A sermon preached before the Queen at White-hall, on Sunday, March 22, 1690/1 by Edward Fowler ... Fowler, Edward, 1632-1714. 1691 Approx. 42 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 18 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-03 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A40094 Wing F1721 ESTC R10617 12927404 ocm 12927404 95575 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A40094) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 95575) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 692:16) A sermon preached before the Queen at White-hall, on Sunday, March 22, 1690/1 by Edward Fowler ... Fowler, Edward, 1632-1714. [4], 31 p. Printed by T.M. for Ric. Chiswell ..., London : 1691. Reproduction of original in the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign Campus). Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- N.T. -- James II, 10 -- Sermons. Sermons, English -- 17th century. 2003-07 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2003-07 SPi Global Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-01 Emma (Leeson) Huber Sampled and proofread 2004-01 Emma (Leeson) Huber Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-02 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion A SERMON Preached before the QUEEN AT WHITE-HALL , On Sunday , MARCH 22. 1690 / 1. By EDWARD FOWLER , D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to Their Majesties . Published by Her Maiesties Special Command . LONDON , Printed by T. M. for Ric. Chiswel at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church Yard , 1691. Dr. FOWLER 's SERMON Preached before THE QUEEN , March 22. 1690 / 1. A SERMON Preach'd before the QUEEN . Iames 2.10 . For whosoever shall keep the whole Law , and yet offend in one Point , he is guilty of all . THERE are several Passages of our Saviour and his Apostles , which at the first hearing do sound very harshly , and seem to savour of over-great Severity , that upon due Consideration are found to have nothing in them , but what is highly Reasonable . To omit others , this Text is one of those Passages ; and many , no doubt , have been startled at it , and been ready to say as the Disciples of our Saviour did upon another Occasion , This is an hard saying , who can hear it ? For can this Doctrine be true , that whosoever shall keep the whole Law , and yet offend in one Point , is guilty of all , and we be in the mean time dealt with according to the Gentleness and Clemency of a Covenant of Grace ? Is this the GOSPEL we talk so much of ? Is this the Glad-Tydings which our Saviour hath brought us ? We find none so bad , we read nothing so sad , in all the Old Testament . The worst Passage there is , and that is bad enough , Cursed is he that continueth not , in all that is written in the Law to do it . It is no where there said , that he who is never so careful to observe the whole Law , if he chance to transgress in any one Point , shall be look't upon as a Transgressour of all the Commandments , and dealt with like such a one . That other Saying is a very terrible one , but this is much more terrible . If this be so , we may well Repeat that other Question of the Disciples , Who then can be saved ? In many things we offend all ; if therefore he who keepeth the whole Law , and yet offends in one Point , be guilty of all , how Desperate must the Case not onely of the Generality needs be , but of every Individual Person ? I must confess that these Words may well Confound us , and fill us with Amazement , were they to be understood in the severest Sense they are capable of ; but we are certain they are not so to be understood ; and therefore that the fore-mentioned Paraphrase upon them , is by no means a true one : And the Context sheweth , that this is the plain Meaning of them , viz. Upon Supposition that a Man were careful to observe all the Laws of God but one , his living in the Breach of that one , shall be so far from being connived at upon the Account of his Obedience to all the rest , that he shall be lyable to the Punishment which is due to the Transgression of the whole Law : That is , the same Punishment for kind , not for degree ; there being nothing more plainly revealed , than that the more and the greater Sins Men are guilty of , the greater and severer shall be their Punishment . And in saying that such a one shall have the same Punishment for kind , I mean that which consisteth in being forever Banished from the Presence of God ; and which is called Eternal Death . Now the Reasonableness of this Assertion of our Apostle , thus understood , may be fully made to appear by these following Considerations . First , He who refuseth Obedience to any One of the Divine Laws , may as truly be said to Contemn the Divine Authority , as if he lived in the breach of all . Men in wilfully Disobeying any One Law , do put as true an Affront upon the Law-Giver , tho' not so High a one , as they do in Disobeying all . This Reason St. Iames gives in the Words next following , for what he affirms in the Text : For he that said , do not Commit Adultery , said also do not Kill ; now if thou Commit no Adultery , yet if thou kill , thou art become a Transgressour of the Law. That is , it is the same Law-Giver who hath forbidden Adultery and Murther ; and His Authority is as truly Contemned in Transgressing one , as both of these Laws . Every deliberate Act of Disobedience is flat Rebellion , and so for forth a Renouncing of God's right to Govern us ; It is a virtual denial of His Authority to Prescribe any Laws to us , and lays a foundation for Universal Disobedience . For if God Almighty's Soveraignty be Disacknowledg'd in any One Instance , it may as well be so in all other . The same Reason that leads to the Violation of one Law , doth Enervate and render invalid all other Laws . Again , Secondly , He who willfully Disobeys any One of the Divine Laws , is no Sincere Observer of any of the rest . For whosoever allows himself in any one Act of Disobedience , hath no True Love either for God or Goodness ; but it is necessary to the Sincerity of Obedience , that it proceed from that Love which hath both these for its Objects . That it proceed from Love to God , and ( which is indeed Materially the same ) Love to Goodness : Goodness ( Or Universal Righteousness , Purity and Benignity ) being that upon the account of which God Almighty is a Lovely Being . Now it is Evident , that those who live in any Disobedience to God , do not Love Him. They love him not according to the Scripture-Notion of Loving God ; because whatsoever that is for the sake of which we can find in our hearts to Disobey Him , must needs be valued and Esteemed above Him ; And the Scripture-Notion of Loving God , is the Esteeming Him above , and Preferring Him before all Creatures . He who hath No true Love for God , may Obey Him in many instances , as the poor Pagans Worship the Devil , out of a Slavish Fear and Dread of Him ; He may Obey him too as a meer Mercenary , I mean , for the good things of this Life , and a Sensual kind of Happiness in the Other : But this Obedience is far from being Genuine , or the true Evangelical Obedience , as is Easy to shew . And again , it is no less apparent , that the Love of Virtue and true Goodness , is inconsistent with harbouring any thing in our breasts that is contrary there to . Thirdly , He who lives in disobedience to any One Law of God , as he Obeys none Sincerely , so is he prepared to break all other Laws , and that in the grossest manner , whensoever forceable Temptations may assault him . For if the Divine Authority can't prevail with a Man , to Abstain from this or that Sin , how is it to be Expected it should Restrain him from Other Sins , when he may happen to be incited to them by alike strong and Violent Temptations ? Such a one may forbear not a few sins while he is not at all , or not very violently set upon by a tempter ; but if God should once suffer him to be sharply encountred , either from without or from within , it is not hard to divine what Success such Temptations would have upon him . Hazael once thought that 't was impossible he should incurr the Guilt of such horrid Villanies , as he was foretold he would ; such as dashing young Children against the stones , and ripping up Women with Child : What , replyed he to the Prophet , Is thy Servant a Dog , that he should do such things ? But for all that , when he came into other Circumstances , and so to have such Temptations , as he never before met with , he was such a Dog as to commit such Barbarities . And if we will not be prevailed with , to forsake in Will and Affection every Sin , we shall scarcely stick longer at any Sin , than our forbearance thereof is consistent with the Satisfaction of that Lust which is dearest to us . We have Iudas also for an Example of this : He was doubtless , as to Outward Appearance , a very Moral Inoffensive Man ; for our Saviour would not have given such Scandal , as to have taken him , had he not been so , into the Number of his Constant Associates ; yet this Judas loving the Bag , being a secretly - Covetous Wretch , could perswade himself , even most basely to betray his Blessed Master , when allured by the Bait of Gain to it ; and that a very sorry Bait too . Fourthly , Whosoever makes no Conscience of transgressing some one Law , as he is Prepared to break all other upon strong Temptations , so he actually disobeys other Laws , according to that Latitude of Interpretation which our Lord hath given them ; and which ought to be given them . Such a one may tremble at the Thoughts of breaking those two Commandments , Thou shalt not commit Adultery , Thou shalt not kill ; but Lusting in his Heart , or Hating his Enemy , will be Venial Sins with him , though his Saviour hath told him , that these are Transgressions of those Commandments . This Man may punctually keep the First and Second Commandments , as to the shunning of those Sins , which in express terms are forbidden by them : He may abhorr to acknowledge any other God but Iehovah : he may abominate Graven Images in the Worship of God ; but while he preferreth the World , either the Riches , or Honours , or Pleasures thereof , before God ( as whosoever lives in the Allowance of any known Sin doth ) he is a very Idolater , as the Apostle hath told us . Fifthly , Living in the Breach of but one Law , would as truly Deprave Mens Natures , and make them unmeet for the Enjoyment of God , as living in the Breach of all . It would do so as truly and really , though not in the same degree . One Sin allowed , one Lust cherished , robs the Soul of the Divine Image , renders it unlike to God , and consequently makes it uncapable of taking Satisfaction or Complacency in that Best of Beings , who is pure Light , and in whom is no Darkness at all . It is thereby unqualified for the Heavenly , and it sinks it down into the Hellish State. We say , One Leak will sink a Ship as sure as a Thousand : And , upon this Account , One Sin entertained , must needs as certainly ruine our Souls , if we will not part with it , as never so many . Our Four First Considerations make it highly Reasonable that it should be so , but this Last makes it Necessary . Necessary from the very Nature of the thing ; not only , nor yet Primarily , from the Will of God. I shall now Present you with Several plain Inferences from what hath been said . As , I. THat we ought not to account any Sin a Light or a small thing ; such a thing as God Almighty will not Concern Himself about : Such a thing as we may allow ourselves in , and yet be Objects of the Divine Favour . This is Evident from what we have said ; or rather is our Text it self in other Words . But I add , for the farther Clearing of the Truth hereof , that that Sin which we are apt to Fancy so Light a matter , is either a Transgression of God's Law or 't is not ; if it be not , we may not acknowledge it to be a Sin : For Sin , as saith the Apostle , is the Transgression of the Law ; and where there is no Law there is no Transgression . But if it be a Transgression of the Law , how can it be a Light or a Trivial thing ? If it be really so , then must God needs so account it , for He judges of things as they are ; but how can God so account it , when He hath made a Law against it ? Will His Infinite Wisdom suffer Him to make a Law , which He matters not whether it be Observ'd or no ? Such a Law would be a very Vain and Needless one , and therefore cannot be of God's making . No Wise Man would be the Maker of such a Law. But because some Sins are accounted small and others Great , this Distinction is not to be born , except we mean , that some Sins are small ones in Comparison of others ; not that any are absolutely and in themselves small . Indeed Considering Sins as Transgressions of God's Law , so all are alike ; for one Sin is not more contrary to the Law than another : All are as Contrary to the Law as can be . That Stoical Paradox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , All Sins are Equal , Tully gives this true Explication of : Parva inquis Res est , at Magna Culpa ; Thou sayest this is but a small thing , but I say 't is a Great fault : in quo peccatur , id potest esse aliud alio majus aut minus ; That in which a Man Offends , may be a greater or a less thing : ipsum autem Peccare , quoquo te verteris unum est . But the Offending ( the Sinning ) it self , is ever one and the same thing . And this amounts to what was now said , That considering Sins ; as Transgressions of the Divine Laws , so all are alike : But considering them according to various Circumstances , some may be Comparatively small , or much less than others . Some are committed with less of the Will than others ; and those , Men fall into upon a Surprize , and before they are aware , are nothing so great in that respect , as those which are committed with Deliberation . I mean upon Supposition , that a naughty Custom doth not occasion the Inadvertency . There are those who profane the Sacred Name of God by rash Oaths , and by taking it into their Mouths lightly and wantonly , and ( when reproved ) profess they were not aware they did so : But this is no Extenuation of their Fault , because such insensibility can proceed from no other Cause , than Mens having acquired a wretched Habit of so making bold with and abusing God's Name , through their Minds being void of any awful Sense of His Glorious Majesty . Some Sins are committed against less Light and Knowledge than others ; and Sins against greater actual Knowledge , or better Means of Knowledge , are in that respect the Greater Sins ; and therefore our Lord hath assigned the greater Punishment to them , Mat. 10.15 . The greater Obligations , and the more Mercies Men sin against , the greater are their Sins upon that Account . The more of Disingenuity and hateful Ingratitude there is in sins , the more Hainous and Provoking are they . Sins are greater or less , according as the Effects of them are more or less mischievous . Those which injure our selves onely , are not in that respect so great , as those which injure our Neighbour together with our selves . And those which are injurious to our Neighbours Souls , are the greatest that can be committed against them . Those which are mischievous to the Community are as such , much greater than those which are so only to Particular Persons . The worse End a Man hath in a Sin , the greater is it . The more of ill-Nature , and a Vile Devilish Temper is in a Sin , the more exceedingly Sinful ' t is . Those which are Transgressions of the Rules of everlasting Righteouss , are greater as such , than those which are onely Transgressions of Positive Precepts . The former are more intensively Evil ; they are Evil not onely as Violations of a declared Law , but there is also Turpitude and Malignity in the Matter of them : Which Malignity is the Reason of the Law against them . And of this Nature are generally those things which are forbidden in the Gospel of our Saviour . And to these may be added other Instances . But though upon these and other Accounts , some sins are less than others , yet ( as hath been sufficiently proved ) it is impossible that any Sin should be Simply , and in it self Little . Which , by the way , is a sufficient Confutation of that dangerous Doctrine of the Church of Rome ; That there are a sort of Sins which are Venial in their own Nature , and that cannot put us out of God's Favour , tho' committed never so frequently or deliberately . II. What hath been said may serve to Vindicate our Saviour's Dealing with the Young Man in the Gospel , from being too severe . Such as are apt to pass hasty Judgment upon the Actions of others , without duely considering the Reasons of them , may be apt in reading that Story , not only to Pity the young Man , but to take his Part : As thinking him too hardly dealt with , in not being accepted for his having Observed the Ten Commandments even from his Childhood , but having such father Terms impos'd upon him , as forced him to go away sorrowful . Surely , may such say , our Lord was utterly averse to the bestowing of Eternal Life upon this poor Man. It is said , Blessed are they that do his Commandments , for they shall have Right unto the Tree of Life , but here is one who must be excepted , since Obedience to the Whole LAW , and that of so long a standing too , might signifie nothing to the intitling of him thereunto . Nay our Lord did at first plainly intimate to him , that keeping the Commandments should be all he would expect from him ; for said he , If thou wilt enter into Life , keep the Commandments : But when he had replyed that this he was not to begin to do now , but h●d ever done it , then was more required of him ; and that no less than the Selling , and having sold , the giving away his whole Estate ; which was very great . It seems as freely as Eternal Life was offered to Others , this Man must Buy it , and that with no less a Sum , than the Price of all he had . But we are to take Notice , that our Blessed Saviour designed to Try him by this Injunction , whether he really was , as he thought himself , Universally Obedient ; and it seem to be such another Command as that of God Almighty to His Servant Abraham , for the Offering of his onely Son Isaac . But as Abraham by his readiness to obey that Command , demonstrated the Sincerity of his Love to God , as God Himself told him , so this Young Man by his Unwillingness to Obey this Command , gave as great a Demonstration of his having been nothing less , than a sincere Observer of all God's Commandments . In short , he was by this Means Convicted of wretched Covetousness ; in that , as desirous as he was of Eternal Life , he preferred his Temporal Estate before it . That our Saviour did not thus treat him out of Prejudice to his Person , and with a design to affright him from Him , is plain from what we find in this Narrative , as St. Mark relates it . 'T is said , Ch. 10 21. upon his telling him that he had observed all the Commandments from his Youth , that Iesus loved him . Now it is very Clear from our past Discourse , that there was great Rèason , why this Young Man , as good as he was , should be sent away sorrowful , since he was no better . For though he was no Murtherer , nor Adulterer , nor Thief , &c. in the gross Sense , yet he might be all these , according to the Spiritual Sense and Meaning of the Law ; for 't is certain that in this sense he was an Idolater , in that the World lay deepest in his Affections , and was esteemed above GOD , and Eternal Life . III. I infer from what hath been said , what a great Weakness it is in any Man to hope for Salvation , because he perceives that there are many who are far greater Sinners than himself , when yet he lives in the wilful Commission of some known Sins , or in the wilful Neglect of some known Duties . I doubt there are too many , who because they are not Drunkards , nor Unclean Persons , nor Profane Swearers , &c. as they see Multitudes are , do fa●●● all to be well with them , though they are conscious to themselves of being faulty , and that wilfully too , in other respects . They can possibly over-reach their Brother , when they can do it slyly ; or if they stick at plain Injustice , they can do Hard things ; which will be found another day to be Unjust also , and which those know to be so now , who take their Measures of Right and Wrong from their Saviour's Golden Rule , Matth. 7.12 . They can make an Idol of the World , are inamoured with either the Riches , or Honours , or Pleasures thereof ; if not with all , yet with one or other of these , and are with great difficulty drawn to Works of Mercy and Charity . Some seem mightily Devout , and Zealous for the Duties of the First Table , and therefore take themselves for good Christians , tho' they are as Remiss in Reference to divers Duties of the Second . Others again are seemingly very Observant of those of the Second Table , are Sober , Orderly , Governable , good Subjects , quiet and inoffensive Neighbours ; when perhaps they are as Culpable in Relation to the Duties of the First : Live under little Sense of God , of their Dependance on Him , and their Obligations to Him : Worship Him with their Bodies , when their Hearts are far from Him ; and content themselves with a meer External , tho' not with a meer Ritual Righteousness . But why should any of us think our selves in a Good State , because we live not in any of the Scandalous Sins ? Were not those Laws made to be Obeyed which we Break , as well as those we Keep , or at least think we Keep ? And , if so , how can we Expect God's Favour , and live in such Contradiction to His Will ? Will you approve of that Servant who wilfully Disobeys some of your Commands , because he observes others ? No surely , all Masters will Expect to be in every thing obeyed ; or at least that their Servants should endeavour to obey them in all things . God will say another day to the Partially Obedient , These things ought you to have done , and not to have left the other undone . But how came it to be ever imagined , that God will be put off with a Partiall Obedience ? The mischief is , those who live not in Open Sins , the world , not seeing farther , hath a good Opinion of them ; and therefore they will please themselves with a Conceit , that God Almighty hath the same . Or it may be their own Party will applaud those things in them , which are far from being Praise-worthy . But let us not be deceived , God is not mocked , as men are ; nor will He flatter us as men do . Let no man deceive us , nor let us deceive ourselves with vain words or thoughts ; for , for the sake of whatsoever Sins we will not part with , be they what they will , the wrath of God will fall upon us , except it be diverted by timely Repentance ; that is , by timely Reformation . Was the Pharisee accepted of God , because he could say , God I thank thee that I am not as other men are , Extortioners , Unjust , Adulterers , or even as this Publican ? We know he was not ; for tho' he was free from the Sins of many others , yet was he a Pharisee still : There were Secret and less Observed Sins , which he allowed himself in ; and therefore that Publican he so despised , being a true Penitent , went away Iustified before him . IV. Methinks those who make none , or but very little , Conscience of their ways , and dare to live in open Sins , should not be able to forbear being mightily Concerned at what hath been said . For as the Apostle saith , If the Righteous scarcely be saved ( or have such a Portion of Misery in this life ) where shall the Wicked and Ungodly appear ? We may say , if those who are seemingly Righteous , or have a regard to most of God's Laws , not heartily Endeavouring to Obey them all , shall fall short of Salvation , what shall become of such as are apparently , and in the Eye of the World , Wicked and Ungodly ? Prophane and Debauched people are Vniversally acknowledged to be Objects of the Divine displeasure ; and therefore whatsoever vain hopes those , who are not guilty of the Crimes which speak men such , may have of the goodness of their State , one would presume that these could have no Temptation to hope well of themselves , while they Continue impenitent and Unreformed . Some mens Sins , saith St. Paul , are Open before hand , going before to judgment ; and some , they follow after . Some mens Sins are so Conspicuous , that they may be pronounc't to be in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity , in this life : The Sins of others are more secret , the judgment of whom is to be reserved to the Great Day . But alas , such is the nature of Sin , that the Greatest Sinners are least Sensible of their Danger . None shall be more forward than they , to perswade themselves of God's Pardon ; Especially if after a Wretched life they can but make a good End , as the Phrase is ; that is , be sorry for their Sins , for fear of Hell , when they can Sin no longer , and Call upon their Saviour at the last Gasp. But if the Hopes of a man who can't be prevailed with , to be intirely Obedient , be Vain and Groundless , then the Hopes of such Sinners as these , must needs be ( do I say vain too ? they must be ) Mad Hopes . What is the Hope of the Hypocrite , when God taketh away his Soul ? Said Upright Iob : And therefore what Hope can those have , who to that time have lived dissolutely , and been Open Violators of Gods Laws ? And now I shall shut up this Discourse , with seriously Applying my self to those , who dare not run with the now mentioned sort of Sinners to their Excess of Riot , but yet Harbour in their Breasts some Secret Sins still . I beseech you think well of the words of our Text , which taken in the most Candid Sense may well scare You also ; may throughly Convince you of the Absolute Necessity of Intire Obedience . And that you may be effectually perswaded of it : First , Consider how wonderfully you are Obliged to your infinitely Good God , in that He hath , through Christ , declared Himself so Exceedingly willing , to pardon all Sins not allowed and liv'd in . Can you be so Foolish and Ill-natured , as thus to requite the Lord ? Is it not matter of Unspeakable Thankfulness , that God will be Reconciled to Sinners upon any Terms possible , and can we desire He should be , upon more Reasonable Terms ? If thou Lord shouldst mark iniquities , O Lord who shall stand ? But there is forgiveness with Thee , that thou maist be feared . This is the use we ought to make of the goodness of God , and His readiness to forgive ; and 't is an Argument of an intolerably bad Temper , not to be induced to fear to Offend Him , by the Consideration hereof . Seeing God is pleased to assure us of His Pardon thro' the Sacrifice of His Son , so we will do what lyeth in us for the time to come to please Him , He is as Gracious to us as we can Reasonably wish He would be . With what Face then can we desire to persist longer in any one instance of Disobedience ? There is no Honest Soul , but thinks it extremely too much , that He sometimes Trangresseth against his will , and before he is aware , and his Weaknesses and Infirmities do very heartily afflict him ; then surely if we are sincere , we shall not indure to add Wickednesses to our Weaknesses , nor Deliberate Presumptuous Sins to those of Infirmity . It will grieve us at heart , that we find our selves constrained to beg Pardon so often for Weaknesses ; so far shall we be from making through Wilfulness , or Carelesness , more work for Repentance . Secondly , Consider how Gracious God hath been to you , in continuing His Restraining Grace , whereby you have been kept from Scandalous Sins ; whereas He hath had most just Provocations to leave you to your selves , in regard of your allowance of secret ones . Many fearful Examples there have been of those who have been thus punish't , for their Hypocrisy and playing fast-and-loose with God ; Obeying Him in some things , and making bold with Him in others : And 't is Gods infinite Mercy that you are not yet in the Number of such Examples . While any Corrupt Affection is gratified by us , we are Prepared ( as hath been shewed ) to Close with the very worst of Temptations , when so ever we may be violently assaulted by them . Now it is only the good Providence and Grace of God , which hath hitherto kept off such Temptations ; and the Wicked One not flinging the most fiery darts he hath in his Quiver at us , is wholly to be imputed to the Divine Restraints : But how soon we may be Abandoned by the Divine Providence , to the Rage and Fury of that Roaring Lyon , which goeth up and down seeking to devour us , we cannot tell ; but have Cause still to be expecting so great a Judgment , while we refuse to be Intirely God's Servants . Thirdly , Let the partially Obedient Consider , what unaccountable Folly and Madness it is , to Disobey God in any thing . What can you say for your selves , why you should obey Him but just so far ? Is there not the same Reason , why you should be in every thing Obedient , that there is , why you should be in any thing so ? Is it most Reasonable to Obey Him in some things , and is it not so to Obey Him in all things ? Can we say that God goes beyond His Power in imposing some Laws ; or that those we dislike , are less Reasonable than His other Laws ? Surely we dare not admit such a Thought . Is it possible then , that we can think it Fit or Tolerable , that the great Creator and Governour of the World should be in any thing Disobeyed ? Such a Worm as thy self art highly offended with thy Servant , when he willingly disobeys thee ; and too often when he does so against his Will : But is thy Authority over thy Servant equal to God Almighty's over thee ? Are the Obligations in which he stands to thee , like those in which thou standest to God ? Or is there any Comparison between those Encouragements , thou art able to give thy Servant to please thee , and those which God gives thee to please Him ? Who would not think himself greatly Affronted , to have such Questions seriously put to him ? And this minds me to Entreat you , Fourthly , To Consider what a Glorious Reward is assured to us , to Encourage us to Obey . It is called a Crown of Righteousness , a Crown of Life , and a Crown of Glory . There are given to us , for this End , exceeding great and precious Promises , as St. Peter calls them . A Promise of seeing God even as He is : Of being forever with our Lord Iesus Christ : Of Beholding the Glory which the Father hath given Him ; and of Partaking too of His own Glory , and that to all Eternity : A Promise that the Righteous shall shine forth like the Sun in the Kingdom of the Father : Of their being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 . Equal with the Glorious Angels : And of having their Vile Bodies made like unto Christ's most Glorious Body . Which , and many other such like , Promises our Lord Confirmed by Innumerable Miracles , Wonders and Signs ; and then Sealed them With His Blood , and next , by His Resurrection from the Dead , and Ascension into Heaven : Whither He declared He went , as the Fore-runner of His Obedient Disciples , there to prepare a Place for them ; that where He is , there they may be also . And lastly , He Confirmed these exceeding great and precious Promises , by sending the Holy Ghost , according to His Promise before He left the World. Now , who can have any worthy Sense of the Reward of Obedience , and think much of Obeying in any one Instance , tho' much more were required of him than there is ? If the Apostle said of the Sufferings of that Present Time , ( which were Extraordinary and Prodigious Ones , and especially those which himself underwent ) that they are not Worthy to be compared with the Glory which shall be revealed in us ; much more may this be said of the Services of this Life , of all the Duties to which our Creator and Redeemer have oblig'd us . And therefore , Fifthly , Let it be likewise considered , that , as vastly great as the Reward of Obedience shall be , there is no more required of us under the Gospel Dispensation , than , all things considered , needs must . It may with the greatest Assurance be affirmed , that nothing is now commanded , but what is necessary to make us capable of the Glorious Inheritance purchased for us ; or doth tend to the better Inabling us for those Duties , which are of indispensable Necessity to this End : And that nothing is Forbidden us , which doth not either directly or consequentially tend to make us unmeet for that Inheritance . So that to complain of any one of our Lord's Precepts , is the same thing with finding fault with Him , for designing to make us such Happy Creatures . Sixthly , Consider also , that the LAWS which are given us , as they are most necessary , so they are not so many , as that we need to be scared at them . Many are apt to think , that because the Bible is a Great Book , the Divine LAWS are almost Numberless . But the far greater Part of the Bible consists of History , and Relations of Matters of Fact , and of Pious Mens devout Prayers and Praises , &c. And in the Preceptive Part , there are very many Laws which are Abrogated , and never concerned Christians : And those which are of Force , are many of them abundance of times Repeated and Inculcated . In short , our whole Duty may be brought into a very Narrow Compass . St. Paul reduceth it to Three Heads , Sobriety , Righteousness and Godliness : And our Blessed Saviour to Two , The Love of God , and our Neighbour ; and the particular Instances of each of these , are easily and quickly learn't . Nay they are generally written in our Hearts , as St. Paul tells us ; i.e. are the plain Dictates of Natural Reason . Seventhly , Let us farther Consider , that there is so close a Connexion between them all , that Obedience to one Law will inable us to obey another , and so on : And the Performance of one Duty , will prepare us for another , and make it easie to us . And on the other hand , the Breach of one Law will cause Carelessness in keeping other Laws ; and no Sin goes alone . So that 't is but a bare Supposition in the Text , that a Man may keep the Whole Law , and offend but in one Point , or slight one Law , and observe all the rest ; for there can really be no such thing ; as is evident from what hath been now discoursed . Eighthly , I may also add , that there is no necessity of being very solicitous , about any more than one thing , in order to our keeping God's Laws ; and that is the Vigorously possessing our Souls with the Love of God. This , saith St. Iohn , is the Love of God , that we keep His Commandments , ( or , this is a necessary expression thereof ) and His Commandments are not grievous : Namely to those that Love God. And what can we imagine so Natural to Creatures Capable of understanding God , as Loving Him with all their hearts , Considering the infinite Loveliness of His Nature , and the Inexpressible Obligations He hath laid upon them ? What so Agreeable to our Nature , as to love Him who is the Author of our Being , after whose Image we were made , who is the Centre of our Souls , and in whom alone consisteth our True Happiness ? And 't is very easy to shew , that the Love of God will naturally draw after it , all those duties which relate , either immediately to Him , or to our Neighbour , or to our own Souls and Bodies . Now , Considering these things , well may God Almighty Expostulate with Partially Obedient Christians , as once He did with such Iews , and that with greater reason , O my people , what have I done unto thee ? And wherein have I wearied thee ? Testify against me . He hath been indeed so far from wearying us with His Impositions , that every good Christian's Experience is able to Testify that the greatest satisfaction , the truest self-Enjoyment , ariseth from the Observance of His Laws . Nor can it be otherwise , since Love , and the Love of God , is the fulfilling of them . For what so Pleasant as Love , and much more as love placed on such an Object as God is ? We ought therefore to be so far from thinking much of yielding Obedience to all His Laws , that we are highly disingenuous , if we be not heartily thankful to Him , for giving us so few , and those such as in Obedience to which consists such Pleasure . In the last place , and with these words I will Conclude , What a sad thing , and miserable disappointment , must it needs be , to come near to the Kingdom of Heaven , and yet at last fall short of it , for want of going a little farther ? May all Partially Obedient Professors of Christianity , Consider this also , and lay it well to heart . FINIS . Notes, typically marginal, from the original text Notes for div A40094-e170 1 Tim. 5.24 . Iob , 27.8 . Psal. 130.3 , 4. Rom. 10.8 . Mica . 6.3 .