by the wife Difpenfations of Providence, for the Exercile of our Faith, and a Trial of our Patience, the Reflection on God's aftual Prefence will cheer our droop- ing Spirits, and the Lifting up the Light of his Countenance will afford us fuch Comfort and Joy, as fhall greatly over-ballance all the Pref- fure of our Afflictions. Let us then, through a (teddy Confidence, and Faith of an omniprefent God, unfhaken, walk fecurely and joyfully, through all the Changes, and Chances, of this mortal Life; for Sermon the Third. 73 for God hath afiured us, that He will not lay on us more than we are able to bear^ but will with the Temptation-, whatfoever it be, make a way for us to efcape ; that whenfbever his Rod fhall ftrike and afflid: us , his holy Spi- rit fhall heal and comfort us; and that if we behave ourfelves under our Troubles and Af- flictions, as becometh thofe who acknow- ledge his actual Prefence here, thefe light Troubles and dffliclions , which are but for a Moment, JImII work for us a far more exceed- ing Weight of Glory i in the full Fruition of his glorious Prefence hereafter. SER- [74] The Omnifcience of God. SERMON IV. He br. IV. 13. latter part. All things are naked , and opened to the Eyes of him, with whom we have to do. IN the preceding Verfe the Apoftle, fet- ting forth the wonderful Efficacy of God's Word , tells us, that it is quick and powerful y and Jharper than any two edged Sword - y piercing even to the dividing afun* der of Soul and Spirit , and of the Joints and 'Marrow, and is a Difcerner of the Tlwughts and Intents of the Heart : It is ftiled quick, like the incarnate Word from Heaven , be- caufe it is not only a living, but a quickning Word, making thofe Souls, which are dead in Trejpajfes and Sins, alive unto God: and there- fore it is ftiled powerful} on account of its won- Sermon the Fourth. 75- wonderful Effects, for it is the minifiration of the Spirit, which molt effectually convinces and converts the humble and contrite Heart, but confounds and condemns impenitent and obdurate Sinners: forz> is Jharper than a two edged Sword, piercing even to the dividing a/un- der of Soul and Spirit, and of the Joints and Marrow, that is, of the moft: hard and com- pact, the moft intimate and fecret Parts of the Sinner, fuch as no natural Reafon can reach, but fuch as the Word of God can pierce through ; for that Word is a Difcerner of the Thoughts, and Intents of the Heart, tho it be deceitful above all Things : for it fees through all its Thoughts and fecret Defires ; all its fudden and clofe Refblutions ; and all its Imaginations or Motions whatfoever : and in the Verfe of my Text, the Foundation of this efficacious Energy of God's Word is ex- hibited to us, (viz.) becaufe the great Author of it fearcheth and trieth all Things. For there is no Creature that is not manifefi in his Sight ; but all things are naked, and opend unto the Eyes of him, with whom we have to do. In fpeaking to which Words I fhali endea- vour to prove in as brief and clear a man- ner as I can, I. Firft, that God is Omnifcient, or know- eth all Things. K 2 II. &- 76 Sermon the Fourth. II. Secondly^ to illuftrate the Omnifcience of God, by comparing it with the Know- ledge of Man, becaufe we Ihall thereby better perceive, how infinitely God's Un- derftanding furpafTeth ours, and confe- quently better apprehend its amazing and adorable Excellence. III. Thirdly y what Ufe we mould make of the Confideration of God's Omnifcience. Fir ft) then I am to prove in as brief and clear a manner, as I can, that God is Omni- fcient, or knoweth all Things. This may be proved, Firfty from the infinite Perfection of his Nature. For fince the EfTence of God, which all acknowledge, who believe that there is a God, is infinitely perfect; it muft therefore follow, that all poffible Perfections, without any Imperfedtions, muft be in him : and there- fore Knowledge, which is allowed to be one of the nobleft of all Perfections, muft be- long to him without any Deficiency, becaufe, without it, all other Perfections would fuffer much in, if not altogether lofe their intrin- lick Worth ; for without Knowledge, what would the greater! Power be, but brutal Force ? and what would Mercy, Goodnefs, and Love be, but the Refult of blind Chance? for there can be no Wifdom, where there is no Underftanding : and therefore that Know- ledge, Sermon the Fourth. 77 ledge, which fully extends to, or takes in all Objects, muft belong to God: for if there were any Objects beyond the Reach of God's Underftanding, the Ignorance of them, would be a great Defect, fuch as could not be afcribed to the moft perfect Being, without a Contradiction. The fame Truth may be prov'd, Secondly^ From the infinite Happinefs of the divine Nature j for fince God is the Foun- tain and Centre of all that is good, there can be nothing wanting to compleat his Hap- pinefs ; and therefore He muft have infinite Knowledge, becaufe otherwife, fince He him- felf is an infinite Being, He would not be able to underftand himfelf, and therefore could not enjoy the greateft Happinefs, for this muft confift in the Knowledge and Frui- tion of that Being, which is infinitely good : and therefore Knowledge without any Im- perfection muft be attributed to him ; for if it had any Defect, it would fo far include Ig- norance, and confequently fo far limit, and diminifh the divine Happinefs. We muft therefore, either deny, that God, who is infinitely wife and powerful, is com- pleatly happy, or that Knowledge doth con- duce to Happinefs, which are Suppofitions evidently abfurd ; or elfe we muft grant, that his Underftanding admits of no Imperfe- ction ; and therefore we muft own and con- fefs 78 Sermon the Fourth. fefs that it clearly fees through and compre- hends all Things, not only himfelf, but all Things elfe, becaufe all other Things are the Works of his Hands, and therefore He muft know them, becaufe they are fuftain'd, and could not fublift without his Providence. But perhaps it may be urged, that the Knowledge of Things created doth no ways contribute to the Diminution or Completion of the divine Happinefs, becaufe God was equally happy as well before, as fince the Formation of the World ; and confequently Gods Omnifcience is not to be inferr'd from his infinite Happinefs : To this we reply, that altho' the divine Happinefs being in itfelf abfblutely perfect, was therefore not increafed or completed by the fubfequent Knowledge of the Creature; yet fince God is immutable, his Knowledge muft be one and the fame to Day, yefterday, and for ever ; and therefore He not only knows himfelf, but alfo beholds in himfelf, all Things that have been, that now are, or hereafter (hall be; and confe- quently all Things mufl be naked and opened to the Eyes of him, with whom we have to do. But waving this abftra&ed way of Rea- foning, I chufe to confirm the Dodtrine of God's Omnifcience, from the Dictates of Confcience, and the infallible Word of God. Gods Omnifcience is proved from the Di- ctates of Confcience, becaufe whence mould arife Sermon the Fourth. 79 arife that Peace andPIeafure of Mind to the innocent and good Man, which tills World can neither give, nor take away, but from a Senfe of an omnifcient Judge, who fecret- ly manifefteth himfelf to, and aflures him, that He gracioufly accepts of, and will reward his Vertues ? And on the other hand, whence arife thofe Terrors of Confcience in the Sinner's Soul upon the CommhTion of fome heinous Sin , tho' tranfa&ed in the Dark, when no Wit- nefles were by, nay, tho' it were only begun or conceived in his Imagination ,• but from a Senfe of the fame omnifcient Judge, whofe Eyes are ten thousand times brighter than the Sun, and too pure to behold Iniquity without Abhorrence, or to fpare the Sinner without Repentance ? From the Pleafures therefore of a good Confcience, and Pains of a bad one, we may infer, that wicked, as well as good Men, are firmly perfwaded, that nothing is hid, but that all Thifigs are naked, and opened to the Eyes of God. And as for the Scripture Proofs to this pur- pofe, they are fo plain as not to be per- verted, nor evaded ; and too numerous to be recited ; out of which I mall fingle out thefe few, which follow, Hell is naked, faith Job, and Deflruftion hath no Covering ; his Eyes are upon the ways of Man , and He feeth all his goings : 80 Sermon the Fourth. goings : and there is no Darknefs, nor Shadow of Death , where the Workers of Iniquity may hide th em f elves *. To the like purpofe, the Pfalmift faith, Lord-, thou haft fear ched me out, and known me ; Thou knowejl my down- fittings and mine uprifing j Thou under ft a?idejl Y my Thoughts long before j Thou art about my Pathy and about my Bed-, and jpieft out all my ways ; fir lo } there is not a word in my Tongue^ nor thought in my Heart , but Thou y Lord y knoweft it altogether +. By thefe Paffages of Scripture we are af- fured, that God feeth and obferveth the Thoughts of all Mankind, and that all the vain Fancies and Imaginations, idle Words and Wifhes, luftful Delires, wicked Proje&s and Defigns ; in a word, whatever good or evil, entreth into the Heart of Man, are all in the full View of God, and naked and opened to his Sight. Well may we therefore fay, with holy Da- vid, Lift up thy f elf Lord-, Thou Judge of the Earthy and reward the proud after their de- fending : Lord) how long Jhall the ungodly tri- umph ? How long Jhall all wicked Doers, Jfteak fo difdainfully-, and make fuel? proud Boafting ? They f mite down thy People , Lord, and trou- ble thine Heritage ; and yet they fay-, the Lord Jhall not fee, neither ft} all the God of Jacob re- gard it. Take heed ye unwife among the People^ * job 34. 21, i2. f Pfal. 139. Oye Sermon the Fourth. 81 ye Fools y when will ye under ft and? He that planted the Ear, Jhall He not hear ? or He that made the Eye, Jhall He not fee ? He that cha- Jtifeth the Heathen, Jhall He not correal ? He that teacheth Man Knowledge, Jhall He not know? 'The Lord hioweth the Thoughts ofMan y that they are but vain. Having thus prov'd the divine Omni fcience, 1 proceed now to my Second Particular, which is to endeavour to illuftrate the Omnifcience of God, by com- paring it with the Knowledge of Man, be- caufe we fhall thereby better perceive how infinitely God's Underftanding furpafleth ours, and confequently better apprehend its amazing and adorable Excellence. The Faculty of Underftanding, which God hath given to Man, is a noble and divine Per- fection : for by this he is able to confider not only the Things which lie before him, but in a moment to furvey the mod diftant Parts of the Earth ; to acquaint himfelf, not only with the Affairs of the prefent Times, but to fearch into, and examine the Tranf- a&ions of former Ages. By this he is able to afcend up into the Heavens, and contemplate the feveral Mo- tions, Magnitudes, and Diftances of thofe glorious Bodies, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, which mine therein, L Nay, 8x Sermon the Fourth. Nay, by this, affifted by the Light of God's Word, he is able to afcend up to the higheft Heavens, where the divine Majefty in all his Glory, (its enthrond, furrounded with an innumerable Company of Angels, and Archangels , and the Spirits of] lift Men made per feci, taftifig of thofe fivers of Pleafure , which make glad the City of God, and finging Hallelujahs to him that fitteth upon the Throne, and to the Lamb, for ever. And yet, this great Perfection of the Soul is but a feeble Ray of the divine Underftand- ing, to which in comparifon it is infinitely lefs, than the dim Light of a Glow-worm is to the piercing Rays of the Sun, when it mines in its brighten: Luftre, For of all the Things paft, prefent, or to come, how few are they that fall within the Reach of our Understandings! As to Things paft, tho' we had Time and Abilities to read, Judgment to digeft, and Memory to retain the Annals of former Ages, yet how little would this be, if compared to thofe Things, which lie concealed in Dark- nefs, or buried in Oblivion ! And of Things prefent, the Bounds of our Knowledge extend no further than to a few Things, which are obvious to our Senfes, or made known to us by Report. And as for Things to come, we know much lefs , for belides fome future Things, which God Sermon the Fourth. 83 God hath revealed to us in his Word ; and fome future Effe&s, which Men of Learning and Experience can foretel by their necef- fary Connexion to their Caufes ; mod all o- ther future Events, even thofe as mod near- ly concern us to know, are fhut up in fuch thick and dark Clouds, as entirely hide them from our Sight. And as our Knowledge is contracted with refpedt to its Object, fo are our Reafonings about it attended with great Difficulties: Small is the Extent of our Knowledge, and much is the Trouble by which it is attained : the Truths we aim at, are not to be difco- vered without a clofe Attention and conti- nued Application of Mind : for fuch is our Weaknefs, that we cannot fee Things dired- ly and immediately as they are in themfelves, but only by reflected Rays from other Be- ings : and therefore it requires much Labour and Diligence, before we can arrive at the defired Conclufion ; and when we have done all we can, fuch is the Uncertainty of this Method of Reafoning, that inftead of fatif- factory Knowledge , we feldom advance any further than to a probable Conjecture : and iince our Method of Reafoning depends up- on inferring one Thing from another, we may be deceived, either by arguing truly from falfe Principles, having erroneoufly con- ceived them to be true ones; or by arguing L 2 falfly 84- Sermon the Fourth. falfly from true Principles : in both Cafes the Mifchief is equally the fame ; for if we argue falfly from true Principles, we ftumble upon a Rock, and fo fall; and if we argue truly upon falfe Principles, we walk upon Quick- fands, and fo fink. And if from Principles, true or falfe, we may be deceived, what Care ought we to take in Cafes of a moral and religious Nature, be- caufe, if we are miftaken, we may fall into dangerous Errors, and reafon ourfelves into our own Deftrudtion : for even thofe, who itile themfelves Saints, may reafon themfelves into an allowed Breach of Gods Commands; and make Shipwreck of that Faith, without which they cannot be faved. But further, fince our Knowledge is chiefly gain'd by inferring Conclufions from preced- ing Premifes; 'tis evident, that our Advance- ment in Knowledge muft be fucceflive, be- caufe the Eye of our Mind, like that of our Body, is able to view only at the fame Time one fingle and minute Part of the fame Ob- ject diftin<5tly ; for even thofe, whofe great Capacity of Soul feems to place them as far above fome groveling Perfons of their own Species, as they themfelves fall fhort of the intellectual Powers of the brighter!: Angel, tho' they can, as it were in a Moment, attend to Variety of Ihings, yet muft own, that there mull be fome fucceffive Points of Du- ration Sermon the Fourth. 8? ration pafs, before they can apply their Un- derftandings to a diitindt View of each of them. And when we have applied with all our Diligence and Sagacity to know and under- ftand them, how flight and fuperficial are all our Difcoveries ! For all thofe Objects, which we fee, or fmell, or tafte, or touch, have fuch intricate Difficulties attending them, as perhaps the moft diligent Inquirer into the Nature of Things, never was, nor will be able to furmount; every Plant, or Herb, or Flower of the Field ; the moft in- confiderable Infect, that flies in the Air, or creepeth on the Ground; nay, the leaft Grain of Sand, hath fo many profound Secrets in their Compofition, as have been, and will be unfathomable Myfteries to the acuteft Philo- fbphers of all Ages. Now, if with this Reprefentation of the Imperfection of our Underftanding, we take a View of the divine Omnifcience, fo far as its exceflive Brightnefs will permit us, we fhall perceive how infinitely it furpafleth ours, and confequently the better apprehend its amaz- ing and adorable Excellence : for God being infinitely perfect, his Underftanding muft be infinite, and therefore it muft be abfolutely free from all that Weaknefs and Imperfe&ion which ours doth labour under • it is infinite, and therefore whatever hath, had, or fhall have 86 Sermon the Fourth. have a Being, muft be all naked and operid to his all feeing Eye : and confequently all Crea- tures rational, or irrational, with all their Natures, Properties, and Effects; all their Alterations, Changes, and Revolutions, are clearly manifeft in his Sight: for furely He, who made, and will hereafter judge the Worlds cannot be ignorant, or forgetful of thofe Things which have been done therein. And as for thofe Things which now are, from the higheft Angel in Heaven, to the pooreft Beggar upon Earth ; the Birds of the Air; the Fifties in the Sea; the Infects on the Ground • and every Creature in the Uni- verfe; that all thefe are under the View of God , we learn from his providential Care, by which all Things are preferved, and with- out which nothing can fubfift: for not a Spar- row doth fall to the Ground without our Father 5 and even the Hairs of our Head are all num- bred. And as for Things to come, which we fain would pry into, yet for the moft part are ut- terly unacquainted with, thefe are all, as well as Things paft and prefent, moft clearly known to God; nay, to fpeak properly, there is no difference of Tenfes, fuch as paft, and future, applicable to him ; for thofe Things, which, on account of our limited Duration, are faid to be paft, when they ceafe to be; and calld future, when they do not yet exift, are Sermon the Fourth. 87 are all prefent to God ; becaufe his indivi- fible Effence, and confequently his infinite Knowledge, actually reaches thro' all Times, as well as thro' all Places ; becaufe all Times are but a Moment to his Eternity, as all Places are but a Point to his infinite Nature. Hence God fpeaks of Things to come, as if they were already produced ; and calleth Things that are not, as if they were*; becaufe Things, that are not, are the Objects of his Knowledge ; and will at his Pleafure receive Exiftence from his Power : hence He knorveth all our Thoughts afar cff y and jpieth out all our Ways ; and feeth not only what we do at prefent, but forefeeth what Determinations our Wills, though endued with Freedom, fhall hereafter make : for thus He told the Chil- dren of Ifrael , before they entred into the Land of Promife, that when theyjhould have taken PoJfeJJion of it, they would go a whoring from him, and ferve other Gods, and that they would for fake him , and break his Covenant f. Hence it appears, that all the Thoughts, Pur- pofes , and Refolutions of our Hearts, whe- ther prejent or future, are known to God. And yet this Knowledge of his, is not like ours, collected by Difcourfe, or as the Logi- cians fay, by drawing Conclusions from pre- ceding premifes; but by Intuition, that is, by dire&ly and immediately beholding Things * Rom. 4. 17., f Deut. 31.15. in 88 Sermon the Fourth. in themfelves, or rather in his own Nature, for that is the eternal Model or Exemplar of all created Beings, diftindtly exhibitive of all that is, or ever can be; and therefore the Meafure and Standard, (independent of, and antecedent to all created Beings) not only of what actually is, but alfo of the whole Poffibility of Being. And this He fees, and comprehends, all at once, whether they be Things paft, prefent, or to come, at one and the fame Moment : for as my Text expreffes it, There is not any Creature, that is not ma- nifeji in his Sight , but all Things are nakedy and opened to the Eyes of him, with whom we have to do. From this Comparifon , which hath been made between the Knowledge of God, and that of Man, it appears, that the Knowledge of God is moft deep and intimate, reaching to the very EfTence of Things ; whereas ours is but flight and fuperficial } His is clear and diftincl: ; ours but dark and confufed ; His infallible ; ours liable to Miftakes ; His eafy and without Difficulty, always prefent and a&ual ; ours gotten by fore Travel , and through the defedts of Memory or Age, foon loft; His is by Intuition, all at once j ours gotten by Difcourfe, fucceflively, and by De- grees ; His uniyerfal, extending to all Ob- jeas, fully comprehending all Things; where- as ours is narrow and reaching only to a few Things, Sermon the Fourth. 89 Things, and that which is wanting to it, as the Preacher faith, cannot be numbred*. Whole fhort, but full Account of the Weaknefs, and Imperfe&ion of our Underftanding, I cannot here pafs by, for faith he in his Book of Wifdom , What Man is he that can know the Counjel of God? or who can think , what the Witt of the Lord is ? For the Thoughts of mor- tal Men are miferable, and their Devices but un- certain : for the corruptible Body prejfeth down the Soul; and the earthly Tabernacle weigheth down the Mind, that mufeth upon many Things', and hardly do we guefs aright at Things, that are upon Earth j and with Labour do we find the Things, that are before us j but the Things that are in Heaven, who hath fearched out ? and thy Counfel, Lord, who hath known, except Thou give Wifdom,and fend thy holy Spirit from above .\f Thus having fpoken to my two firft Parti- culars, I proceed now to my Third Particular, which is to fhew what Ufe we mould make, and what Benefit we may receive from the Confideration of Gods Omnifcience. And Firft, the Confideration of God's Omni- fcience mould teach us to pay all poffible Efteem and Honour to the Majefty of God; for it was the Reflection on this amazing and adorable Attribute, that made holy David * Ecdef. i. if. f Chap. 9. M confefs, 90 Sermon the Fourth. confefs, that fuch Knowledge was too wonder- ful and excellent for him*, and that he could not attmn unto it : and made St Paul in like mai&- ner exclaim, the Depth of the Riches, both of the Wifdom and Knowledge of God ! How un- fearchable are his Judgments, and his Ways paji finding out I And if we confider this adorable Attribute, we mall be induced to fay, God, who is like unto thee ? For who befide our God is able, at one fingle View, moft inti- mately to comprehend all Things? And mail we then highly efteem and ho- nour thofe who are remarkably eminent, (in this imperfeft Scene of A&ion) for their Skill in Law, Phyfick, or Divinity ? And fhall we not much rather admire, praife, and adore, the great Author and Fountain of all Wit dom and Knowledge, whofe Underftanding is univerfal, and admits of no Bounds? Struck with Wonder and Amazement aft this glorious Perfection, we fliould fall down proftrate before his Throne, and moft de- voutly worfhip his all- feeing Majefty. Secondly, the Confideration of Gods Om- nifcience fhould teach us to entertain an hum- ble and low Opinion of our own Underftand* ings , and! not to be over confident and cu- rious, in our Enquiries and Difquifitions into the profound Things of God. For what have we, that is properly our own, befide Ignorance and Sin^ with all the '-■- •- nume- Sermon the Fourth, 91 numerous Train of Infirmities incident to our Nature ? and if, with much Toil and Diffi- culty, we .have attained to forne fmall De- gree of Knowledge above fbme of our fellow Creatures, fliall this puff us up with Pride, and induce us to treat them with Contempt ■? Have we fo little learned either our felves or Chrijl, as not to know, that whatever Know- ledge we have attaind to, is not fo much the necelTary Product [of our own Parts and In- duftry, as the Gift of him, who is the Father of Light, and Author of all Perfection ; for Paul may plant, and Abollos may water, hut it is God that giveth the Increafe -, nay, we may fpend all our Time, and ourfeives too, in the purfuit of Knowledge, and yet, without God blefTeth our Labours, we may, like St Peter, toil all Night, and catch nothing. if we have then any fhare of Knowledge above our Brethren, inftead of proudly afcri- bing the Glory of it to ourfeives, we fliould humbly thank the fupreme Giver of all good Gifts , who hath gracioufly committed fuch a Talent to us, and mould employ it to his Honour, our own good, and that of other Men. Inftead of being proud of our own Under- ftanding, we fliould admire and adore the Understanding of God, who from all Eter- nity, with one glance of his Eye, fees through and comprehendeth all Things j while we, M 2 with 9X Sermon the Fourth. with all our boafted Skill, know nothing as we ought to know, fully underftand not one thing in Nature: and this Truth, the wifeft Scribe, and moft fubtle Difputer of the World, were it not for the natural Pride of his Heart, would confefs; and fay with the Apoftle, not only of heavenly Things, but alfo of the Things that are before us, here we fee through a Glafs darkly, and know hut in part, becaufe the Priviledge of a more perfect Virion is re- ferved to compleat the Happinefs of a future State, when the Author of all Knowledge mail refine and inlarge our Faculties, to fee and contemplate the Height and Depth of his Love, and receive and enjoy the inexhauftible Treasures of his Wifdom to all Eternity. If the Reflection on the Excellence of God's Knowledge, be enough to remind us of our own Ignorance, and to humble and confound all vain Conceit of our Underftanding with regard to the tranfient Things of this Life: how much more mould it deprefs, and cafl doivn all high Imaginations, and check and mor- tify all prefumptuous Enquiries into the things ofGodl for how ill doth it become us, who are but Jin ful Duft and AJhes, to judge of and meafure God's Ways and Thoughts by our own ? for as high as the Heavens are above the Earth, fo far, as the Prophet exprefleth it, are his Ways above our Ways, and his Thoughts above our "Thoughts . * ifai. 55.9. Since Sermon the Fourth. 93 Since the fecret Ways and Thoughts of God are in6nitely above ours, or as the Pfal- mift exprefles it, fince hi* Ways are in the Sea, his Paths in the great Waters -, and his Foot' Jteps are not known, let us not impioufly pre- fume to fathom thofe Depths of God, which are unfearchable j but let us believe them to be perfectly conformable to T^ighteoufnefs and Equity, for thefe are the Habitation of Gods Seat-. Since He is a God of Truth as well as Knowledge, whatever He hath revealed as the Obje&s of our Faith, let us without Di- ftruft or wavering affent to and embrace them ; and whatever He hath manifefted as the Rules of our Pra&ice, let us withour mur- muring or gainfaying obey them. Thirdly, The Consideration of God's Om- nifcience mould teach us tojiand in awe of God, and fin not ; for can there be any greater Re- ftraint upon our Thoughts and Actions, any ftronger Prefervative from offending in ei- ther, than ferioufly to confider and meditate upon the Omnifcience of God? I am, faith God to Abraham, the almighty God-, walk be- fore me, and be thou per feB* -, which evidently implies, that the beft way to aim and arrive at Perfection, is fo to behave, as in the Pre- fence, and under the Infpe&ion of God: ac- cording to this ufeful Advice, / have, faith David , fet God always before me, therefore I * Gen- I7> Jhall 94- Sermon the Fourth. Jhall not fa!/*: and what indeed can preferve us from falling fo effectually, as the Confi- deration of God's being always prefent with us, and taking notice of all our Doings ? For, as the Heathen Moralift f obferves, great part of the Wickednefs of Mankind would be pre- vented, if, when we were giving way to Tem- ptation, and about to indulge ourfelves in Sin, there were any Witneffes to obferve our Actions ; becaufe there are few fo hardned in Sin, but are afhamed to commit it, even in the prefence of a Child, that can hardly difcem between good and evil, that hath, nei~ ther Underftanding enough to cenfure and condemn their wicked Actions, nor Autho- rity nor Power to infli£tPunifhment for them: And what is the Prefence of a Child, nay of the greateft Monarch upon Earth, in compa- nion to the Prefence of the great God, who feeth and obferveth all Things, and hath Power and Will refiftlefs, to reward -every Man according to his doings. And fhall the prefence of a Man, whofe Breath u in his No- ftrih, and is little or nothing to be accounted of, give a Check to our wanton Paffions, and make us afFraid or afham'd to indulge them ? And fhall not the all-piercing Eye of our al- mighty Judge, deter us from the Commif- fion of Sip ? Shall Man, who can only kill the Body , and not hurt the Soul, make us afFraid * Pfal. 1 6 t Scn.Epift. ii. to Sermon the Fourth, 9? to offend? nay, who without God's Permif- iion, cannot hurt an hair of our Heads, make us jland in awe, and fin not > and fliall not the Prefence of an omnifcient Judge, who is able to deftroy both Body and Soul in Hell % make us infinitely more affraid to offend him? Shall we prefume to do works ofDarknefs, be- fore him, who is all Light, in whom there is w Darknefs at all ? fliall we dare to fin in his Sight, at whofe J^buke the Waters fee, at the voice of whofe Thunder they are affraid, at whofe look the Earth doth tremble, and at whofe touch the ffiUs fmoke , and melt away .> No certainly, if we did rightly confider it, we mould not, we could not dare to offend the all-feeing Majefty of Heaven. Fourthly, the Confederation of God's Omni- fcience would, were it not our own Fault, have a moft prevailing Influence, not only towards a good Life in general, but alfo in an efpe- cial manner, it would regulate and animate our Devotion; for it would falhion our Minds after, and preferve them in a divine Frame and Temper, and keep them compofed with the moft awful Reverence, ferious Gravity, and Silence of Spirit, as being ever in the Prefence, and under the direct Infpe&ion of the great God -, to whom it would teach and difpofe us to pray with all Humility and Fer- vency, both of Body and Soul; and with an humble Confidence of being heard by him , where^ 9 6 Sermon the Fourth. wherefoever we are, or however we deliver our Minds by vocal or mental Prayer : it would oblige us to ufe great Attention of Spi- rit, without any Wandring, or impertinent Mixtures of foreign Thoughts, which are ne- ver more ready, tho' never (b abfurd, as then to crowd into our Minds, than when we are at our Devotion. , It would make us fincere without Hyppo- crify, and zealous without Affectation to pro- mote the Glory of God, and Welfare of Man ; and how acceptable this fweet Difpofition of Soul is to him, who ponders the Hearts, and weigheth the Spirits of Men, Solomon tells us, for we read, that Juch as are upright in their way, are the Lord's delight *. Let then the Man, who is like Nathanael, who had this Teftimony from our Lord, Be- hold 1 , an Ifraelite indeed, in whom is no Guile, rejoice, that God, who feeth and dejireth Truth in the inward Tarts , is pleafed with him : and let him comfort himfelf with that Saying of the Pfalmift, Blejfed is the Man to jvhom the Lord imputeth no Sin ; and in whofe Spirit there is no Guile f. But let the formal Hyppocrite be difmayed, let him fear and tremble, for tho' He may a while by a fhew of Piety, conceal the wicked Purpofes of his Heart, and perhaps deceive and ruin his unwary Brother, who is no more * Ptov. ii. ao. t Pfal. i%. i. able Sermon the Fourth. 97 able to fee the Impoftor through his fanfti- fied Difguife, than willing to believe it, 'till too late Experience makes him fenfible of it ; yet, let him know, that the Fal/hood and Rottenefs of his Heart, is naked a?id opened to the Eyes of God , who will reward him ac- cording to the Fruit thereof. Let thofe, who allow and indulge them- felves in any fecret Sins, which the Eyes of Man cannot reach, and all thofe, who endea- vour to palliate their Sins with artful Diftin- dtions, as Adam did to cover his Guilt with Fig-leaves ; let them know, that the Eyes of the Lord pierce into the inmoft Recefles of the Soul, and will bring to Light the hidden things of Darknefs, and will one Day iud*e the fecrets of Men by Jefus Chrifl. In a word, let all infincere Profeflbrs of Chriftianity confider, that by their Hyppo- crify they affront the Truth of God, becaufe they treat him, as if He could be pleafed with Lies; and affront his Omnifcience, becaufe they behave, as if He were no better than the Idols of the Heathen, who have Ears, and hear not; Eyes, and fee not: but let them timely confider, that they may repent of their great Folly and Sin, left their final Portion be that of Liars, viz. the Lake that burneth with fire and Brimflone for ever. But let all faithful and fincere Chriftians, whether their Innocence be traduced and vi - N lified 98 Sermon the Fourth. lifted by falfe and malicious Tongues, be com- forted, for God knoweth the Integrity of their Hearts, and will either in this Life make their fyghteoufnefs us clear as the noon Day ; or in the next, vindicate their Innocence and reward it with Glory, to the eternal Shame and Confufion of their falfe Accufers. In a word, whether they labour under Po- verty or Sicknefs , or any other Trouble or Diftrefs, the Confideration of a gracious and all-feeing God muft cheer and fupport them under it. For if we bear with Refignation to his holy Will, thofe Evils with which our heavenly Father vifits us, to try our Patience, and that our Faith may be praife worthy in the Day of the Lord, if we cry unto htm y He will either deliver us out of our Diftrefs, or elfe make our light jiffliUions here-, work for us an exceeding and eternal weight of Glory with him- felf in Heaven. SER- [99 ] The Juftice of God. SERMON V. Ret. XV. 3. latter part. Juft and true are thy Ways, Thou King of Saints. TH E whole Verfe runs thus, And they jivg, (viz. thofe who had gotten the Victory over the Bead, and over his Image) the Song ofMofes, the Ser- vant of God: and the Song of the Lamb-, fay- ing, Great and marvellous are thy Works-) Lord, God Almighty ; juft and true are thy Ways , Thou !Qng of Saints. This Part of the Song, which relates to that holy and tremendous Attribute of the Deity, his Juftice, exprefs'd in thefe words, juft and true are thy Ways, I have made choice of for the Subject of the following Difcourfe, in which I fhall endea- vour to fhew, N 2 I. Firft, ico Sermon the Fifth. I. Firfly what we are to underfland by the Juftice of God, II. Secondly ', to demonftrate that this At- bute of Juftice doth efTentially belong to God. And III. Thirdly , what Influence the Confide- ration of this Attribute ought to have upon our Faith and Pra&ice. Fir ft i then I am to fhew, what we are to underftand by the Juftice of God, or where- in it doth confift. The word Juftice, as ap- plied to God in Scripture, fbmetimes denotes the divine Beneficence, thus faith Samuel to the People, Stand ft ill that I may reafun with you of all the righteous Acls of the Lord-, which He did to you, and to your Fathers *: and fbme- times it denotes the moft confummate Recti- tude of his Nature, thus faith Mofes, / will publijh the Name of the Lord, He is the Rock, his Work is per feci ; for all his Ways are Judg- ment « a God of Truths and without Iniquity; juji and right is He f. In this Senfe the divine Juftice coincides with the divine Sanctity, and is by the School- men ftiled the univerfal Juftice of God, which they diftinguifh from the particular Juftice of God ; inafmuch as the former denotes the abfolute Rectitude and immaculate Purity of * i Sam. \x- 7. i Deut. 32. 3, 4. his Sermon the Fifth, 101 his Nature j whereas the latter ftrictly bears a Relation to fbtnething elfe : for God is therefore properly called juft, becaufe He nei- ther will, or can do any Thing, with regard to other Beings, but what is fuitable to their Nature, and to his own Perfection. That we may therefore more diftindlly proceed, we muft enquire, with all due Sub- miffion to the Majefty of God, how far his Right extends itfelf over his Creatures : for thence it will appear, how God, with re- gard to them , deals juftly and righteonfly, or, which is the fame thing, fuitably to their Nature, and his own Perfections. Now the Right of God over his Creatures, is that fupreme Dominion and Authority over them, whereby He is ftiled the abfolute Lord and Proprietor of all Things, and con- fequently can ufe, or difpofe of, them ac- cording to his Pleafure, directed by his own infinite Goodnefs and Wifciom. But this univerfal Right is diverfified, and feems to be qualified, according to the great Variety of Creatures, and as they are diftin- guifrYd from each other. For (ince God hath given to fome of thefe no more than bare Exiftence, as to Stones, to Gold and Silver ; and to others, befides Exiftence, Life, but fuch as is void of all Sen- fation, as to Plants and Trees : Gods Right with refpecl: to thefe is without Limitation, He ioz Sermon the Fifth. He may alter or change, deftroy or annihi- late them at his abfolute Will and Pleafure ; becaufe thefe Creatures are incapable of fuf- fering any Injury. But fince, befides thefe, there are other Creatures, whom God hath endued with Life and Senfation, as the brute Beafts, and others alfo whom He hath endued, not only with Life and Senfation, but alfo with Reafon, as Men ; confequently fo far as Men and Brutes have Life and Senfation common to them, fo far they are capable of receiving In- jury, and therefore, in this Cafe, the Right of God over them feems to admit of fome Limitation : for the Juftice of God requires, that He fhould treat them agreeably to their Natures. Wherefore fince God hath created them capable of Pleafure and Pain , He therefore feems thereby to have placed fome Bounds to his own Power. God hath indeed an ab- folute Right to deprive them of all Senfe, or even of their Exiftence, becaufe He doubt- lefs may refume what was freely his own Gift ; and if He is pleafed to continue their Exiftence and Senfation, He may encreafe or diminifh their Senfe of Pleafure to what De- gree his Wifdom {hall prefcribe: but as to their Senfe of Pain, the Right of God feems to admit of fome Reftraint, (viz.) that He fhould not inflict fuch Pain upon them, as mould Sermon the Fifth. 103 mould be more than an Equivalent to the Be- nefit of their Creation. Whence it follows, that if we confider Man in a State of Innocence, in which he was ac his firft Creation, and in which infant Chil- dren now are, who are wafh'd from original Corruption in the Laver of Regeneration, that God hath no Right to will, or to do any thing repugnant to their Condition, or to the Dignity of his own Nature : becaufe God can neither acquire Glory, or take Pleafure in the Mifery of innocent Men ,- much lefs in their eternal Mifery : becaufe it is inconfi- ftent with Wifdom and Goodnefs, to feek for Glory, or to take Pleafure in Acts of Cruelty; for thefe are only fit for the Diver- fion of inhuman Tyrants, or to be the Sport of Devils : and likewife becaufe it is repug- nant to the Condition of Man confidered as innocent; for inftead of Mifery, an intire freedom from it, is due to Innocence ; for it is far better not to be, than to be truly and eternally miferable, and the Creation of fuch a Sufferer, inftead of being a Blefling, will prove the greateft Curfe. From hence we may infer, how much be- neath the Dignity of Man's Reafbn, and the Goodnefs of God, the horrid Opinion of thofe Men muft needs be, who unwarrantably affirm, that God hath ordained and prede- ftinated from all Eternity, the far greateft Part io4- Sermon the Fifth. Part of Mankind to eternal Torments, with- out any Condition, or Previfion, of any avoid- able Fault or Sin of theirs, by an abjfolute Decree of his own Will. For what more cruel and horrid Sentence could ever have been conceived than this > for hereby the greateft Evil is ordain 'd from all Eternity againft Millions of rational Crea- tures, which is not only not due to them, but is evidently unequal and difproportionate to their Condition, that is to fay, their Inno- cence. For what could God do lefs to pro- mote the Glory of his Name, or more to fix eternal Reproach and Ignominy thereon, than to difplay his Juftice by the fevered Tyran- ny > and demonftrate the Glory of his abfo- lute Dominion, and Power of his free Will, by the everlafting Pain and Torments of his innocent Creatures? This furely is the ut- moft Height of Cruelty and Injuftice imagi- nable. This Concfufion feems to be neceflarily drawn from the univerfal Juftice of God, or the eternal Sanctity of his Nature. But it is objected, that God may, without any Violation of his Juftice, inflict Pain up- on an innocent Creature for fome Time, and that He may therefore for a longer Time, and confequently for ever : for if He may juftly do it for two or three Hours, why not for as many more, and fo on to all Eternity ? The Sermon the Fifth. io? The Sophiftry of this Argument is eafily feen through and refuted } for tho' we own, that God hath an undoubted Right to inflicSt Pain even upon an innocent Creature, fo far as that Pain doth not exceed the Benefit, or overbalance the Good which accrues to it from its Creation : yet, if that Evil of Pain fliall exceed that Good, we have no Reafon to acknowledge any fuch Right in God, be- caufe it is no lefs inconfiftent with his Per- fections, than unfuitable to the Condition of the Creature. Hitherto we have confidered, how far the Right of God may extend itfelf with regard to Man confidered in a State of Innocence. But fince there are none of all the Sons and Daughters of Adam, but what are Sinners; for the pureft Saint on Earth, as well as the vileft Tr/mfgrefTor, muft own with St John, 'That if we fay, we have no Sin, we deceive our felves, and the Truth is not in us. Therefore I mail proceed to confider the Right of God, with regard to Man as a Sin- ner, as acting againft the Dictates of his Rea- fon, either under the Law of Nature, or un- der the Law of Mofes, or under the Law of Chrift; and fince the Law of Nature is a Rule more obfcure than the Law of Mofes, and both of them more obfcure than the Law of Chrift, therefore the divine Right feems to admit of various Limitations, according to O the 106 Sermon the Fifth. the different Quality and Quantity of the Tranfgreffion, which is more or lefs heinous according to the greater or lefler Light and Conviction, againlt which it is committed. But then thofe Limitations muft be fuch as Gods infinite Mercy directed by his uner- ring Wifdom (hall prescribe. And yet fuch is the odious Nature of eve- ry wilful Sin, that God may, without any In- jury to the Offender, were he extreme to mark what Is done amifs, juftly punifh it with Death, for the wages of Sin is Death. And tho' God be moft holy in himfelf, yet He may, as a wife Governour of the World, juftly fuffer Man, whom He has endued with Reafon and Liberty of Will, to commit Sin ; but He cannot without Injury to Man, and Violence to his own Sanctity, perfwade or compel him, by any moral or phyfical A<5t or Impulfe, to the Commiflion of it. Which leads me yet in a more restrained Senfe to confider the particular Juftice of God, whereby He is related to the whole Race of finful Men, not only as their Sove- reign Lord, but as a moft righteous Judge of all their Actions. We muft obferve further, that this parti- cular Juftice of this great Lord and Judge is not communicative, for as Job faith, can a Man be profitable to God? or as S. Paul faith, who hath firfi given to him, and it Jhall be recom* Sermon the Fifth. 107 recompensed to him again ? but diftributive, which confifts in a conftant Will to reward or punifh every Man according to the Fruit of his doings ; agreeably to what the Apoftle faith to the Romans, God will render to every Man according to his Deeds : to them, who by patient Continuance in well-doing, feck for Glo- ry, and Honour, and Immortality, eternal Life : but to them, that are contentious, and obey not the Truth, but obey r Unrighteoufnefs J Indigna- tion and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguijh, upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil*, But fo great is the lmperfeftion of the beft of Men and their Services, that God confers Rewards upon them, not on Account of their own, but of the imputed Merits ofChrift; and therefore this A& of divine Juftice, which relates to the Works of good Men, is rather by way of Analogy, than propriety term'd Diftributive. Wherefore our prefent Enquiry folely and properly relates to the vindictive Juftice of God, fo that the Queftion is, whether God be necelTarily obliged to punifh Sinners or not > or whether He may not , or can not remit the Punifhment of Sin, and that with- out fome Satisfaction made to his offended Majefty, without a Violation of his Juftice. For, tho" it is agreed by all, that God will moft certainly give thofe good Things, which 1 * Chap. z. O2 He io8 Sermon the Fifth. He hath promifed to thofe that love anc! obey him, becaufe He u juft and faithful that hath promifed. For hath He faid, and jhall He not do it ? Hath He jpoken^ and Jhall He not make it good? Jliall not the Judge of all the Earth do right ? But Men are not fo unanimous in their Opinion concerning the vindictive Juftice of God : for many will not believe, that God is equally obliged to punifh Sinners, as He is to confer Rewards upon his Saints. For in this Cafe, fay they, God is the Creditor, and the Sinner is the Debtor, and confequently He may, confident with his Juftice, remit the Debt of Punifhment to the Sinner, becaufe there is no Injury done either to Debtor or Creditor. But to this we reply, that fince God hath declared, that He will punifh impenitent Sin- ners, He cannot, tho' He be the Creditor, and Sinners the Debtors, remit the Debt of Punifhment, without a Violation of his Vera- city: He is a God of Truth , and therefore He will not, He cannot lie. Vindictive Juftice is therefore neceffary to God, becaufe He hath declared, that He will take Vengeance of incorrigible Sinners, and that it is not only neceffary on Account of his Threatnings, but alfo effential to the San- ctity of his Nature, will appear Firft, Sermon the Fifth. 109 Firfty if we compare the Nature of Juftice with the Nature of God. Now Juftice bears the fame Relation to the moral World, as Order and Proportion do to the Natural : for it affigns to each rational Creature his pro- per Place or Station, according to its Deferts: and therefore fince Order and Proportion, vifible throughout the whole Univerfe, and every Part thereof, are not only allowed to proceed originally from God, but alfo to exift: in him after a manner infinitely more per- fect : why mould not Juftice, on which all Order and Proportion in # the moral World depend, exift alfo in the fame moft perfect Caufe in the like infinite Degree ? For the Reafon is the fame in both, becaufe there can be no Beauty or Perfe&ion, which can de- rive its Origin from any other Being, befide the firft Caufe j or which is not necefTarily and effentially united, in the moft eminent way, to that moft perfect Being. But tho' Order and Proportion are very confpicuous in the natural World, may it not be objected, that there are only faint Sha- dows thereof in the moral ? for do we not frequently fee Wicked nefs triumphant, and neglected Vertue miferably deprefled ? To this we reply, that it is not always fo, for fometimes we fee Vertue adorn'd with Ho- nour and Glory, and Wickednefs labouring under the juft Shame and Punifhment which i? due to it. How- no Sermon the Fifth. However it be, from the unequal Diftri- bution of Things here, all that we can juftly infer is, that there will furely come a Day , ivherein God will judge the World in l^ighteouf- vefs. Neverthelefs fince the prefent Beauty of the natural World doth confift in its Order and Proportion ; there alfo may be, for ought we know, the like Beauty arifing from the fame Principles in the moral : for as God ftridtly obferved this Rule in the Formation of the former, having made every Thing in Number , Weight, and Meafure : fo 'tis highly credible, that even now He obferves the fame Laws in the Government of the latter: tho' the one is more evident to us, than the other, which muft be for this Reafon, becaufe it is not in our Power to judge fo well of the moral, as it is of the natural Geometry of God : becaufe this is a glorious Scene of fen- iible Things expofed to our View ; whereas that lies hidden and conceal'd from our Sight, in the dubious, intricate and puzling Mean- ders of the Heart, which, as the Prophet faith, is deceitful above all Thi?igs. And this Argument may be thus further confirm'd ; Order and Proportion are in them- felves lovely and aimable; and therefore, as fuch, not to be rejected ; for if fo, it muft be for the fake of fome greater good to be obtain'd: if for the fake of fome greater S good, Sermon the Fifth. 1 1 1 good, that mult be, either the private good of him that rejects it, or the publick good, or the private good of fome other Being : but it can be neither of thefe ; not the pri- vate good of him that rejects it -, becaufe He is here fuppofed to be an infinitely perfedt Be- ing, and therefore incapable of receiving any adventitious Benefit: nor the publick good, for this confifts in, and therefore is to be pre- ferved by Order and Proportion : much lefs therefore are thefe to be reje&ed for the fake of the private good of any other Being; becaufe Order and Proportion being a pub- lick Benefit, they are to be preferred far be- fore the private good of any other Being, and therefore are not to be violated j and confe- quently 'tis neceflary, that God mould obferve them, in all his Works and Difpenfations, or which is the fame in other Words, that God mould be juft ; and confequently that He is obliged , as hath been before obferved , noc to punifh the innocent, but only guilty impe- nitent Sinners. For can any Thing be more repugnant to Order and Proportion, than to punifh the in- nocent, or to fufFer impenitent Sinners to efcape free: therefore if God mould adt con- trary thereto, He muft violate the Re&itude of his own Nature, and contradict himfel£ Since therefore God is the great Fountain of all Order and Proportion, He feems ob- liged, 1 1 1 Sermon the Fifth. liged, not fo much by the Determination of his own free Will, as by the Neceffity of his own Nature, to puniih impenitent Sinners. Secondly-, vindictive Juftice is necefTary and efTential to God, becaufe we have great Rea- fbn to believe, that God neither would nor could have forgiven Sin, unlefs there had been a full and plenary Satisfa&ion and Com- penfation made to him for it. For (ince God had not only declared, but Mankind, as it were, naturally believed, that without Jhed- ding of Blood there could be no "Rgmiffion of Sin : a Sacrifice was necefTary to be offered for the Sinner, whereby Gods Wrath might be ap- peafed, and his Love obtaind. And fince it was no lefs necefTary, that that Sacrifice fhould be pure, fpotlefs, and of in- finite Value, to attone the infinite Juftice of God, for the infinite Malignity of Sin; it fol- lows, that no fuch Sacrifice could have been found among all the Variety of Creatures that are: for whatever any Creature could have done or fuffered, would have been no more than Duty, or juft Punifhment ; there- fore, if Chrift, who is God as well as Man, had not offered himfelf for us, Sin had not been pardon'd, and if not pardoned, it would moft certainly have been punifh'd, and if fb, that Punifhment would have been the nece£ fary Effect of God's vindicative Juftice : or elfe the Sinners Soul muft have been annihi- lated. Sermon the Fifth. 115 lated, or his Guilt for ever have went unpu- nifhed ; which is repugnant to Reafon, as well as Revelation. For 'tis evident in fa<5t, that God would by no means remit Sin, without fuch a va- luable Satisfaction j and therefore it is highly credible, that he could not remit it, without that Satisfaction, becaufe inconfiitent with the Sanctity of his Juftice. For if it depended iblely on the free Will of God to punifh, or not punifh Sin; if He could have pardond Sin without any SatiC- faction ; how came the God of all Mercy to expofe his own immaculate Lamb to rapa- cious Wolves? was it confiftent with his infi- nite Goodnefs , to fend his beloved Son into the World, in whom He was well pleafed^ to fuffer fo many vile Indignities, and at length deliver him to the painful and ignominious Death of the Crofs, for the fake of us mife- rable Sinners ? why did it not pleafe his in- finite Wifdom to contrive fome other Me- thod of Redemption , which mould coft no fuch terrible Wounds, nor the EfFufion of fuch precious Blood ? If our Redemption did folely depend up- on the free Will of God, why would not the Blood of Bulls and ofGoats^ and the Afoes of an Heifer , jprinklwg the unclean , fatisfy to the purifying of the Spirit , as well as of the Flefb ? Why muft theBloodof Chrift be needs required P to H4- Sermon the Fifth. to appeafe the offended Majefty of God? What, could the pungent Pains, and bloody Agonies ; the extreme Tortures of his Body, and the inexpreffible Horrors of his Soul, be grateful to the Father of 'Mercies , who hath declared, that He hath no pleafure in the Death of the Wicked, and much lefs then in the Death of his innocent Son, had there been no Ne- ceffity for it? But further, were there no other Motive to God, betide the Determination of his own free Will, to facrifice his Son, why did not that God, who proclaims himjelf the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long fuffering and abundant in Goodnefs and Truth, hear with pity and compaflion his dear Son crying out in his painful Agonies upon the Crofs , My Father, if it be pojfible, let this Cup pafs from me. Since therefore that deadly Cup, full of di- vine Fury , did not pafs from him , we have reafon to conclude, that it was neceflary for him to drink largely thereof, becaufe other- wife God would not have forgiven the Sins of Men j and confequently that vindictive Ju- ftice is neceflary and eflential to the divine Nature. Which Truth is Thirdly, confirm'd by the Teftimony of our own Confcience ; for Confcience brings every Man to the Bar of Juftice, before God's Tri- bunal, and either accufes him of, and con- demns Sermon the Fifth. 1 1 ? demns him for, Sin committed, or approves of and applauds him for the good Things which he hath done: Nor can the Light of Con- ference be quite extinguifh'd, nor its Charge eluded, nor its Evidence corrupted; nor is there any Sin fo hidden or fecret, nor any Sinner fo high and mighty, but Conference will find him out y lay hold of, and chaftife him for it. Now whence come thefe direful Laflies, and amazing Horrors of Confcience for the Guilt of Sin, but from a natural Senfe of that almighty Judge, whofe Prefence, tho' invi- fible to our bodily Eye, is yet apparent to the Eye of Faith, and of our own Reafon. And that the Dictates of Confcience are univerfal, appears further from the Sacrifices which the Heathen offered to their Gods to appeafe their Indignation ; and by their Cu- ftom of Swearing by them, as oft as they had occafion to invoke the Gods as WitnefTes and Judges of their A&ions: for this plainly (hews, that they believed their Gods to be ftrenuous Afferters of the Truth, and fevere Avengers of all Falfhood and Wrong. Finally that vindictive Juftice is necefTary and efTential to God, may appear from the necefTary Hatred which He muft bear to Sin : for if God cannot but love himfelf, becaufe .there is nothing in himfelf, but what is truly aimable ; He muft of neceflity hate Sin, be- P 2 caufe 1 1 6 Sermon the Fifth. caufe it is moft oppofite to the San&ity of his Nature ; for Sin is a Tranfgrejjion of his holy Larvy and the exprefs Image, and impure If- fue of that arch Traytor the Devil, the Au- thor of it. Wherefore the moft holy God, who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity y muft of neceffity hate Sin, and confequently punifh it. For tho' we frail Creatures may entertain an Averfion againft a Sinner without punifh- ing him for being fb ; becaufe we may have neither Power nor Authority to do it : yet fince neither of thefe can be wanting to the fovereign Ruler and Judge of the World, it muft be necelTary for him to exprefs his Difc pleafure againft Sin, which He fo much hates, by foine Punifhment fuitable to it. Where- fore from this and the preceding Arguments we conclude, that vindictive Juftice is necef- fary and effential to God. But tho' it be granted, that vindictive Ju- ftice is necefTary and efTential to God : is it necefTary, that his Wrath jhould burn like Fire againft Sinners for ever? is it confident with Equity, that the Errors of a fhort Life, prone to Evil, fhould be punifhed with eternal Tor- ments? with a Worm that never dies^ and a Fire that never J\o all be quenched? For if this be the Cafe, what Proportion is there, be- tween a momentary Sin, and an eternal Pu- nifhment? if the leaftSins, not repented of, are Sermon the Fifth. 117 are juftly punifh'd with eternal Torments ; what will the moft enormous Sins deferve? can there be any greater, than infinite Tor- ments for the greateft Sins > or, are all Sins to be accounted equal? With fuch like cavilling Reafons as thefe, do fome Men difpute againft the Teftimony of God's Word, which exprefsly aflerts, that all impenitent Sinners Jhall go into everlajlitig Punifhment, but the J^ighteons into life eternal. We may allure ourfelves, that how difficult fbever it may feem to us, to reconcile the eternal Punifhments of the Damn'd to our Reafbn and God's Perfections ; we (hall here- after fee, with regard to good Men, the Sal- vation of God ; and have reafon to fay, with refpeft to the Wicked, that righteous art Thou y Lord) and true in all thy Judgments . For the prefent then let us reft fatisfied, about the future State of impenitent Sinners, with what Antoninus the Roman Emperor and Philofopher doubtingly faid, with regard to the future State of good Men , whether by Death they mould be extinguifh'd or not ; if it be juft, fays he, you may be fure it is fo; if it be not juft, you may certainly conclude the contrary : for God is juft, and being fo y He will do nothing that is unjuft, or unrea- fonable. I proceed now in the laft place briefly to mew, what Influence the Confideration of this 1 1 8 Sermon the Fifth. this Attribute ought to have upon our Faith and Pra&ice. And Fir ft, if God be juft, we ought to believe and acknowledge him to be fo in all the Dif fpenfations of his Providence, however hid- den they may be from, or repugnant to, our fhort lighted Underftanding : if therefore God Jhould lift the Poor out of the Mire, and fet him with Princes, even with the Princes of his People ; or lay the Honour of Princes in the Duft. If He Jhould make our Corn, and Wine, and Oil encreafe-, or reduce us to Poverty and Diftrefs ; we muft fay with old Eli, it is the Lord-, let him do what feemeth him Good: for what feemeth Good to him, is, and muft be, juft to us. Secondly, if God be juft, let us then fear to offend him, and that not only in our out- ward Actions, but alfo in our Thoughts : for He knoweth our down-fitting and up-rifing, He under ftandeth all our TJ;oughts : He is about our Path, and about our Bed, and jftieth out all our Ways: if therefore we wilfully offend him, we provoke his Juftice to vindicate his Ho- nour, and chaftife our Folly. Nor is there any Way to efcape the Fury of his Vengeance, but by unfeigned Repentance thro' the Me- rits of Chrift, who is our Propitiation. TJjirdly, if God be juft, let us dare to ferve, and worjhip him in Spirit and in Truth, in- fpite Sermon the Fifth, 119 fpiteofall the Frowns or Smiles of this World, which mould endeavour to affright us from, or entice us to abandon, our Duty. Let the Heathen furioujly rage, and the People imagine a vain thing : Let the Kings of the Earth fiand up, and the Princes take counfel together againji the Lord) and againji his anointed. But let us put our trufl in him, for the God whom ive ferve is able to deliver us. He that dwelleth in Heaven jhall laugh them to [corn ; the Lord Jhall have them in derifion : He jhall jpeak to them in his wrath, and vex them in his fore dijpleafure ; but He will fet all his faith- ful Servants, as He hath our biefled Lord and King, upon his holy Hill of Sion. Finally, if God be juft, let us endeavour to be juft in all our Ways, as He is juft : let us pay to God that Love and Obedience which are due to him ; and in our Dealings, what is juft and due to Men. And fo mall we in fome meafure fulfil that golden Rule of E- quity, which God and Nature prefcribe to our Practice, whatfoever ye would that Men Jhould do unto you, do ye even fo unto them, for this is the Law and the Prophets ; and have reafon to expecl: a favourable Sentence at the laft Day, from our juft eternal Judge, for the fake of Chrift, becaufe He hath allured us, that with what Meafure we mete unto others, it jloall he meafure d to us again, SER- [ no ] The Goodnefs of God. SERMON VI. Psalm CXIX. 68. Thou art good, and Thou do ft good. H E Goodnefs of the Lord was the dayly Subject, and delightful Theme of Davids Pfalms, It is, faith he, a good Taking to give Thanks unto the Lord-, and to fing Praifes unto thy Name, Thou mo ft High , to tell of thy loving I^indnefs early in the Morning, and of thy Truth in the night Seafon : for Thou Lord haft made me glad thro thy, Works, and I will re Joyce in giving Praife for the Operations of thy Hands. And what was his beloved Song here on Earth, is now the triumphant and eternal Theme, with Angels and Archangels, of his Halleluiahs in Heaven. For thefe all (landing before the Throne of God, Sing, BleJJing, and Glory, Sermon the Sixth. in Glory-, and JVifdom, an dThankf giving, and Ho- nour ; and Power, and Might to his holy Name for ever and ever. They continually fee and tajte how gracious the Lord is, and therefore, as it well becometh the juft to be thankful, they continually celebrate his Goodnefs, and with- out ceafing joyfully pay the Tribute of their Praife. We therefore , who are Members of the Church Militant, fhould join with them in fhewing forth the loving Kindnefs of the Lord, that we may for ever tafte of, and ce- lebrate, his Goodnefs with that Church Tri- umphant in Heaven ,♦ for it is now, and will hereafter be the Duty and Happinefs of glo- rified Saints to dwell for ever on this delight- ful Theme, (viz.) Thou art goody and Thou dofl good. In fpeaking to which Words I fhall endeavour to fhew, I. Fir fly what we are to underftand by the divine Goodnefs, or wherein it doth confift. II. Secondly, to demonstrate, that Good- nefs belongeth eflentially to God. III. Thirdly, to point out fome Inftances, wherein God is pleafed to manifeft his Goodnefs : and, IV. Laftly, fhew what Influence^ the Confi- deration of this Attribute ought to have upon our Faith and Practice. Q_ Erft, I ii Sermon the Sixth, Firft, I am to fliew, what we are to under- ftand by the Goodnefs of God, or wherein it doth confift. The word Goodnefs is taken in various Senfes, and in divers Refpedts afcribed unto God; fometimes it fignifies the abfolute Per- fection of God, denoting, that He is of him- felf, in himfelf, originally, confummately, and immutably good. Sometimes the word Goodnefs is oppofed to all moral Turpitude or Imperfection what- foever, in which fenfe it denotes, that the Nature of God is moft holy, pure, and im- maculate ; in both thefe acceptations, we are to underftand thofe words of our Saviour, There is none goody but One, that is God. Goodnefs is alfo elfewhere taken in a more limited and reftrained Senfe, for a moft ar- dent Propenlity of the divine Nature to do good to his Creatures, and to promote their Happinefs ; in this acceptation it is oppofed to Envy and Malice, which delight in doing Injury to others, or in unjuftly denying or witholding Things necefTary or convenient for them ; and in this laft relative fenfe it is to be understood in my Text, (viz.) Thou art goody and Thou dojt good ; fo that it fignifies the fame thing as Beneficence or Kindnefs, it being the Nature of what is good to be com- municative of itfelf. From Sermon the Sixth. 113 From thefe various Acceptations of Good- nefs, it will be eafy to diftinguifli thofe dif- ferent Attributes, which feem in fome re- flects to be fo near of Kin to it, as to be taken for, or confounded with it j fuch as are the divine Love, and Sanctity j Grace, and Mercy. The Sanctity of God is the abfolute Recti- tude of his Nature, which clearly fhines and difplays its Beauty in the holy Precepts of the Law and Gofpel, which the more heartily we obey, the more fully we refemble the divine Sanctity; and expofe the Image of it to the View and Imitation of others. But the di- vine Goodnefs doth more widely diffufe itfelf, for it denotes not only the* abfblute Recti- tude of God's Nature, but alfo the gracious Emanation of his Will, reaching out, and free- ly bellowing its Riches to all and every Crea- ture, according to that of the Pfalmift, The Lord is good to all y and his tender Mercies are over all his Works. From the divine Goodnefs flows the divine Love, from which the divine Goodnefs is diftinguifhed, as a Caufe is from its Effect: for we muft conceive Things to have been firft made by the divine Power, moved by ineffable Goodnefs, before we can conceive them to be the Objects of the divine Love. By the Grace of God is meant, fometimes his uniyerfal Benevolence, which (hews itfelf Q^2 in ix4> Sermon the Sixth. in freely beftowing his Favours upon us, with- out any Merit on our Side, or Obligation on his ; and fometimes it more efpecially figni- fies the Gifts of the holy Spirit, in the like manner freely communicated to us by God : in the former Senfe it coincides with the di- vine Love, and therefore is diftinguimd in the fame manner from God's Goodnefs, as his Love is: in the latter fenfe, it is of a more contra&ed Signification, for it is not extend- ed to all Men, but is appropriated only to thofe, who, being admitted into the new Covenant by the Sacrament of Baptifm, are thought meet to be Partakers of the Gifts of the holy Ghoft. And as for the divine Mercy, that may be diftinguifli'd from the Goodnefs of God on account of its Object; for the Creature as fuch is the Object of the divine Goodnefs, but the Creature as miferable is the ObjecT: of the divine Mercy. From hence we may infer, that God's Goodnefs is neither the Sandtity of his Na- ture, nor his Love; neither his Grace, nor Mercy; but an Affection that comprehends, in its Idea, all thofe gracious Attributes, of whofe benign Influences the Creature is ca- pable of partaking. Which, that it belongs eilentially unto God, I proceed according to my Second Particular to demonftrate : and tirffl^ Sermon the Sixth. 115* Fir ft 1 this wiil appear from the very Idea or Notion of a God, which, according to our Conceptions, and his own Declaration, is, Dens optimm, maximus^ the beft and greateft of all Beings, a Being infinitely perfect. Since therefore Goodnefs is the beft and nobleft of all Perfe&ions, (for without it, what would his Power be, but a mad and brutal Force ? what his Wifdom, but Folly ? what his Know- ledge, but Vanity? or the whole Complex of Gods Attributes, but Oppreflion and Cru- elty ?) it muft neceffarily be involved among the Perfections of God. Nay, not only Goodnefs, but all poflible Degrees of Goodnefs, infinite Goodnefs mult belong unto him : for fince we acknowledge God to be infinite in Power and Wifdom, we muft alfo acknowledge him to be infi- nite in Goodnefs ; for if He were not fo, it muft be, becaufe He could not, or would not have infinite Goodnefs: but if He could not have it, where then would be his infinite Power? and if He would not have it, where would be his infinite Wifdom ? God there- fore, on account of his all perfect EfTence, is properly and only faid to be neceffarily and eifentially good : whereas all other Things, how good foever they may be ftiled, be- caufe they are made according to the holy Will of God , yet they are only good by Participation: it is God alone that is eter- nally, n6 Sermon the Sixth. nally, immutably, and independently good of himfelf. But can Goodnefs be eflential to God ? is it not a Perfection relative to the Creature I How then could it have any Place among the Attributes of God, before any Creature did exift to partake of its Influence ? and if it be only coeval with the Creature, how can it be eflential to the divine Nature ? This Ob- jection will eafily be removed, if we diftin- guifli Goodnefs into its Principle, and into the Exercife thereof. When we fay God is eflentially good, we mean that God hath, from all Eternity, the Principle of Good- nefs in himfelf; but as to the external A&s or Exercife of that Goodnefs, this muft be acknowledgd to begin and end with the Creature. But farther, fince God is eflentially good, his Goodnefs and Eflence muft be infepa- rable , fo that God may as foon ceafe to be God, as ceafe to be good in himfelf. And becaufe all Compofition of Parts im- plies a mutual Dependency of one Part upon another, and confequently fo far Imperfe- ction ; therefore God being infinitely perfeft, can admit of no Compofition ; and therefore his Goodnefs, and all other his Attributes muft be identified with his Eflence, and con- fequently He is not fo properly ftiied good, as Goodnefs itfelf. And Sermon the Sixth. 117 And as God is thus neceflarily good in him- felf, fo likewife is He neceflarily good in all the Operations of his Hands ; not that He a&s by a fatal Neceflity, as the Stoicks idly dream'd, for all his Works are the gracious Effects of his free Will and Pleafure : but that when He had decreed to create the World, He could not but create it good and perfeft. Accordingly we find the Wifciom of God pro- nounced of all his Creatures, that He had made, that they were good-, for how indeed could it have been otherwife, fince every Thing that was made, was made conformable to the divine Underftanding and Will, which are the fole infallible Rule and Standard of all Truth and Goodnefs. Since God therefore, through the Impulfe of his Goodnefs, was determind to produce the World; the fame Goodnefs neceflarily de- termined him to make the Whole, and every Part thereof, compleat and good ; wherefore how confident foever it may be with infinite Power, it is utterly inconfiftent with infinite Goodnefs, to create a miferable Creature : for as it is abfurd that God mould be fubjecl: to any natural Evil, fo it is no lefs abfurd, that He fhould be fubjecl: to any moral Imperfe- ction, fuch as are Jnjuftice and Cruelty : wherefore there is a neceflary Connexion be- tween the Goodnefs and Eflence of God : God therefore is neceflarily good^ Nor n8 Sermon the Sixth. Nor are the fevere Punifhments, which God inflicts upon impenitent Sinners, any Obje- ction againft his Goodnefs : for his Goodnefs muft be confiftent with all his Attributes, and therefore with his Juftice; for J] jail not the Judge of all the Earth do right ? or (hall one Attribute be contrary to another ; if fo, where then would be the Happinefs and Per- fection of God ? Had Men or Angels never finn'd, they had not ceafed to have been the Objects of his Goodnefs j but having fain from their origi- nal Righteoufnefs and Holinefs, regardlefs of God's Goodnefs, and their own Happi- nefs, they rendred themfelves unworthy of his loving Kindnefs ; nay, fo much the more unworthy, as their ungrateful Offence was committed againft the greateft Goodnefs : it cannot then be an Objection againft God's Goodnefs, that He fometimes draws his Sword of Juftice againft incorrigible Sinners ; for He thereby afferts that Glory to his Juftice, which thofe vile Rebels deny to his Good- nefs. Another Argument to demonftrate the Goodnefs of God, may be taken from all the Signs of Goodnefs, that are vifible in all the Ranks of Beings, and each Individual; for whatever Beauty or wholfome Influence ap- pears from thofe luminous Bodies, which mine in the Firmament of Heaven, or dif- plays Sermon the Sixth. 1x9 plays itfelf in thofe, which move upon the Face of the Earth, or fwim in the great Deep, are the rich Emanations which ftream from the inexhauftible Fountain of ali Goodnefs ; and therefore Goodnefs muft be afcribed to God infinitely above what can be feen in the moft excellent Creature : for whatever Per- fection is in the Effect, muft either formally or eminently, that is, either under the fame likenefs, or in a much more excellent Way preexift in the firft infinite Caufe. And therefore, as the Apoftle faith, TJie tnvifible Things of him from the Creation of the World, are clearly feen , being under food by the Things that are made, even his eternal Power and Godhead; fo likewife frqm the Goodnefs of the fame vifible Things, may we juftly infer the moft confummate Goodnefs of the Creator j and that all the Goodnefs, vifible in the great Variety of Creatures, is but a faint Image or Shadow of that tranf^ cendent Goodnefs, which is in God; which reminds me of my Second Particular, which is to point out fome Inftances, wherein God is pleafed to manifeft his Goodnefs. Now thefe Inftances are clearly feen in the Works of the Crea- tion ; in God's providential Care of them ; but above all, in the myfterious Work of our Redemption. R As 130 Sermon the Sixth. As to the Firft of thefe, the divine Good- nefs is clearly feen in the Works of the Crea- tion ; for as the beautiful Harmony of the Works of God, vifible throughout the Whole, and every Part of the Univerfe, demonftrate his Exiftence, together with his infinite Wif dorn and Power ; (6 do the excellent Quali- ties, which adorn the Diverfity of Creatures, and by which they are fubfervient to the Wel- fare of each other, mew forth the immenfe Riches of the divine Goodnefs : for among all the great Variety of Creatures, there is nothing but what proclaims the Goodnefs, as well as Glory of the Creator. If we caft our Eyes up to Heaven, the Con- ftancy and Regularity in which thofe vaft Bodies, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, perform their rapid Motions ; the certain and conve- nient Vicirlitude of Seafons which they make, will give us caufe fufficient to admire, and adore that tranfcendent Goodnefs and Wif- dom, which firft formed them, and difpofed them into that beautiful State and Order, wherein we fee them; and which, without any fenfible Variation or Change, either of Magnitude or Figure , Situation or Diftance from each other, they continue to retain, and by the kindly Influences of their Light and Heat, conduce to the general Prefer- vation and Comfort of all Things here be- low. And Sermon the Sixth, i g i And if we furvey this Globe of Earth where- on we dwtll, we fliall find, that God hath fo wifely and gracioufly fafhioned all Things a- bout us, as to render them ufeful and con- venient for us : the Earth, at proper Seafons, is- fpread all over, like a Table well furnifhed with great Variety of delicate Eruits, Herbs, and Grains, to nourifh our Bodies, gratify our Senfes, to cheer our Spirits, and cure thofe Difeafes that may befal us. Even the barren Mountains fend down freih Streams of Water, necefTary to fupport our Lives, ufeful to enrich and make fruitful the Valleys beneath; and convenient for main- taining Intercourfe and Commerce among us: nor are the wide Seas altogether unprofitable Waftes; they tranfmit our Traffick, furnilli us with delicate Entertainments, and fupply the Heavens with Waters to refrefh the Earth, being the inexhauftible Source from whence our Fountains and Rivers are derived, and into which they flow j nay, even the rough and ftormy Winds are ufeful and ferviceable, for they cleanfe and purify the Air for our Health , and fcatter and fpread abroad the Clouds, thofe Paths of Gad, which dropFat- nefs upon our Fields and Paftures. And as for thofe inferior Creatures, which are endued with Life, what manifold Bleflings we receive from them ; how many ways they fupply our Neceffities, eafe our Labours, and R 2 pro- 1 1% Sermon the Sixth. promote our Diverfions, affording ut delight- ful Food, and convenient Cloathing, is not poflible for us, by Words, or Numbers, to ex- press. But we need not go out of ourfelves to find Inftances of God's Goodnefs : the For- mation of Man will fupply us with an abun- dant Proof thereof 5 for the blelTed Trinity feems, in a peculiar manner, to have delibe- rated about his Creation : God faid^ Let us make Man in our Image , after our Likenefs : and accordingly we fee many lively Traces of his Goodnefs deeply impreft upon the Body and Soul of Man : the firft indeed God form- ed out of the Duft of the Earth, but yet He built that Houfe of Clay with fuch wonder- ful Artifice, fo aptly difpofed every Part of it, adapting each of them to all the feveral Ufes of Life, and adorned the whole with fuch a comely Shape, and elegant Figure, that we cannot but admire and praife the Goodnefs of God, who framed fo fuitable and beauti- ful a Tenement, for the rational Soul to re- fide in : which Particle of the Divinity is not only endued with the noble Faculty of Un- derftanding and freedom of Will, but, being immortal like the great Father of'Sptrits y who created it, is not fubject to decay, but can fafely bid defiance to the armed Fury of the moft powerful Tyrant, and ftand unhurt a- midft the Crufh of falling Worlds. By Sermon the Sixth. 1 2 3 By this godlike Principle Societies are for- med, Cities ruled, and Empires fuftained ; to this is to be afcribed the Invention and Improvement of Art-, and Sciences; 'tis this that leads us into the Knowledge of God, and our Duty towards him ; 'tis this that makes us capable of feeing God here, and of enjoying him for ever hereafter : fo that we have reafon to fay with the Pfalmift, Lord our Governour , how excellent is thy Name in all the World-, who haft jet thy Glory above the Heavens ! Thou haft made Man little lower than the Angels, and haft crown d him with Glory and Honour ; Thou madeft him to have dominion over the Works of thine Hands ; Thou haft put all things under his Feet ; the Beaft of the Field, the Fowl of the Air, the Fijh of the Sea, and whatfoever paff'eth through the Paths of the Seas, Lord our Governour, how excel- lent is thy Name ! And as Gods Goodnefs is vifible in the Works of the Creation ; fo likewife is it in the gracious Ac-ts of his Providence. The fame Goodnefs which produced, doth now fupport the World , for the Glory of God , and the Welfare of Man. God knoweth the Or- dmances of Heaven, and Jetteth the Dominion thereof upon the Earth. He doth not confine himfelf, as Epicurus vainly imagined, within the Boundaries of Heaven, but gracioufly difplayeth his provi- dential 1 3 4 Sermon the Sixth, dential Care over Earth and Seas. The Earth is full of thy Inches , faith the PfaImift,7o is the great and wide Sea^ wherein are Things creeping innumerable , both fmall and great Bcafts : all Things wait on Thee , that Thou may eft give them their Meat in due Seafon : Thou openeft thy Handy and they are filled with good. And could we fee how God, in a peculiar manner with regard to us, doth fo difpofe of the Events and Iflues of Things, as to fhield and protec-t, us from that which would be hurtful j or elfe, even out of thofe Evils, which He permitteth us to endure, worketh cut for us fome important good: could we fee the various Turns and Windings, the Schemes and Contrivances, Providence makes ufe of for our Prefervation, thro' all the dif- ferent Occurrences of Life: could we but fee what a Labyrinth, what a Maze we tread, and what reafon there is for every Turning: Were our Eyes opened to fee, as the young Man's were atElifha's Prayer, the bright Hoft of auxiliary Spirits, that incamp around' us ; with what Care and Concern the good An- gels engage on our behalf againft the Powers of Darknefs, and how many Dangers we efcape thro' their Protection t could we but fee the Ways and Means whereby God is pleafed many times to relieve and reward diftreffed Virtue, and to rebuke and chaftife trium- Sermon the Sixth. 135- triumphant Villany ; how when falfe Witnef- fes have rifen up againft the juft Man, and laid to his charge Things that he knew not , Providence hath made his fyghteoufnefs as clear as the Noon-day, and turned all the malicious Efforts of his lying Adverfaries to their own Shame and Confufion. I fay, could we fee thefe fecret Workings of Providence , the wonderful Scene would be delightfully furprizing : but altho* this pleafing Profpecl: be hidden from our bodily Eye, yet it is open to the Eye of Faith, be- caufe we are allured, that the Angel of the Lord tarrieth about them that fear him, and deliver eth them. But all thefe Inftances of God's Goodnefs, which are vifible in the Acts of his Provi- dence, and in the Works of the Creation, are but faint Images of that ftupendous In- ftance of his Love manifefted to us in our Re- demption. Such an Inftance of the divine Goodnefs as proves Man, above all the other Sons of God, to be the peculiar Favourite of Heaven ; for the Angels which kept not their firft Eftate, but left their own Habitation, He hath referved in everlafting Chains under Dark- nefs, unto the Judgment of the great Day. But Man, who kept not his firft Eftate, is indulged, through the myfterious Work of our Redemption, the happy Priviledge of being again reftored to the loft Favour of God j 1^6 Sermon the Sixth. God : a Priviledge great beyond all Expref- fion, whether we confider the great Evils, from which we are thereby delivered ; the Curfe of" the Law, which is Death ; and the great Bleffings, to which we are thereby in- titled, viz. a Life of Grace here, and of Glo- ry hereafter; or the wonderful Means, by which this Priviledge was purchased for, and confirmed to, us; for to accomplifh our Sal- vation, the eternal God came down from Hea- ven, united himfelf with our frail Flefh, and dwelt among us full of Grace and Truth ; and after a Life fpent in fpotlefs Purity, and ex- tenfive Goodnefs, having with the greateft Meeknefs born the Contradiction of Sinners, tho* He went about doing good? He ~*made his Soul, up on the ignominious Crofs, an Offering for Sin ; and by his mo fl precious Bloody obtain d eternal "Redemption for us. Oh ! the unfathomable Depth of the laches, as of the Wifdom and Knowledge, fo of the Goodnefs of God ! How unfearchable are thefe his Judgments , and his Ways paji finding out ! Thefe Things the Angels dcfire to look into, but cannot comprehend, for the Love ofChrift paffeth Knowledge, and let us who enjoy the Benefits of this adorable Myftery, bowe our Knees unto the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrifi, that Chrifl may dwell in our Hearts by Faith, that we being rooted and grounded in Love, may be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the Sermon the Sixth. 137 the breadth and lengthy and depth and height of our Saviour s Love , that we may be filled with all the fulnefs of God. What remains now, but to fliew according to my Lafl Particular, what Influence the Confideration of this Attribute ought to have upon our Faith and Practice. If God be good to all his Creatures, but more efpecially to us Men, it is our bounden Duty to blefs God, for our Creation, Prefer- vation, and all the Bleffings of this Life, but above all, for his ineftimable Love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord Je- fus Chrift. If God be infinitely good and gracious, we ought to form in our Minds no other Conception of him, than what, in fbme Meafure, is worthy of the divine Majefty. As often therefore as we enter into his Courts, let us, as faith the Apoftle, go boldly to the Throne of Grace , for that is the way to obtain Mercy, and find Grace to help in Time of Need : For what Evil need we fear ? nay, what good Things may we not hope for from fo good a Being? for doubtlefs he feems more to confult God's Honour, who worfhips him with a cheerful Heart, and filial AfTe. cition, than he who invokes him with a fu- perftitious and fervile Fear. S He 138 Sermon the Sixth. He who believes the Goodnefs of God, loves him, and addrefles himfelf to him, as a moft indulgent Father : whereas he who, prefs'd with abjecT: Fears, approacheth the divine Majefty, views him not under that en- dearing Relation, but as a cruel and merci- lefs Tyrant : and therefore, even the Prayers of fuch cannot be pleafing to him ; for as the Apoftle faith, it is not Fear, but Love, that fulfilleth the Law. Since God is infinitely good, it is our con- ftant Duty to pray unto him, that He would give us thofe good Things which are conve- nient for us; and to return our unfeigned Thanks to him for thofe Bleffings which He hath conferr'd upon us : by our Prayers and Praifes, we acknowledge the Riches of his Goodnefs, and our Dependance upon it j of thefe Duties, each of them is neceflary, nei- ther of them to be omitted : But the giving of Thanks feems to have the Preference to Prayer : becaufe the former feems to have lefs of felf Intereft than the latter ; for he that offer eth God Thanks and Praife, may be more truly faid to honour him, than he that prayeth unto him : for this only hopeth for Gods fu- ture Beneficence , while that acknowledgeth his paft Favours. Wherefore when we pray unto God for his future Mercies, let us not forget to praife him Sermon the Sixth. 139 him for thofe we have received : if we are not unmindful of thefe, God will not be un- mindful of our Gratitude ; but if we pray un- to him without Thankfgiving, perhaps that our Labour may be in vain in the Lord. Let us therefore, as St Paul advifeth, be abundant in many Tbankfrivifigs unto God, fo will God be abundant in his Goodnefs to- wards us. / SER- S2 [ I 4-° ] The Excellency of the Chriflian Religion. SERMON VII. i Corinth. I. 18. The Treaching of the Crofs is to them that peri/h Foolijbnefs : but unto us which are [aved, it is the Tower of God, A int Paul, who was the great and learned Apoftle of Jefus Chrift, and by whom he was enriched with all Ut- terance and all knowledge.) did not af- fect to preach the Gofpel with Wifdom of Words , and with Strains of pompous Elo- quence, that he might pleafe the Vanity, and tickle the itching Ears of curious Men ; but in a plain, familiar, and convincing Way la- boured to manifejt the exceeding Riches of God's Grace Sermon the Seventh 14-1 Grace to Sinners, left the Crofs of Chrift, faith he, in the Verfe preceding my Text, jhould be made of none EjfcB. The Knowledge of Chrift, and him crucified, being that, which above all other Knowledge he defired to attain, and in comparifon to which, he efteemed all other Knowledge to be no better than Drofs or Dung ; he there- fore, above all Things elfe, defires to make all Men acquainted with it, as moft effectual and neceffary to their Salvation. The Jews require a Sign, and the Greeks feek after Wijdom, but to filence the uqrea- fonable Demands of the one, and to mortify the Pride of the other , he preached Chrift crucified^ tho' that was to the Jews (who ex- pected a glorious and triumphant Meffiah) a Stumbling-block^ and to the Greeks (who de- lighted in Philofophy falfly fo called ) Foolijh- nefs : but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Chrift the Power of God, and Wif- dom of God. The meaning of which in mort is this, that the Chriftian Doctrine, however it may feem to Men conceited of their own Knowledge, puft up by their flejhly Mind, pre- pofTeffed with contrary Opinions, and biafs'd by their corrupt Affections to be unreafona- ble and foolifh : yet to all thofe , who are capable of Instruction, who are void of Pride and felf Conceit, who are free from all vi- cious Difpofitions and headftrong Paffions, it 14-x Sermon the Seventh. it will appear, upon an impartial Confidera- tion, to be no lefs than the Power and IVif- dom of God-, Power moft efficacious, and Wif- dom moft conducive to the promoting and Attainment of the beft and nobleft Ends, viz. the Glory of God, and the Salvation of Man. For as the Apoftle exprefles it in my Text, the Preachin* of the Crofs is to them (only) that (wilfully) perijb) Foolijhnefs, but unto us which are faved, it is the Power of God. This I fliali endeavour to make evident, by laying before you fome of the peculiar Excellencies of the Chriftian Religion : For by thefe we (hall be convinced, infpite of all the Pleas lately advanced by the modern Ad- vocates for natural Reafon, that the Foolijh- nefs of God is wifer than Men, and that the Weaknefs of God is ftronger than Men. Now the Fir ft of thefe peculiar Excellen- cies of the Chriftian Religion is, that it gives us a true and fuitable Notion of God, which is the beft, or rather the only Foundation of all rational Religion : for it gives us fuch a Notion of God, as beft agrees with his Na- ture, and our Condition and Capacity; fuch a Notion, as right Reafon, before it was perverted by Sin, might dictate ; the vifible Works of Nature declare, and ancient Tra- dition, and wifeft Experience do atteft: for 'tis Sermon the Seventh. 14,3 'tis fiich as will kindle in our Hearts the pureft Love and Veneration for him, and ex- cite and animate us to the moft diligent ancj fincere Practice of our Duty towards him. Whatever Perfe&ions the Philofbphers thro* Meditation and Reflexion, or the Wifdom of Ages from primitive Tradition, have dark- ly afcribed to God ; the Religion of Jefus doth in a moft clear and perfect manner re- veal unto us : for it reprefents God, as the on- ly one Eternal, Omnifcient, Omniprefent, and Almighty Being , the great Creator and gra- cious Preferver of all Things j it informs us, how He made and fuftains this lower World, for the Ufe and Benefit of us Men ; and with what a fatherly Affe&ion He delights to do us good, whom He was pleated to make af- ter his own Image; it informs us, how ex- ceedingly merciful and indulgent He is to us ; how pitiful and companionate under our Neceffities, and how ready to aflift us under all our Sufferings and Afflictions : that He is eafy to be intreated, and more willing to pardon and to forgive us, than we are to o£ fend him, or even to pray unto him for For- givenefs. In a word, the Religion of Jefus reprefents God , as terrible indeed in Juftice, but moft abundant in Mercy, moft lovely, and amiable in Goodnefs, and moft glorious and adorable in all the Operations of his Providence. Whence 144^ Sermon the Seventh. Whence it appears, that the God of Chri- ftians is not only the fupreme and infallible Author of the elementary Order and Difpo- fition of the Univerfe, which was the Divi- nity of the Pagan Philofophers; nor barely the providential Difpofer of the Lives and Fortunes of Men, crowning his Worfhippers with a long and happy Series of Years, which was the Portion of the Jews ; but that He is to all Chriftians, to all thofe who are admit- ted into the Covenant of Grace ^ a God of Love and Confolation; a God, who poflefles the Hearts and Souls of his Servants, who gives them an inward feeling of their Mifery, and of his infinite Mercy; and unites himfelf to their Spirits, replenishing them with Humility and Comfort, with Affiance and Pleafure; and renders them uncapable of any ProfpecT:, of any Aim, befide himfelf: for the God of Chri- ftians, as exhibited to us in the Gofpel, is a God, who makes the Soul perceive and know, that He is her only good, and that flie can find Peace and Repofe in him alone ; no De- light, no Joy, but in his Love. What a comfortable and ufeful Knowledge of God is this! how agreeable to our Rea- fon, and yet how far exceeding all the Difco- veries which natural Reafon is able to make ! For all, who feek God without Jefus Chrift, can never meet with fuch Light in their En- quiries, as may afford them true Satisfaction or Sermon the Seventh. 145- or folid Ufe; becaufe, either they advance not fo far as to know that there is a God, or if they do, yet they arrive thereby to an un- profitable Knowledge of him. For * no Man knoweth the Father fave the Son, and he to rvhomfoever the Son will reveal htm ; nor doth any Man come to the Father , or communicate with him, hut by the Son ; for there is no other Mediatour between God and Man, but the Man Chrifi Jefiis. How excellent therefore and ufeful muft the Doctrine and Religion of the holy Jefus be, which inftill into us fuch right and wor- thy Notions of God ! Such as are not only moft defirable and perfective of the Under- standing, but alfo fuch as have the greateft Influence upon our Will, in the moral and religious Conduct of our Lives ; for accord- ing to our Notions of God and his Attri- butes, we fhall be inclined to regulate our Vertue and Piety: if our Notions of God be juft and true, we fhall be induced to pay him fuch Honour and Worfhip, as is worthy, in fome meafure, of his infinite Majefty ; and fhall entertain an Abhorrence of all thofe Things, which are inconfiftent with our Love of, and Veneration for, him. But if our Notions of God are miftaken and erroneous, we fhall be apt to ferve him in fuch a Way, as will neither pleafe nor be- * Matth. 11. 17. T come 14-6 Sermon the Seventh. come him : thus did the Jews and Heathen, becaufe their Conceptions of God were grofs and carnal, inftead of rvorjhipping him in Spi- rit and in Truth) which is the only rcafonable and acceptable Service , run into all the wild Extravagancies of Idolatry and Superftition. And as our Religion is regulated accord- ing to our Notions of the fiipreme Being, fo will our Morals likewife be$ for if we be- lieve God to be holy, juft and good, We fhall think it our Intereft, as well as Duty, to be holy as He is holy j and, as far as the Frailty of our Nature will admit of, to refemble and imitate him, in all his other adorable Per- fections. But if, as the Pfalmift exprefles it, we believe God to be like unto ourfelves-, the very Corruptions of our Nature, to which we are in Bondage, and from which we mould endeavour to be freed and cleanfed, will be the Rule and Standard of our Life and Con- verfation : and confequently we fhall think it our Duty to indulge ourfelves in Sin, and glory in our Shame, A Second peculiar Excellency of the Chri- ftian Religion is, that, as it give us a right Notion of God , fo doth it give us a true Notion of ourfelves: for Man, by Nature, is nothing but a continual Subject of indelible and infuperable Errors ; nor doth he know where, or how, to procure any certain In- formation : Sermon the Seventh. 147 formation, every Thing in the World abufeth his Curioiity, his two Criterions of Truth, Reafon and Senfe (befides that they are not always faithful to themfelves ) are wont re- ciprocally to mock and delude each other : our Senfes beguile our Reafon with falfe Ap- pearances, and our Reafon has likewife its falfe Confequences, wherewith to return and revenge the Cheat j the Paffions difcompofe the Senfes, and ftrike upon them the wrong Way j they lie, and forge, and mi/reprefent by a fort of vicious Emulation, lb that bare- ly by the Light of Nature, we neither know as we ought to do, either God, or ourfelves. Hence it is that Man, by Nature, is a Con- tradiction ; within himfelf, in a perpetual State of War i the Spirit, as St Paul expreffes it, tufting agatnft the Flejh , and the Flejh tuft- ing again ft the Spirit. And yet fo much of the Image of God remaineth in him , as is apt to fwell him with Pride, and fo much of the Image of a Beaft, or Devil, as is e- nough to humble and depreis him with Grief and Shame. This Light and Darknefs in Man, this ci- vil War between his Reafon and his Paffions, hath, in order to reftore Mans Peace and Happinefs, given occafion to fome Phiiofo- phers, fuch as were the Stoicks, to renounce their Paffions, as beneath the Dignity of a wife Man, and to affect to be as Gods : and T 2 to 14-8 Sermon the Seventh. to other Philofophers, fuch as were the Epi- cureans, to renounce their Reafon, as a trou- blefome and infufficient Guide, and to be- come Beafts to make themfelves happy by an overfree indulgence of their Paflions. But neither of thefe Schemes could have their defired Effedt, for our Reafon hath con- tinual Caufe to accufe the Bafenefs and In- juftice of the Paflions, which difturb the Re- pofe of them, who give themfelve up to their Dominion ; and the Paflions will maintain their Empire in the Hearts of thofe, who proudly boaft of their Extirpation. Now, what can be the Reafon of this Tu- mult and Confufion in the Soul of Man ? in- to what Caufe can it be refolved? The Light of natural Reafon is utterly at a lofs to ac- count for it. We fee all other Creatures a£t according to the fuperior Principles of their Nature: Man, infpite of his Reafon, is the only Rebel, a Contrariety to himfelf, as well as to the Laws of God, form'd like an Angel, but funk into a Brute. The Caufe of this had been a Riddle, ne- ver to have been explain'd, had not the Word of God unfolded it : For thence we know this Myjfory> in a great meafure, hid from Ages , ( viz. ) that Man was created after the Image of God, in J^ighteoufnefs and true Holinefs, but that our firit Parents, by Tranfgreflion fal- ling, defaced that glorious Image, and intro- duced Sermon the Seventh. 149 duced into themfelves, and all their Pofterity, that blind Diforder and Confufion, which naturally reigns in the Heart of every Man. But the Word of God, not only points out this original Corruption, the Foundation of all our Miferies, but at the fame time mer- cifully points out their Cure, the Foundation of all our Happinefs. It not only tells us, how we fell from God, by the firft Adam's Tranfgreffion ; but alfo tells us, how we may again be united to God, by the fecond Adam's perfect Obedience : all this is open'd to our View by the Incarnation of our Lord from Heaven. Let our weak Reafon then be humbled, and our frail Nature compofed in Silence. The faving Knowledge of God and ourfelves, to which, of ourfelves, we are utter Strangers, is only declared to us by our Lord and Maker, what then mould withold our Belief and Ado- ration of this divine Light, which is fet be- fore us ? A Third peculiar Excellency of the Chri- ftian Religion is, that it prefcribes a mod compleat and perfect Rule of Life, fuch as is moil fuitable to our Reafon, and condu- cive to our Happinefs. For if we confider the Rules of Piety to- wards God, what can be more reafonable, than that we mould love and honour him, who 1 5-0 Sermon the Seventh. who is moft Excellent? and fear to difpleafe him, who is moft Juft and Powerful? than that we mould gratefully adore his Goodnefs, to whom we owe our Being, and all the Com- forts of Life ? than that we fhould rely upon, and put our trujl in him, who is able to give us more than we can dejire or deferve, becaufe omnipotent, and moft willing, becaufe infi- nitely good and gracious ? What more reafbnable than that we fhould offer him our Thanks and Praife, who daily provides for, and maintains us? than that we fhould offer up our Prayers to him, to fhow'r down thofe Bleffings which we want? and upon eafy Terms to pardon thofe Sins, which we have committed? for if we confefs and forfake our Sins, God is faithful and juft to forgive us our Sins, and to cleanfe us from all TJnrighteoufnefs. Nor are the Rules of Life towards our Neighbour lefs reafonable, than thofe of Pie- ty towards God. For what more reafonable than that we mould lay afide all Malice and Envy, Pride and Ambition, Slander and De- traction, and all other vicious Difpofitions, which make us no lefs uneafy to ourfelves, than injurious to other Men ? what more rea- fonable, than that we mould love our Neigh- bour, as ourfelves ? that we fhould promote his Welfare, as we do our own? that we fhould fympathize with him in his Sorrows and Sermon the Seventh. 15-1 and Misfortunes, and by our friendly Affi- ftance deliver him out of, or fupport him un- der them? What more reafbnable, than that we fliould follow , as much as is poffible, Peace with all Men, doing good to, and praying for, not only our Friends, but Enemies ? for thereby we imitate the diffufive Goodnefs 'of our Fa- ther which is in Heaven, who is kind even to the unthankful, and fendeth his J{ain upon the jufi and unjuji alike i How far fhort of this was the Jewifh and Gentile Morality ; for the former would have no Regard for thofe, who were of a different Perfwafion, nor ei- ther of them forgive thofe, who had offended them ; an Eye for an Eye, and a Tooth for a Tooth, was an avowed Principle among the Jews, and to revenge themfelves of their E- nemies, was by the wifeft Heathen deem'd a Sign of a prudent and generous Spirit. But 'tis no wonder, that the magnified Rules of Morality, delivered by the wife Dif- puters of the World, mould be far inferior to the Rules of the Gofpel ; for thofe were on- ly the Dictates of Reafbn in its degenerate State, improved by Philofophy, whereas thefe were the Edi&s of the God of Purity and Wifdom, which teach Man to be what he would have been, had he continued in his State of Innocence. Add to this, that thefe excellent Rules of Life are recommended to our i $z Sermon the Seventh. our Practice, by the mod perfect Example, by the moft powerful Afliftance, and by the ftrongeft Motives, that can be urged to en- force our Gbfervance of them. They are re- commended to our Practice Firft, by the mod powerful Example. A good Example is the fhorteft Method of In- itru&ion, and the moft engaging Motive to Vertue, while it convinces us, that the moft perfect Rules of Life are not impracticable, it fweetly attracts and powerfully excites our Imitation. For there never was any Standard of Ver- tue to be compared with that, which our Re- ligion expofes to our View : for the Exam- ple of our Lord is a fure and infallible Rule : whereas the Example of the beft of Men is deficient - y for thefe have their Failings and Faults, as well as their Vertues and Graces ; becaufe the Fountain of original Corruption will frequently fend forth fuch Streams, which are impure. Not only the Heathen Doctors of Morality, as Seneca, Tully, Socrates, and the reft of thofe Worthies, had their favourite Vices, as well as their excellent Vertues, and were no lefs remarkable for their Covetouf- nefs, vain Glory, and Idolatry, than for their admirable moral Precepts they have left to the World. But we alfo find in facred Writ, that the Saints of God are noted for their iinful Mif- carriages, Sermon the Seventh. 15-3 carriages, as well as for their Goodnefs : for the excellent Characters even of the Father of the Faithful, that Friend of God; of the Man after God's own Heart ; and of the greateft and beft Apoftles of his well beloved Son, were ftain'd and polluted by the poi- fonous Mixture of Sin : but none of this is to be found in the Example of our Lord: for God would not fuffer his holy One to fee Cor- ruption^ any more in a moral, than He would in a natural Senfe ; fo that it is our bounden Duty and Happinefs, as much as in us lies, to imitate the Example of our Lord : for if a Senfe of Gratitude towards our greateft Friend, who liv'd and died, and rofe again to fave us ; if a Senfe of Honour to be like the Son of the moft High, who is the Lord and Maker of all Things ; if a Senfe of our own Intereft, fpiritual and eternal, can have any Influence with us ; we fhall endea- vour to walk as Chrift walked, and to follow the Lamb of God whither foever He went : and this we are encouraged to do Secondly, by the moft powerful Affiftance promifed to all, who fhall diligently labour in the Lords Vineyard : for God is not like an Egyptian Taskmafter, requiring us to make Brick without Straw ; for there is no Duty, which He hath injoin'd us, how hard and re- pugnant foever it may appear to Flefh and Blood, but He gives us Strength fufficient U to 1 5-4 Sermon the Seventh. to perform : for He arms his Servants with Power from on high, and with Wifdom from above to quench or repel all the fiery Darts, and to defeat the fubtle Devices of the great Deceiver. Nor is there any Condition, or Circum- ftance of Life, fo dark or intricate, fo dif- trefs'd or miferable, but will be rendred eafy to us, if we heartily implore the divine Af- fiftance ; for God will give his holy Spirit to all thofe, who fhall faithfully and fervent- ly pray unto him for it, that Spirit who is (tiled the Spirit of Love and Confolation, the Spirit of Life, of Light, and Truth ; which all thofe are happily convinced of, who are led by that blejfed Spirit ; for they experimentally feel, in their own Hearts, his efficacious In- fluence j they find that He difpels all Clouds of Ignorance, Error, and Prejudice; that He clears up their Apprehenfions of the chiefeft Good j that He enlightens their Underftand- ings, and rectifies their Wills ; awakens their Confcience, and fubdues their inordinate Paf- lions ; fandtifies their Griefs, and refines their Joys ; foftens their Hearts, and humbles their Spirits ; weakens the Strength of their Sins, and ftrengthens the Weaknefs of their Ver- tues ; and in a word, enables them to be more than Conquerors, through him that loves them. Whereas they who want his facred Influ- ence, and are left to themfelves, having no other Sermon the Seventh. i$s other Guide, but their own weak Reafon, and their headftrong Paffions, are liable to fall a Prey to every Temptation , and to be poffefs'd and mifled by the evil Spirit of Er- ror and Delufion, 'till, like Gadarene Swine, they are hurried down a Precipice into the great Deep, into the Gulf of final Perdition: Which reminds me of thofe powerful Mo- tives, with which the Chriftian Rules of Life are recommended to our Practice : for end- lefs Woe is denounced againft incorrigible Sinners ; and everlafting Life is the Portion and Inheritance promifed to all thofe, who fhall lead an holy and Godly Life : for thus faith the Apoftle, God will render to every Man according to his Deeds j to them, who by patient Continuance in well Doing, feek for Glo- ry, and Honour, and Immortality, eternal Life : but to them who are contentious, and obey not the Truth, but obey Unrighteoufnefs, Indigna- tion and Wrath, Tribulation and jinguijh, upon every Soul of Man that doth Evil. Thefe are the cogent Sanctions of the di- vine Laws , by which we are moft ftrongly deterrd from Vice, and engaged to the Pur- fuit of Vertue; and if thefe will not prevail with us, it is not likely that any others will : for let Tully, or any other Heathen Philofo- pher, much more potent, than any of our mo- dern Advocates for Reafon, tell us, that Ver- tue is lovely and amiable in itfelf, fufficient U z for i$6 Sermon the Seventh. for it's own Reward, and that, if fhe could be ieen by mortal Eyes, her Beauty is fuch, that fhe would make the whole World in love with her ; yet how little would this avail to check or reftrain the impetuous Tide of Men's Paffions, when the alluring Tempta- tions of Profit, Honour, or Pleafure, fhall tempt them to violate their Duty? They would doubtlefs, infpite of the Dictates of Reafbn, or the Beauties of Vertue, be dif- pofed to indulge their Paffions, and follow the Bent of their vitious Inclinations ; for the prefent criminal Gratifications of Senfe, as is evident from Facl:, would have more Force, than all the Remonftrances of Reafbn. But where the Motives to Duty, prefcribed by the Religion of Jefus, are believed; if they are duly weigh'd, and confidered, by us, who can dare to tranfgrefs, or refufe to obey the Laws of God > Can a rational Creature indulge himfelf in Sin, when he believes, that in fo doing, he muft dwell with everlafting Burnings ? or deny Obedience to the juft JLaws of God, when he is allured, that in fo doing, he fhall enjoy everlaftingHappinefs? Thefe Conclufions are obvious to every Man's Reafbn, and therefore it is evident, that the Motives drawn from Chriftian Prin- ciples infinitely exceed thofe, which our na- tural Reafon can poffibly fuggeft, for the Pra- ctice of moral or religious Duty; and con- fequently Sermon the Seventh. 1 57 fequently we have fufficient Caufe to con- clude, that all the Arguments of our mo- dern Advocates, for Reafons being a fuffi- cient Guide in Religion, are weak, dange- rous, and falfe. Having now (hewn that the Chriftian Re- ligion gives us a true Notion of God, a juft Account of ourfelves, and a moft perfect Rule of Life, moft fuitable to our Reafbn, and conducive to our prefent and future Hap- pinefs, recommended to our Practice by the moft perfect Example, by the moft power- ful Affiftance , and by the ftrongeft Motives, that can be urged to enforce our Obedience to it, I fhall conclude with two or three In- ferences. Since not all the Wifdom and Subtlety of the Philofophers, nor all the Eloquence and Rhetorick of the moft renown'd Orators, could ever draw fo fair and beautiful a Pi- cture of Vertue, nor reprefent her with fuch graceful Charms, nor give fuch unanfwerable Reafons, why we mould purfue and embrace her, or difcover fuch lovely and valuable Fruits, which fpring from her, as the un- learn'd and defpifed Apoftles of Chrift have done ; fince the Truths they delivered, have been confirm'd by Miracles, the fure Creden- tials of divine Authority, and recommend themfeives to us by their own intrinfick \Vorth, whereby we fee, how far fhort a(I other 1 5-8 Sermon the Seventh. other Schemes of Religion and Morality, founded upon natural Reafbn, are of the Re- ligion of Jefus, the IQngs Daughter, who is all glorious within, and whofe Cloathing is of wrought Gold; let us then firmly believe, and adhere to this Religion, let us without wa- vering aiTent to the Articles of Faith, which fhe hath revealed; and purfue thofe excel- lent Rules of Life, which fhe prefcribes, fo fhall we be wife to the nobleft of all Purpofes, wife unto Salvation. Finally, fince in the Gofpel of Chrift, the moft excellent Rules of Life, that ever ap- peared in the World, are prefcribed, we may conclude, that thofe Men who endeavour to fubftitute their Idol Reafbn in the Place of God's Word, are guilty of the greatell Folly, bafeft Ingratitude, and moft prefumptuous Impiety : for they are as venemous as the Poifon of a Serpent, even like the deaf Adder that jloppeth her Ears, and refufeth to hear the Voice of the Charmer, charm he never fo wifely j nay, they infolently prefume to exalt their own Wifdom above the Knowledge of God ; they fet at nought all the Counfel of God, and dejpife all his Admonition and Reproof: and in efFecl: boldly fay, with the Blafphemer in the Pfalms, is there Knowledge with the moft High? But what could induce thefe Men to flmt their Eyes againfl and difcard the Light of the Go lp el ? and make Choice of their own weak Sermon the Seventh. i S9 weak Reafon, as a fufficient Guide, in Mat- ters of Faith and Practice ? why, it is their own Pride, that will not fuffer them to be- lieve • and their own Lufts, that will not fuf- fer them to obey the Gofpel of Chrift, that induce them.to renounce the Gofpel, and give themfelves up to the fole Guidance of their Reafon ; becaufe this is corrupt enough to footh their Pride and Vanity, and indulge them in, and difpenfe with them for, the cri- minal Gratifications of Senfe. But let us not be carried away with the falfe Doctrines, or fophiftical Reafonings ofthefe Men j for what can thefe Bablers Jay to in- cline us to it > for can corrupt Reafon, which knows not God, teach us our Duty towards God ? can that give any Eafe or Comfort to a wounded Spirit, a Spirit wounded with Sin ? or give any Affurance of Pardon for it > It may tell us, that God is merciful, but it like- wife tells us, that He is juft ; but 'tis Chri- ftianity alone that informs us, how Juftice and Mercy may be reconciled, and Sin pu- nifh'd, while the Sinner is abfolved. Let us then who profefs ourfelves Difci- ples of Chrift, continue to be his faithful Sol- diers and Servants to our Lives End ; for why Jliould we for Jake bim ? or whither Jhould we go > fince He alone hath the Words of eter- nal Life. SER- [ i And as our Faith muft not be fhaken by the Storms 1 68 Sermon the Eighth. Storms of Perfecution, fo muft it maintain its Ground infpite of the more dangerous Allure- ments of Pleafure, Profit, or Honour: thefe Allurements I call more dangerous ; becaufe it hath been obferv'd, that even fome of thofe who have bravely fought the good Fight of Faith againft the fevereft Trials of Perfecution, yet have been vanquifhd by the foft and infi- nuating Charms of Pleafure, Profit, and Ho- nour ; like Sampfon, whom the Philiftines, with all their Power, attempted to fubdue, but in vain, 'till he was enfnared by the falfe Careffes of a treacherous Delilah. But he that hath fo learned the Truth , as it is in Chrift-y will hold f aft his Integrity ', and be able , through Faith , to get the Victory over the World, and all its Temptations : for is he tempted, as Jofeph was, to fin, by the moft prevailing Charms of fenfual Pleasures, his Faith will prefently fuggeft to him, as it did to Jofeph, hoiv can I do this great Wicked- nefs, and fin againft God? Doth the Pleafure he is invited to feem great, alafs ! he knows that the Punifhment, if he embraces it, and the Reward, if he rejects it, will be infinite- ly greater. Doth the World, by (hewing and offering all its Riches, Honours, and Glories, endea- vour to bribe him to renounce his Baptifm, and violate his Duty, his Faith will bring our Saviour's Queftion to his Mind, What will it profit Sermon the Eighth. 169 profit a Man, if he Jfjall gain the whole World, and loje his own Soul ? or what JloalL a Man give in exchange for his Soul ? Wherefore we may conclude, that when- ever we give way to Sin, being affrighted, or allured into it, by the Terrors or Tempta- tions of the World, it is becaufe our Faith grows weak, and wavers, as St Peter's did, when he began to Jink : For where Faith is ftrong, there can be no Fear ; for true Faith is made perfect by Love, and true Love cajteth out Fear, all bafe apoftatizing Fear of Perfe- ction for Chrift's Sake ; and will enable us, like Mofes, to choofe rather to fuffer JffliUion with the People of God, than to enjoy, even in Pharaoh's Court, the Pleafure of Sin for a Sea- fon : and will excite us to Vigilance and In- duftry in our Chriftian Calling, and daily ani- mate us to abound more and more in the Work of the Lord. Which brings me to my" Fourth Particular, which is to (hew what is meant by always abounding in the Work of the Lord. To abound in the Work of the Lord, is elfewhere exprefs'd by bringing forth Fruits meet for Repentance • by Fruits of Jfygbteouf- nefs-, by Growing in Grace, and the like; and confequently to abound in the Work of the Lord y is continually to improve, and excell in thofe good Works , which are conformable to the Nature and Will of God, and to thofe eter- Y nal 170 Sermon the Eighth. nal Rules of Juftice and Holinefs, which Chrift hath revealed in his Gofpel, and enables us, by his blefTed Spirit, who quickens and af- fifts us, to perform. And that we may not be ignorant, what thefe Works of the Lord? or Fruits of the Spirit are, the Apoftle acquaints us, that they are fuch as Love, Joy, Peace, Long-fuffermg, Gen- tlenefs, Goodnefs, Faith, Meeknefs, Temperance, to which all Kind of good Works , relating to God , ourfelves , and our Neighbour may be reduced. Thefe are the Works of the Lord, which we are exhorted, not only to do, but alfo to abound in : for they who do not proceed in a Courfe of Vertue, will foon lofe the Habit of it, becaufe growth and improvement is the very Eifence of Morality ; there being no middle State between not advancing, and re- ceding ; no middle Seafon between its Spring and Fall. And therefore we are required not to hide our Talent in the Earth, but to im- prove it, that our Lord when he cometh may receive bis own with Ufury. Nor are we to be content with flight Im- provements in Vertue, but we are to con- tend and ftrive to attain the higheft Degrees thereof, for we are commanded to be holy y as God is holy ; and to be per feci, as our hea- venly Father is perfeB ; not that we can rife up to, and equal the Divine Perfe&ions, for . they Sermon the Eighth. 171 they are infinite, but that it is our Duty to imitate thofe Perfections, fo far as our weak Abilities will admit of. For we are com- manded to give all Diligence , to add to our Faith Fertue > and to Vertue Knowledge j and to IQiondedge Temperance ; and to Temperance Patience ; and to Patience Godlinefs ; and to Godhncfs brotherly iQndnejs, arid to brotherly Kindnejs Charity-, and fo to proceed from one Vertue to another, 'till we fhall arrive in the unity of the Faith, and of the JQwrv- ledge of the Son of God, unto a per feci Alan, unto the meafure of the Stature oftbeFulnefs ofChrift. If thefe things therefore be in us and abound, we fhall not, as St Peter allures us, be barren or unfruitful in the T^nowled.ge of our Lord Je- fus thrift: and if we are not barren or un- fruitful, we fhall glorify God the Father, and prove ourfelves to be true Difciples of God the Son. For thus, faith our Lord, here- in is my Father glorified, that ye bear much Fruit, for fo, faith He, Jhall ye be my Dif- ciples. And yet we muft obferve, that tho' we bear ever fo much Fruit , it will be a good Foundation for Humility, but none for Pride: becaufe when we have done all, we are but un- profitable Servants } the beft of us are but Branches grafted into Chrift the Vine, with- out whom we can ao nothing : fo that if we y 2 remain i^jz Sermon the Eighth. remain ftedfaft and immoveable, always a- bounding in the Work of the Lord, in the ways ofVertue, againft the Floods of Un- godlinefs, we mutt, with St Paul, give Thanks to God, who giveth us the Vitlory, through Je- fus Chrift our Lord. But if it be our Duty always to abound in the Work of the Lord, fbme weak Perfbns will fay, what Time have we to follow our fecular Employments, which if we neglect, Want and Indigence muft be our Portion? To this we reply, that our honeit fecular Employ- ments are by no means inconfiftent with the Work of the Lord -y for while, at proper Sea- fons, we fairly and juftly purfue thofe, we may be truly laid to do the Lord's Work, as well as our own ; for it is the Lord's Com- mand, that we Jhould be hone ft and diligent in our rejpeRive Callings , as well as (in cere and fervent in Works of Piety and Devotion. Add to this, that if our fecular Employ- ments were inconfiftent with always abound- ing in the Work of the Lord-, St Paul would con- tradict his own example, and other Precepts which he hath given. For St Paul himfelf af- ter h:s Converfionj tho' he laboured more abun- dantly than all the reft , was by Occupation a Tent maker, and fometimes work' d at his Craft*. And at the fame time, that he exhorts the Theffalonians to abound in Godlinefs, Cha- * Ms i3. 3. ftity, Sermon the Eighth 173 ftity, Juftice, holinefs, and other * Works of the Lord; he bids them ftudy to be quiet, and to do their own Bufnefs, and to work with their own Hands ; that they may walk bonejtly to- ward them that are without, and that they may have lack of nothing. And truly they who thus abound in the Work of the Lord, can lack nothing, nothing that is good to encourage their Chriitian Labours. Which reminds me of my Lafl Particular, which is to fhew, what great Encouragement we have to abound in the Work of the Lord, implied in thefe Words, we know that our Labour is not in vain in the Lord. We know and feel, by the prefent Peace, and Pleafure, which attend the Performance of our Duty, and our Improvement therein, that our Labour is not in vain : for if the Heathen Philofophers had fuch exalted No- tions of Vertue, as to affirm, that it was its own Reward; how much greater Reafon have we Christians to entertain that Opinion, fince Chriftian Vertue is founded upon furer and nobler Principles, and directed to a far more glorious End, than the Vertue of the Hea- then was, and confequently at prefent affords a far fweeter Pleafure, and more fpiritual Joy, than that poflibly could ? * 1 Thefl". chap. 4. But 174- Sermon the Eighth. But the prefent Peace, and Pleafure, which the good Chriftian enjoys, by abounding in the Works of the Lord, is not a Reward ter- minated by this Life only, but comprehends Joy and Affurance for ever, a glorious i\efur- r edition, and a blifsful Immortality . For God is not unrighteous, that Hejhould forget our La- bours of Love , our abounding in his Work ; for He will render to every Man according to his Deeds : Indignation and Wrath, Tribulation and Anguijlo, to every Soul that doth evil ; but to them who by patient Continuance in well do- ing, feek for Glory, and Honour, and Immorta- lity, eternal Life : not that our imperfect Obe- dience can merit fuch an immenfe Reward, becaufe our beft Works can bear no manner of Proportion to it ; but that we are intitled thereto, through the rich Mercies of God, for the Sake of the all-fufficient Merits of Chrift: for tho' the jufl Wages of Sin is Death , yet eternal Life is the Gift of God, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Eternal Life is the Gift of God, and by it is fignified all the Happinefs which our Souls and Bodies are capable of enjoying; and pro- mifed by him, who cannot lie, to all who fhall abound in his Work. Our Souls will then be blefTed with the clear Sight of the moft perfect Being, and will fee him, not as they do now, through a Glafs darkly* Sermon the Eighth. 17 y darkly, but face to face-, and will knorv him even as they are known. They fhall dwell for ever in his reviving Prefence, whofe Favour is Life, and whofe Love is ineffable Glory. Nor fhall they only be tranfported with the full Vifion of God, but alfo be transform d into the Image of his Perfections ; for the Apoftle tells us, that they Jhall fee God-, and be like him too, and fhall be placed in thofe glorious Manfions, which our Saviour hath prepared, far above the reach of Cares and Fears, of Troubles and Afflictions ; and know no other Paffions, but Joy and Love, fuch only as may conduce to make them com- pleatly blefTed. There fliall they be admitted to the free Society of Angels, and of the Spirits of jufb Men made perfebl : and have the Honour to cohabit and converfe with the blefTed Jefus, the exprefs Image of God's Per fun, in his hu- man Nature, the great Author and Finijher of our Faith ; and meritorious Caufe of our Sal- vation. Nor fliall our Souls alone enjoy this Hap- pinefs , but our Bodies alfo fliall partake of the fame ; for they fhall be raifed again from the dark Chambers of the Grave, by Chrift, who is the I^pfurrecHon and the Life, and being fa- Jhiond like unto his glorious Body, according to the mighty working, whereby He is able to fub- due 176 Sermon the Eighth. due all things unto himfelf fhall be reunited to their Souls, never more to be divorced afunder, but infeparably to dwell together ; and with all the Hoft and Company of Hea- ven, (hall fing eternal Praifes and Halleluiahs, to him that fitteth upon the Throne, and to the Lamb that was flaw, to God even our Father^ and to our Lord Jefus Chrijl who hath loved us , and wajhf d us from our Sins, in his own Blood. All this and much more than we are able to conceive, much lefs to defcribe, is refer- ved for thofe, who fhall always abound in the Work of the Lord. But we may allure ourfelves, that they, who mall moft abound therein, will moft abound in his Love. All his faithful Servants indeed will be made happy to the utmoit Degree their Capacities will admit of; but they, whofe Capacities have been more inlarged, by their greater Improvement of their Ta- lents, than others have made, will doubtlefs be advanced to greater and higher Degrees of Glory. Let then the great Recompence of Reward, the Pri^e of Glory which is fet before us, excite our Diligence, inflame our Defires, and quic- ken our Endeavours to obtain it. Let us not be content to win the loweft, but labour with all our might to gain the higheft Sermon the Eighth. 177 higheft Prize j for in running the Chriftian Jtyce, this is a very laudable Ambition, an Ambition of which our Confcience will ap- prove, God will accept, and Chrift will ap- plaud : for He will fay to ail thofe, who mall thus bravely acquit themfelves, well done ye good and faithful Servants , enter ye into the Joy of your Lord. SER* [ 178] I. The Example of Chrift. SERMON IX. Acts X. 38. Who went about doing Good, Hefe Words are an hiftorical Abridg- ment of our Saviour's Life and Con- verfation, being the comprehenfive Part of the Character, which St Pe- ter gave of Chrift to Cornelius the Centu- rion, when he was fent by the Spirit of God to teach him , what he ought to believe and do : for which purpofe he thought nothing more proper to ftir up his Zeal, to ftrengthen his Faith, and excite a devout Imitation, than to fet before his Eyes the great Example of his Lord and Mafter. For it is not fo much the Wifdom and Elo- quence of the Teacher, as the Excellency of his Example, the Conformity of his Anions to Sermon the Ninth, 179 to his Inftru&ions, that can prevail with his Hearers to embrace and pra£tife his Rules of Life. A fmooth Oration may tickle the itching Ears of carious Men, and amufe the ignorant and unlearn'd j but it is good Example, that, like the kindly Heat of the Sun, enlivens, animates, and makes the Seed of the Word fown effectual, that renders the Word of God quick and powerful , like a two-edged Sword , piercing even to the dividing afunder of the Soul and Spirit^ and of the 'joints and Marrow, with refpecl: even to prefumptuous and obftinate TranigreiTors ; but converts the fame Word, with refpecl: to the broken Spirit , to thofe that are of an humble and contrite Hearty into the Oil of Gladnefs , refrefhing and cheering the drooping and difconfolate Soul. Hence thofe Teachers, who fay , and do not y who preach, but pra&ife not, the Gofpel, are like the Scribes and Pharifees, who proud- ly fat in the Seat ofMofes, tithed Mint, Anife^ and Cummin, but neglebled the weightier Mat- ters of the Law ; laid heavy Burdens on Mens Shoulders grievous to be born, but would not touch or move them with one of their Fingers. But thofe Teachers, on the other hand, who pra&ife what they preach, and Jhew forth their Faith by their Works , are the faithful Stewards ofChrifi's Myfteries, and Dijpenfers of his Word) who by the united Light of their Z 2 Life 180 Sermon the Ninth. Life and Do&rine, difpel the Clouds of Men's Prejudice, and Partiality, caft down all vain Imaginations of their impious Hearts, and every high thing that exalteth itfelf againfl the Knowledge of God, and bring into captivity eve- ry thought to the Obedience ofChrifl. Such an holy Prophet and Prieft was the blefled Jefus, for He dwelt among us, with re- fpedt to his Example, as well as his Doctrine, full of Grace and Truth. And therefore St Peter, in his Speech to Cornelius, by the Light of both, informs his Underftanding, and influences his Will, mew- ing him , how God anointed Jefus of Nazareth with the holy Ghojl, and with Power, who went about doing good, that he might be aflured, that He was able to teach Mankind the whole Will of God, and by the perfuafive Eloquence of his gracious Example, be inclined to obey it. I mail therefore in my following Dif- courfe, I. Fir ft, endeavour to fet before you the molt excellent Example of our Saviour, fumm'd up in the Words of my Text, who went about doing.good. II. Secondly, to convince you of the rea- fbnablenefs of the Duty implied , viz. our Imitation of our Lord's Example. And, III. Laftly, conclude with a few Reflections from the whole. Firfl, Sermon the Ninth. 181 Firft, I am to fet before you the mod ex- cellent Example of our Saviour, fumm'd up in the words of my Text, who went about do- ing good. How to defcribe this to perfection, neither the Thoughts, nor Tongues of Men, or Angels y could conceive, or be able to exprefs : but fince the Spirit of Wifdom hath given us fome Memorials of our Saviour's Life , we may by their help, form fome Refemblance of it. From thence we may learn, that doing good was his Meat and Drink , his dayly Practice and Delight ; that all his Adtions were fo ma- ny Mixtures of Power and Mercy, of Mira- cle and Love; fuch as declared his divine Miffion and Extraction, and became his high Office of Redeemer and Saviour of the World : fuch as proved him to be the Light and Life of Men ; to be the Fountain of, and Guide to Happinefs ; to be the Prince of Peace, and Son of that eternal God who proclaimed him- felf to be the Lord merciful , and gracious ; long faffering) and abundant in Goodnefs and Truth. From the infallible Oracles of God we learn, that the fecond Perfon of the blefled Trini- ty, tho' in Glory equal to the Father, and in Majefty Co-eternal, bowed the Heavens, came down, and cloathed himfelf with our frail Flefh, that He might vifit [and dwell among) us. i8x Sermon the Ninth. us, who fat in Darknefs, and in the Shadow of Death; to protect us under his Feathers, and guard us beneath the Covering of his Wings, that we might neither be affraid of the Terror by night ; nor of the Arrow that fli- eth by Day ; nor of any of the fiery Darts of the Wicked ; that He came to arm us with the Shield of Faith y with the Breafl-plate ofrigbte- oufneff) with Wtfdom from above, and the Hel- met of Salvation) that the Devil our fpiritual Adverfary, that goeth about like a roaring Lion y feeking whom he may devour-) may neither ap- proach to hurt us, nor with his fubtle Wiles deceive us into Perdition. As foon as He began to increafe in Wif- dom and Stature, He began to go about his Father s Bufinefs , to promote the Glory of God, and the Welfare of Mankind : at twelve years old He was found in the Temple in the midfi of the learned Dotlors of the Law , both hearing^ them) and asking them Queftions ; and difputing with fo much Judgment, as made all that heard him aftonijhed at his Under- standing and AnfwerS) fo that even then it might have been truly faid, that a greater than Solomon was there. And as He farther advanced in Years, He began to preach to all Perfons , at all Times and in all Places as occafion offered, in fuch a manner as was not below the higheft, nor above the meaneft Capacity ; his Difcourfes were Sermon the Ninth. 183 were neither fo vulgar as to be contemptible, nor fo myfterious as to be unintelligible. The deep things of God which He would have us believe, and the Duties which He would have us practice, He pointed out in eafie Parables, obvious to the Mind, and en- gaging to the AfFe&ions. And tho', as God, He was above the Reach of all finite Under- ftandings to comprehend, yet He fo tempered the Knowledge of himfelf, of his own myfte- rious Nature, as to give bright and vifible Indications enough to thofe that fought him y as God did heretofore to his Servant Mofes, and to turn the Pillar of a Cloud to thofe on- ly rvho fought him not, as He did to the Egy- ptians. For we find, that there is a due Pro- portion of Light in his Gofpel, for thofe who above all things wilh to fee him j and a pro- per Mixture of Shade to thofe , who are of an oppofite Difpofition. Our Lord fpoke with Brightnefs enough, to illuminate the eledt, and with Obfcurity enough to humble them; and with Obfcurity enough to blind the Reprobate, and with Brightnefs enough to condemn them, and render them without: Excufe. And by his courteous Behaviour, as well as by his Sermons He gained the ignorant and unlearned, and conquered the obltinate Prejudice and Hardnefs of Heart, which ma- ny had unhappily imbibed from the corrupt Gloffes y 184 Sermon the Ninth. Gloffes, and Interpretations ofthofe of old Time, by the Power of his Gojfiel, and Demonflration of his Spirit, and prepared for them the Ways of the Lord, making thofe Paths fhaight, which the Scribes and Pharifees had made crooked. And to promote the good of Men , He feared neither the Frowns, nor valued the Favours of this World : for He had Courage enough to reprove the haughty Pharifee, as well as Compaffion to forgive the humble Sinner; and Integrity enough to cenfure and condemn the Faults ofthofe, who would have taken him by Force, and made him their King ; as well as ofthofe, who dejfiitefully ufed him, and crucified him as a Malefactor. And his Love was fo generous and univer- fal, that He preached the glad Tidings of Sal- vation to the poor, as well as to the Rich : and communicated to them rather a larger Share of his fpiritual Bleffings, that He might the better fupport them under the Want of tem- poral Enjoyments : and delivered to all the laving Doctrines of Truth, as one having Au- thority, and not as the Scribes, but with fuch a refiftlefs Conviction, as extorted this Con- feflion from his Hearers, that never Man Jpake like this Man. And to fliew them, that He was no hyp- pocritical Impoftor, no falfe Pretender to In- fpiration, no ravenous Wolf in Sheep's Cloatb- ing, but a Teacher fent from God, the great Father Sermon the Ninth. 185* Father of Light and Truth, approved of God-, anointed by him with the Oil of Gladnefs above his Fellows , He confirmed his Million from the eternal God, by fun dry Miracles wrought at fundry Times , and in divers Manners. And as his almighty Father created the Heaven and the Earth, and all things that are therein, by the Word of his Mouth, fay- ing of all things that are, as He faid of Light, Let there be Light , and there was Light , let every kind of thing be produced, and it was produced : fo did our Lord, in like manner, heal the Difeafes of the Body, as well as thofe of the Soul. He jpake, and it was done; Me commanded, and was obeyed: I will be thou clean, faith He to the Leper, and immediately the Leper was cleanfed. By the fame refiftlefs Word He made the deaf to hear, the dumb to fpeak , the blind to fee , and the dead to rife and live. At his Rebuke the tempeftuous Winds and Seas ?rew ftill and calm-, and at his Com- mand even the Devils, tho a Legion, were inftantly difpofTefs'd. And 'tis obfervable, that our Saviour's Mi- racles were no lefs Demonftrations of his difc fufive Goodnefs, than of his almighty Power. But fome perhaps will impioufly or fcrupu- loufly object and fay, did not our Saviour per- mit the Devils, whom He caft out of the Man which dwelt among the Tombs, to enter A a into i86 Sermon the Ninth. into a Herd of Swine , and drive them down a Precipice into the Deep ? and did He not curfe the Fig-tree winch bore no Fruity fb that it jiraitway dried up from the Jtyots ? and do not thefe Inftances feem, rather to atteft his Power than his Goodnefs ? and that upon a Difappointment, or an Indignity received, He could be fired with Indignation and Re- fentment ? , As to thefe (which, with many other mighty Works of our Saviour, have been lately de- fended by fotne brave Heroes of the Chriftian Faith, from all the infolent and blafphemous Attacks of our modern Infidels , with fuch judicious Crittcifm, Strength of Reafon, and Light of Truth, as juftly entitles thofe wor- thy Champions to an equal, if not a fupe- rior Praife to that which the antient Apolo- gifts have merited of the Church) if we duly coiifider it, they will appear to have been no lefs the A&s of Grace , than of Omni- potence. For as our Saviour was, on account of his divine Nature, Lord of the Univerfe, He had an abfolute RigTit to permit the Devils to enter into the Swine^ and drown them in the Deep ; and fince the ftupid Gadarenes, not- withftanding they had feen what was done to the 'Man pojfefsd with an unclean Spirit , preferrd their Swine to their Saviour, for they prayed him to depart out of their Coafts j great there- Sermon the Ninth. 187 therefore was his Mercy toward them, in that He fuffered not the Legion of Devils, to en- ter into, and take poflVdion of them alfo, as well as He did of their Swine. And as to his curfing the barren Fig-tree , that was A LefTon, not only of his abfolute Dominion, but of kind Inftruction and Cau- tion to his Followers, whereby He (hewed them, what the Hearers, and not the Doers of his Word, what fuch unprofitable Servants mult expect. It was alfo a Mark of his juft Difpleafure againft the Jews, who were taught by this Mi- racle wrought on the barren Fig-tree, that the Gofpel would be removed from them, and that (for their rejecting it) they would be left to their own unfruitful Works ofDarknefs, and conligned over to Deftruction, to wither away as a Nation , and be dried up from the J^oots. Unreafonable therefore were the impious Cavils of a late ridiculous Blafphemer, who grew mad againft the Lord and his Chrift, becaufe not preferr'd in his Church , boldly aflerting, that this Action of Jefus, was not to be accounted for, becaufe it was to the De- ftruction of another Man's harmlefs and in- offenfive Tree; not conlidering that every Creature is God's abfolute Property, and that for him, according as He mail think fit, to exe- cute Punifhment upon Perfons or Things, fuch A a 2 is 1 88 Sermon the Ninth. is an Action confident with his Perfections - fuch as anfwers to the Character of God, as a good and gracious Being ; and (hews his Love to Mankind, and his Inclination to do them good, which are fome of the Rules of judging by whom Miracles are performed. But to proceed, In our Saviour's Perfon the Wifdom of the Serpent was mixt with the Innocence of the Dove-, there was no Guile found in his Mouth, nor Malice or Rancour in any of his Actions. Tho' our Lord had all Power committed to him in Heaven and on Earth, yet He never abufed it to Oppreffion or Tyranny, nor made it the lnftrument of Revenge or Cruelty: nay, He hath taught and commanded us, and chofe rather him- felf to fufFer, than to return Injuries, and told his Difciples, who would have called down Fire from Heaven to confume the inhofpitable Samantanes, that they knew not what Spirit they were of that He was come-, not to defiroy, but to fave Men's Lives. Tho' He was oftentimes much more high- ly provoked by others, than by thofe Sama- ritanesj tho' He was feized, and dragg'd a- way to the High Prieft's Palace by an im- pious Rabble, falily accufed, and unjuftly con- demned : For Pilate his judge faid to his Accufers ; / have examined him before you, and have found no Fault in him, touching tho fe things whereof ye accufe him - 3 no, nor yet Herod, For Sermon the Ninth. 189 / fent you to htm , and lo , nothing worthy of Death is done unto him ; tho' he was buffeted, /bit upon, and reviled^ crown d with Thorncs, and a contemptible Reed put into his Hand for a Sceptre , and fa/lned to the Crofs , and crucified between two Thieves - s yet He returned not Trailing for Trailing, Evil for Evil, but coii' trariwife Bleffing, and pray 'd for thofe his Mur- derers, faying , Father, forgive them , for they know not what they do. And it is obfervable, that not one of all our Saviour's good Attions was done to ferve any worldly lntereft or Defign : for as the Sun freely communicates its Light and Heat to the Earth, without receiving any mutual Benefit to itfelf; fo did Chrift, the Sun of Tfyghteoufnefs , wherever He went, breath Health and Recovery, with all manner ofBlef- fings, among the Children of Men, without any Reward received from them. The Fee for all his Cares, was Want and Indigence j while the Birds of the Air had their Nefls, and Foxes their Holes to creep in ; the Son of Man had not where to lay his Head: Nor was Fame and Honour the Bait that allured him ; for tho* the Multitude fang their Hofannas to the Son of David, yet they more often called him a Wine-bibber and a Glutton - 3 a Friend of Pub- licans and Shiners j a Deceiver actuated and moved by Beelzebub, the Prince of the Devils. And 190 Sermon the Ninth. And as for Pleafure and Effeminacy, He was fo far from courting it, that his whole Life was one continued Miracle of Aufterity, Fafting, and Praying, of long Journeys, and courfe Receptions ; in a Word, all his Days were fpent in the A<5ts of the greateft Love and Charity to the Bodies and Souls of Men. While He lived, He was perpetually doing good, and when He died, He earneftly pray'd for the good, not only of his Friends, but his greateft Enemies. Such was his Innocence, He could defy the World to prove him guilty of the leaft Crime; for faith He to the Jews, who were incenfed againft him, who is there amongfl you, that convinces me of Sin *. And fuch was the Efficacy of his Do&rine and Piety, that they were forc'd to own, as of his Words, fo alfo of his Works, that ne- ver Man Jpake, nor did like this Man. * John 8. 46. SER- [ W 3 II. The Example of Chrift. SERMON X. Acts X. 38. Who went about doinz Good. 1 N the preceding Difcourfe I propofed, I. Firft, to fet before you the moft ex- cellent Example of our Saviour, fumm'd up in the Words of my Text, (viz.) who went about doing good. II. Secondly , to convince you of the rea- fonablenefs of the Duty implied , viz. our Imitation of our Lord's Example. And, III. Lafily y conclude with a few Reflexions from the whole. The Fir ft of thefe is fet forth at large, in the foregoing Difcourfe; and therefore I pro- ceed now to my Second I9X Sermon the Tenth. Second Particular, which is to endeavour to convince you of the Reafonablenefs of the Duty implied, (viz.) our Imitation of our Lords Example. But before I do this, I think it proper to premife, that the Actions of our Saviour were either fuch as were done by him, as He was God of the Subftance of the Father, begot- ten before the Worlds ; or fuch as were done by him, as Man of the Subftance of his Mo- ther, born in the World. Of the former Sort were his miraculous Works, which were the divine Credentials of his Word and Miffion from the Father ; of the latter were his ex- tenfive Love and Charity for all Mankind, that all Men might come to the Knowledge of his Truth , and be faved ; his Meeknefs and Humility ; his Temperance and Patience; and all his other moral Vermes ; which, in him, were without any bafe Allay, or Mixture of Vice. For He was a fecond Adam, without any of the finful Imperfections of the firft : fuch Vertues as thefe, which were the Ornaments, of our Saviour s Life, are prefcribed to our Imitation, that they may be the Ornaments of ours: Chrift doth not require Impoffibi- lities of us, to work Miracles as He did ; but to do JuJHce, to love Mercy, and to walk hum- bly with our God. He does not, like the Egy- ptian Task-mafters, command us, as they did the Sermon the Tenth. 193 the Ifraelites, to make Brick without Straw-, but faith to us all, Take my Toke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in Hearty and ye Jball find reft unto your Souls j for my Toke is eafy, and my Burden is Light. The Yoke and Burden, which He requires us to bear, is to govern our Lives according to thofe holy Rules which He hath taught us, in conformity to that perfect Pattern, which He hath fet us , by his own Example. Wherefore to imitate Chrift, is to lead a Chri- ftian Life, which, as St Peter excellently de- fcribes it*, is to add to our Faith, Fertue-, and to Vertue, IQiowledge ; and to HQwwledgc, Tem- perance ; and to Temperance, Patience ; and to Patience, Godlinefs ; and to Godlinefs, brother- ly JQndnefs j and to brotherly IQndnefs, Cha- rity. For, faith he, ifthefe things be in you, and abound^ they make you, that yejhall neither be barren, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jefus Chrift. Whofe Example we ought to follow, Fir ft, becaufe it is a fure and infallible Rule, whereas the Example of the beft of Men is in many things deficient : for thefe, notwithstanding all their Care, have their Failings and Faults, as well as their Vertues and Graces ; becaufe the Fountain of origi- nal Corruption, ( from which no mere Man, fince Adam's Fall, is exempt) will frequently * zEpift. 1. B b fend 194 Sermon the Tenth. fend forth (bine Streams which are impure • hence the Fire of Luft cannot be fo entirely quenched, but it will fometimes blaze, or fmoke out in filthy Exhalations : nor can the Paffions of Anger, Grief, and Fear, be al- ways fo well managed, but they will fome- times break through the Rules of Prudence and Decency ; and betray the Madman, Co- ward, and Fool: and in like manner we fee other Paffions prevail, and too often triumph over Reafon, infpite of all the Admonitions of Confcience, and the Motions of the Holy Spirit. The Truth of this is too evident to be de- nied ; for we find in facred Writ, that the Saints of God are no lefs remarkable for their finful Mifcarriages, than they were for their Vertues ; for we read , that even the Father of the Faithful could equivocate; that Mofes could be tranfported into a Paffion ; and that his Brother Aaron made a Molten Calf, an Idol for the People to worfhip j that the Man after Gods own heart fell a Prey to his wan- ton Paffions j that when our Lord was be- trayed into the hands of Sinners, St Peter, notwithftanding his boafted Confidence, de- nied him ; and that all the reft forfook him, and fled. In all thefe Inftances,we fee their vertuous Characters ftained with finful Imperfections, but none of thefe are to be found in our Lords Sermon the Tenth. 195- Lord's Example : no, the fyot and Offspring of David was that bright and morning Star, in which were no Spots to obfcure or ecclipfe its Glory. For God would not fuffer his holy One to fee Corruption, any more in a moral, than He did in a natural Senfe. Chrift in- deed condefcends to call us his Brethren, be- caufe he aflumed our Flefh, and was like unto its in all things, but Sin, which was excepted-* and that no tyrannical Powers of Men or De- vils could force, nor all the proffered King- doms of the World, nor Glory of them, could tempt, him to be guilty of. So that it is our bounden duty and Happinefs to imitate the Example of Chrift to the utmoft of our Power, becaufe we are fure not to be deceived. But in imitating the Examples of other Men, we muft have regard to the Advice of St Paul to the Corinthians, faying, Be ye Fol- lowers of me, as 1 am of Chrift. Whom we are alfo bound to imitate for this further Rea- fon, (viz.) becaufe our Lord, in many of his Actions, propofed no other End, but our Imi- tation, For why was he baptised, and wajhed in the Laver of ^generation, who had no Pollutions either original or a&ual to be purged of; but to teach us to obferve the Sacrament of Baptifm, that our Sins might be myftically warned away, by the fan&ified Waters of that holy Ordinance? Why did he faft, whofe B b 2 Soul 196 Sermon the Tenth. Soul was always warm'd with fervent Zeal , and burn'd with no Defires, but what were pure and chaft as the Flames of the holy Al- tar ; but to teach us, by Abftinence and fail- ing, to mortify thofe Lulls, which war againft the Soul ; Why did he condefcend to eat with Publicans and Sinners, and to wajh bis Difci- ples Feet; but that we Jhould learn of him to be meek and lowly in heart, to do all good Of- fices to our Brethren, and love one another, us he hath loved us ? But Secondly, we ought to imitate the Example of our Lord in doing good, becaufe to do good is the End of all the feveral Blef- fings which God hath conferr'd upon us. As Nature produceth nothing barely for Shew and Ornament, but for Ufe ; fo doth the God of Nature work his feveral Graces in us, not only to fhew his Wifdom and Power, but to difplay his Goodnefs, in that He there- by fits us to promote the mutual Welfare of each other. If God placed the great Luminaries of the World in the Firmament of Heaven, that the one might rule the Day, and the other the Night: fhall we think, that thofe excellent Talents, which are committed to fome Men, were de- figned only to be laid up in a Napkin, or hid under a Bujhel ? No, it is God's Intention, becaufe it is his Command, and therefore the Duty Sermon the Tenth. 197 Duty of all thofe to whom God hath commit- ted much , that their Light Jhould Jhine before Men, that they feeing and enjoying the Fruits of their good Works, might by a generous Emulation, and grateful Returns of Praife, glorify their Father rvhicb is in Heaven. But not only the Intent of the Giver, but alfo the Nature and Quality of thofe Gifts which God hath beftowed upon us, call upon us for Employment, for our own Benefit and that of others. For while fome things by ufe are diminifhed and impaired, thefe like the Widows Oil are continually encreafed and improved : for he that is a Guide to the ignorant, and inftrudteth them in the ways of Wifdom, improves their Understanding, but loofeth none of his own ; nay, fo far is he from fufFering thereby, that his moral and intellectual Faculties are the more enlarged ; his own Lamp, by giving Light to his Neigh- bour, burns the brighter; and his own Ver- tues take the deeper Root in him, and like a good Tree, bloom and flourifh the more. For as the miraculous Bread, in the Gofpel, was multiplied by Diftribution ; or as the Seed brings forth Increafe, not by being hoarded up, but by being fcattered upon the Earth ; fo the righteous Man's Talent by ufe is fe- cured from Ruft and Canker, and receives great Addition ; the trvo Talents become four> and the five ten. Whereas 198 Sermon the Tenth. Whereas they, who neglect the Practice, will fbon alfo lofe the Power of doing Good, becaufe Growth and Improvement is the ve- ry ErTence of Morality; there being no mid- dle State, between not advancing and rece- ding ; no middle Seafbn, between its Spring and Fall. Wherefore let all idle and unprofitable Ser- vants confider, that the Curfe on the barren Fig-tree, (cut it down, why cumbreth it the Ground ? ) attends them : and that they are in great danger of being caft into outer Darknefsy where is weeping and gnajhing of Teeth. The laft Motive of doing good, which I mall here mention, is, that it is a moft ge- nerous and pleafant Employment. He that hoards up his Treafures, and will not, out of his Abundance, fupply the Wants of others ; being deaf and inexorable to all the piteous Cries of pinching Neceflity, is juftly reputed a Scandal and Reproach to Humanity ; and may be compared to the Devil, whofe Cha- racter is the Deftroyer-y or to the Grave, which turns all it receives into Rottennefs and Cor- ruption : but he, whofe Ears, and Heart, and Purfe are open, and whofe Hand is extended to fuccour the poor and diftrefs'd, procures a Name more fweet than precious Ointment ; and is the Love of Men, and Favourite of Heaven ; Sermon the Tenth. 199 Heaven ; and is like his heavenly Father, who is loving to every Man, and whofe tender Mer- cies are over all his Works. Add to this, that without Goodnefs, all other Graces, how excellent foever they be in themfelves, are nothing worth: for, faith the Apoftle, tho' I jpeak with the Tongue of Men and Angels, and have not Charity, or Goodnefs, lam become as founding Br afs, or a tinkling Cymbal : and tho' I have the Gift of Prophefy, and underftand all Myfteries, and all knowledge ; and tho' I have all Faith, fo that I could remove Mountains, and have not Cha- rity, I am nothing. Nor is the Exercife of Goodnefs lefs plea- fant than generous. When we do good to our Neighbour in Affliction, we ad: the Part of the good Samaritan ; we do as we would be done by, and confequently make our Neigh- bour's Cafe our own; and fo in effe£t, by re- lieving him, we relieve ourfelves, and turn our Pity to his Calamities into Joy for his Deliverance ; a Joy which is full and pure, far furpaffing all the Pleafures of Senfe, whofe fweeteft Draughts generally leave behind them a bitter Farewell; and fo fhort lived thofe Pleafures are, that they expire, even while they fatisfy. Whereas the Pleafures of doing good, not only give fincere Delight in the Performance, but revive again and im- prove aoo Sermon the Tenth. prove upon Reflection, and tho' the good Man's Works are fometimes done in fecret, yet the Euge bone, well done thou good and faithful Servant, which God, ivho feeth in fe- crety fpeaks to his Soul, is more harmonious than the Trumpet's Sound, or the Applaufe of Men: his good Deeds authorize his Con- fcience, not only to acquit, but to fpeak com- fortably to him: nor does it only whifper, but proclaim a Jubilee to his Soul ; even in this Life it gives him a Foretafte of Heaven, and covering a Multitude of Sins, feals to him that Peace of God, which pajfeth all Under- flanding. I proceed now in the laft Place to make two or three Reflections, and fo conclude. And Firfi, if to imitate our Lord in doing good is a moft delightful, excellent, and neceflary Duty. How much do thofe deferve Cenfure and Reproof, who either fpend their Days in Idlenefs, or in the fenfual Pleafures of this Life, that is in doing nothing, or in doing what is worfe > For they live not as becometh Members of Society, and Stewards to God, but as if they were born only to themfelves ♦ not confidering how they violate the Laws of God and Man, and what a poor Account they will be able to give hereafter, at the grand Sermon the Tenth. aor grand Audit, for thus trifling away their Time in Vanity and Folly. Nor do thofe deferve any lefs Rebuke, who, tho' not diflfolv'd in Idlenefs and Luxury, yet think they may be excufed their Duty to their Neighbour, by pra&ifing their Duty towards God: for this Pretence of theirs, as the Apoftle argues, is a Contradiction ; for how can he love God, whom he hath not feen , who loves not his Brother, rvhom he hath feen ? God will not be ferved by halves j He re- quires our Obedience to the Commandments of the fecond Table, as well as to thofe of the firft j and hath told us, that he who wil- fully offends in one Point u guilty of all ; and therefore fuch Worfhippers of God do but mock and provoke him. And notwithftanding all their outward A6ls of Piety towards God, yet for want of Cha- rity towards Man, they are not fo much as like King Agrippa, who was but almojl a Chri- fiian -, becaufe they want the eflential Mark of Chriftianity, which is Love to the Bre- thren ; for by this, faith our Lord, Jball all Men know that ye are my Difciples, if ye love one another. But there is a third fort of Men much worfe than thefe I have already mentioned, fuch as we cannot think of without Horror and Indignation j for they are fuch Enemies Cc to ^o^ Sermon the Tenth, to all Goodnefs, that the laft finifhing Stroke of the Devil's Image feems to have been drawn upon their Souls : for they, inftead of imitating our Lords Example in going about to do good) make it their Bufinefs to do as much Mifchief as they can : they deny the only Lord God, and our Lord Jefus Chrift? the Lord that bought them , burlefque his Word , ridicule his Miracles, and profanely defpife his holy Inftitutions ; and that they may difc. fufe amongft Men their Malice againft God and Goodnefs , they labour to inftil the poi- fbnous Rudiments of Vice into the unwary, to catechife them in the Myftery of Iniquity, that they may confirm them in an incorrigi- ble State of Sin and Debauchery: for which Purpofe they fpare no Pains , encompafs Sea and Land to make Profelytes, fuch as they would have, if poffible, ten-fold more the Children of Hell, than themfelves. Hence we fee how thefe Men, by deviating from the Example of our Lord, make them- felves Children of the Devil : and therefore let us clofely follow our Lord's Example, that we may become Children of God. To conclude. Let the glorious Light of our Lord's Example inform and direS: our Underftandings, and let its admirable Beauty inflame our Will and Affections to copy af- ter it, and to excite our Diligence and Re- folution herein. Let Sermon the Tenth. 203 Let us confider, that our Lord after a Life fpent in doing good-, went into the Holy of Ho- lies , a Building not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens-, and we may afliire ourfelves, that if we tread in his Steps, thofe everlafiing Doors, which let the King of Glory in, fliall not be fliut againft us ; for He hath told us, that where He is, all good Chrijlians , all his faithful Followers, Jball be alfo. SER- CC2 C 2.04 ] The Meeknefs and Humility of Chrift. SERMON XL Matt. XI. %<). Learn of me , for I am me eh and lowly in heart. ""•^HESE Vertues of Meeknefs and Humility are the Foundation and Perfection of all good Qualities, moral or divine ; they both difpofe to, and crown our intellectual Acquifitionsj from thefe all other Vertues receive a be- coming Grace, and without thefe, tho' never To beautiful in themfelves, they loofe their Luftte, and forfeit our Efteem : whereas their oppofite Vices, Anger and Pride, bar the Soul from Wifdom and Underftanding, for they raife about and cover her with fuch a thick Milt, or rather a dark Cloud, which no Sermon the Eleventh. 105 bo Rays of Light and Truth, without a Mi- racle, can penetrate : hence Solomon faith, that Anger rejhth in the bofom of Fools ; and that there is more hope of a Fool, than of a proud Man-, a Man wife in his own Conceit. It was Paffion and Pride that induced the Athenian Philofophers to rejed: and defpife St Paul's preaching of Jefus, and the J^efurre- Uion, and to fay fcornfully of his Perfon, what will this Babler fay ? And it was in a great Meafure the fame Principle that made the Jews flight even the gracious Doctrine and Perfon of our blefled Lord ; for fay they , whence hath this Man thefe Things > and what Wifdom is this, which is given unto him-, that even fuch mighty Works are wrought by his hands ? is not this the Car- penter, the Son of Mary, the Brother of James and Jofes, and ofjudah and Simeon ? and are not bis Sifters here with us ? and they were of- fended at him : and induced alfb the chief Priefts and Pharifees to reply to Nicodemus, who had the honefty to fay in Defence of our Saviour, doth our Lam judge any Man be- fore it hear him, and know what he doth ? art thou alfo of Galilee, fearch and look, for out of Galilee arifeth no Prophet ? For this Reafon, becaufe Meeknefs and Humility were abfolutely neceflary for his Ser- vants to be clothed therewith, that they might be true profeflbrs of his holy Religion, with which %o6 Sermon the Eleventh. which inordinate Paffion and Pride are utterly inconfiftent,ourLord faith to all his Followers, learn of me, fir I am meek and lowly in heart. Learn of me, for thefe Vertues of Meek- nefs and Humility are by no means fo effe- ctually to be learnt in the Schools of the Phi- lofophers , as in the School of Chrift : for tho' they urged other Vertues as neceffary to compleat the Character of their Hero, yet they excluded Meeknefs and Humility, as mean and unworthy of it. But our Saviour, a far greater and wifer than they, makes thofe Vertues the diftinguifhing Ornaments and Glory of his Difciples : and tho' they mere hidden to, or rather defpifed by, thofe wife and prudent, yet He hath made them an ef- fential Part of his Religion, and recommend- ed them to the Pradtife of his Followers, by his Word and Example. Learn of me, for J am meek and lowly in heart. Thefe Words are an Exhortation, or rather a Command, becaufe they are his Words, who had all Power and Authority committed to him in Heaven and in Earth, to learn and pra&ife the Duties of Meeknefs and Humility; and they point out the Way and Means,whereby we may attain the Knowledge of, and be enabled to pra&ife them, (viz.) the Example of Chrift, Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly. In treating of thefe Words, I fhall endea- vour, Firfl, Sermon the Eleventh. 107 Fir fly to fhew wherein the Vertues of Meek- nefs and Humility do confift. Secondly y that our Saviour was a moft per- fedi Pattern, or confummate Example of thefe Vertues. And Laflly y what Influence the Example of Chrift hath, or ought to have, to excite us to the Practice of the fame. Fir fly I am to fhew wherein the Vertues of Meeknefs and Humility do confift; the firft of thefe, ( viz. ) Meeknefs is oppofed to An- ger, and fignifies a Slownefs to Wrath ; not that Anger is in itfelf a Sin, or that an utter Infenfibility of Injuries and Affronts offered were a Vertue ; for we may be allured from the Apoftle's Advice , that we may be angry and Jin not , and in fbme Cafes, if we are infenfible of the Injuries done to our greater!: Friends, and do not fhew our Difpleafure and Refentment, we fhall be guilty of Sin, be- caufe we do not tread in his Steps, who knew no Sin ; for He feverely rebuked the Scribes, Pharifees and Hyppocrites, for their abomi- nable Wickednefs, and fhew'd his utmoft De- teftation againft their Villany, by the many repeated Woes He denounced againft them. And when He faw thofe that fold Oxen y Sheep and Doves in the Temple of Jerufalemy his righteous Soul was fo provokedy that He fcourged ao8 Sermon the Eleventh. fcourged both them and their Beafts out of that facred Place; overthrew the Tables of the Mo?iey-Changers , and the Seats of them that fold Doves , and faid unto them, it is written, my Houfe Jhall be call'd the Houfe of Prayer ; but ye have made it a Den of Thieves, Hence we learn, that we may be angry and fin not, and that in fome cafes it is our bounden Duty to exprefs our warmeft refent- ments ; becaufe He, who was like unto us in all things, Sin only excepted, exprefsd his high Difpleafure againft thofe, who prefumed to blaipheme the Name of God, and profane thofe places, that were dedicated to his Ho- nour j and becaufe He tells us, that in fuch Cafes, if his Difciples Jhould hold their Peace, the very Stones would immediately cry out. Wherefore this Vertue of Meeknefs doth by no means forbid a pious and well go- vern'd Zeal, for the Honour of God, and his holy Religion, which He hath mercifully re- veal'd to us, but only checks and reftrains the inordinate and ridiculous tranfports of blind Rage and Fury, which we are but too apt to expofe ourfelves to upon every, tho* never fo flight, a Provocation. If the Affronts or Injuries that are offered to us , are trivial and of little confequence , this Vertue of Meeknefs enables us calmly to overlook and defpife them, as beneath our Notice j and if they are of fo provoking a Na- ture, Ser?non the Eleventh. 109 ture, as to deferve our Animadverfion , yet it teaches us to keep our Anger within the Bounds of Reafon, and will not fuffer our Refentments to arife or exceed either in Pro- portion or Duration, the Nature of the Of- fence given ; not will it let the Sun to go down upon our wrath. It will not fuffer us, like Hu- man , to prepare for Mordecai a Gallows of fifty Cubits high, for the Omiflion of a little Ceremony ; nor like the Prophet Jonah , to fay unto the God of Heaven, who expoftulating with him about the lofs of the Gourd, which he had raifed to fliade and cool his hot and angry Head, ask'd whether he did well to be angry, that he did well to be angry, even unto Death. No, thefe Extremes ofMadnefs and Folly are entirely prevented or fupprefsd by the Vertue of Meeknefs, which is always more apt to difpofe us to forgive and forget, than to refent and revenge any Injuries or Indig- nities offered to us, and being directed by Reafon enlightned by Scripture, will never fuffer us to murmur and repine at the wife Difpenfations of Providence, but will difpofe us to fubmit to them, how grievous and Af- flicting foever they may appear, and to fay with our blefTed Lord in his laft dying Ago- nies, not my Will, but thine be done. And as Meeknels will not permit us inde- cently and furioufly to refent and return Af- D d fronts aio Sermon the Eleventh. fronts and Injuries, much lefs will it allow us, in fuch wrongful Dealings to be the Ag- greflbrs ; For Meeknefs, like that moft excel- lent Gift, the Gift of Charity , the very Bond of Peace and of all Vertues, fuffereth long and is kind, doth not behave itfelf unfeemly Jeeketh not her own, is not eafdy provoked-, but bear* eth all things, believeth all things , hopeth all things, endureth all things, vaunteth not itfelf, is not puffed up, becaufe f he is always attended with that Twin Sifter of hers, Humility. This is a Vertue oppofed to Pride, and fig- nifies a Medium between the two Extreams, either of a too much dejedted and difpirited, or of an overfond and conceited Opinion of ourfelves ; the Extream in Defect is perhaps rather a Difeafe of the Body, than a Sin of the Soul ; being rarely to be found but a- mong thofe who are of a crazy Conftitution, or of a diftempered Brain. But the Extreme in Excefs, an overfond conceited Opinion of ourfelves, Pride of Heart, was the Original, and too often is the actual Poifon of our Nature ; it was Pride that caft Lucifer, that Son of the Morning out of Heaven, and our firft Parents out of Pa- radife ; He faid in his heart , I will afcend above the height of the Clouds, exalt my Throne above tbe Stars of God, and will be like the moft High : And they in like manner, by his Temptation, afpiring to be as Gods knowing Good Sermon the Eleventh, in Good and Evil , arrived to no higher Perfe- ction in Knowledge, than that of Good loft, and Evil gained : and we all of us are natu- rally prone to this Similitude of their Tranf- Jion. And to correct this poifonous Leaven, and cure this hereditary Difeafe, our blefled Lord prefcribes the Vertue of Humility ; learn of me , for I am meek and hvoly : He who was the Son of God, and Son of Man ♦ who was the Son of the Higheft, and Servant of the loweft, hath therefore taught us, that Humi- lity fuiteth and becometh every Condition, and that it is no lefs confiftent with the Gran- dure of a Prince, than with the mean Eftate of a Peafant : and fince we read, that becaufe our Saviour humbled himfelf and became obe- dient to Death , even the Death of the Crofs} God therefore fo highly exalted him , that He gave him a Name, above every Name, and that at the Name of Je fits every Knee Jloould Borv 7 and that every Tongue Jhould confefs, that Je- fus Chrifl is Lord, to the Glory of God the Fa- ther ; we are taught, that he that abafeth him- felf Jhall be exalted-, and that he that exalteth himfelf Jhall be abafed. A remarkable Inftance of which was King Nebuchadnezzar, who, thro' Pride not know- ing that the moft High ruleth in the Kingdom of Men , rvas driven from Men , and did eat Grafs as the Oxen, and his Body rvas rvet with P d 2 the xix Sermon the Eleventh. the Dew of Heaven, 'till being fully humbled by a Senfe of his brutal Condition, his Ho- nour, Brightnefs and Majefty returned toge- ther with his Reafon, which excited him to praife the moft High, and to acknowledge, that He doeth according to his Will, in the Ar- my of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth, and that thofe who walk in Pride, He is able to abafe. Wherefore He that is clothed with Humi- lity, will, whatever his Condition is, or his Circumftances are, think of himfelf, as he ought to think : if he is mighty and power- ful, he glories not in his Strength ; for he knows that the J^ace is not to the Swift, nor the 'Battle to the Strong ; and that there are many Creatures of an inferior Order, that as much exceed him in Strength, as he does them in Underftanding. Is he wife and prudent, he knoweth that Wifdom and Prudence are Gifts from above, and that they come down from the Father of Lights-, that Paul may plant, and Apollos wa- ter, but that it is God alone, that giveth the Increafe. Doth he abound in Grace, the more will he abound in Humility, and tho' he were high- ly favoured with Vijions and J^evelations of the Lord, yet of himfelf he will not glory, but only of his own Infirmities. Is lie pofleffed with Wealth, he glories not in Sermon the Eleventh. 213 in his Riches ; for he confiders them, not as the Effe&s of his own Induftry, but as the Gifts of God, whofe Steward he is to employ them, not only for himfelf, but for the good of his Brethren, and the Honour of God, to whom he mufi give an Account of his Steward- jlnp. And if he be deprived of them, not by his own Mifmanagement and luxurious Folly, but by the Fraud or Rapine of other Men, he can be content with or without them, and can fay with Job, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blejfid be the Name of the Lord. Is he advanced to honour, he carries him- felf with that decency and obliging Behaviour, that he engages and wins the Affections of all about him, and reflects a brighter Luftre upon the Station he is raifed to, than he re- ceives from it- while others being in Honour, through Pride and Infolence, may be compard to the Beajts that perijh. He that is truly humble, never ufes any outward fhew of it, as a difguife to cover or carry on any mifchievous Defign, like the un- godly Man mention'd Pfalm. 10. who fall eth down and humbleth himfelf, that the Congrega- tion of the Poor may fall into the Hands of his Captains : nor when he goes up to the Temple to pray, will he boaftingly fay with the proud Pharifee, God, I thank thee, I am not as other Men are, Extortioners, TJniufl, Adulterers -, I fafl ii^ Sermon the Eleventh. faft twice in the Week, I give Tithes of all that I poffefs ; but will rather with the poor Publi- can fcarce lift up his Eyes to Heaven, butfmite upon his Breafi, and fay. Lord, be merciful to me a Sinner. The humble Man is fo far from flandering or detracting from the good Name of other Men, that he is always more ready to prefer others before himfelf in honour. And when he doeth his Alms, he doth not found a Trumpet before him, as the Hyppocrites do, in the Syna- gogues, and in the Streets, that they may have Glory of Men ; but he letteth not his left Hand know what his right Hand doth ; he doeth it in fecret, becaufe his Father, which feeth in fecret, will reward him openly. Nor when his Coun- sel is rejected or defeated will he be enraged like Achitophel, who, in fuch a Cafe, faddled his Afs, fet his Houfe in Order, and went and hanged himfelf To conclude this Point, the humble Man loves not to exercife himfelf in Matters that be too high for him, becaufe his Soul is even as a -weaned Child ; nor will he ever pretend to cen- fure what he doth not underftand, or dif- believe what he cannot comprehend; for he believes God to be wifer than himfelf, and therefore he will not idolize his Reafon to gratify his Conceit, nor difpute againft the profound Myfteries of Religion to indulge his Fancy. Hence Sermon the Eleventh. 21? Hence he will neither invade the Office of the Prince or Prelate, nor boldly prefcribe Laws to the State, or Ceremonies to the Church, nor condemn and reject thofe that are fignificant and ufeful, which are legally eftablifhed by the Authority of both ; but quietly fubmits his own opinion to the wifer Counfels of his Superiours, thereby as much as in him lies fupporting both, in the Bond of Peace, unity, and Concord. Having thus fhewn wherein the Vertues of Meeknefs and Humility do confift, I pro- ceed to my Second Particular, viz. to fhew that our Sa- viour was a mod perfect Pattern, or confum- mate example of thofe Vertues. That we may form a clear and diftinft Idea of our Saviour's Meeknefs and Humility, I mall briefly confider his Perfon, and particu- larly thofe A&ions, which relate to thefe Ver- tues. As to his Perfon, he is ftil'd by St Luke, the Glory of Ifrael, and the Defire of all Na- tions ; by St Paul, the Head of all Principali- ties and Powers ; the Brightnefs of Gods Glory, and the exprefs Image of his Perjon, in whom all the Fulnefs of the Godhead dwelt bodily : and St John ftiles him , the Word, that was with Gody and which was God-, and tells us, that that Word was made Flejh, and dwelt a* mong us full of Grace and Truth. And xi 6 Sermon the Eleventh. And when that Word was made F/eftj, when He was firft born into the World, though the Heaven of Heavens was not able to contain him y He had no better place afforded him, where- in to lay, than a Manger: and no fooner was He come into the World, but jealous He- rod thought, by a religious Artifice, to have thruft him out ; and yet the meek and hum- ble Jefus chofe rather to fave himfelf by Flight, than by punifhing his malicious Cruel- ty with Death. And as He advanced in Wijdom and Stature, fb did He in the continual Exercife of the Vertues ofMeeknefs and Humility • tho' He was Heir and Lord of all, yet He had not fo much, as where to lay his facred Head ; tho* He could command the Cattle on a thousand Hills, and take up the Ocean in the hallow of his Hand ; tho' He could work Miracles to fupply the Hunger and Thirft of Thoufands of his Followers, yet He himfelf frequently fubmitted to Hunger and Thirft, and all other Neceffities of Nature. Tho' the Devil and the Jews were conti- nually plotting to blaft his good Name, and take away his Life, yet not all their cruel Ar- tifices, nor malicious Indignities could pro- voke him to betray the leaft Indecencies of irregular Paflion. His Enemies injurioufly perfecuted and curled him, but He graciouf- ly blejfed, and fray d for them : they called htm a Glut' Sermon the Eleventh. 117 a Glutton and a Wine-bibber , who was a Mi- racle of Abftinence and Aufterity : a Friend, or an Affociate in the Iniquities, of Publicans and Sinners, who knew no Sin : a Deceiver, who was Truth itfelf, and knew no Guile : as the Devil's Agent, who came to dejlroy his Works : yet not all thefe Reproaches of their falfe Tongues , not all thefe Words of their deadly Hatred, could move him to difcover any Sign of prefent Uneafinefs, or future Revenge. He wrought many Miracles to heal the Sick, and to do good to all that needed his Afli- ftance j yet never wrought one to make a Man lame or blind, or to be revenged of an Enemy. When his Difciples would have call d down Fire from Heaven to confume the inhojpitahle Samaritans, He meekly check'd their angry Zeal, and calmly reftrain'd their unadvifed Paflion, telling them, that they knew not what Spirit they were of, and that the Son of Man came not to dejlroy, but to fave Men's Lives. Thefe were great and glorious Inftances of Meeknefs and Humility ; but are not to be compared to thofe much more ftupendous A&s, manifefted in the laft Scene of his Life y at his Paffion and Death, for then thofe Ver- tues were fo much the more confpicuous, be- caufe then they met with the greatefr Oppo- fition, and fevereft Trial. To the treacherous Judas, who had bafely E e deli- ai8 Sermon the Eleventh. delivered him into the hands of Sinners, He gives no other Language, than Friend, Where- fore art thou come, and betrayefl thou the Son of Man mthaJfyfs; and when Peter cowardly de* nied him, He upbraids him, not with his Apo- ftacy, but only looks him into Repentance, and with an Eye of Pity and Compaffion, makes him go out, and weep bitterly. Our Lord forefaw the Perfidy of Judas , knew that he was a covetous abandond Wretch, and that for thirty Pieces of Silver he would betray him ; and therefore faid of him before, good were it for that Man, had he never been bom : But as to Peter , He with- drew his Grace a while, and fuffered him to fall, to mortify his boafted Confidence } but knowing the Honefty of his Heart, notwith- flanding the Infirmity of his Nature, He kind- ly took him again into Favour. But let us behold the Saviour of the World retired to Mount Olivet, when his Hour was come, and He was to be delivered into the Hands of Sinners : Here we fee him patiently la- bouring under the heavy Weight, not of his own, but of all the Sins of Mankind; meekly fufFering, for their imputed Sins, the inexprefc fible Pains and Horrors of divine Vengeance, when all the Storms of his Father s Wrath went over him : here we fee him for a while ftrug- ling under fuch amazing Agonies, as caft his Body into that prodigious Sweat, that made bis Sermon the Eleventh. %iy bis Apparel red, and dyed all his Garments with Blood, that made the Alan of God's own right Hand, the Alan made ftvong for that very Purpofe, to pray his Father, that if it were p of jible, that hitter Cup might pafs from him, and made it as it were neceiThry, that an Angel fhould defcend from Heaven to fupport and ftrengthen him : But He patiently bears the afflicting hand of God, and meekly and hum- bly fays, not my Will, but thine be done. This was the bloody Prelude to his further Sufferings ; and while the full Vials of God's Wrath were poured upon him, great was his Patience, Meeknefs, and Humility; but yet thefe Vertues appear more wonderful and amazing, if we confider, how He, who made, now rules, and will hereafter judge the World, could meekly fubmit, for all the good Offices He had done, to be apprehended with Swords and Staves, like a Malefa&or, by his finful Creatures, a tumultuous Multitude ; to be ac- cufed, as a Mover of Sedition, who was the Prince of Peace ; to be fcourged, as a Slave, who was IQng of the Jews ; to be condemn d by Pilate, tho' he could find no Fault in him ; to be held in Derifion, array d with a fear let J^obe, whofe Garment is Light ; to wear a Crown of Thorns, who was wont to wear a Crown of Glory ; to have a contemptible J{eed put into bis Hand for a Sceptre, who was %ing oflQngs, and Lord of Lords ; finally, to be reviled and £ e 2 mock'd zio Sermon the Eleventh. mock'd by the chief Priefts and Elders, and at length jpit upon, buffeted, infalted and cruci~ fied by an impious Rabble ; and yet for all thefe barbarous Indignities, like as a Lamb that is brought to the Slaughter, or as a Sheep before his Shearers is dumb, fo He opend not his Mouth, unlefs upon the Crofs, when He pray'd for his Murderers, who fo fpitefully, malicioufly, and cruelly ufed and perfecuted him, faying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Having fhewn that our Saviour was a per- fect Pattern, and a moft confummate Exam- ple of the Vertues of Meeknefs and Humi- lity, I fhall now proceed Laftly, to fhew, what Influence his Exam- ple hath, or ought to have upon our Pra&ice. His Example fhould excite us to learn of him to be meek and lowly, becaufe He exhorts and requires us fo to do : He requires it, who was the Son of God, as well as the Son of Man, who was our deareft Friend, who came down from Heaven to direct us in our Way thither, who laid down his Life, to fave us from Death ; who now is our powerful Advocate with the Father, to pardon our Sins, and to give us Grace to tread in his Steps, and follow his Example. He requires it of us, who will hereafter be our Judge, and reward us according to the Fruit of our Sermon the Eleventh. *li\ our Doings : and fhall we refufe to learn of him to be meek and lowly ? mall we be fo ungrate- ful, as to difobey and difpleafe our greateft Friend? fo unkind to ourfelves, as to pro- voke our Advocate with God, the Great Judge eternal, both of the Quick and Dead? But further, the Example of Chrift fhould excite us to learn of him to be meek and lowly, becaufe with regard to us, our Saviour , could propofe no other End of his Meeknefs and Humility, but our Imitation. For why did He, with fo much Meeknefs and Patience, bear the infolent Reproaches of the Scribes and Pharifees, the horrid Blaf- phemy and ContradiBion of Sinners, the lying Accufation of falfe Witnejfes ? why did He furfer them to Jpit in bis Face, to buffet htm, to be flricken with the Palms of their Hands ? and after many fuch vile Indignities, to be nailed to the Crofs, and in the midft of his ex- quifite Torments, to be mocked and reviled* 1 fay, why did He fuffer thefe things, but that the Scriptures might be fulfill 'd, and that we fhould learn of him, not only to love our Friends, but alfb our Enemies, to blefs thofe that curfe us , and pray for thofe that defyite- fully treat us ? Why did He condefcend to be baptized , and wafh'd in the Laver of Regeneration, who had no Pollutions either original or actual to be purged of? but to teach us humbly and reve- xiz Sermon the Eleventh. reverently to obferve the Sacrament of Bap- tifm, that our Sins might be myftically wafh'd away by the fan&ified Water of that holy Or- dinance ? why did He eat and converfe with Publicans and Sinners, but to teach us, that he that converteth a Sinner from the error of his Way^Jloall fave a Soul from Deaths andJhalL hide a multitude of Sins ? why did he conde- scend to wajh his Difciples Feet, but to teach them, that they mould not think it beneath them, to do all good Offices of Love and Kind- nefs to the meaneft of their Brethren, for faith our Lord, / have given you an Example^ that yejhould do> as J have done to you. Finally the Example of our Lord mould influence us, to learn of him to be meek and lowly ; becaufe He hath afTured us, that in fo doing we Jhall find reft to our Souls : And this the meek and lowly finds to be true by his own Experience ; for his Soul is calm and un- difturbed, fit for the Management of his own honeft Vocation or Calling, and well difpofed for the Service and Worfhip of God ; he is content with, and eafy under, whatever Station of Life Providence hath allotted him, with- out envying, or fretting himfelf, at the greater Riches, or Honours, lome Men enjoy s he is eafy to himfelf, eafy to others, and accepta- ble to his God ; hence he and his Conference are at Peace, which not only is a continual Feaft to him here, but gives him joyful Hopes, and Sermon the Eleventh. 213 and a good AfTurance, of a blefled Immor- tality. Whereas to proud and wrathful Men may be applied, that of the Prophet to the wicked in general, there is no Peace, faith my God, to the wicked, the wicked are like the trou- bled Sea, when it cannot reft, whofe Waters caft up Mire and Dirt : a fad Prefage that unlefs they repent of their Pride and inordinate Paffions , and learn of Chrift to be meek and lowly, they fhall never find reft to their Souls ; never enter into that everlafting Reft, which God hath prepared for thofe only, that follow the Lamb witherfoever He goeth. SER- [ "4 ] The Sin of being ajhanid ofChrift. SERMON XII. Mark VIII. 3 8. Whoever therefore Jhall he ajhamed of me and my Words in this adul- terous and finful Generation , of him alfo Jhall the Son of Man be ajhamed) when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with his holy Angels. "^ HERE are twoPaffions, (viz.) Fear and Shame which are very apt to prevail with timerous and unftable Chriftians, to make them deny or be afhamed of the Faith , and the Crofs of Chrift, in the day of Temptation : Fear in- duced St Peter, notwithftanding his repeated Refolutions to the contrary, in the. Hall of the 1 Sermon the Twelfth. rzy the High Prieft, to deny his Lord-, who fuffe r'd him to fall, as an Inllance of human Frailty, and look'd him into Repentance, as anlnftance of his great Compaffion ; becaufe he knew the Sincerity of his Heart, and that he would one day have Courage enough, to feal and confirm the Truth of the Gofpel with his Blood. But as for the other Paflion, that of Shame, with regard to Chrift and his Word, we have no Inftance in all the facred Volumes of any good Man being guilty of it : for fuch a Shame is inconfiftent with Goodnefs, and mod certainly argues a Rottennefs and Cor- ruption of Heart. Tis no wonder therefore, if Men (hall be ajbamed, or think it beneath their Honour to confefs the crucified Jefus, and acknow- ledge his Word in this adulterous and finful Generation , that the Son of Man Jhould be ajhamed of, and much more think it beneath his Honour and Dignity, to own, in the Day of Judgment, when Hejhall come in the Glory of his Father , with the holy Angels, fuch un- worthy and vile Profeflbrs of his Religion. In difcourfing on the Words of my Text, I fhall endeavour to (hew, Fir fly how, or when we may be faid to deny, or be ajhamed of Chrift, and his Words, Secondly, the Caufes whence this Denial, or Shame proceeds. F f Thirdly, rid Sermon the Twelfth. Thirdly-, the Effe&s thereof. Fourthly, the Folly of it. And Laftly, the Nature of the Punifhment de- nounced againft thofe who are guilty of it. Firfl then I am to fhew, how, or when we may be faid to deny, or be ajhamcd ofChrijt, and his Words. Now this we may do in Thought, in Word, and in Deed. We deny him in Thought, whenever we entertain unworthy or profane Notions of the Dignity of his Perfon, the Nature of his Office, the San&ity of his Anions, the Purity of his Example, or of the Wifdom and Authority of his Word. If therefore with Socinus or Arius we disbelieve his Divinity; if with the»Scribes and Pharifees we perfwade ourfelves, that He was a Deceiver, and that He wrought his Miracles by the Power of the Devil ; if in our Hearts we deny, that He was fent and commiffion'd by God the Father, to be our Prophet to teach us; our Prieft, to pray and die for us ; and our King, to rule and protect us : if we look upon his lively Oracles of Truth, to be an infignificant and dead Letter ; if we prefer the glimmering Light of Reafon, to the much fuperior Light of his Gofpel : if in Comparifon to the Du- ties of the moral Law, we defpife and vilify his pofitive Institutions -, if thus , or in this like Sermon the Twelfth. 217 like manner, we think of Chrift and his Words, we then deny or defpife him in our Thought; But his Wordy which is quick and powerful , Jbarper than any two edged Sword, piercing even to the dividing af under of the Soul and Spirit, and of the Joints and Marrow, which is alfo a Dif center of the Thoughts, and Intents of the Heart, will, without Repentance, condemn us for it. But this Denial ofChrift and his Word in our Thoughts, tho' it be a great Wickednefs-, yet is exceeded, Secondly, by our Denial, or being afhamed of him and his Gofpel, by our Words : thefe are the Interpreters of our Minds ; for as our Conceptions are the Images of Things, fo our Words are the Images of our Conceptions ; and if to deny Chrift in thefe be an heinous Sin, to deny him alfo in our Words is yet a greater Aggravation thereof. When erroneous or heretical Notions arife from Prejudice of Heart, they denote an Aver- fion or an Antipathy to Chrift, and his gra- cious and faving Truths : but when we are fo bold, as to utter them by our Mouth, we are faid to Jpeak wicked Blajjthemy againft the mojl High, If, as our Saviour faith, it is out of the Abun- dance of the Heart, that the Mouth Jpeaketh ; 'tis a fure Sign that the Heart is exceeding full, when it is no longer able to contain or con- V fz fine ii8 Sermon the Twelfth. < tine its vain and impious Imaginations with- in itfelf, but labours to vent them by the Tongue, or diffufe them by the Prefs. This is a Sin like to that of the Scribes and Pha- rifees, who compafsd Sea and Land to make Profelytes, that they might make them two-fold more the Children of Hell than themfelves. Principles of Infidelity, while reftrain'd within a Man's own Bofom, are injurious only to himfelf ; but when they are divulged, they likewife infeU and poifon other Men , like the Peftilence that walketh in Darknefs, and the Sicknefs that deftroyeth at Noon day : the Mif- chief, which before was particular, by taking air becomes univerfal. A Third way of denying or being afhamed of Chrift and his Words is by our Deeds, by refufing to imitate our Lords Example, or to pay obedience to his Laws; 'tis our Adtions that give the finifhing Stroke to Sin, and fill up the Meafure of Wickednefs. Sin is firft conceived in Thought, by lewd and profane Difcourfe it is nourifhed and ftrengthened, and by our Works it is perfectly compleated. For Libertines to indulge themfelves in the Works of the Devil , is natural to them, for they are his Childreri, and therefore the Works of their Father they will do. But it feems no lefs ftrange for thofe, who have been ba- ptised into the Name and Faith ofjfefut, to act contrary thereto, than it would be/ Judgment , Mercy , and Faith ; who for ajhew can make long and loud Prayers^ and yet upon occafion will make no Scruple, to devour Widows Houfes. There are thofe , who can make clean the outfide of the Cup and V latter, and yet within are full of Ex- tortion and Excefs j who can boaft of Since- rity, and yet be guilty of the grofTeft Hypo- crify ; who can talk much ofMeeknefs and Humility, while their Hearts are full of Pride and Revenge ; who preach up Love and U- nion, yet delight in Hatred, and in fowing Difcord amongjl Brethren ; who can profefs Friendfhip, that like a joab, or a Judas, they may betray and kill with a Kjfs. Of thefe three Ways of denying Chrift, the firft, (viz.) the Denial of him and his Words in Thought; tho* it is a grievous Sin in his Sight, whofe Prerogative it is to try our Hearts and ~Reins, yet it is not that fort of Denial which is here cenfured in my Text; becaufe this is a Denial or being ajhamed of him and his IVords before Men, in an adulterous Gene- ration j which being no otherwife to be ex- prefs'd xgo Sermon the Twelfth. prefsd but by external Signs, fuch as are our Words or Actions, whereby other Men may know, as well as ourfelves, that we have no Value or Efteem for our Lord j therefore the two other Kinds of denying or being afliamed of Chrift, namely in Word, and in Deed, are only here exprefsly to be underftood; and thefe aifo muft have their proper Limita- tions : for 'tis not to profane the Name of Chrift, or to difobey his Commands, out of a Principle of Atheifm, Infidelity, or ftrong Inclination to a vicious Courfe of Life, tho' this is, or implies, a Denial or Renunciation of Chrift and his Religion, which will ren- der thofe, who are guilty of it, obnoxious to God's Wrath : but the Denial of him, here forbidden, is fuch as doth fuppofe a Man to know and believe in Chrift, and the Truths which he hath revealed ; but to be afham'd or afraid to confefs or own either him or them in a Jinful Generation , for Fear offuf- fering fome Evil, or of being deprived of fome Good, on account of fuch an Acknow- ledgment or Confeffion. This is what is meant by being afliamed of Chrift and his Words: The Caufes of which I proceed now in the Second Place to enquire into. Now the firft Caufe of this Denial or be- ing afliamed of Chrift is temporal Gain. This is Sermon the Twelfth. 131 is the great Goddefs Diana, which not only the Men ofEphefus, but all Nations and Languages under Heaven fall down before, and worjhip : 'tis this by which all the Springs of Nature are moved, and the World itfelj turn d upfide down : 'tis with this that the Devil, who well knew the Efficacy of the Temptation, thought to have turn d the Son of God himfelfinto an Idolater : and 'tis with this that the God of this World doth blind the Minds of them which believe not, left the Light of the glorious Gofpel ofChrift, who is the Image ofGod,fjould Jbine unto them. So ltrange a Power hath temporal Gain over the Minds of Men , that it continually changes their Opinions, their Looks, and Actions ; and makes the cleared Truths, the very firft Principles of Reafon and Religion, ( as well as Empires ) fubject to Revolution. 'Tis for this that the Hypocrite disfigures bis Face, founds a Trumpet before his Alms, and prays in the Synagogue, and in the Streets, that he may have Glory and Reward of Men. 'Twas for this, for the Loaves and Fijhes, that the Multitude followed our Saviour • 'twas for this, for the thirty Pieces of Silver, that Judas did betray him ; and for the felf fame Caufe , Many, like the young Man in the Gofpel, who had great Pojjejfions to retain, or get the like, turn their Backs upon him, deny or are afham'd of htm . That x^i Sermon the Twelfth. That this is matter of FacSt, Experience doth atteft, and that it is both fallacious and dangerous to make worldly Intereft the fole End of our Purfuits, our Lord himfelf in a Verfe or two preceding my Text affures us ; for faith He, what Jb all it profit a Man, if be Jhall gain the whole World, and lofe his own Soul ? or what Jhall a Man give in exchatige for his Soul ? Another Caufe of this Denial or being ajhamed of Chrift and his Words, is Fear of the Hatred and Contempt of the World. The Religion of Jefus is contrary to the natural Paffions, and corrupt Inclinations of Man- kind : 'tis pure, fpiritual, heavenly, and there- fore repugnant to the impure, carnal, and worldly Difpolitions of Men, who, becaufe they can neither reiifli its refined Pleafures, nor perceive the Reafons upon which it is founded and recommended to us, hate and defpife it. And becaufe the Church of Chrift, which profeffeth this Religion, u founded upon a J^ock ; is a fpiritual Building, of which Chrift himfelf is the chief corner Sto?ie, and confequently Hands unmoved, infpite of all the Batteries, which malicious Rage and Fury can make againft it : The Devil and his Agents defpair- ing to difpute Religion out of the World, and intirely to demoltfh the Church of Chrift, endeavour to (hame her out of it, and by bit- ter Sermon the Twelfth. 233 ter Reproaches , and virulent Invectives, to difcourage and terrify the Profeflbrs of it. They falfly reprefent Religion, as a Com- pofition of Pride and Hypocrify, Singularity and Enthufiafm , as deftru&ive of the Liber- ty, the Pleafures, and Happinefsof Life; and brand all her Votaries with the odious Names of Puritanical and Precife, weak and fuper- ftitious, overcredulous or defigning Men. By this Artifice Multitudes are deceived and ruined ; for Men having naturally a quick Senfe of Honour, nothing is more ungrate- ful to, nothing makes a deeper Impreffion on them than Contempt; and therefore for fear of being hated and ridiculed by an adul- terous and finfal Generation, they are but too eafily induced to renounce their Chriftian Name and Covenant, and to plunge them- feives into, and fwim with the common Stream of Iniquity. A third Caufe of Denying or being ajhamed of Ch rift and his Words, is fear of Trouble and Perfecution for the fake of Chrift and his Gofpei through Weaknefs of Faith : I add through Weaknefs of Faith ; becaufe where Faith is ftrong, there can be no Fear ; for true Faith is made perfect by Love, and true Love cafteth out Fear, all bafe apoftatizing Fear of Perfecution for Chrift , or his Words fake : for through Faith every good Chriftian can triumph over Tribulation or Diftrefs, over G g Famine a 3 4" Sermon the Twelfth. Famine or Nakednefs, over Peril or Smord, and be more than a Conqueror through Chrift that loves him. By this, Mofes chofe rather to Juffer ^fffliclion with the People of God y than to enjoy the Pleafures of Sin for a Sea/on ; by this, the primitive Christians endured patiently and cheerfully the Trial of cruel Mockifigs and Scourgi?igs y yea moreover of Bonds , Imprifon- tnents and Death. Nay, this fpiritual Armour will make even the Coward Valiant, and without it the Heart of the Valiant will wax faint ; 'twas Faith bore up St Peter upon the Waves of the Sea, but as that wavered^ he began to Jink ; this made him follow our Saviour to the High Priefts Palace, and Want of this, infpite of all his Refolutions, made him thrice deny him. Whenever therefore any Man is affraid or afhamed to confefs himfelf a Difciple of Chrift, and to holdfaft the form of found Words by him delivered, it is to be imputed to his natural Fears increafed through Weaknefs or want of Faith. But are all Perfons at all Times, and in all Places, obliged to confefs the Faith of Chrift crucified, and publickly to afTert the Truths of the Gofpel ? is fear of Perfecution, and hope of worldly Gain, inconiiftent with Chri- ftianity ? may we not decline the one, and purfue the other, without the Imputation of being afhamed of Chrift > may it not be fonje- Sermon the Twelfth. z%f fometimes Rafhnefs and Folly, openly to pro- fefs ourfelves Followers of Jems, as well as at other times the moft ungrateful Sin to deny or be afhamed of him ? To give an Anfwer to thefe Queries. We fay , that in Times of Perfecution , 'tis our Duty, as much as in us lies, to fupprefs and conquer our Fears, and for the Caufe of Chrift bravely to withftand and endure all the fiery Trials, the Malice of Men or Devils can exercife us with, if with a fafe Confcience we cannot efcape them : in this Cafe we mould be fo far from repining at our Sufferings, that we Jhould rejoyce, and be exceeding glad, that we are thought worthy to fuffer for the Name of Chrifl, for great will be our leeward in Heaven. But if our Sufferings may be with a good Confcience avoided, we are not commanded by Reafon or Religion to rufh into them : we may innocently conceal ourfelves, and our Principles ; we may be harmlefs as Doves, and yet as wife as Serpents : if Men p erf e cute us in one City, our Saviour himfelf bids us flee unto another. Nor perhaps was it ever ob- jected by our Lord as a Crime to Nicodemus, that for Fear of the Jews, he waited on him by Night. And as for the Objects of our Hopes and Defires , the Pleafures and Profits of this World, we muft be very cautious, that they G g 2 prove %l6 Sermon the Twelfth. prove not a deceitful Snare, and rob us of our Innocence: for thefe Temptations often- times prevail, where Violence is ineffectual : Sampfon, whom the Philiftines in vain at- tempted to deftroy by Force, fell an eafyPrey to them , thro' the endearing CarefTes of a treacherous Delilah. The Pleafures and Profits of this World we may lawfully purfue, and innocently enjoy; becaufe they are given fometimes as the Blef- fings of Heaven, and may and ought to be ufed to the Improvement of our own Vir- tues, the Encreafe of Piety, and the Honour of God. But they prove a Curfe to us, if we pro- ftitute our Confcience and Religion to ob- tain them ; or ifhoneftly gaind, we fpend them not in Charity to our poor Brethren, but upon our Lufts and Paflions, to the pre- judice of publick Societies, or the Ruin of pri- vate Men; or, if to fecure them, we deny or are amamed of our Lord. I proceed now Thirdly to confider fome of the Effects of this vicious Shame, with refpecl: to ourfelves, or other Men. With refpeft to ourfelves this vicious Shame is juft the Reverfe of true Modefty ; this is not only a Sign of a good Difpofition, but a natural Prefervative and Security againft Sin; and hath fuch an Abhorrence againft every Sermon the Twelfth. xg7 every thing, that is indecent or impure, as will not fuffer a Man to be guilty of it him- felf, nor fee it committed or repeated by others without a Blufh; and therefore where- ever it is cherifhed, like the Grace of God, it will mightily conduce to prevent or reitrain us from the Commiffion of Sin. But vicious Shame, or falfe Modefty, cor- rupts the Judgment, betrays the Succours of Reafon, and leaves us a Prey to every Tem- ptation : they, who are pofTeiTed with it, dare neither fpeak nor ad: in Defence of Chrift, or his Religion ; inftead of letting their Light Jhine before Me?i, that God may be glorified, they labour to conceal it, left themfelves mould be vilified. In a word, it makes us afhamed of that which really is our greateft Honour, and do thofe things, of which alone we ought to be afhamed. And if we confider it with refpecl: to other Men, the Influence of it will be proportion'd to the Characters of the Perfons who are guilty of it. In private Perfons, it will be an Offence to Good, and an Encouragement to bad Men ; it will grieve the Soul of the Righteous, and induce the proud and haughty Scorner to make a greater Mock of Religion, as well as Sin. And if it will have this Ef- fect from the Behaviour of private Perfons, how much more mifchievous will it be, if Perfons of Eminence and Authority mould be cor- xg8 Sermon the Twelfth. corrupted by it > for the higher the Station, the more remarkable will be the Character ; the more eminent the Perfon, the more poi- fonous will be the Example: becaufe inferior Perfons are apt to imagine, that Wifdom, Goodnefs, and Power are linkt together, and therefore for their Direction in their moral or religious Conduct, they love to fay, have any of the Toilers, and Pharifees believed on Cbrifi > and therefore, if thefe deny, or are afhamed ofChrift, the common People will alfo difown that Prophet, which arofe from Galilee. Great Reafon therefore have thofe who are Stewards of the Myfteries of the Gofpel ofChrift, whofe peculiar Bufinefs it is to f reach the Word of God, to feed his Sheep, his Spiritual Flock, which He hath pur chafed with his own Blood, to be infant in Seafon, out of Seafon, to exhort, reprove, rebuke with all Au- thority : great Reafon, I fay, have thefe to take heed to themfelves and to their DoHrine, left, by perverting the Word, or by an un- fuitable Converfation, they corrupt and of- fend their Hearers, and they themfelves be- come Cajiaways. The Fourth Particular to be confidered is the Folly of this vicious Shame : for frequent- ly it is founded upon a Miftake; for there is not always that Danger of being defpifed , hatedj Sermon the Twelfth. x^ hated, and perfecuted, for the fake ofCbrift and his Words , as we may apprehend : for tho' we read, that among the chief 'Rulers ma' ny believed on Chrift, hut did not confefs bim 9 becaufe of the Pharifees^ left they JJjould be put out of the Synagogues * ; yet God be praiied, that is not our Cafe, for the Chriftian Reli- gion is the Religion of our Country, it is eftabliihed by our Laws, our Kings are its nurfing Fathers, and our Queens its nurfing Mothers, and 'tis the Glory of our Britifh Mo- narchs to be Defenders of its Faith. And what, tho" it be made, by fome im- pious and profane Men, who have not fo much Senfe and Fear of a God as the very Devils, for thefe believe and tremble , the dayly Sub- ject of their Derifion and Reproach j yet even among thefe, fuch is the Beauty of Holinefs y with which the Religion of Jefus, the Ring's Daughter , who is all glorious within, and whofe Clothing is of wrought Gold, is arrayed, that fhe frequently commands Reipecl:. But fuppofe there was that real Danger, as fome imagine, of lofing the Praife of the World for the fake of Religion : mall the Praife of wicked Men, tho' never fo nume- rous, induce us to deny, or be amamed of it? fliall not the Approbation of a good Con- fcience, the Efteem of all good Men, and the Praife and Love of God, much rather pre- * John i*. 4>- vail z^o Sermon the Twelfth. vail with us to adhere to it, manfully to fight under Chrift's Banner againft all its /piritual Enemies, and to continue Chrift's faithful Soldiers and Servants unto our Lives End ? Can it be Wifdom to difcard and renounce the nobleft of all Profeffions, to gratify the Ignorance and Corruption of the worft of Men ? Can it be Wifdom to be alhamed of and quit the Service of the beft of Matters, which is perfect Freedom and whofe Wages is eternal Life, to enflave ourfelves under the Bondage of the worft of Tyrants, whofe faireft Temptations are empty Pomps and Vanities, and whofe Wages is Death eternal ? But the Folly of this vicious Shame will moft fully appear, if we conlider in the Lafi Place, the Nature of the Punifhment denounced againft thofe who are guilty of it. Whoever fhall be ajhamed of Chrift and his Words iii this finful Generation, of him will the Son of Man be ajbamed, when he cometh in the Glory of his Father with the holy Angels. 1 fhall here briefly confider the Action to- gether with the Circumftances of it; the Soft of Man will be ajhamed of him:, as St Mat- thew exprefTes it, Chrift will deny him ; or as St Luke renders it, Chrift will fay to him, I know you not ; all which Phrafes are of the like Import and Signification, each of them as proceeding from the Mouth of our Saviour, when Sermon the Twelfth. 241 when He fhall come to judge the World at the laft Day, denoting whatever may arTecSfc and ftnke the Sinner's Soul with the utmoft Horror and Confufion, for each of them is a Sentence of Damnation : He that was a Mi- racle of Love and Mercy ; He that came in- to the World to preach the perfect Will of God, that we may be wije unto Salvation • to die for Sinners, that we might be reconciled to God; that rofe again, that we might be jufti- fied ; that afcended into Heaven, and Jitteth at the right Hand of his Father, continually in- tercedingfor us ; will declare from his awful Tribunal, that He is ajloamed of thofe, who here were ajhamed of him. Then the Day of Pity and Compaffion will be paft, and ftridt and inflexible Juftice will take place: what inexpreflible Agonies will the Sinner then feel, when he fhall hear his almighty Judge deny him, or fay unto him, I know you not ? If a Look of Ch rift, when He was deliver d into the Hands of Sinners , affected St Peter after he had thrice denied him, with fuch Shame and Remorfe, that he went out and -wept bitterly, how much more dreadful will his Appearance be to thofe who were a/bam d of him, when they Jhall fee the Son of Man fitting on the right Hand of Power , and coming in the Clouds of Heaven ? when He fhall come attended with all the Circumftances, that can make his Appearance look terrible and glo- H h rious* r^i Sermon the Twelfth. rious ? when he JIjoIL come in the Glory of his Father , and the holy Angels > Then in the Pretence of Almighty God, before that Au- guft Aflembly, mall his infamous and ungrate- ful Folly, who denied his Lord, be laid open and proclaim d, with all the trifling and in- fignificant Motives, which did prompt him to it. Then (hall his fenfual Pleafures, that foft- ned him into (inful Compliances, and made him quit his Integrity ; the Riches and Ho- nours of this World, which enticed him to Idolatry ; the tranfient Evils, fuch as Stripes, Bruifes and Death, which frighted him to deny his Lord, and renounce his Faith; fhall be weighed in the Ballance of the Sancluary y againft the inexhauftible stivers of Pleafure, which are at God's right Hand; againft the Riches and Treafures of Heaven; againft the exceeding Weight of eternal Glory , with which the Lord will reward his Saints ; and the mo- mentary Afflictions of this Life, againft the Wrath of God, and almighty Vengeance, the full Vials of which will be poured out upon impenitent Sinners for ever : and then how wanting will be found, how lighter than Va- nity itfelf will all the now admired Idols of Riches, Honours, and Pleafures of this World, appear, for the Sake of which they denied and were afhamed of our Lord, in compari- fon to the Bleffings of Heaven, which they mould Sermon the Twelfth. 14,3 mould have enjoyed, if they had perfevered rn their Chriftian Daty to the End > And how little and contemptible will thofe Evils then be truly thought, for which they deferted and betray'd the Caufe of Vertue, loft the Joys above, and plung'd themfelves into the Gulph of endlefs Woe ? Then fliall the foolifh Choice of Sinners add Poifon to the Sting of Death , and encreafe the Mifery of their Damnation : then all their Hyppo- crify mail be difcovered , all their Difguifes taken of, and all their Corruptions expofed to view, before the numerous Army of Saints and Martyrs, before the Hoft of Heaven, the holy Angels ; all thefe will be WitneiTes of the Folly, Shame, and Confufion of Sinners, and of the Wrath of God, which will for ever abide upon them. To conclude. I have laid before you, my Reverend Brethren, the Nature, Caufes, Ef- fects, Folly, and Puniftiment of the Sin con- demned in my Text: what remains now, but that I fhould exhort forneof you, as faithful Stewards of the Myfteries of Chrifi, to whom are committed the Oracles of God, ftrenuoufly to contend, againft all antient and modern Oppofers, for the Honour and Dignity of our Lord and Matter, for the Truth of his holy Word, for the great Doctrines of Faith, and perfed Rules of a good Life, delivered unto us in the Gofpel. Hhj And ^44 Sermon the Twelfth. And to animate you thereto, Let me be- feech you to confider the Certainty, Excel- lency, and Importance of the Truths of our Religion, and the Wifdom and Authority of its Author. Let me befeech you to confider, how we have, not only devoted ourfelves at our baptifmal Font to his Honour and Ser- vice, and frequently renew'd that Covenant at the Communion of his Body and Blood, but we have alfo, in a peculiar manner above all other Chnftians, dedicated ourfelves as Servants to his Altar, as his Priefts and Mini- fters of his Word ; and are therefore bound to be pure and primitive in our Doctrine, exemplary in our Lives, zealous towards God, and Lovers of the temporal and fpi- ritual Welfare of our Brethren ; and there- fore fhould ufe the utmoft of our Endeavours to exprefs the Sincerity of our Faith, and Zeal in our publick Difcourfes, in our pri- vate Admonitions, and in the whole Courfe of a moral and religious Conduct. I need not obferve to you, that all your Words and Adtions are narrowly watched and fcann'd ; that your Frailties and Imperfe- ctions are for the mod part highly aggra- vated and feverely centered ; and that even your moft innocent Behaviour oftentimes much traduced and mifreprefented : from whence we fhould learn not to be difcouraged in our Chriftian Warfare, but to abftain not only Sermon the Twelfth. %^$ only from Evil, but from all the Appearance thereof. Nay, we fhould hence learn to be fo firm- ly attach'd to the Duties of our Religion , that none of the good Things of this Life fhould entice us to forfake, nor none of the evil Things of this Life deter us from pur- fuing them. No mercenary Hopes of Pre- ferment then fhould induce us by Perjury or Simony to obtain it ; nor bafe Regard of Mens Difpleafure make us proftitute our Ho- nour and Confcience, to gratify their Hu- mours, for Fear of loofing it. This Leflbn we fhould learn even of wicked Balaam , not to go beyond the Commandment of the Lord in any Cafe whatfoever, tho' impious Balaks would give its their Houfes full of Silver and Gold to bribe us to it : for how empty and infignificant are all the Plea- fures, Profits, and Honours of this World > what a poor Temptation are they to be ajlmm'd ofChrijt and his Words ? efpecially when com- pared to the Joys and Glories of Heaven , the fure promifed Rewards of our faithful Adhefion to our Mafter and his Caufe ; or to the Evils and Miferies of Hell, the fure Punifhments denounced againft thofe, who Jhall deny, or be ajbamd of either. Let us confider, that to be a Coward and a Chriftian, where the Honour of God and his Religion is concerned, is a Contradiction. I %^6 Sermon the Twelfth. I know, that there are great Difficulties in our Way, but 'tis our Duty to overcome them j for if God Jet firth the Apoftles, as it were ap- pointed unto I>eath ; if He permitted them to hunger and to thirft, to be naked and buffeted, to have no certain dwelling Place - 3 if they la- boured^ working with their Hands ; if being re- vile d y they bleffed-, being perfecuted, they fufi fered it -, being defrauded, they entreated: no marvel that we their Succeffors Jhould be made by fome, as the Filth of the World, and as the Offscourging of all Things even unto this Day. But to thefe Indignities let us oppofe the Comfort of a good Confcience, and the ex- ceeding Weight of Glory, which will infinite- ly overbalance our momentary Afflictions. Let us confider, that our Religion is a fuf- fering Religion, and therefore fufFering, be- caufe Chrift the Captain of our Salvation was made per feci thro" Sufferings, and becaufe, if we fuffer with him, wejhall alfo reign with him. Finally, let us confider, that Chrift himfelf hath told us, that whofoever will come after him , mujt deny himfelf and take up his Crofs and follow him j that whofoever will fave his Life, by refufing to lay it down for his Sake, fioall lofe it ; but that whofoever Jhall lofe his Life, for his and his Gofpel's fake, Jball fave it. SER- [ *47 ] The Sin ofrajh Anger. SERMON XIIL E P H E S. IV. id. Be ye angry and fin not> let not the Sun go down upon your Wrath. BE ye angry and fin not, this the Apoftle feems to fay byway of Conceffion, rather than of Command •, (though there are fome Cafes, where it is expedient, and neceflary, that we fhould te- ftify our refentment ) as if He had faid, if the Cafe be fuch that ye muft be angry, yet fee it be without Sin : let not the Sun go down upcn your Wrath, that is, if your Anger is ex- ceffive ( which the word Wrath implies,) yec let it not be lafting, be reconciled before the Sun go down, nor give place to the Devil; which he certainly doth, who gives a loofe to ex- ceflive 24-8 Sermon the Thirteenth. ceffive Anger , for he lays himfelf open to the Devil, to be tempted by him to the com- miffion of the moft monftrous Villanies. In difcourfing on the Words of my Text* I fhall endeavour to fhew, Firft, that we may be angry without Sin, be ye angry, and fin not. Secondly, how, and when, this Paffion of Anger becomes finful to us, together with the heinous Guilt and Folly there- of. Laftly, lay down fome Rules, which may be ufeful to prevent, or reftrain this Pat lion of Anger, from hurrying us into the Commiffion of Sin. Fir ft then I am to fhew, that we may be angry without Sin ; be ye angry and fin not. There was a Seel: of Philofophers, who thro* Pride and Conceit, prefcribed and pretended to live up to fuch exalted Rules of Morality, which no one ever did, or will be able to ob- ferve ; for they would have their Wife-man, not only to be govern'd by Reafon, but to be entirely free from all Paflions whatfoever; becaufe, in their Opinion, the Paflions were no better than impure Difeafes ofadiftem- pered Soul ; and therefore to be condemn'd and rejected as criminal in themfelves, and beneath the Dignity of human Nature. Now Sermon the Thirteenth. 149 Now, had their Opinion regarded only thofe turbulent Motions of the Appetite, which break through the Boundaries of Rea- fon, and hurry the Soul into all the Enor- mities of Sin, it would deferve our Appro- bation, and Efteem; becaufe founded on Truth, and confident with the Principles of Reafon and Religion : but to require of Man wholly to extirpate his Paffions, is unreafon- able, impracticable, and unnatural : it is un- reafbnable, becaufe human Paffions are the proper Objects of human Vertues ; for what is Vertue, but an Habit of the Mind, which keeps the Paffions in Subjection and Obe- dience, fuffering them neither to exceed, or fall fhort of thofe Bounds which Prudence doth prefcribe ? What is Fortitude, but a Guard to the Mind, againft Fool-hardinefs and unmanly Fears ? what is Meeknefs, but a Vertue which preferves us from being infenfible of Inju- ries and Indignities offered us, on the one hand ; and from too fierce, bitter, and cruel Refentments on the other ? and the like Pro- portion between two finful Extreams, or ex- travagant Paffions, is obferved by all the other particular Vertues : wheretore to extir- pate the Paffions, is to remove the proper Objects of Vertue, and confequently to de- ftroy the very Nature of Vertue. Nay, were we ever fo defirous to extir- I i pate %$o Sermon the Thirteenth. pate our Paffions, we fhould find all our At- tempts for that purpofe to be but vain : For where is that Perfon to be found, who is fo entirely rational, as to be void of all Paffion? if any fuch there be, we may prefume to fay, that he muft be more than Man, or lefs than a Brute : for Brutes are fenfible ofpleafure and Pain, of Joy and Grief, of Love and In- dignation ; and even the holy Angels, thofe fpiritual and intelligent Beings, are endued with Paffions in like manner as the Souls of Men are j for they rejoyce at the Converfion of a Sinner, and doubtlefs bewail the Fall of the Righteous : God alone is that pure, intelle- ctual, and molt perfect Being, to which no Paffions can be afcribed ; becaufe his Nature is fimple and uncompounded , infinitely re- moved from all Imperfections, fome Degree of which the Paffions do neceflarily imply: fo that unlefs we can fiippofe a Man to be an in- fenfible Being, beneath the Beafts that perifh, or tranflated into a God, it muft needs be impracticable for him, to diveft himfelf of the common Sentiments of Humanity. But further, fince the great and holy Au- thor of Nature, when He formed Man out of the Dufty and breathed into htm a living Soul, planted within him a fenfitive Appetite, whence all his Paffions arife, as well as a ra- tional Faculty to direct, and guide their Mo- tions, we may conclude, that they may be- come Sermon the Thirteenth, x$i come good or evil, according to the Object, about which they are employed, or the End which they purfue, fo that in them (elves they are neither good nor evil: becaufe good, as well as bad Men, hope and fear, rejoyce and grieve alike ; but with this Difference, that the Paflions in the one are changed into Ver- mes , whereas the Paflions in the other are converted into Sins : 'tis owing therefore to our Nature, that our Paflions cannot be rooted out, and 'tis the Bufinefs of our Ver- tue to check their Extravagancies, and keep them in Regularity and Order. The Notion therefore of the Stoick's con- cerning the Paflions is groundlefs, and their boafted Extirpation of them ridiculous and unnatural : if therefore the Paflions in ge- neral are of an indifferent Nature in them- felves , neither good nor evil • but become either one or the other, according as they are well or ill applied with refpecl: to their Objed: and End : it follows , that Anger, which is one of the Paflions, is in itfeif nei- ther good nor evil, but is diverfified accord- ing to the Objed: and End thereto propofed. For if we are angry to fee Religion pre- vail, and Impiety decay ; if we ungratefully refent the wholefbm Advice, and kind Ad- monitions of a Friend ; if, as the Apoftle faith, we become Enemies to other Men, be- caufe they are fo good and juft, at to tell us I i z the %^r Sermon the Thirteenth. the Truth, and rebuke us for our darling Faults; our Anger then becomes highly cri- minal, and is a great Aggravation of our Guilt. Whereas on the other hand, if with holy David, our Indignation dotharife to fee the Floods ofUngodlinefs abound, and the wicked flourijh like a green Bay- tree, and do even what they lufl $ if, thro' concern for God's Glory, and the Prefervation of his Church , we fay with him, wilt thou not flay the wicked, God? depart from us, ye blood-thirfty Men, for they jpeak unrighteoufly againft thee , and take thy Name in vain : nay, if thro' a pious Tranfport of holy Zeal, we mould fay with that Prophet, do not we hate them, Lord, that hate thee ? and are we not grieved with thofe, that rife up againjl thee ? yea, we hate them right fore, as tho they were our Enemies. If our Anger be thus far inflamed, the great Provocation there- to might at leaft palliate, if not excufe the Warmth of our Refentments, and the Sharp- nefs of our Expreffions: however, if our Zeal will not juftify our hatred of thofe who are avowed Enemies to God ; I am fure it will juftify our hatred of their Enmity, and our Averfion to their Sins, againft which we can- not be too warm, nor too fevere in our Re- proofs : for our zealous Indignation againft Sin is no more than Duty, becaufe it is an Imitation of his holy Zeal, who knew no Sin, and Sermon the Thirteenth. 25*3 and yet boldly rebuked, and died for Sin, that penitent Sinners might be faved. Our Anger, I fay , on f uch Occafions , is our Duty, becaufe, in fo doing, we imitate our Lord's Example : for He knowing the Pride, Covetoufnefs, and Hyppocrify of the Scribes and Pharifees, feverely rebuked their abominable Pra&ices ; and by the many re- peated Woes He denounced againft them, we fee how much that Generation of Vipers had provoked his righteous Soul : and when He fart? thofe that fold Oxen, Sheep, and Doves, in the Temple of Jerufalem, He fcourged both them, and their Beafts out of that f acred Place, over- threw the Money Changers Tables, and the Seats of them that fold Doves ; and faid unto them , it is written, my Houfefhall be called the Houfe of Prayer, but ye have made it a Den of Thieves ; verifying thereby that Prophecy of David concerning him, the Z^eal of thine Houfe hath eaten me up. And when the Ruler of the Synagogue re- viled him for healing a Woman, who had a Spirit of Infirmity for many Tears, He warm- ly replied, thou Hyppocrite, doth not each one of you, 071 the Sabbath, loofe his Ox, or his Afs from the Stall, and lead him away to watering? and ought not this Woman, being a Daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound, lo ! thefe eighteen Tears, be loofed from this Bond on the Sabbath Day ? From z?4* Sermon the Thirteenth. From thefe Paflages of Scripture we find, that our bleffed Saviour himfelf, the Author and Prince of Peace, was on fuch high Provo- cations excited to Anger, and moved to fhew his great Difpleafure j and yet we are afTur'd from the fame infallible Oracles of Truth, that He was free from Sin; and confequently An- ger in itfelf is not (infill, ( which the Words of my Text imply, be ye angry, and Jin not ) but fometimes, and on fome Occafions, ne- cefTary to be exerted, becaufe it is our Duty to tread in our great Matter's Steps. Having (hewn, that Anger in itfelf is not finful, I proceed according to my Second Particular, to fhew, when it becomes finful to us, together with the heinous Guilt and Folly thereof It becomes finful to us, when it is raifed without juft Caufe, and will admit of no Re- flraints ofReafon: Caufelefs Anger is, when we give ourfelves up to it, fretting and tor- menting ourfelves and others, upon every flight or without any real Provocation, work- ing ourfelves up, through groundlefs Sufpi- cions, and overhafty and falfe Conclufions, to all the Extravagancies of Rage and Folly. Thus fome paflionate Men take that as an Injury , which was intended for their Good, and fiercely refent the Effects of Duty and Love, as an unpardonable Affront, and fly out Sermon the Thirteenth, iss out into reproachful Words, and revengeful A6ls ; when there is nothing befide their own vain Jealouiies to provoke them to it; like Clouds that break out in Thunder and Light- ning, when all the Sulphur and Fire is bread in their own Bowels. The Prophet Jonah is a remarkable In- ftance of a Perfon overruled and carried away by this inordinate Paffion : He prophefied that Ninevey mould be deftroy'd; the People repented, and God was pleafed to /pare them; but Jonah was angry, becaufe God was appeafed ; and knew not how to forgive that Mercy, which readily forgave the re- penting Ninevites : and when God had caufed a Worm to deftroy that Gourd, which he had prepared to fliade his hot and angry Head, he fell into another outragious Fit, for the Lofs of fo mean a Trifle ; and tho' God did meekly expoftulate with him, doft thou well to be angry for the Gourd ? through Violence of Paffion, he infolently replies even to the great God of Heaven, yea, J do well to he an~ gry y even unto Death. And as Anger becomes (infill when it is without Caufe, fo likewife is it (infill when it is immoderate and without Bounds: which it may exceed, either in Degree, ^or Dura- tion; in Degree, when by its Vehemence, tho' a juft Caufe of Refentment be given, it tranfports us beyond all the Restraints of Reafon, r $6 Sermon the Thirteenth. Reafbn, and Religion ; when it hurries us on blindly to retaliate evil with evil, in Words or Deeds, not regarding the Nature or De- merit of the Offence given, nor obferving any Proportion in our Refentments. But we muft not think becaufe private Re- venge, the Refult of Anger, is a Tranfgref- fion of the divine Law, that therefore it is a Crime in a Magiftrate, to infli&due Punifh- ment on thofe who deferve it: for to him is committed the Sword of'Juftice, and 'tis his Glory, as well as Duty, not to bear that Sword in vain. And as Anger is finful, when it exceeds in Degree, fo alfo it is when it exceeds in Du- ration : for if we let the Sun go down upon our Wraths if we lie down upon our Beds with Anger boiling within our Breafts, we fliall find it foured into Malice and Hatred in the Morning: and what Evils will not Malice and Hatred produce ? they will corrupt and poifon all the Seeds of Vertue and Piety, and drive God's Holy Spirit from us ; for how can that Dove-like Spirit refide in a Heart, that is full of Gall and Bitternefs ? or how can the Fire of divine Love burn clear and bright, where there are continual Fumes of Anger rifing up to obfcure, or extinguifh it ? How oppofite is Wrath and Clamour, with all their direful Effects, to the holy Doctrines of Jefus, which inculcate nothing with more Earaeft- Sermon the Thirteenth. 15-7 Earneftnefs, than Peace and Love, Meeknefs and good Will towards all Mankind > what Injuftice and Cruelty do ufually attend the fiery Sallies of this Paffion ? with how falfe a Balance doth he that is actuated, or rather poflefsd therewith, weigh the Actions and Qualities of other Men ? To his Heart pre- judiced by Paffion, a Mole-hill becomes a Mountains and the leaft Indignity, in his Opinion, deferves the keeneft Animadver- fion, and demands the moft bloody Revenge, being never to be forgotten, or forgiven: thus nothing would fatisfy the Rage and In- ference of Haman, whom Mordecai, through the Omiffion of a little Ceremony, had pro- voked, under a Gallows of fifty Cubits high prepared for the Offender, nor even that make him an amends, without fhedding the Blood of a whole Nation, of all the People of Mor- decai. But it is obfervable, that the fame Gallows, which Haman had erected for Mor- decai , was by divine Providence the Inftru- ment of his own Execution. Tis no wonder therefore, that this head- ftrong Paffion, which naturally tends to, and is productive of Murder, mould by our Sa- viour be reduced under the Sin of Murder; for faith He *, ye have heard, that it hath been Jaid by them of old Time , Tbou Jhalt not kill : and rvhofoever Jljall kill, Jhall be in danger of * Matth. 5. %i t ii. Kk the X5-8 Sermon the Thirteenth. the Judgment: but I fay unto you , that who- foever is angry with his Brother without a Caufe, Jhall be in danger of the Judgment ; and who- foever Jljall fay to his Brother, J^acha, jhall be in danger of the Council ; but whofoever Jhall fay i thou Fool, Jhall be in danger of Hell-fire. If then we would avoid the horrid Guilt, and Shame, with all the dreadful Confequences of this unruly Paffion , we mutt check and ftifle the firft Motions thereto; for if the Fire be once kindled, 'tis eafily blown up, but hardly to be extinguifh'd ; for he who is hafly of Spirit, faith the Wife-man, exalteth Folly, and a wrathful Man /lirreth up Strife. And we may be further convinced of the heinous Guilt, and monftrous Folly of exceffive An- ger, which, as Solomon obferves, rejleth only in the Bofam of Fools, forafmuch as it not on- ly renders us odious and ridiculous to Man, but alfo abominable in the Sight of God, be- caufe it makes even our Prayers, and other A&s of Devotion, unacceptable to him, and inftead of procuring a Bleffing, makes them prove a Curfe to us : for thus faith our Sa- viour, if thou bring thy Gift to the Altar, and there remembrejl that thy Brother hath ought againjl thee ; leave there thy Gift before the Al- tar, and go thy way, firji be reconciled to thy Brother, and then come and offer thy Gift. And in the Prayer which He himfelf taught us, he bids us pray to our Father which is in Heaven j Sermon the Thirteenth. 15*9 Heaven, to forgive us our Trefpajfes, as we for- give them which trejpafs again]} us. Can he then hope for Forgivenefs, who will not for- give ? can he dare to fay to God, forgive me my Trejpajfes , as I forgive them that trejpafs againfl me ? for if he will not forgive, doth he not as oft as he repeats the Lord's Prayer, ask of God, inftead of pardoning his Sins, to condemn him for them ? I proceed now, in the Lafl Place, to lay down fome Rules, which may be ufeful to prevent or reftrain this Paffion of Anger from hurrying us into the Commiffion of Sin. And firft, becaufe we are not fufficient of ourfelves to do any thing, our Sufficiency being of God, we muft pray, that He would renew a right Spirit within us, a meek and humble Spirit, for that is the true Ornament, which, as St Peter faith, is in the Sight of God of great Price ; and we may add likewife in the Sight of Men: for he that is of a meek and humble Spirit, ufually meets with that good Will and Efteem, which he is always ready to pay to others ; and if he fhould meet with hatred for his good Will, he will not behave himfelf unfeemly, for he is not eafily provoked; but is more apt to blefs than to curfe even his Ene- mies, and pray for, than injure, thofe, who de~ Ipitefully ufe him. Whereas he who is of a contrary Difpo- K k 2 fition, z6o Sermon the Thirteenth. fition, is apt to defpife and affront others, and therefore to be defpifed and affronted himfelf: hence arife Wrath and Clamour, Con- fufion, and every evil Work. If then we would have our own Lives, or thofe of others, eafy and happy, we muft endeavour to walk wor- thy of the Vocation wherewith we are call'd, in all Lowlinefs and Meeknefs, with Long-fujfer- ing ; forbearing one another in Love , keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace. Secondly, if we would reftrain and fupprefs inordinate Anger, let us not fuffer it to break forth in Words or Actions, till we have tho- roughly weighed the Provocation thereto : if thou haft heard a Wordy faith the Son of Si- rach, let it die with thee ; be bold, it will not hurjl thee : admonijh a Friend, it may be, he hath not done it ; and if he hath done it, that he do fo no more : admonijh a Friend, it may he, he hath not faid it -, and if he hath, that he jpeak it not again : admonijh a Friend, for many times it is a Slander, and believe not every 'Tale : for the inquifitive and credulous lay them- felves open to the poifonous Darts of every evil Tongue. But if we fupprefs our Anger, 'till we have fully confidered, whether we have juft Caufe for Refentment or not, we fhould proba- bly be fecured from its ufual Guilt and Folly. If there be no juft Caufe, our inflamed Hearts will foon grow cool, and joyful too, that Sermon the Thirteenth. 261 that we have not rafhly done thofe things, we fhould be afhamed and mult repent of: and if there fhould be juft Caufe given , by fupprefling a while the Motions of Anger, our Reafon will recover itfelf, and direct us how to behave, as becometh wife Men and Chriftians. Another moil powerful Means and Motive to fupprefs this furious Paffion, is the Con- fideration of the long Suffering and Forbearance of God towards us Sinners ; for tho" He is the great Kjng of Kgngs, and Lord of Lords , and we but finfid Dufl and Ajhes , yet He waits long to be gracious, and thinks on Mercy, and is more ready to pardon and forgive us, than we are to offend him. Shall then the adorable Majefty of Heaven patiently bear with us ungrateful Sinners ? and fhall we not patiently bear with our fel- low Servants , if they offend us > Shall God forgive us an hundred Talents? and jh all we take our infolvent Brethren by the TJwoat, if they owe us no more than an hundred Pence ? Were we, while Enemies, reconciled to God by the Death of his Son ? and (hall we, in (lead of being reconciled to thofe, who perhaps ne- ver really offended us, let the Sun go down upon our Wrath, and never forgive them ? Such Behaviour furely is unworthy of a Chriftian ; quite the Reverie of our Saviour's Reafoning, God, faith He, is kind unto the un- thankful^ z6% Sermon the Thirteenth. thankful^ and to the evil ; be ye therefore merci- ful, as your Father is merciful. To conclude ; Let us confider, how much more noble it is to fubdue, than to yeild to this, or any other inordinate Paffion j to de- fpife and forgive, rather than refent, an In- jury ? how much more generous it is to pity and pray for, rather than revile and avenge ourfelves on, him that did it ? Let us confider the Deformity of this tur- bulent Paffion, how it divefts a Man of his Reafon, and converts him into a wild Beaft : let us confider, what Confufion of Spirits; what Change of Countenance ; what Tranf- ports of Madnefs ; what impious and profane Expreffions againft Heaven and Earth, againft God and Man ; what Violations of Friend- fliip ; what cruel Purpofes ; what bloody and barbarous Actions, a fhort Fit of it, fome- times all on a fudden precipitates Men into, which perhaps can never be repaired by any after Compenfation, nor wafh'd away by the Tears of Repentance. I fay, let us timely confider thefe Things, and we lhall think it our Wifdom and Du- ty to confine this Paffion within its proper Bounds ; and to praife God for his Mercy, if He mould, at any time, affift and enable us to fupprefs and conquer its Fury, by his pre- venting and reftraining Grace, SER- \_i6i ] On St Thomas. SERMON XIV. John XX. 17, x8. Then faith He to Thomas, reach hi- ther thy Finger, and behold my Hands, and reach hither thy Hand, and thruft it into my Side ; and be notfaithlefs, but believing. yind Thomas anywefd, and J aid unto him, my Lord, and my God. IN this Chapter we are informed, that our blefled Lord appeared three feve- ral Times to his Difciples, after his Re- furrecftion from the Grave, firft to Ma* ry Magdalen, whom, to fatisfy her diligent En* quiry, he gracioully faluted by the Name of Mary , faying, touch me not, for 1 am not yet 16^ Sermon the Fourteenth. yet afcended to my Father ; but go to my Bre- thren , and fay unto them , I afcend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God. And the fame Day at Evening, when the Brethren, his Difciples, were aflem- bled together, came Jefus, a?id flood in the midfl, frying unto them, Peace be unto you, and whofoever Sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them ; and whofoever Sms ye retain, they are retained-, and this Bleffing, and gracious Pri- viledge He fealed unto them by breathing on them, and faying, receive ye the Holy Ghofi, who being the Comforter, infpired them with fuch Confblation, as made them glad to com- municate the joyful News of our Lord's Re- furre&ion to Thomas, who was not with them when Jefus came ; but their Words feemed to him as idle Tales, and he believed them not; for he faid unto them, except IJhallfee in his Hands the Print of the Nails, and put my Fin- ger into the Print of the Nails, and thruft my Hand into his Side, I will not believe. And yet fuch was our Saviour's Love to this unbelieving , but chofen Difciple to preach his Word, and bear teftimony to his Refurre&ion , that He appeared again foon after to his Difciples, as they were aflembled together with Thomas with them, as it were on purpofe to fatisfy his Doubts and Scruples, and remove his Infidelity, faying unto him in particular, reach hither thy Finger^ and be- hold Sermon the Fourteenth. 16 f hold my Hands ; and reach hither thy Hand± and thrufi it into my Side ; and be not faith- lefs y but believing : and "Thomas anfwered, and faid unto him-, my Lord, and my God. In difcourfing on thefe Words, I fhall en* deavour, Fir ft, to fliew the Weaknefs and Sinfulnefs of St Thomas's Incredulity. Secondly, the rich Mercies and Goodnefs of our Lord fhewn in his tender Re- proof and gracious Conviction of this incredulous Apoftle. Thirdly, the good Effect of this Reproof and Conviction had upon St Thomas, exprefled in thefe Words, my Lord, and my God. And, Laftly, make fome ufeful Reflexions drawn from the foremention'd Particulars. Firfl, I am to fhew the Weaknefs and Sin- fulnefs of St Thomas's Incredulity. That our Lord's Refurrection mould have been thought a thing incredible by Jews and Gentiles, before their Converfion to the Faith of Chrift, or that this great Article of the Refurrection fhould caufe the weak Faith of Babes and Novices in Chriftianity to (hake and itagger, is not fo ftrange and furpnz- ing, fince among the learned Philofophers of Athens, thofe wife Dijputers of phi f Worlds L 1 when %66 Sermon the Fourteenth. when they heard St Paul preaching unto them Jefus y and the J{efurrecHon y fome of them in derifion faid, what will this Babler fay ? and others , that he feem'd to be a Setter forth of firange Gods. For the Refurre&ion was an Acl: indeed before unheard of by them , and above the Power of their Heathen Deities to effect : an Acl: therefore, not only beyond their Com- prehenflon, but alfo contrary to all their Rules of Philofophy, and Obfervations and Difcoveries of Reafon; and confequently , that thefe (hould doubt of, deny, and make a Mock of the Refurre&ion , is no wonder, becaufe ( as St Paul faith ) the natural Man difcerneth not the Things that be of God y for they are Jpiritually difcerned. But that an Apoftle, a Difciple of our Lord, a Companion in his Labours, a Minifter of his Word, an Interpreter of his Myfteries, a Witnefs of his Actions, a Spectator of his Miracles, who had feen our Saviour make the Deaf to hear-, the Dumb to Jpeak, the Lame to walk ; who had feen Storms and Tempefts, Winds and Seas obedient to his Voice, the De- vils , tho a Legion, dijfioffeft , and the Dead to rife again and live : That fuch an one who had been, not only an Eye-witnefs of thefe his mighty Works, but alfo had doubtlefs wrought fuch mighty Works himfelf in his Name -, that he fliould disbelieve, that Chrift was Sermon the Fourteenth 267 was ri fen from the Dead, tho' after his Death and Burial He had appeared to the reft of the Apoftles, who told him, that they hadfeen the Lord; and yet that he mould have fo little regard to their Words, as that he re- solved, except he Jhould fee in his Hands the Print of the Nails, and put his Finger into the Print of the Nails , and thrujt Ins Hand into his Side, he would not believe ; this is what is ftrange, and perhaps would have been incre- dible, if St Thomas had not been an undeni- able Inftance of its Truth. But this is no lefs an Argument of his own Weaknefs, and the Unreafonablenefs of his Incredulity : for why fhould he not have given credit to the united Teftimony of all the reft of the Apoftles, which, without his Teftimony had been fufficient to have con- vinced all Chriftians in fucceeding Ages of the Truth of our Lord's Refurre&ion ? Did they not, whofe Honefty and Integrity he had no Reafbn to queftion, allure him, that they had feen the Lord} could he reafonably fu- fpe& them to have been deceived, who had, not only feen him with their Eyes, but alfo heard him with their Ears twice pronounce his Benediction of Peace upon them, and au- thorize them to remit and retain Sins ? Could he fuppofe them, who were Teachers of Truth, and Servants of the God of Truth, $p have been guilty of forging a Lie ? and im- L 1 2 poling 2.68 Sermon the Fourteenth. pofing it upon him ? and therefore his ob- ftinate Incredulity was in Effect, not only giving a Lie to the Teftimony of his Brethren, and fo far weakning thereby their powerful Evidence for the grand Article of his Matter's Religion, his Refurre&ion from the Dead, without which our Faith is vain-, and ourPreacb- ing vain ; for if Chrift be not rifen, we are yet in our $i?is ; but it was alfo bafely wounding his Lord and Mafter in that Point, which could moft fenfibly affect him : for fince He was declared to be the Son of God with Power, * according to the Spirit of Holinefs, by the 7^- fnrretlion from the Dead: What could more effectually overturn this fundamental Proof of his Divinity, than the Denial of, or per- verfe Disbelief of his Refurre<5tion ? For in the forecited Text, St Paul proves our Saviour to be eflentially God from his f Power, his Holinefs, and his Refurrection : his Almighty Power having been manifefted by the Miracles he wrought, and the abfolute Manner in which He did them ; for thus faith He to the Leper , when He cured him, I wilt be thou clean, and firaitway he was cleanfed: his confummate Holinefs being (hewn by the Vertues which He taught and pra&ifed, for He was holy as God is holy ; and his Glory and Majefty by his Refurre&ion , only with this * Roin. 1,4. t Efprit Fletcher Eyeque de Ni«nes Parjeg. p-jitf. Diffe- Sermon the Fourteenth. 269 Difference, that his Power and Holinefs were in fome meafure concealed under the Veil of our Weaknefs, and clouded with our Infir- mities j whereas his Divinity was clearly ma- nifefted in hisRefurredtion. For no other Being but that which is Omni-" potent can raife the Dead, and therefore fince the holy Scriptures allure us, that Chrift was raifed, not only by the Power of the Father, but alfo by his own j for thus faith our Lord to the Jews, deftroy this Temple, and in three Days I will raife it up ; which Words they ig- norantly underftoodofthe Temple ofjerufalem, but He jfrake of the Temple of his Body, which He very probably ftiled fo, becaufe the Ful- nefs of the Godhead dwelt in him bodily ; and tvhen He was rifen from the Dead, his Difciples remembred, that He had f aid this unto them, and they believed the Scripture, and the Word that Jefns hadfaid. And therefore, I fay, fince upon the Re- furre&ion of Chrift the Apoftles believed thofe Words of Chrift, deftroy this Temple, and I will raife it up, they confequently did believe, that Chrift raifed himfelf, and there- fore did, as it is our Duty to do, believe his Divinity. Wherefore it muft be, not only a great Weaknefs in St Thomas to disbelieve the reft of the Difciples, who told him that they had ■jfeen the Lord, but alfo a grievous Sin in him, to 270 Sermon the fourteenth, to disbelieve thofe Words ofChrift, deflroy this Temple, and in three days I will raife it up y which He probably had heard, as well as the reft of the Difciples, and remembred too, and could not but believe the Scripture as well as they. And what is yet a further Aggravation of the Sin of his Incredulity, he faith, he will not believe, unlefs he hath, not only an ocular Demonftration, but the Evidence of another Senfe, to convince him of the Truth of our Lord's Refurre&ion. What Prefumption was this in him to expedt fo great a Favour } what Reafon could fuch an obftinate Unbeliever have to think, that our Lord would conde- fcend to appear to him in particular, to fatif- fy his infolent Demands ? But perhaps his Incredulity was a judicial EffecT:, and punifhment of his Abfence from the religious AfTembly of his Brethren on the Day of our Lord's RefurrecYion ; for had he affembled himfelf with them, as he ought to have done , he alfo had feen our Lord, and been convinced of the Truth of his Refur- recStion, as well as they ; and therefore, who- ever wilfully firfakes the Affembling himfelf together with his Brethren in the Houfe of God, where he delights to meet them, may be daily more and more hardned in Unbe- lief, and never be admitted, (tho' he fee k it afterwards carefully with Tears^ becaufe there is Sermon the Fourteenth. 171 is a Time when God will be gracious, and a Time when He will Jhat up his loving IQndnefs in Dijpleafure ) to tajle the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come, and may en- tirely lofe that Sincerity of Heart, and Sim- plicity of Faith, without which it is impof- fible to pleafeTjod, and confequently impof- fible to be faved ,• and be given up to a repro- bate Senfe, fuffered to cavil and mock at, in- ftead of believing, the holy Myfteries of our Religion ; and, like our Apoftle, demand fuch fenfible Demonftrations of thofe fublime and fpiritual Truths, which God in his infinite Wifdom will not , nor the Nature of many of thofe Truths revealed, nor our Capacities admit of. St Thomas's obftinate Incredulity, except be could fee in our Saviour s Hands the Print of the Nazis, and put his Finger into the Print of the Nails, and thrufi his Hand into his Side, fomewhat refembles that of the Jews and chief Priefts, who reviling our Lord in his dying Agonies, while hanging on the Crofs, faid, ah ! Thou that dejtroyejt the Temple, and buildefl it in three Days, fave thyfelfi ifTl)ou be the Son of God, come down from the Crofs ; and He faved others, himfelfHe cannot fave ; if He be the JQng oflfrael, let him come down from the Crofs, and we will believe him. Nor much unlike thefe are fome Chri- ftians, who pretend, that the Myfteries of Chri- %7% Sermon the Fourteenth. Chriftianity are dark and obfcure, and there** fore want Miracles to move and quicken their Faith, and ftir them up to the practice of Chriftian Vertues, faying, if they could but fee the Heavens open'd, and one of thofe blefled Spirits, whom God fends to execute his Orders for the Welfare of thofe, who fhall be Heirs of Salvation, come down from the Regions of Blifs; How would their Hope and Faith be ftrengthned and enliven'd ! could they but fee a marvellous Light fhine in the Sanctuary, and Jefus Chrift appear encircled with Rays of Glory, with what Reverence mould they worjbip and fall down before the Lord their Saviour ! little confidering what Chrift himfelf hath told us at the Clofe of the Parable of Dives and Lazarus, if they hear not Mofes and the Prophets , neither tviU they be perfrvaded) tho' one rofe from the Dead. For if neither the Light and Authority of the Scriptures, the Succours of Grace, nor the Convi&ion of Confcience, can prevail to convert and reclaim a Sinner ; neither would the Refurre&ion ofaPerfon from the Dead be effectual for that Purpofe ; for tho' fuch an Apparition might for a while terrify the Sinner into good Refolutions, yet the Im- predion upon his Mind would foon grow lan- guid, and be effaced, 'till being at length re- folved into the Fumes of Melancholy or De- lulions of Fancy, all his good Intentions and Refo- Sermon the Fourteenth. 173 Refolutions would give way to the ufual and impetuous Tide of his finful Paflions. Nor are thofe free from the Charge of In- fidelity, who boldly fet up their Idol Reafon in oppofition to Revelation, being refolved to believe nothing, but what they can ac- count for, and fully comprehend, not confi- dering, as St Paul expreffes it, that the Foolijh* nefs of God is wifer than Men; and the Weak- ness of God is Jlronger than Men. But vain Man , as Job faith , would be wife , tho' he is born like a wild -Affe's Colt. Reafon indeed hath its proper Office and Province in the Arts and Sciences, and all the Affairs of this Life, but then it is finite, and confequently hath its proper bounds ; hi- therto may foe go, but no further : the Myfte- ries of Religion are deep things of God , fuch therefore as are above her Reach, and not to be examined by her; for can Reafon of her- felf by fearching find out God \ canjhe find out the Almighty to perfection ? it is as high as Hea- ven^ what can /be do ? deeper than Hell y what canjhe know} Let Reafon then in the deep things of God, his my fterious Truths, fubmit to Faith ; and what is exprefsly revealed in God's Word, tho' far paffing her Underftand- ing, let her affent to, and adore in humble Silence. But to return to St Thomas, tho' his Un- belief was highly criminal, as St Peter's thrice M m Denial 17^ Sermon the Fourteenth. Denial of his Lord was ; yet as our Saviour, with an eye of Pity and Companion, lookt St Peter into Repentance, and made him go outy and weep bitterly for his Sin ; fo was He gracioufly pleafed to confider St Thomas as an Inftance of human Frailty, and for his Conviction condefcended to give him that fenfible Proof of his Refurre&ion which he required , faying* reach hither thy Finger, and behold my Hands ; and reach hither thy Handy and thrufi it into my Side y and be not faith lefs, but believing. Which brings me Secondly to confider the rich Mercies and Goodnefs of Chrift fhewn in his tender Reproof, and gracious Convi- ction of this incredulous Apoftle. The rich Mercies and Goodnefs of Chrift are over all his Worksy but efpecially over Man, whom He formed after his own Image ; and when Man had defaced it by Sin, and become obnoxious to the divine Wrath, in the Fulnefs of Time y He ajfumed our Flejhy and came and dwelt among us full of Grace and Truth: and after having patiently fuffered all the Contra- diction of Sinner Sy for the many gracious Words and Works He had faid and done among them ; He died the ignominious Death of the Crofs for our Sinsy and rofe again for our Juftifi- cation ; rofe again from the Grave by his own Power, that we may be abfolved from our Tranf- Sermon the Fourteenth. 275- Tranfgreffions by the glorious Victory He gain'd over Sin, Death, and Satan, and be intitled to that eternal Redemption which He thereby purchafed for us. And to prove that He ftill retains for Man the fame ineffable Love, fironger than Death y He daily convinces us, by the Motions of our own Confciences, and the fvveet Influences of his Spirit, and that unlefs we firft leave and fbrfake him, He will never leave ^ nor for Jake us-, this ardent Love for Man, tho' a Sinner, He exprefs'd even while He was fuffering Death for Sinners , Father , forgive them ; for they know not what they do j and fbon after his Refurre&ion, He fliew'd it in his merciful and gracious Dealings with the unbelieving Apoftle St Thomas. Tho" he was obftinate in Infidelity, yet Chrift is abundant in Mer- cy : our Lord forfakes him not in his Weak- nefs , rejects him not for his Unbelief; but feeks for him with care : and tho' on the Day of his Refurre&ion He fhew'd himfelf only to the reft of the Apoftles, that St Thomas, who was abfent, might be convinced of the Truth of it by their Teftimony : yet becaufe that was not fufficient to make him a Be- liever, our Lord foon after appeared to St Thomas himfelf, and condefcended to gra- tify his rude Demands, that in his own way he might be convinced of the Reality of his Refur region, M m z And ir](> Sermon the Fourteenth. And when He appeared before him, He has fuch a tender Regard to the Reputation of this unbelieving Offender, that He reproves him in the Place, where his Difciples were met together, while the Doors were Jhut ; re- proves him in their Frefence, becaufe his Crime was only known to them, and that not with a long and tedious Harangue, not with outragious Complaints, bitter Words, and fharp Invectives, upon his weak and finful Incredulity ; but reproves him in the moft friendly manner, in words moft mild and mo- ving, be not faithlefsy but believing. A juft Admonition this to all thofe, who are Preachers of his Word, Shepherds of Souls, and have any Authority in his Church, that it is their Duty to ufe gentle Methods, not reproachful Words, to ad: as becometh Sons of Confutation , not So?is of Thunder , in their Reproof and Correction of Sinners : fo to behave as to fliew, that 'tis not their Defire to infult, but to reclaim and reform the Sin- ner j to convince him of the extreme Folly and Danger of Sin, if perfifted in ; but if he repents, kindly to receive htm i and with the Oil ofGladnefs to refrefh and heal thofe painful Wounds, which Sin, that is the poifonous//i«!g of Death, had made in his Conference ; and never to ufe Severity, denouncing Hell and Damnation, unlefs the Sinner be obftinate and refolved to die, as he hath lived, in his Sins. Let Sermon the Fourteenth. 177 Let thofe indifcreetPaftors, who, govern'd more by Paffion than Prudence, and inflam'd by a blind Zeal, not led by the Light of Scri- pture, treat Sinners with Scorn and Con- tempt, aggrandizing their Faults, and rafhly, rudely, and publickly expofing thereby their Perfons, as well as their Sins, then confider, that inftead of mollifying, they do but harden Sinner's Hearts ; and expofe both themfelves and their Office for their want of Charity and Juftice, and deferve themfelves that in- folent Correction, with which they treat their Brethren. How widely different from this Behaviour was that of our Lord's towards unbelieving Thomas, he meekly and humbly complies with his rude Demands- 5 He ihews him his Wounds, and opens to him the bowels of his Mercy and Compaffion ; fhews him his Hands and his Feet, and the Print of the Nails, and bids him thruji his Hand into his Side , that Fountain of Love and Salvation, that by fee- ing with his Eyes, and by touching and handling with his Hands that Word of Life, he might be no longer faithlefs, but believing. Let me apply therefore to all who are in- truded with the Care of Souls, who are catt'd to the Miniftry, as was Aaron , what our Sa- viour faid to recommend the Practice of Cha- rity from the Example of the good Samari- tane, Go, and do thou like wife - 3 I fay, let me apply x78 Sermon the Fourteenth. apply the fame Words to them, if they would a<2: fuitably to their Office and Character, in Cafes of Reproof and Correction, which alfo are Works of Charity, that they may be excited fo to behave as the meek and humble Jefus did, Go thon y and do likewife ; for that is the true Way to make their Reproofs ef- fectual, and all their Labours in the Lord to be fuccefsfuL Which reminds me of my Third Particular, which is to fliew, what good EfFecT: our Lord's gentle Reproof had, implied in thefe Words of St Thomas upon his Conviction, my Lord % and my God. As from the Wound which the Soldier's Spear had made in our Saviour's Side, there iiTued out Blood and Water, the ineftimable Price of our Redemption, and lively Emblems of the two Sacraments, Baptifm and the Lord's Supper; fo from the fame Fountain arofe that ftedfaft Faith, ardent Love, and holy Zeal , which fhone confpicuous in the confe- quent Life and Actions of St Thomas, who, when he had feen with his Eyes? and handled with his Hands the Word of Life , amazed at his paft Mifcondudt, labours to vent his Con- viction, and fuitable Paffions of his Soul, (arifing from a Senfe of God's Goodnefs, and the Mercies of Chrift, and a juft Refentment of his peryerfe Pride and obftinate Incredu- lity) Sermon the Fourteenth, 179 lity ) with a Heart pierced with Grief and tru- ly penitent, with great Eagernefs and Diffi- culty, he cries out, my Lord, and my God. By Faith he perceives the Height and Depth of the divine Love in the Redemption cf Mankind, and taftes the Sweetnefs of it in his own Conviction : he recalls to mind all the gracious Words and Actions of his Lord, what he had faid, done, and fuffered for the general Salvation of the World, and for him- felf in particular ; all which, like a Flame of pure Fire, purged and purified his Heart from all bafe and impure AfFe&ions, kindled in him the Love of divine Truths, and a due Regard for, and Submiffion to, the Myfteries of our Religion, and made him, who had be- fore obftinately denied the Refurredtion, now exprefsly confefs the Divinity of his Lord, faying, my Lord, and my God. St Thomas was the firft of all the Apoftles, who exprefsly and clearly owns and confefles the Divinity of Chrift, thou art Cbrift, faith St Peter, the Son of the living God; in like manner faith Nathanael to our Lord, Thou art the Son of God: but thefe are but confe- quential Proofs of his Divinity, fuch as the Arians own as well as we, and yet deny his Divinity ; but to their Confufion, St Thomas ftiles him, his Lord, and his God-, which Words are by no fubtle nor muffling artifices to be eluded 5 becaufe, in the Scripture language, there x8o Sermon the Fourteenth. there is no one ftiled my God> but the true God : and therefore every true Chriftian will believe and confefs him to be Lord and God, whom St Thomas exprefsly own'd and cog- fefs'd to be his Lord, and his God. For the Divinity of Chrift is an effential Article of the Chriftian Faith, without which our Faith is vain^ and our Religion vain : for if Chrift be not God , how could He have made full fatisfa&ion to God's infinite Juftice for our Sin ; and if no Satisfaction was made, we are yet in our Sins, and under the Sen- tence of Death. And further, if Chrift be not God, the di- vine Honour and Worfhip we pay him, will be down-right Idolatry, which inftead of plea- fing God, will only provoke him ; becaufe He hath declared, that He will not give his Glory to another: which yet, if the Scripture be the Word of God , He hath allowed and com- manded to be given to Chrift; for thus faith He, let all the Angels of God worjhip him. And therefore if Chrift be another, and not the true God, we charge him, tvho cannot lie, with being guilty of a Lie, which being high- ly blafphemous and abfurd, we muft there- fore conclude with our Apoftle, that Chrift is no other than the true Lord, and true God: whofe Faith in the Divinity of Chrift, upon his fenfible Conviction of our Lords Refur- *e ture Rewards annexed to it. Vertue and Ho- linefs of Life are no lefs beautiful and lovely, than Sin is odious and deteftable; for in T^g}*- teoufnefs and true Holinefs doth con fill the Image of God, after which we were created. God is Holinefs and Goodnefs itfelf, for whatever is lovely and amiable in the Crea- tures centers in and proceeds from him ; all the Glories of the natural World being but faint Shadows of his infinite Perfections, but J^ighteoufnefs and Holinefs, in which Man was made, God himfelf hath dignified and diftin- guifhed with the high Title of his own Image, a Title , which is attributed to the Son of God himfelf, who is in Glory equal with the Father, and in Majefty coeternal ; for He is called the Brightnefs of Gods Glory y and the ex* frefs Image of his P erf on. How lovely and beautiful then muft Ver- tue and Holinefs needs be, fince they are dig- O o 2 nified %$z Sermon the Fifteenth. nified with the fame divine Title, with which the Son of God is , who is the Wijdom and Word of the Father , and in whom all the Fulnefs of the Godhead dwelt bodily. Tis the Beauty of Vertue and Holinefs, that made our firft Parents fit for Paradife, and now qualifies the bleffed Angels and Saints above to be meet Partakers of the Glories of Heaven. 'Tis the Beauty of Vertue and Holinefs, that now confecrates, through the Merits of Chrift, the Bodies of all faithful Chriftians to be living Temples of the holy Ghojl, the Spi- rit of Purity and Truth. 'Tis Vertue and Holinefs that gives a Man all the true Comfort, Peace, and Pleafure, that he can here enjoy ; it creates a Heaven with- in his Soul, while we are walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Deaths 'till we fafely arrive at that Haven of Blifs, where there will not only be no more Tears, no more Sor- row, nor Crying, nor Pain, but an eternal Frui- tion of the Society of Angels, and of the Spi- rits ofjufl Men made perfect, and of the So- ciety of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, and of the Beatifick Vifion of God the Fa- ther, who is the only Centre and Fountain of infinite Happinefs. And thefe different Confequences of Good and Evil, of Holinefs and Sin, are the necef- fary Attendants and Fruits of their different Natures : Sermon the Fifteenth. 2.93 Natures : for in Vertue and Holinefs there is a graceful Decency or Decorum, arifing from a regular Order and Proportion , that appears in every Act thereof, fiich as is not only fufficient to attract the Eyes, and excite the Admiration of every Spectator, but alfo fufficient to pleafe and charm the Heart of every rational Creature, that is adorn'd there- with, and engage, through God's Goodnefs and gracious Promifes in Chrift, the Love and Favour of God, who is the great Author and Patron of all Order and Proportion : where- as Sin and Wickednefs are Deviations from all Regularity and Order, monftrous Diftortions from all Proportion, and confequently the Sin- ner muft be odious to every rational Creature- odious to himfelf, if he has fo much Reafcn left in him, as to diftinguifh between Good and Evil; and hateful to God, bccaufe all Sin is a Contradiction to the Purity of his Nature and Laws, and confequently He will be fure, without timely Repentanceiplenteoufly to reward it, with all the fiery Breath of his Diftleafure. And confequently fince Holinefs, as David faith, become th the Houfe of God for ever, fo nothing but what is holy, or intended to be holy, mould enter therein; much lefs frail any thing, that is unclean or defiled-, enter into that facred Houfe of God which is above, the Houfe not made with hands, eternal in the Hea- vens 1 for there Jhall in no wife enter into it, any 194- Sermon the Fifteenth. any thing that defile th, neither whatfoever work* eth Abomination, or maketh a lie, but they only which are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Wherefore from a due Reflection upon the Beauty ofHolinefs,and the Deformity of Sin, and the happy Confequences that attend the one , and the direful Confequences that at- tend the other ; we have good Reafon to take all poffible care, and firmly to refolve, that we will not take any wicked thing in hand, but to put on, as Job exprefles it, Righteoufnefs , that we may be clothed therewith, and that it may be our T^obe and Diadem, left we lofe the happy Priviledge of having our Names writ- ten in the Book of Life, and be forced to drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God, which is pour d cut without Mixture, into the Cup of his Indig- nation ; and be tormented with tire and Brim- jione, in the Prejence of the holy Angels, and in the Prefence of the Lamb for ever. And if this is the natural Confequence of Sin in general, how much more dreadful will be the Confequence of the Sins of Unfaith- fulnefs ? for doth David fay, that he will take no wicked thing in hand} He yet more wari- ly expreffeth himfelf againft the Sins of Un- faithfulnefs ; / hate the Sins of < Vnfaithfulnefs 7 there Jfjall no fuch cleave unto me. Which reminds me of my Second Particular, which was in a more efpecial manner to fhew the Sermon the Fifteenth. 195- the horrid Nature and heinous Guilt of the Sins ofTJnfaitbfulnefs. By the Sins of Unfaithful nefs we are with- out difpute to understand fuch, as are of the moft injurious and destructive, black and de- vilifli Nature, fuch as are the falfe Promifes we make to one another, more efpecially the wilful Breach of thofe folemn Vows and fa- cramental Engagements we have laid our- felves under to the moft high God : fuch likewife are the treacherous Wounds of a falfe Friend, and fuch above all is that Monfter of Sin, the Sin of Ingratitude. And Firft) as to falfe Promifes, and more efpecially the wilful Breach of thofe folemn Vows and facramental Engagements we have laid ourfelves under to the moft high God. Falfe Promifes are nothing elfe but Lies, which yet, even thofe, who are fuch Preten- ders to Honour, that they fcorn to take a Lie, without revenging it on him who gives it, tho' at the hazard of Life, are but too often guilty of j and thofe credulous Fools, who fufFer themfelyes to be deceived thereby, may pleafe themfelves with the vain and imagi- nary Hopes of fome future Advantage, yet often find at length the Folly of their De- pendance, and that they have nothing left to inherit, but the Shame and mifery of a Difappointment. It was by falfe Promifes and Lies, that Sin firft r<)6 Sermon the Fifteenth, firft entred into the World, and ftill conti- nues to maintain its Empire therein; for the Serpent had never perfwaded our Mother Eve to tafte the forbidden Fruit, had he not falfly allured her firft, that the day Jhejfjould eat thereof, Jbejbould not furely die-, but that her eyes Jhould be opend, and Jlje JJjould be as Gods knowing good and evil. And by the like Artifice, by a falfe Pro- mi fe, he thought to have tempted our blefTed Lord, the fecond Adam to Idolatry ; for he fhew'd and promifed , what was not in his power to give him, the Kingdoms of the World, and Glory of them, if He would fall down and jvorjhip him : but he received an Anfwer wor- thy of our Lord to give that bold Deceiver, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, thou Jhalt worfljip the Lord thy God, and him only Jhalt thou ferve. And as the Devil, fo doth his genuine Off- fpring Sin prevail upon Mankind to liften to and embrace it, by falfe Promifes, by the glit- tering but delufive Shew and Appearance of fome gaudy Bait to allure and deceive the un- wary Fool: for there is no one ever induced to the Com million of Sin, but by a Perfwa- fion that he mall have and enjoy fome Good or Happinefs, that he flood in need of. The Devil oners to him, that will enter into his Service, Honour, Profit, or Pleafure ; but the Wages with which he rewards his Drudgery, are Sermon the Fifteenth, X97 are Shame, Remorfe, and Damnation : and if the Sinner would compare the Promifes and Payments of the Tempter, he will foon be convinced of the Deceitfulnefs of that Au- thor of Perdition , and of his own Folly in giving ear to him. But falfe Promifes are not only hurtful to thofe, to whom they are made, but in many Cafes much more hurtful to thofe that make them,- he that is deceived by falfe Promifes, is perhaps difappointed in his Hopes of fbme trivial Advantage in this Life, but he who makes them, how (lightly foever he may at prefent think of them, will find himfelf fa- tally difappointed in his Hopes of Happinefs in the next : for the falfe Promifer is a Liar, and he that is a Liar, is a Child of him who is the Father ofLies^ and confequently Heir to the Fate and Portion of his Father, (viz.) a State of endlefs Mifery and Perdition. But, tho' this is the wretched Fate of falfe Promifers , yet fuch is the Fate alfo of all thofe, who {hall prefume to be guilty of a Breach of their folemn Vows and facramental Engagements : for if regardlefs of the fo- lemn Vow and Covenant made with God at our Baptifm, wherein we promifed to fight againft all Sin under our Saviour's Banner, the Captain of our Salvation , and to continue his faithful Soldiers and Servants to our Lives end: if regardlefs of the facred Obligations we lay P p our- 198 Sermon the Fifteenth. ourfelves under to holinefs of Life, as oft as we partake of the holy Myfteries, the dear Pledges of our Saviour's Love, exhibited to us at his holy Table, for then and there we offer and prefent ourfelves, our Souls and Bodies , a reafonable , holy, and lively Sacri- fice unto God; I fay, if infpite of thefe Ob- ligations, we {hall tamely relapfe into, and ea- gerly indulge ourfelves in thofe Sins which we have fo folemnly and frequently renounc'd and abjured j we (hall fo highly aggravate thefe our Sins ofXtnfaithfulnefsy that they will be continually, as St Paul expreffes it more exceeding finful. And fince there is a time when God will be gracious ; and a time when he will jbut up his loving Rindnefs in Difyleafure : fince there is a time that his Spirit will not always firive with Man r but will leave and fbrfake impe- nitent and hardned Sinners, we muft take care left, by a continual long Abufe of the Goodnefs, long Sufferance, and Forbearance of God, we provoke him to withdraw his Ho- ly Spirit from us, and confign us over as a Prey to our own Lufts, and the Devil, who will be fure to hurry us down, like the Gada- rene Swine, into the great Deep, the Gulf of Perdition. Another Inftance of the Sins of Unfaith- fulnefs is, the treacherous Wounds of a falfe Friend : Friendfhip is a facred tie of unfeign- ed Sermon the Fifteenth. 299 ed Love and AfFe&ion, between thofe who Jsnow the Value of, and are willing to improve that graceful Relation or lovely Quality, and ready to exert and manifeft, on all proper Occaiions, its genuine Fruits; but 'tis of fo delicate a Nature, that it will grow and thrive in no other Soil, befide that wherein the no- ble Train of all true Vertues flourifh. Hence true Friends are rarely to be found, while falfe Pretenders to that facred Name are fo numerous, that were it poffible to compute and reckon up their Number, it would be a fevere Satir upon Mankind : I fhall not prefume, neither will a Work of this Na- ture admit of it, to lay before you all the various and fubtle Artifices, by which thefe Men infinuate themfelves into the Hearts and Affections of their Brethren, that they may effectually deceive, betray, and ruin them : at prefent it may be fufficient to obferve, that fair Looks and Speeches, and kind Profeffions of Love and Friendfhip, are the moft ufual Preface and Introduction to the greateft Mif- chief, that can befal Mankind : Amafa was firft kifid before he was /lain by Joab ; and Ammon kindly entertained before he was bafely facrificed by Abfolom-, by giving ear to, and believing the falfe Carelfes of a fawning Parafite, inltead of a true Friend, we admit a Thief, a Traytor, a Judas into our Bofbm : Men being generally undone by thofe, who P p 2 fhoul4 3 oo Sermon the Fifteenth. fliould be their chief Succour and Defence. And if thefe Pretenders to Friendfhip, do not proceed fo far as to take away and de- ftroy the Life of thofe they profefs to Love, they too often murder their good Name, and AfTaffinate their Reputation -, Their Words to the Face of their Friends are fmoother than Oil, yet behind their Backs they are very Swords. The beft of Men have not been exempt, or fecured from the bafe Treachery of falfe Friends : our blefTed Lord, who was filled the Son of David, as well as Son of God , was be- tray d by one of the Twelve , whom he had chofen to be his Companions and Friends ; and holy David likewife was a great Sufferer by the treacherous Dealing of fuch Men, for we find him thus paffionately Complaining of the Injuries he had received. It is not an open Enemy, that hath done me this Dijhonour, fir then J could have born it : neither was it mine Adverfary , that did magnify himfelf a~ gainfi me, for then per adventure I would have hid my f elf from him, but it was even thou my Companion, my Guide, and mine own familiar Friend ; we took fweet Counfel together, and walked in the Houfe of God as Friends*. Whence we learn, what every Man's Expe- rience who has fuffered by his Friend, can atteft, that the treacherous Wounds of a Friend are much more cutting and intolera- * Pfalm 5?. ble Sermon the Fifteenth. 301 ble, than the Wounds given by an open Ene* my j 'tis not an open Enemy, that hath done me this Dijfjonour, but mine own familiar Friend ; this is the Sting of the Reproach, this makes the holy Prophet thus movingly complain, and perhaps an Eye to this Difhonour, as well as a Senfe of its intrinfick Bafenefs, made him fay in my Text, / hate the Sins oj^Vn- fatthfulnefs, there j}j all no fuch cleave unto me. I This leads me to confider the Tlnrd and laft Tnftance of the Sins ofDnfaithfulnefs, that Monfter of all Sin, the Sin of Ingratitude, a Sin that bears the true Image and Super Jcri- ption of the Devil, who firft committed it, and now labours to the utmoft of his Power and Malice to promote and fpread it : it confifts of the worft Principles a rational Creature can be poifoned with : for it is founded upon ill Nature and fignifies an infenfibility of good Offices done, an unconcernednefs for the Kindnefs ofj and an utter Difregard for, the Perfon who gives or confers it ; and is fre- quently attended with an Inclination to re- turn and repay good Offices with bad ones, Kindnefs with Contempt, not without De- light and Joy in fb doing : fo that whoever heaps his Kindnefles upon an ungrateful Per- fon, is like him who tills and cafts good Seed upon a barren Soil, which inftead of good Fruit, produceth nothing but (linking and poifonous 3 ox Sermon the Fifteenth. poifonous Weeds, which yet are not to be compared to the much more filthy and per- nicious Product of an ungrateful Heart, which is always fb puft up with Pride, and foured with ill Nature, that whatever Kindnefs un- grateful Men receive from others, they look not on it, as a free and undeferved Gift, but only as a juft Tribute or Homage due to their own tranfcendent Merit ; and therefore it is no wonder, they fhould defpife and fpurn at their Benefactors, and like greedy Swine turn again and rend thoje, who cafi their Pearls be* fore them. Such and fb monftrous a Sin, is the Sin of Ingratitude : a Vice cenfured and condemned by the general Voice of Mankind; a Vice, never mention'd even by any Heathen Wri- ters, but with the blacked marks of Infamy, and Expreffions of Deteftation i and yet as black a Sin as it is, we are all of us more or lefs guilty of it, with refpect to the great God, the Almighty Creator, and gracious Preferver of the Univerfe. God in his Wifdom and Goodnefs formed us after his own Image in J^ghteoufnefs and true Holinefs, and we ungratefully defaced that Image by ourDifobedience: and yet He redeem'd us from the threatned Vengeance, not with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold, but with the mofi precious Blood of his Qnly be- gotten San : and tho" we daily offend him> yet He Sermon the Fifteenth. 303 He daily gives us our daily Bread; tho' we con- tinually provoke him by our tranfgreffions , yet He conftantly maintains us, and all other living Creatures by the exceeding Riches of his Liberality ; and hath promifed to receive fuch vile Ingrates, as we are, for the Sake of Chrift, if we fincerely repent, into everlajlitig Habitations : for faith David, Lord, whojhall abide in thy Tabernacle ? who Jball dwell in thy holy Hill ? He that walketh uprightly, and work' eth T^ighteoufnefs, and Jpeaketh the Truth from bis Heart ; even he that taketh no wicked thing in hand, that hateth the Sins ofTJn faith fulnefs y and will not Juffer any fuch to cleave unto him. tfil vd FINIS. \ AU s *v it